Can Humans Survive Mass Extinction?

Threats that could wipe out the bulk of life on earth abound. Planetary catastrophe could come in the form of a killer asteroid impact, the eruption of massive supervolcanoes, a nearby gamma ray burst that sterilizes the earth, or by human-driven environmental collapse.

Yet life will endure, says Annalee Newitz, and so will humanity.? In her new book, Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, Newitz surveys billions of years of history and five previous mass extinctions to draw lessons about how catastrophe comes and how ? and why ? life abides.

The breadth of the book is truly astounding, ranging from the planet?s first mass extinction ??as cyanobacteria exhaled massive amounts of oxygen into the Earth?s atmosphere, poisoning most other life even as they paved the way for the ecosystem we see today ? to the techniques that grey whales, Jewish communities, and plague survivors have used to ensure their survival. In between we see the Earth freeze over then then thaw again. We watch as dinosaurs rise and fall, mammals come to dominate the world, and primates evolve into hominids and eventually modern humanity with all its varied challenges. The scale starts at billions of years, then zooms down to millions, then thousands, and then into the present day, before zipping ahead into the future.

Newitz came to this topic with a pessimistic outlook, she writes, believing that humanity was doomed, and intent on producing a book with that slant. Yet her research convinced her that the opposite is true ? that while global risks abound, and while we humans ourselves are potentially the greatest threat to both our own species and other life on Earth ? we will nevertheless (probably) find ways to survive and bounce back from even the worse catastrophes.

In the introduction she tells us that disaster, whether human created or not, is inevitable ??but doom is not.?? How can she believe this?? In her words:

Because the world has been almost completely destroyed half a dozen times. [..] Earth has been shattered by asteroid impacts, choked by extreme greenhouse gases, locked up in ice, bombarded with cosmic radiation, and ripped open by megavolcanoes so massive they are almost unimaginable.? Each of these disasters caused mass extinctions, during which more than 75% of the species on Earth died out.? And yet every single time, living creatures carried on, adapting to survive under the harshest of conditions.

Humans, Newitz says, have also adapted: to past episodes of climate change, to new locales, to new diets, and to persecution at the hands of other humans. That repeated pattern of survival and adaptation ? of life as a whole and of humanity in particular ? convinces Newitz that we can do it again.

That optimistic theme makes the book a delightfully fun and engaging read. 263 pages crammed full of ecosystem collapse, extinctions, pandemics, wars, and existential threats would, in the hands of another writer, been a bleak and exhausting affair.? Instead, it?s a witty whirlwind tour of survival and renewal even in the face of horrific calamity.

Newitz is the editor in chief of the science and science fiction site io9.com, and it shows.? Not content to look only at the past, she sprinkles the text with the forward-looking views of some of the world?s most insightful science fiction authors (along with a dash of pop culture), and closes the book with a glimpse of the million year future ? the necessity that humanity diversifies beyond this one planet and moves some of its eggs out of this single fragile basket if we want to maximize our odds of truly long-term survival.

Newitz?s work at io9 is also on display in the pace of the book.? Each chapter reads like an extended article, often on a topic about which whole books have been written.? That brevity means that scientific controversies cannot be handled at length, though Newitz does take care to state where such controversies exist, and to sketch out the opposing viewpoints. My only frustration as a reader was in frequently wanting to pause the book and drill down deeper into the topic at hand, with a longer chapter than the one I?d just read, rather than moving on to a new topic post-haste.? The flip side is that the book never wears out its welcome.? Upon turning the final page, I only wanted more.

Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, by Annalee Newitz, Doubleday.

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Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/05/31/can-humans-survive-mass-extinction/

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AP Exclusive: Soldier to admit Afghan massacre

SEATTLE (AP) ? The Army staff sergeant charged with slaughtering 16 villagers in one of the worst atrocities of the Afghanistan war will plead guilty to avoid the death penalty in a deal that requires him to recount the horrific attack for the first time, his attorney told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was "crazed" and "broken" when he slipped away from his remote southern Afghanistan outpost and attacked mud-walled compounds in two slumbering villages nearby, lawyer John Henry Browne said.

But his client's mental state didn't rise to the level of a legal insanity defense, Browne said, and Bales will plead guilty next week.

The outcome of the case carries high stakes. The Army had been trying to have Bales executed, and Afghan villagers have demanded it. In interviews with the AP in Kandahar last month, relatives of the victims became outraged at the notion Bales might escape the death penalty.

"For this one thing, we would kill 100 American soldiers," vowed Mohammed Wazir, who had 11 family members killed that night, including his mother and 2-year-old daughter.

"A prison sentence doesn't mean anything," said Said Jan, whose wife and three other relatives died. "I know we have no power now. But I will become stronger, and if he does not hang, I will have my revenge."

Any plea deal must be approved by the judge as well as the commanding general at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where Bales is being held. A plea hearing is set for June 5, said Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield, an Army spokesman. He said he could not immediately provide other details.

"The judge will be asking questions of Sgt. Bales about what he did, what he remembers and his state of mind," said Browne, who told the AP the commanding general has already approved the deal. "The deal that has been worked out ... is they take the death penalty off the table, and he pleads as charged, pretty much."

A sentencing-phase trial set for September will determine whether Bales is sentenced to life in prison with or without the possibility of parole.

Browne previously indicated Bales remembered little from the night of the massacre, and he said that was true in the early days after the attack. But as further details and records emerged, Bales began to remember what he did, the lawyer said, and he will admit to "very specific facts" about the shootings.

Browne would not elaborate on what his client will tell the judge.

Bales, an Ohio native and father of two from Lake Tapps, Wash., had been drinking contraband alcohol, snorting Valium that was provided to him by another soldier, and had been taking steroids before the attack.

Testimony at a hearing last fall established that Bales returned to his base between attacking the villages, woke up a fellow soldier and confessed. The soldier didn't believe him and went back to sleep, and Bales left again to continue the slaughter.

Most of the victims were women and children, and some of the bodies were piled and burned. The slayings drew such angry protests that the U.S. temporarily halted combat operations in Afghanistan. It was three weeks before American investigators could reach the crime scenes.

Browne said his client, who was on his fourth combat deployment, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. He continued to blame the Army for sending him back to war in the first place.

"He's broken, and we broke him," Browne said.

The massacre raised questions about the toll multiple deployments were taking on American troops. For that reason, many legal experts believed it that it was unlikely that he would receive the death penalty, as Army prosecutors were seeking. The military justice system hasn't executed anyone since 1961.

The defense team, including military lawyers assigned to Bales as well as Browne's co-counsel, Emma Scanlan, eventually determined after having Bales examined by psychiatrists that he would not be able to prove any claim of insanity or diminished capacity at the time of the attack, Browne said.

"His mental state does not rise to the level of a legal insanity defense," Browne said. "But his state of mind will be very important at the trial in September. We'll talk about his mental capacities or lack thereof, and other factors that were important to his state of mind."

Browne acknowledged the plea deal could inflame tensions in Afghanistan and said he was disappointed the case has not done more to focus public opinion on the war.

"It's a very delicate situation. I am concerned there could be a backlash," he said. "My personal goal is to save Bob from the death penalty. Getting the public to pay more attention to the war is secondary to what I have to do."

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

___

AP's special regional correspondent for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kathy Gannon, contributed from Kandahar.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-soldier-admit-afghan-massacre-202930434.html

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'Junk DNA' plays active role in cancer progression, researchers find

May 29, 2013 ? Scientists at The University of Nottingham have found that a genetic rogue element produced by sequences until recently considered 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression.

The researchers, led by Dr Cristina Tufarelli, in the School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health Sciences, discovered that the presence of this faulty genetic element -- known as chimeric transcript LCT13 -- is associated with the switching off of a known tumour suppressor gene (known as TFPI-2) whose expression is required to prevent cancer invasion and metastasis.

Their findings, published online this month in the journal Nucleic Acid Research, suggest that LCT13 may be involved in switching off TFPI-2.

This faulty genetic element was previously identified by Dr Tufarelli's team as part of a group of chimeric transcripts which are produced by DNA sequences frequently regarded as 'junk DNA' called LINE-1 (L1).

The work reported now expands on the previous observation as it indicates that in addition to acting as potential diagnostic tools these rogue elements can play an active role in cancer.

Dr Tufarelli said: "This study has identified a novel way in which 'junk DNA' can interfere with the normal functioning of a cell. The next step will be to understand how these elements become switched on. This information will be important in the design of treatments aimed to prevent activation of these elements and cancer progression."

The work was initiated through funding by Cancer Research UK, the Royal Society, MRC and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/WEBzf3fn3A4/130529121023.htm

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Insurance Premium Reductions ? Follow Up #2 ? Workers ...

Following WorkCover NSW?s recent announcement of industry rate reductions (see the original article here, and our follow-up here), further details of changes made to the Scheme for small employers have now been made available.

WorkCover states that the changes are intended to decrease administration and create savings for smaller businesses, while increasing focus on injured workers, and providing small employers with more incentive for proactive claims management.

These changes will be effective for policies renewing 30 June 2013 onwards, and please note that all of these changes relate ONLY to small employers.

Changes include:

• Small Employer Definition ? The small employer limit has been increased from $10,000 to include employers with an annualised Basic Tariff Premium (BTP) of less than or equal to $30,000. This means that premiums of employers with an annualised BTP of $30,000 or less will not be impacted by claims cots. BTP is calculated by multiplying your wage roll by the WorkCover set rate for your industry.
• Renewal Premium ? Agents will no longer ask small employers to provide a declaration of estimated wages. The 2013/2014 premium will be based on the current year?s estimate. From 2014/2015 onward, the renewal premium for small employers will be calculated on the actual wages, plus a determined adjustment factor such as the CPI (Consumer Price Index). If actual wages are not submitted, the renewal premium will be determined using the estimated wages plus 30%. If wages are expected to differ by 25% or more from the renewal figure, the agent can be advised and the premium amended.
• Adjustment Premium ? The timeframe to submit the declaration of actual wages has been increased from two months after the end of the insurance period, to four months. If the declaration is not received within six months, the premium will be nil adjusted.
• 5% Premium Discount ? If the annual premium is paid in full by the due date, the early payment discount is now 5% instead of 3%.
• Employer Safety Incentive (ESI) ? Each policy year if all injured workers? return to full time pre-injury duties with 4 weeks of the date of injury a 10% reduction in premium will be given by WorkCover. This discount will be automatically applied, and will only be removed if the employer doesn?t meet the conditions during the year.
• Return to Work Incentive (RTWI) ? If the employer doesn?t meet the conditions for the ESI (above), they can still get a 10% discount if every worker injured during the policy period returns to work within 13 weeks from the date of injury. The RTWI is applicable only if the employer is no longer eligible for the ESI.
• Renewal Dates ? A small employer?s policy will be adjusted to align to the end of the calendar month prior to the current renewal date, if it does not already align to a calendar month end. E.g. a 29 September policy will be shortened to expire on 31 August.

If you have any questions or would like further information about these changes, please contact Caleb Kleinig at WCD on (02) 8745 2020.

Source: http://wcdcomp.com.au/insurance-premium-reductions-follow-up-2/

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Home prices accelerate by most in seven years

By Leah Schnurr

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Home prices accelerated by the most in nearly seven years in March while consumer confidence surged in May, suggesting there were areas of resilience for an economy that is facing the pinch of belt-tightening in Washington.

The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas climbed 10.9 percent year over year, beating expectations for 10.2 percent, the survey released on Tuesday showed. This was the biggest increase since April 2006, just before prices peaked in the summer of that year.

Prices in the 20 cities gained 1.1 percent in March compared to the month before on a seasonally adjusted basis, topping economists' forecasts for a 1 percent rise.

The housing market turned a corner in 2012, several years after its far-reaching collapse. The recovery has picked up since as inventory has tightened, foreclosures eased and historically low mortgage rates have attracted buyers.

Separate data showed consumer confidence picked up in May to its highest in more than five years.

Housing and the consumer have shown strength even as there have been hints that tighter fiscal policy is starting to bite in the broader economy. Across-the-board U.S. government spending cuts of $85 billion went into effect in March, while the payroll tax holiday expired at the beginning of the year, raising taxes for many Americans.

The data suggested both segments were performing better than the overall economy, said Sam Bullard, senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"There are some individual circumstances that are helping to propel both of these a little bit stronger than what the actual underlying strength would suggest," said Bullard, pointing to the effect of higher stock prices on consumers, and investor demand for homes in beaten-down regions lifting prices.

Economists expect the pace of growth likely cooled in the second quarter, partly due to tighter fiscal policy, but the second half of the year is seen regaining momentum. Investor attention has turned to when the Federal Reserve might start to slow its economic stimulus efforts.

The data lent support to equities where Wall Street rallied more than 1 percent after comments from central banks around the world reassured investors supportive monetary policies would remain in place. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields were at their highest in over a year.

Housing-related shares gained following the Case-Shiller report, with the S&P homebuilders ETF up 1.3 percent. The ETF is up more than 20 percent for the year, outpacing the 17 percent surge seen in the benchmark S&P 500.

Home prices in Phoenix continued their sharp ascent, rising 22.5 percent from a year earlier. Other standouts included San Francisco, up 22.2 percent, and hard-hit Las Vegas, up 20.6 percent.

For the first quarter of this year, the seasonally adjusted national index rose 3.9 percent, stronger than the 2.4 percent gain seen in the final quarter of last year.

"Low inventories and gradually improving housing demand have combined to push housing starts higher and support home price appreciation," said Michael Gapen, an economist at Barclays in New York.

"We see these factors as remaining in place and expect residential investment to add to GDP growth in the coming quarters. We also expect rising real estate wealth to support household balance sheets and underpin consumption, helping the broader economy to offset a substantial fiscal drag in 2013."

The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes jumped to 76.2 from an upwardly revised 69 in April, topping economists' expectations for 71. It was the best level since February 2008.

April was originally reported as 68.1. After dropping in March, it was the second month in a row confidence has improved.

The expectations index rose to 82.4 from 74.3, while the present situation index climbed to 66.7 from 61.

Consumers' assessment of the labor market improved. The "jobs hard to get" index slipped to 36.1 percent from 36.9 percent the month before, while the "jobs plentiful" index gained to 10.8 percent from 9.7 percent.

In a sign of confidence among high-end consumers, jeweler Tiffany & Co reported better-than-expected sales for the first quarter.

(Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/march-home-prices-see-best-annual-rise-seven-130441930.html

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Team finds gene that helps honey bees find flowers (and get back home)

Public release date: 29-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Diana Yates
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, lll. Honey bees don't start out knowing how to find flowers or even how to get around outside the hive. Before they can forage, they must learn how to navigate a changing landscape and orient themselves in relation to the sun.

In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory gene known to be involved in learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into high gear in the brains of honey bees when they are learning to how to find food and bring it home.

Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly increases in a region of the brain known as the mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their way around an unfamiliar environment, the researchers observed. This gene is the insect equivalent of a transcription factor found in mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity of other genes.

The researchers found that the increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or the task of memorizing visual cues; it increased only in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick in Egr activity when they had to learn how to navigate in a new environment.

"This discovery gives us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain," said Gene Robinson, a professor of entomology and neuroscience and director of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. "And finding that it's Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in vertebrates, provides another demonstration that some of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved in evolution."

Robinson led the study with graduate student Claudia Lutz.

A paper describing the work appears in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

###

The National Institutes of Health supported this research.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Diana Yates
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, lll. Honey bees don't start out knowing how to find flowers or even how to get around outside the hive. Before they can forage, they must learn how to navigate a changing landscape and orient themselves in relation to the sun.

In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory gene known to be involved in learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into high gear in the brains of honey bees when they are learning to how to find food and bring it home.

Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly increases in a region of the brain known as the mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their way around an unfamiliar environment, the researchers observed. This gene is the insect equivalent of a transcription factor found in mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity of other genes.

The researchers found that the increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or the task of memorizing visual cues; it increased only in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick in Egr activity when they had to learn how to navigate in a new environment.

"This discovery gives us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain," said Gene Robinson, a professor of entomology and neuroscience and director of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. "And finding that it's Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in vertebrates, provides another demonstration that some of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved in evolution."

Robinson led the study with graduate student Claudia Lutz.

A paper describing the work appears in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

###

The National Institutes of Health supported this research.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uoia-tfg052913.php

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Ancient plants reawaken: Plants exposed by retreating glaciers regrowing after centuries entombed under ice

May 28, 2013 ? When University of Alberta researcher Catherine La Farge threads her way through the recently exposed terrain left behind by retreating glaciers, she looks at the ancient plant remains a lot closer than most. Now, her careful scrutiny has revealed a startling reawakening of long-dormant plants known as bryophytes.

La Farge, a researcher in the Faculty of Science, and director and curator of the Cryptogamic Herbarium at the University of Alberta, has overturned a long-held assumption that all of the plant remains exposed by retreating polar glaciers are dead. Previously, any new growth of plants close to the glacier margin was considered the result of rapid colonization by modern plants surrounding the glacier.

Using radiocarbon dating, La Farge and her co-authors confirmed that the plants, which ranged from 400 to 600 years old, were entombed during the Little Ice Age that happened between 1550 and 1850. In the field, La Farge noticed that the subglacial populations were not only intact, but also in pristine condition -- with some suggesting regrowth.

In the lab, La Farge and her master's student Krista Williams selected 24 subglacial samples for culture experiments. Seven of these samples produced 11 cultures that successfully regenerated four species from the original parent material.

La Farge says the regrowth of these Little Ice Age bryophytes (such as mosses and liverworts) expands our understanding of glacier ecosystems as biological reservoirs that are becoming increasingly important with global ice retreat. "We know that bryophytes can remain dormant for many years (for example, in deserts) and then are reactivated, but nobody expected them to rejuvenate after nearly 400 years beneath a glacier.

"These simple, efficient plants, which have been around for more than 400 million years, have evolved a unique biology for optimal resilience," she adds. "Any bryophyte cell can reprogram itself to initiate the development of an entire new plant. This is equivalent to stem cells in faunal systems."

La Farge says the finding amplifies the critical role of bryophytes in polar environments and has implications for all permafrost regions of the globe.

"Bryophytes are extremophiles that can thrive where other plants don't, hence they play a vital role in the establishment, colonization and maintenance of polar ecosystems. This discovery emphasizes the importance of research that helps us understand the natural world, given how little we still know about polar ecosystems -- with applied spinoffs for understanding reclamation that we may never have anticipated."

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/P0SV9veptBk/130528202549.htm

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Rain delays start of play Tuesday at French Open

PARIS (AP) ? Rain delayed the start of play Tuesday at the French Open for more than two hours, creating a backlog of matches with the tournament still in the first round.

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli was to face Olga Govortsova in the opening match on center court, but rain began falling shortly before the players were scheduled to take the court.

The start of action on 14 other courts was also delayed. The schedule included the two champions from the Australian Open in January, No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Victoria Azarenka, along with past major titlists Petra Kvitova and Samantha Stosur.

Last week, tournament officials said they would move ahead with plans to build a retractable roof over center court, despite a court ruling last month that put the project on hold. The roof would be completed in 2018 as part of a $440 renovation million project at Roland Garros.

The men's final last year between Djokovic and Rafael Nadal was halted in the fourth set, forcing an overnight suspension and the completion of the tournament on a Monday. It was the first time in 39 years the French Open didn't finish on time.

The weather was sunny Monday, when Maria Sharapova began a bid for her fifth Grand Slam title with a rather quick and simple 6-2, 6-1 victory over 42nd-ranked Hsieh Su-wei.

Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open last year, adding the title to the ones from Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. She never got the chance to defend that last one in 2009, because she was sidelined with an injured right shoulder; Sharapova had surgery on it in 2010.

"It's nice to come back to a place where you feel like you're part of its history," Sharapova said, "where your name will always be (engraved) somewhere on the wall or on the trophy."

Rafael Nadal, an 11-time major champion, also knows that feeling rather well, of course ? especially in Paris, where he has won a record seven titles, including the past three.

His bid to become the only man with eight championships at any Grand Slam tournament got off to a slow start Monday, before he restored order by coming back to beat 59th-ranked Daniel Brands 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.

For the better part of two sets, it wasn't all that different from Nadal's previous match at a Slam: Early round, main stadium, unknown opponent taking risky swings and putting everything in. At Wimbledon nearly a year ago, it was 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol who took it to Nadal and beat him in the second round.

"He was trying to hit every ball as hard as he can," said Nadal, who improved to 37-2 this season, with 16 victories in a row. "He made me suffer, I can tell you."

Brands came in 0-4 at the French Open, and with a sub-.500 career record in all tour matches, and his strategy was right out of Rosol's playbook: Keep points short and aim for the lines.

"That's the way. If you give Nadal time, there's no chance. You have to be aggressive. That's my view," Rosol, who's now ranked 36th, said Monday after winning his first-round match. "If other players play aggressive against him, that's the only way to beat him."

Toni Nadal, who is Rafael's uncle and coach, saw similarities with the last time his nephew played at a Grand Slam.

"Yes, it was a little the same," Toni said. "Against Rosol, in the fifth set, we couldn't do anything."

But when a reporter wanted to know whether there's a pattern being established as to the type of foe who can bother Rafael, Toni shrugged that off, replying: "When you play against an opponent who serves really well, who puts in a high percentage of first serves, and who hits balls really fast, it's complicated for everyone ? not just for Rafael."

In other Day 2 action, French wild-card recipient Gael Monfils surprised No. 5 Tomas Berdych 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5, while Australia's Nick Kyrgios, at 18 the youngest player in the men's draw, made a successful Grand Slam debut by eliminating 34-year-old Radek Stepanek 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (11). Two U.S. men won to set up a meeting for a spot in the third round: John Isner and Ryan Harrison.

Sharapova's three predecessors as Roland Garros women's champion all won in straight sets: 2011's Li Na, 2010's Francesca Schiavone, and 2009's Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, last year's runner-up at Wimbledon, kept pace with her younger sister Urszula ? producer of a three-set victory over Venus Williams on Sunday ? by eliminating Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1.

Li and Radwanska both play Americans next. Li goes up against Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who got past Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain, part of a 6-1 day for U.S. women, including wins by No. 17 Sloane Stephens, No. 29 Varvara Lepchenko, Melanie Oudin, Vania King and Madison Keys.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rain-delays-start-play-tuesday-french-open-104645764.html

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Trip down memory lane: The 2001 introduction of the iPod

The iPod: For many the start of a love affair with Apple products. I know that's where it all began for me 9 years ago with the purchase of a 20GB iPod. With all the current rumors of a new Apple music service and WWDC around the corner, what better time than to take a trip down memory lane and see where the digital music revolution truly kicked into gear.

Compared to the Apple product presentations of the present day, the 2001 introduction of the iPod was a relatively low-key affair, delivered by the late Steve Jobs at Apple HQ in Cupertino. 2001 was before the age of livestreams, and liveblogs, and the gathered press would have been reporting the announcement in a very different way to how WWDC will be reported to the world in a few weeks.

The iPod was truly a revolutionary product, and modern technology icon. At the time, having the ability to carry 1,000 songs in your pocket was unheard of. As the years passed, the iPod and iTunes Store changed the way we listen to music.

So, join us, sit back and relax, and watch the video above to see the 2001 iPod introduction in full. 12 year old video footage isn't a patch on today's, but it all adds to the nostalgia. Maybe you recall this event from first time around, and remember going out to purchase your very first iPod? What did you feel when you took out of the box for the very first time?

Video courtesy of EverySteveJobsVideo on YouTube

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/vmzFG0k10l8/story01.htm

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Robbie Rogers, Openly Gay Soccer Player, Makes Historic L.A. Galaxy Debut (VIDEO)

In the 77th minute of a regular-season Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders on Sunday evening, Robbie Rogers made history.

The 26-year-old midfielder entered the game as a substitute for the Galaxy, becoming the first active openly gay male athlete to compete in a U.S. professional team sport.

Rogers came out in February in an emotional note on his personal website. In that same post, he also announced his decision to "step away" from the game. With a smile on his face and the No. 14 on his back, he stepped back on to the field on Sunday evening. The crowd at the Home Depot Center welcomed him with a loud cheer.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE

The reaction on social media among fellow players, fans and media was similarly positive.

Thanks to a first-half hat trick by Robbie Keane, the Galaxy were in total control of the game before Rogers took the field. The reigning MLS champions would roll to a 4-0 win, with Rogers completing all three of his passes. After the win, Rogers' focus appeared to be on his team's performance rather than his historic appearance.

"The most important thing is today we got three points," Rogers told ESPN during a postgame interview. "This was a huge game for us. It's a Western Conference game. The guys just played amazing. Robbie was clinical in front of goal and it was a pleasure to watch. They made it easy for me."

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/27/gay-soccer-player-robbie-rogers-debut_n_3341036.html

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Fox Sports has not determined why rope snapped

In this photo provided by Fernando Echeverria, security personnel assist a fan injured by a broken television camera cable during the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Fernando Echeverria)

In this photo provided by Fernando Echeverria, security personnel assist a fan injured by a broken television camera cable during the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Fernando Echeverria)

In this photo provided by Fernando Echeverria, Kyle Busch drives over a broken television camera cable during the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Fernando Echeverria)

An official and a member of the cleanup crew attend to a broken television cable rig during a red flag in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2013. Several cars were damaged by the broken rig. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Cars drive on the track as a television camera rides above during the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2013. A cable from the camera broke, damaging several cars and causing a red flag to clean up the track and repair the damaged cars. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ? Fox Sports says on Monday it still had not determined why an overhead TV camera cable snapped during the Coca-Cola 600.

The network says a full investigation is under way and use of the camera is suspended indefinitely. Earlier, NASCAR said it would wait for Fox Sports to conclude its review before deciding if such technology would be used in the future.

Charlotte Motor Speedway said 10 people were injured when part of the drive rope landed in the grandstand; three were taken to hospitals. All were checked out and released soon after.

Several drivers, including then-leader Kyle Busch, reported damage to their cars from the rope.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp told The Associated Press on Monday that there were no plans to use the system at upcoming races "so we'll have ample time to review."

The network said the system was provided by Austrian company CAMCAT. The rope that failed was certified for a breaking strength of 9,300 pounds and was only bearing less than 900 pounds of force during the race, according to Fox Sports.

The network said it's reviewing with CAMCAT equipment maintenance records, history and installation information and plans to share its findings with NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The network said the system was used successfully at the Daytona 500 and was set up and working at last week's Sprint All-Star race in Charlotte. Fox's final NASCAR telecast this year comes Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

Tharp said NASCAR would let the network determine what went wrong.

"We'll sync up with them on what they have learned this week and go from there," he said.

The network explained how the drive rope moves the camera back and forth and failed near its turn one connection. The camera, it said in a statement, did not come down "because the guide ropes acted as designed."

The rope, Fox said, was made of Dyneema, which it described as "an ultra-strong synthetic that has the same approximate strength of a steel wire with the same diameter." It said the rope was less than a year old, had been factory-tested by its manufacturer and its breaking strength was certified before shipment. The rope was also inspected by CAMCAT when it was received last June.

According to OnlineRopes.com, Dyneema has the "highest strength-to-weight ratio of any manmade material in the world. On weight-to-weight base, it is up to 15 times stronger than steel."

The pictures such cameras provide can be extraordinary. But in this case, the failure brought confusion and chaos to the racers and the fans.

Coca-Cola 600 winner Kevin Harvick thought he was imagining things when he noticed the black rope on the track. He was among the lucky ones who escaped without damage. Busch said he heard a "thunk" when he ran over it and knew he'd have problems.

Busch used a cellphone to take a picture of the mangled metal around his front, right-side wheel so his team could figure out how to repair the damage.

Marcos Ambrose dragged a piece of the rope that got caught up in his car behind him on the track. Mark Martin also reported problems after driving over the rope.

NASCAR red-flagged the race for about 30 minutes and allowed teams back to their pits to get their cars back to race trim.

NASCAR first threw a caution flag before two red flags came out. It eventually allowed the cars to come into the pits, giving crews 15 minutes to work on their cars.

During the break, Busch's crew frantically worked to repair several problems to the right front wheel well. After completing repairs, the crew slapped high-fives as the car rolled back on the track.

Busch remained competitive and was running in the top five at the midpoint of the race. But his night ended in frustration when his engine blew up on lap 253. He said the engine problem was not related the rope damage. He thanked NASCAR for how it handled the unique stoppage.

"I commend NASCAR for taking the initiative and letting us repair our damaged cars from the issue we had," Busch said.

Busch said he never saw the nylon rope.

Ambrose wound up ninth behind Harvick, the second top-10 finish of the year for the Richard Petty Motorsports team.

Kasey Kahne led 156 laps, most of the night, and was second to Harvick. He was as bewildered as everyone else with the TV cable across the track.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "I came around turn four, saw it wrapped around Kyle's car, hit mine. I thought I was seeing things."

The camera hung in place over the large painted logo on the grass between the start-finish line and pit road.

Fox broadcaster Chris Myers apologized during the telecast several times to fans, drivers and race teams for the disruption. The network's statement offered "a sincere 'thank you' to the staff at CMS for attending to the injuries and keep us informed on this developing situation."

Busch wasn't sure anybody had seen that happen before and offered a solution: "Maybe now we can rid of that thing."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-27-NASCAR-Snapped%20Cable/id-8afcda39221b47cb822a596257b82770

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Mom's obesity surgery may help break cycle in kids

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Obese mothers tend to have kids who become obese. Now provocative research suggests weight-loss surgery may help break that unhealthy cycle in an unexpected way ? by affecting how their children's genes behave.

In a first-of-a-kind study, Canadian researchers tested children born to obese women, plus their brothers and sisters who were conceived after the mother had obesity surgery. Youngsters born after mom lost lots of weight were slimmer than their siblings. They also had fewer risk factors for diabetes or heart disease later in life.

More intriguing, the researchers discovered that numerous genes linked to obesity-related health problems worked differently in the younger siblings than in their older brothers and sisters.

Clearly diet and exercise play a huge role in how fit the younger siblings will continue to be, and it's a small study. But the findings suggest the children born after mom's surgery might have an advantage.

"The impact on the genes, you will see the impact for the rest of your life," predicted Dr. Marie-Claude Vohl of Laval University in Quebec City. She helped lead the work reported Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Why would there be a difference? It's not that mom passed on different genes, but how those genes operate in her child's body. The idea: Factors inside the womb seem to affect the dimmer switches that develop on a fetus' genes ? chemical changes that make genes speed up or slow down or switch on and off. That in turn can greatly influence health.

The sibling study is "a very clever way of looking at this," said Dr. Susan Murphy of Duke University. She wasn't involved in the Canadian research but studies uterine effects on later health. She says it makes biological sense that the earliest nutritional environment could affect a developing metabolism, although she cautions that healthier family habits after mom's surgery may play a role, too.

It's the latest evidence that the environment ? in this case the womb ? can alter how our genes work.

And the research has implications far beyond the relatively few women who take the drastic step of gastric bypass surgery before having a baby. Increasingly, scientists are hunting other ways to tackle obesity before or during pregnancy in hopes of a lasting benefit for both mother and baby.

What's clear is that obesity is "not just impacting your life, it's impacting your child," Duke's Murphy said.

More than half of pregnant women are overweight or obese, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But it's not just a matter of how much moms weigh when they conceive ? doctors also are trying to stamp out the idea of eating for two. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy increases the child's risk of eventually developing obesity and diabetes, too.

What's too much? Women who are normal weight at the start of pregnancy are supposed to gain 25 to 35 pounds. Those who already are obese should gain no more than 11 to 20 pounds. Overweight mothers-to-be fall in the middle.

Sticking to those guidelines can be tough. The National Institutes of Health just began a five-year, $30 million project to help overweight or obese pregnant women do so, and track how their babies fare in the first year of life.

Called the LIFE-Moms Consortium, researchers are recruiting about 2,000 expectant mothers for seven studies around the country that are testing different approaches to a healthy weight gain and better nutritional quality. They range from putting pregnant women on meal plans and exercise programs, to weekly monitoring, to peer pressure from fellow parents trained to bring nutrition advice into the homes of low-income mothers-to-be.

It's best to get to a healthy weight before conceiving, noted Dr. Mary Evans of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, who oversees the project.

Just how much mom has to lose for a healthier baby is "obviously a research gap," she said.

Monday's research findings from Canada may shed some new light. Consider: Overweight mothers have higher levels of sugar and fat in the bloodstream, which in turn makes it to the womb.

Fetuses are "marinated, and they're differently marinated" depending on mom's weight and health, said Dr. John Kral of New York's SUNY Downstate Medical Center, who co-authored the Canadian study.

That may do more than overstimulate fetal growth. Scientists know that certain molecules regulate gene activity, attaching like chemical tags. That's what Laval University lead researcher Dr. Frederic Guenard was looking for in blood tests. He took samples from children born to 20 women before and after complex surgery that shrank their stomachs and rerouted digestion so they absorb less fat and calories. On average, they lost about 100 pounds.

Guenard compared differences in those chemical tags in more than 5,600 genes between the younger and older siblings. He found significant differences in the activity of certain genes clustered in pathways known to affect blood sugar metabolism and heart disease risk.

Only time will tell if these youngsters born after mom's surgery really get lasting benefits, whatever the reason. Meanwhile, specialists urge women planning a pregnancy to talk with their doctors about their weight ahead of time. Besides having potential long-term consequences, extra pounds can lead to a variety of immediate complications such as an increased risk of premature birth and cesarean sections.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/moms-obesity-surgery-may-help-break-cycle-kids-192322482.html

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Legal Highs Sent Teen On Rampage | Stuff.co.nz

An enraged teen in withdrawal from legal highs went crazy last week, using his push-scooter to smash up cars in a city car park.

The 17-year-old's rampage, which began when his father refused to give him money to buy NotPot, is being cited by police as an example of the ravaging effects on the community from legal highs.

The toll is of concern to Taranaki police - and there are still more than two months to go before the law to control them comes into effect.

The Psychoactive Substances Act does not become law until August 1. It is expected to remove the legal artificial cannabis products now on the shelves because sellers will be required to prove the product is safe.

In the meantime, police and schools are dealing with an increase in crime and out-of-control behaviour across the board they believe is directly related to artificial cannabis products.

The damage the youth caused during his destructive tirade would cost about $10,000 to repair, New Plymouth community policing boss Senior Sergeant Terry Johnson said.

Grabbing his scooter, he used it like a softball bat to smash cars in the KFC carpark then the Burger King car park across the road.

His actions, before noon on Tuesday, had traumatised the elderly people whose cars were wrecked, as well as the children who witnessed the violence.

"He threatened a woman in her car. Two young children, aged 11 and 6, also witnessed their family's car being destroyed. It had only just been bought the day before. One child was still having nightmares," Mr Johnson said.

"That's the aftermath that people don't see."

Police caught up with him 20 minutes later in Young St and he was locked up for the night.

The youth was still "bouncing off the walls" of his cell the next morning, Mr Johnson said. He pleaded guilty in court last week to four charges of wilful damage and is to be sentenced on August 5.

"We accept that legislative change is going to make a difference but we have still got two months to go," Mr Johnson said.

About 20 legal highs have been tested and banned by the government but manufacturers are merely reinventing and rebranding the drugs.

He said there could be "fire sale" selloffs of the drugs before they become illegal.

Mr Johnson said the police were concerned that, despite knowing the harm being caused, dairies and other outlets would continue to sell the drugs because they are driven by the high profit margins.

The wholesale cost of a packet was about $3 and it was being sold by retailers for $20, he says.

He praised the action of a Stratford dairy owner Peter Chen, who removed the legal highs from his shelves after being the focus of community protests.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8719695/Legal-highs-sent-teenager-on-rampage

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First drug to significantly improve heart failure mortality in over a decade

May 25, 2013 ? Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented today at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade and should be added to standard treatment, according to lead author Professor Svend Aage Mortensen (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Heart Failure 2013 is being held from 25-28 May in Lisbon, Portugal. It is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (1).

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) occurs naturally in the body and is essential to survival. CoQ10 works as an electron carrier in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells, to produce energy and is also a powerful antioxidant. It is the only antioxidant that humans synthesise in the body.

CoQ10 levels are decreased in the heart muscle of patients with heart failure, with the deficiency becoming more pronounced as heart failure severity worsens. Statins are used to treat many patients with heart failure because they block the synthesis of cholesterol, but these drugs also block the synthesis of CoQ10, which further decreases levels in the body.

Double blind controlled trials have shown that CoQ10 improves symptoms, functional capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure with no side effects. But until now, no trials have been statistically powered to address effects on survival.

The Q-SYMBIO study (2) randomised 420 patients with severe heart failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV) to CoQ10 or placebo and followed them for 2 years. The primary endpoint was time to first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) which included unplanned hospitalisation due to worsening of heart failure, cardiovascular death, urgent cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. Participating centres were in Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, India, Malaysia and Australia.

CoQ10 halved the risk of MACE, with 29 (14%) patients in the CoQ10 group reaching the primary endpoint compared to 55 (25%) patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio=2; p=0.003). CoQ10 also halved the risk of dying from all causes, which occurred in 18 (9%) patients in the CoQ10 group compared to 36 (17%) patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio=2.1; p=0.01).

CoQ10 treated patients had significantly lower cardiovascular mortality (p=0,02) and lower occurrence of hospitalisations for heart failure (p=0.05). There were fewer adverse events in the CoQ10 group compared to the placebo group (p=0.073).

Professor Mortensen said: "CoQ10 is the first medication to improve survival in chronic heart failure since ACE inhibitors and beta blockers more than a decade ago and should be added to standard heart failure therapy."

He added: "Other heart failure medications block rather than enhance cellular processes and may have side effects. Supplementation with CoQ10, which is a natural and safe substance, corrects a deficiency in the body and blocks the vicious metabolic cycle in chronic heart failure called the energy starved heart."

CoQ10 is present in food, including red meat, plants and fish, but levels are insufficient to impact on heart failure. CoQ10 is also sold over the counter as a food supplement but Professor Mortensen said: "Food supplements can influence the effect of other medications including anticoagulants and patients should seek advice from their doctor before taking them."

Patients with ischaemic heart disease who use statins could also benefit from CoQ10 supplementation. Professor Mortensen said: "We have no controlled trials demonstrating that statin therapy plus CoQ10 improves mortality more than statins alone. But statins reduce CoQ10, and circulating CoQ10 prevents the oxidation of LDL effectively, so I think ischaemic patients should supplement statin therapy with CoQ10."

References: 1. Heart Failure Congress 2013 http://www.escardio.org/congresses/hf2013/Pages/welcome.aspx?hit=nav 2. SA Mortensen, A Kumar, P Dolliner, et al. The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure. Results from the Q-SYMBIO study. Presented at Heart Failure Congress 2013 Final Programme Number 440. The full title of the Q-SYMBIO study is: "Coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive treatment of chronic heart failure: a randomised double blind multicentre trial with focus on changes in symptoms, biomarker status with BNP and long term outcome"?

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/d3uGwvq-8wM/130525143852.htm

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The Killing Of Raymond Herisse: 116 Shots That Shook South Beach

Miami Herald:

Nothing in Raymond Herisse's past prepared his family for the explosive way that his young life ended.

He was 22 when he was killed on a South Beach street, in a frightening war-like moment that his family likens to being executed by a police firing squad.

Read the whole story at Miami Herald

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Nothing in Raymond Herisse's past prepared his family for the explosive way that his young life ended. He was 22 when he was killed on a South Beach street, in a frightening war-like moment that hi...

Nothing in Raymond Herisse's past prepared his family for the explosive way that his young life ended. He was 22 when he was killed on a South Beach street, in a frightening war-like moment that hi...

Filed by Janie Campbell ?|?

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1. HuffPost
2. Miami

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/26/the-killing-of-raymond-he_n_3338790.html

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3 Tips To Find A Good Couples Therapist | World of Psychology

When it comes to couples therapy, the earlier you go, the better. ?Prevention is better than cure. The best time to see a therapist is when the relationship patterns are still fresh and couple dynamics are not written in stone,? said Mudita Rastogi, Ph.D, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Arlington Heights, Ill.

Clinical psychologist Meredith Hansen, Psy.D, also stressed the importance of ?early intervention or preventative care. Couples who check in every so often with a therapist and work to strengthen their relationship tend to have the most success.?

For instance, it?s helpful to see a therapist before you get married, according to both relationship experts. ?This is the easiest time to make healthy changes,? Rastogi said.

Any transition, in addition to tying the knot, has the potential for conflict, said Hansen, who has a private practice for couples in Newport, Calif. That includes having kids and an illness in the family.

Yet, most couples wait until they?re distressed or one partner wants out of the relationship, Hansen said. Naturally, this makes it harder to create positive change. (But it?s not impossible.)

Whatever place you?re in as a couple, finding a skilled specialist is key. Below, Rastogi and Hansen shared their tips for finding a reputable expert.

1. Ask for referrals.

For instance, you can ask your primary care physician, pediatrician or OBGYN to recommend several couples therapists, Hansen said. Online therapist finders are another option. Rastogi recommended searching on this website for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Research and Education Foundation.

2. Interview potential candidates.

?Almost all therapists say that they work with couples,? Rastogi said. But that doesn?t mean they?re qualified to do so. That?s why it?s important to ask about the focus of their practice, Hansen said.

What should you expect to hear? ?You will want to find a clinician who has sought out training and education specifically related to interpersonal relationships and couples dynamics.? This could be a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), a psychologist (Ph.D or Psy.D) or a social worker (MSW or LCSW).

Again, the goal is to find someone who?s ?focused their education, training, and practice on relationship dynamics,? and ?continues to educate themselves and train in the latest couples therapy theories and interventions,? Hansen said.

Rastogi suggested asking these questions: How often does the therapist work with the issues you?re struggling with as a couple? What percentage of their work is with couples (versus individuals)? (?A safe bet is 30 percent or more,? she said.) Will they accept your insurance? (?If not, you should figure out up front what your weekly out-of-pocket costs will be.?)

3. Shop around.

?It is totally acceptable to meet with a few providers before choosing one that feels best for you and your partner,? Hansen said.

How can you tell if a practitioner is best for you? ?Pay attention to your own feelings of connection with the therapist,? Rastogi said. It?s important for both partners to feel understood and validated, she said. It?s also important for both partners to trust their therapist, Hansen said.

If either of you feels uncomfortable ? you think your therapist is ?taking sides, encourages one of you to leave the other, meets more often with one of you alone, allows for secrets? ? voice your concerns.

Remember that therapy is a process, Hansen said. And sometimes either of you (or both) will be dissatisfied with it. Again, speak up, and address your concerns.

Also, keep in mind that your problems won?t be fixed in the first few sessions, Rastogi said. But in two to four sessions, ?you should have somewhat of a better understanding of your own and your partner?s issues.?

Further Reading

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 25 May 2013
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Tartakovsky, M. (2013). 3 Tips To Find A Good Couples Therapist. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 26, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/25/3-tips-to-find-a-good-couples-therapist/

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/25/3-tips-to-find-a-good-couples-therapist/

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