Video: High emotion at assault weapons hearing

>>> back to washington. there was a senate hearing today on the question of banning assault weapons and high-capacity ammo clips. and it became apparent early on the emotions on this subject are still boiling, as they were on the day we learned of the attack in newtown, connecticut. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello.

>> reporter: on capitol hill , it was raw and gut-wrenching.

>> i'm jesse lewis' dad.

>> reporter: the father of 6-year-old jesse lewis, a first grader, gunned down at sandy hook elementary with 19 classmates and 6 adults.

>> jesse was the love of my life . he is the only family i have left. it's hard for me to be here today. to talk about my deceased son. but i have to. i'm his voice.

>> reporter: neil his lund today called for a ban on assault weapons . emotions ran high all day.

>> it's time for congress to pick a side. this time i hope it's law enforcement 's.

>> reporter: the milwaukee police chief got into it with republican senator lindsey graham , who today said he owns a so-called assault weapon over the need for background checks on people who want to buy a gun.

>> how many cases --

>> you know, it doesn't matter. it's a paper thing. i want to stop 76 -- i want to finish the answer.

>> no.

>> i want to stop 76,000 people from buying guns illegally. that's what a background check does. if you think we're going to do paperwork prosecutions, you're wrong.

>> isn't it really about who has the gun sometimes more than the gun itself?

>> reporter: meanwhile, the vice president went before state attorneys general to again push for gun legislation.

>> the excuse that it's too politically risky to act is no longer acceptable.

>> reporter: with wree motions running high on both sides, an assault weapons ban faces an uphill battle. tom costello, nbc news washington.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50980665/

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Q&A: Moving iTunes Libraries - NYTimes.com

Q.

How do I transfer my iTunes library from a desktop PC to a laptop, neither of which are Apple computers?

A.

All the items in your iTunes library, like music, TV shows and podcasts, are stored in folders on the computer. The iTunes software itself, which is basically a big database program crossed with a media player, displays the items in your library in lists and makes it relatively easy to manage your collection.

To move your library to a new computer, you just need to move your iTunes library folder from the old machine to the new one with a copy of the iTunes software installed. You can do this in several ways depending on how you use iTunes ? including transferring all the files over your network with the Home Sharing feature, copying your iTunes folder to an external hard drive or set of DVDs for transport between computers, or transferring content from the iTunes Store with an iPod, iPad or iPhone.

Apple has step-by-step, illustrated instructions for all these moving methods (and others) on its site. If you plan to get rid of the old computer, be sure to deauthorize it for use with your iTunes purchases, as explained here.

Source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/qa-moving-itunes-libraries/

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Seo Business in India Low Cost, Simply Out there and Highly ...

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Source: http://www.hellofour.com/blog/49441/seo-business-in-india-low-cost-simply-out-there-and-highly-capable/

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Advanced breast cancer edges up in younger women

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in an exam room at the hospital in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in an exam room at the hospital in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in her office in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in her office in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Advanced breast cancer has increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests. The disease is still uncommon among women younger than 40, and the small change has experts scratching their heads about possible reasons.

The results are potentially worrisome because young women's tumors tend to be more aggressive than older women's, and they're much less likely to get routine screening for the disease.

Still, that doesn't explain why there'd be an increase in advanced cases and the researchers and other experts say more work is needed to find answers.

It's likely that the increase has more than one cause, said Dr. Rebecca Johnson, the study's lead author and medical director of a teen and young adult cancer program at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"The change might be due to some sort of modifiable risk factor, like a lifestyle change" or exposure to some sort of cancer-linked substance, she said.

Johnson said the results translate to about 250 advanced cases diagnosed in women younger than 40 in the mid-1970s versus more than 800 in 2009. During those years, the number of women nationwide in that age range went from about 22 million to closer to 30 million ? an increase that explains part of the study trend "but definitely not all of it," Johnson said.

Other experts said women delaying pregnancy might be a factor, partly because getting pregnant at an older age might cause an already growing tumor to spread more quickly in response to pregnancy hormones.

Obesity and having at least a drink or two daily have both been linked with breast cancer but research is inconclusive on other possible risk factors, including tobacco and chemicals in the environment. Whether any of these explains the slight increase in advanced disease in young women is unknown.

There was no increase in cancer at other stages in young women. There also was no increase in advanced disease among women older than 40.

Overall U.S. breast cancer rates have mostly fallen in more recent years, although there are signs they may have plateaued.

Some 17 years ago, Johnson was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, and that influenced her career choice to focus on the disease in younger women.

"Young women and their doctors need to understand that it can happen in young women," and get checked if symptoms appear, said Johnson, now 44. "People shouldn't just watch and wait."

The authors reviewed a U.S. government database of cancer cases from 1976 to 2009. They found that among women aged 25 to 39, breast cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body ? advanced disease ? increased from between 1 and 2 cases per 100,000 women to about 3 cases per 100,000 during that time span.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

About one in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, but only 1 in 173 will develop it by age 40. Risks increase with age and certain gene variations can raise the odds.

Routine screening with mammograms is recommended for older women but not those younger than 40.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer, said the results support anecdotal reports but that there's no reason to start screening all younger women since breast cancer is still so uncommon for them.

He said the study "is solid and interesting and certainly does raise questions as to why this is being observed." One of the most likely reasons is probably related to changes in childbearing practices, he said, adding that the trend "is clearly something to be followed."

Dr. Ann Partridge, chair of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory committee on breast cancer in young women, agreed but said it's also possible that doctors look harder for advanced disease in younger women than in older patients. More research is needed to make sure the phenomenon is real, said Partridge, director of a program for young women with breast cancer at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The study shouldn't cause alarm, she said. Still, Partridge said young women should be familiar with their breasts and see the doctor if they notice any lumps or other changes.

Software engineer Stephanie Carson discovered a large breast tumor that had already spread to her lungs; that diagnosis in 2003 was a huge shock.

"I was so clueless," she said. "I was just 29 and that was the last thing on my mind."

Carson, who lives near St. Louis, had a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments and she frequently has to try new drugs to keep the cancer at bay.

Because most breast cancer is diagnosed in early stages, there's a misconception that women are treated, and then get on with their lives, Carson said. She and her husband had to abandon hopes of having children, and she's on medical leave from her job.

"It changed the complete course of my life," she said. "But it's still a good life."

____

Online:

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-26-Breast%20Cancer-Young%20Women/id-e7d15a71eea54219a9132a3261c3f2c7

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Janet Jackson says she has married Qatari billionaire

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Janet Jackson said on Monday that she married her Qatari businessman boyfriend last year, quashing media reports of upcoming nuptials.

Jackson, 46, the younger sister of the late singer Michael Jackson, was engaged to billionaire Wissam Al Mana, 37, last year but kept the news under wraps.

"The rumors regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true. Last year we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony," Jackson and Al Mana said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.

"Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favorite children's charities."

The American singer is known for keeping her private life from the media, rarely speaking out about her ex-husbands.

She married soul singer James DeBarge in 1984, and the marriage was annulled a year later. Her 1991 marriage to music video director Rene Elizondo ended in divorce in 2000.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/janet-jackson-says-she-married-qatari-billionaire-202705337.html

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Virus shows promise as prostate cancer treatment

Feb. 25, 2013 ? A recombinant Newcastle disease virus kills all kinds of prostate cancer cells, including hormone-resistant cells, but leaves normal cells unscathed, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the Journal of Virology. A treatment for prostate cancer based on this virus would avoid the adverse side effects typically associated with hormonal treatment for prostate cancer, as well as those associated with cancer chemotherapies generally, says corresponding author Subbiah Elankumaran of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg. The modified virus is now ready to be tested in preclinical animal models, and possibly in phase I human clinical trials.

Newcastle disease virus kills chickens, but does not harm humans. It is an oncolytic virus that hones in on tumors, and has shown promising results in a number of human clinical trials for various forms of cancer. However, successful treatments have required multiple injections of large quantities of virus, because in such trials the virus probably failed to reach solid tumors in sufficient quantities, and spread poorly within the tumors.

The researchers addressed this problem by modifying the virus's fusion protein. Fusion protein fuses the virus envelope to the cell membrane, enabling the virus to enter the host cell. These proteins are activated by being cleaved by any of a number of different cellular proteases. They modified the fusion protein in their construct such that it can be cleaved only by prostate specific antigen (which is a protease). That minimizes off-target losses, because these "retargeted" viruses interact only with prostate cancer cells, thus reducing the amount of virus needed for treatment.

Retargeted Newcastle disease virus has major potential advantages over other cancer therapies, says Elankumaran. First, its specificity for prostate cancer cells means it would not attack normal cells, thereby avoiding the various unpleasant side effects of conventional chemotherapies. In previous clinical trials, even with extremely large doses of naturally occurring strains, "only mild flu-like symptoms were seen in cancer patients," says Elankumaran. Second, it would provide a new treatment for hormone-refractory patients, without the side effects of testosterone suppression that result from hormonal treatments.

About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and one in 36 will die of this disease. Men whose prostate cancer becomes refractory to hormone treatment have a median survival of about 40 months if they have bone metastases, and 68 months if they do not have bone metastases.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. R. Shobana, S. K. Samal, S. Elankumaran. Prostate Specific Antigen Retargeted Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus for Prostate Cancer Virotherapy. Journal of Virology, 2013; DOI: 10.1128/JVI.02394-12

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ni3nR9kCRLw/130225153141.htm

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Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presented

Feb. 25, 2013 ? Results of the PREDIMED study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. They show that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

The study has been coordinated by the researcher Ramon Estruch, from the Faculty of Medicine of the UB and the Hospital Cl?nic -- affiliated centres with the health campus of the UB, HUBc -- and has had the collaboration of the professor Rosa M. Lamuela and her team from the Natural Antioxidant Research Group of the Faculty of Pharmacy -- located at the campus of international excellence BKC -- which determined the biomarkers of Mediterranean diet consumption.

The research is part of the project PREDIMED, a multicentre trial carried out between 2003 and 2011 to study the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The study was funded by the Carlos III Health Institute by means of the cooperative research thematic network (RETIC RD06/0045) and the CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn).

A total of 7,447 people following major cardiovascular risk factors participated in the study. They were divided into three dietary intervention groups: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), and a low-fat diet (animal and vegetable). A dietician visited the patients every three months and they attended dietary training group sessions, in which they received detailed information about the Mediterranean and the low-fat diet, and the food included in each one. Moreover, they were provided with shopping lists, menus and recipes adapted to each type of diet and each season of the year.

During the study, those participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet received freely extra-virgin olive oil (one litre per week), and nuts (30 grams per day; 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of almonds and 7.5 grams of hazelnuts).

After five years, it has been proved that participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet showed a substantial reduction in the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

According to the researchers, the results of PREDIMED study are relevant as they prove that a high-vegetable fat diet is healthier at a cardiovascular level than a low-fat diet. The authors state that the study has been controversial as it provides new data to reject the idea that it is necessary to reduce fats in order to improve cardiovascular health.

Hopefully, these results will provide new references to prevent cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the design and methodology used can be easily transferred to the biomedical sector.

The study had the collaboration of several researchers from the Hospital Cl?nic, the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), the faculties of Medicine of the universities Rovira i Virgili, Navarra, Valencia, Canary Islands and Malaga, as well as the University Hospital Son Espases of Palma, the Fats Institute in Seville, and the primary health care networks of Barcelona, Seville, Tarragona and Valencia.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universitat de Barcelona.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Ram?n Estruch, Emilio Ros, Jordi Salas-Salvad?, Maria-Isabel Covas, D.Pharm., Dolores Corella, Fernando Ar?s, Enrique G?mez-Gracia, Valentina Ruiz-Guti?rrez, Miquel Fiol, Jos? Lapetra, Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventos, Llu?s Serra-Majem, Xavier Pint?, Josep Basora, Miguel Angel Mu?oz, Jos? V. Sorl?, Jos? Alfredo Mart?nez, Miguel Angel Mart?nez-Gonz?lez. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 130225030008006 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1200303

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/G4xkheGPH-Y/130225181536.htm

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Suspected killer of Tunisia opponent arrested: police | Morocco ...

TUNIS, Feb 25, 2013 (AFP)

The suspected killer of leftist opposition politician Chokri Belaid whose murder sparked a political crisis in Tunisia was arrested on Monday, police sources said.

They said the suspect was arrested along with an alleged accomplice, both members of the radical Muslim Salafist movement. The main suspect, a 31-year-old furniture maker, was arrested in the Carthage suburb of Tunis.

The second man was allegedly the getaway motorbike rider for the lone, hooded gunman who shot dead Belaid, 48, at close range in front of his Tunis? home on February 6, two police officers told AFP.

They said the arrests were carried out on the strength of the testimony of a woman who had witnessed the killing and has since been placed under police protection. Several online media also reported the two arrests, but the interior ministry spokesman was unreachable for comment.

Interior Minister Ali Larayedh, who has been tapped to form a new government in the face of the deepening crisis sparked by Belaid?s killing, said last week that arrests had been made. ?The investigation has not led yet to identify the killer, those behind the murder and its motives,? said Larayedh, refusing to elaborate or disclose the number of arrests.

Belaid?s family has blamed the ruling Ennahda party for being behind the killing, an accusation the Islamists have vehemently denied. The assassination triggered days of unrest as people took to Habib? Bourguiba Avenue, epicentre of the 2011 uprising that toppled ex-dictator Zine? El Abidine Ben Ali, exacerbating a long-running political crisis in Tunisia.

On the day of the murder, prime minister Hamadi Jebali proposed the formation of a government of technocrats as a way out of the crisis. But the initiative was rejected by his own Ennahda party, leading to his resignation.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/79998/suspected-killer-of-tunisia-opponent-arrested-police/

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Student volunteer auditors wanted | UoP News

The Environmental Team are looking for student volunteers to?audit?departments at the University who are taking part in the?Green Impact?scheme.

Green Impact?is an environmental accreditation scheme, designed to encourage, support and celebrate University departments in making environmental improvements. Staff volunteered to participate in the scheme and received a workbook outlining achievable environmental changes.

All departments participating in Green Impact will need an audit to verify their level of achievement? and this is where you come in.

Auditing

We are looking for volunteer auditors to visit departments and conduct audits on 14 March 2013. Each volunteer auditor will be fully trained on the criteria and what they need to audit through a?half-day of training.

A half-day training session will take place in the morning, there?s a break for lunch and then you go off in pairs and?audit departments.?An audit should take between one and two hours to complete depending on the size of the department.

Refreshments and lunch are provided.

What skills do I need?

No technical knowledge is needed and full training will be provided. All you need is an interest in environmental issues.

If you?re eager to get involved or if you have any further questions, please get in touch by emailing?Greenportsmouth@port.ac.uk.

?

Source: http://www.port.ac.uk/uopnews/2013/02/25/student-volunteer-auditors-wanted/

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Castro's 2018 retirement looms for Cuba, Miami

Cuba's new Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, listens to Cuba's President Raul Castro during the closing session at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. At center Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez.(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba's new Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, listens to Cuba's President Raul Castro during the closing session at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. At center Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez.(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro and his brother Cuba's President Raul Castro talk during the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Newly appointed Cuba's Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel participates in the closure session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro attends the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. He fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro and his brother Cuba's President Raul Castro attend the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

HAVANA (AP) ? It's been more than 54 years since someone not named "Castro" led Cuba, and it will likely be five more.

But now islanders and exiles alike have finally been given a date for when the sun will set on brothers Fidel and Raul's longtime rule: 2018.

In accepting a new presidential term on Sunday, the 81-year-old Raul Castro announced that it would be his last. And for the first time, he tapped a rising young star, Miguel Diaz-Canel, to be his top lieutenant and possible successor.

"This will be my last term," Castro said, his voice firm.

Castro also said he hopes to establish two-term limits and age caps for political offices including the presidency, though he didn't specify what age.

As the new first vice president of the ruling Council of State, the 52-year-old Diaz-Canel is now a heartbeat from the presidency and has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the heady days of the 1959 revolution.

In his 35-minute speech, Castro hinted at other changes to the constitution, some so dramatic that they will have to be ratified by the Cuban people in a referendum. Still, he scotched any idea that the country would soon abandon socialism, saying he had not assumed the presidency in order to destroy Cuba's system.

"I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba," he said. "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it."

Castro fueled interest in Sunday's legislative gathering after mentioning on Friday his possible retirement and suggesting lightheartedly that he had plans to resign at some point.

It's now clear that he was serious when he promised that Sunday's speech would have fireworks, and would touch on his future in leadership.

Cuba is at a moment of "historic transcendence," Castro told lawmakers in speaking of his decision to name Diaz-Canel to the No. 2 job, replacing the 81-year-old Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought with the Castros in the Sierra Maestra.

Castro praised Machado Ventura and another aging revolutionary for offering to leave their positions so that younger leaders could move up.

Their selflessness is "a concrete demonstration of their genuine revolutionary fiber ... That is the essence of the founding generation of this revolution."

Castro said that Diaz-Canel's promotion "represents a definitive step in the configuration of the future leadership of the nation through the gradual and orderly transfer of key roles to new generations."

"Our greatest satisfaction is the tranquility and serene confidence we feel as we deliver to the new generations the responsibility to continue building socialism," he added.

On the streets of Havana, where people often express a jaded skepticism of all things political, there was genuine excitement.

"This is the start of a new era," said Roberto Delgado, a 68-year-old retiree walking down a street in the leafy Miramar neighborhood. "It will undoubtedly be a complicated and difficult process, but something important happened today."

"I'm mesmerized," added Regla Blanco, 48. "You thought that with all these old men, it would never end. I am very satisfied with what Raul said. He is keeping his promise."

Since taking over from Fidel in 2006, Castro has instituted a slate of important economic and social changes, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and relaxing hated travel restrictions.

Still, the country remains ruled by the Communist Party and any opposition to it lacks legal recognition.

Indeed, several dozen anti-government protesters were detained across the island Sunday and held for a few hours for public disorder before being released, according to Elizardo Sanchez, a dissident who monitors human rights in Cuba.

Castro has mentioned term limits before, but he has never said specifically when he would step down, and the concept has yet to be codified into Cuban law.

If he keeps his word, Castro will leave office no later than 2018. Cuban-American exiles in the United States have waited decades for the end of the Castro era, although they will likely be dismayed if it ends on the brothers' terms.

Nevertheless, the promise of a change at the top could have deep significance for U.S.-Cuba ties. The wording of Washington's 51-year economic embargo on the island specifies that it cannot be lifted while a Castro is in charge.

In Florida, home to hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles, some were skeptical that Castro's eventual retirement will change much.

"First we have to see if he lives another five years, and after we have to see what happens," said Raul Lopez Mola, an 81-year-old who abandoned Cuba in 1966 for a new life in Miami. "No one can predict what will happen in five years. For me, I don't think it has great importance."

"It would be more meaningful if Fidel Castro died," Lopez Mola added.

Fidel Castro is 86 and retired, and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He made a surprise appearance at Sunday's gathering, receiving a thunderous ovation from lawmakers.

Some analysts have speculated that the Castros would push a younger member of their family into a top job, but there was no hint of that Sunday.

While few things are ever clear in Cuba's hermetically sealed news environment, rumblings that Diaz-Canel, an electrical engineer by training and ex-minister of higher education, might be in line for a senior post have grown.

In recent weeks, he has frequently been featured on state television news broadcasts in an apparent attempt to raise his profile.

He also traveled to Venezuela in January for the symbolic inauguration of Hugo Chavez, a key Cuban ally who had been re-elected president but was too ill to be sworn in.

The 612 lawmakers sworn in Sunday also named Esteban Lazo as the National Assembly's first new chief in 20 years, replacing Ricardo Alarcon.

Lazo, who turns 69 on Tuesday, is a vice president and member of the Communist Party's ruling political bureau. Parliament meets only twice a year and generally passes legislation unanimously without visible debate.

The legislature also named as vice presidents of the ruling Council Machado Ventura; comptroller general Gladys Bejerano; second Vice President Ramiro Valdes; Havana Communist Party secretary Lazara Mercedes Lopez Acea; and Salvador Valdes Mesa, head of Cuba's labor union.

___

Associated Press writers Anne Marie-Garcia and Paul Haven in Havana, and Christine Armario in Miami, contributed to this report.

___

Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-25-CB-Cuba-President/id-a304e406caf94ba8a33760df6329e3de

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Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287057468?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Rare baby crocs released into wild

Nineteen baby Siamese crocodiles are being let loose in the wetlands of Laos, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced this week. The effort gives a boost to the critically endangered species, which is thought to include just 250 individuals in the wild.

The rare reptiles' eggs had been incubated at the Laos Zoo after being recovered during wildlife surveys in the wetlands of Savannakhet Province, and they hatched in the summer of 2011.

The baby crocs are being let go near the same spot where they were found, but they will stay in a "soft release" pen for several months. There they will get used to their surroundings and receive supplementary food and protection from community members, according to the WCS. Rising water levels at the start of the rainy season will eventually let the crocodiles swim away on their own, but they will be monitored occasionally by conservationists.

Siamese crocodiles grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length, but right now, these toothy creatures of the Laos Zoo measure only about 27 inches (70 cm). The crocs have never been known to attack humans, according to the conservation agency Fauna & Flora International. Classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Siamese crocodile population has been cut down by overhunting and habitat loss across much of its former range through Southeast Asia and parts of Indonesia.

The release effort was organized by the WCS's Laos branch as part of a community-based program to recover the local Siamese crocodile population and restore the associated wetlands, with a focus on incentives that improve local livelihoods.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of this collaborative program and believe it is an important step in contributing to the conservation of the species by involving local communities in long-term wetland management," Alex McWilliam, a WCS conservation biologist, said in a statement. "The head starting component of this integrated WCS program represents a significant contribution to the conservation of this magnificent animal in the wild."

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rare-baby-crocs-released-wild-022240605.html

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Patriots in Turkey send clear warning to Syria: Germany

KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey (Reuters) - Germany's defense minister inspected Patriot missile batteries close to the Syria-Turkey border on Saturday and said they delivered a "clear warning" to Damascus that NATO would not tolerate missiles being fired into Turkey.

Thomas de Maiziere and his Dutch counterpart Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert travelled to the Turkish cities of Adana and Kahramanmaras to inspect the batteries provided by their countries at Turkey's request. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was scheduled to visit the same area on Sunday when she begins a two-day visit to Turkey.

The United States has also sent Patriots, which are capable of shooting down hostile missiles in mid-air.

"Our presence here serves to make sure that Syria doesn't turn its capabilities into action," de Maiziere said, while also saying that the risk of attack was "minimal".

"We can see from here that Syria is using rockets - often several times a day."

Syria is believed to have more than 1,000 rockets with a range of up to 700 km, and around 1,000 tons of chemical weapons material.

Turkey is a staunch supporter of the nearly two-year uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and has harbored both Syrian refugees and rebels. Violence has sometimes spilled over the border.

Tensions increased in recent weeks after NATO said it had detected launches of short-range ballistic missiles inside Syria, several of which have landed close to the Turkish border. Turkey has scrambled war planes along the frontier, fanning fears the war could spread and further destabilize the region.

"The Patriot system is strictly for defense, and placing them on our soil within the NATO framework was to protect our people and our soil against possible attack," said Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz, travelling with his Dutch and German counterparts.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Additional reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley in Istanbul; Writing by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/patriots-turkey-send-clear-warning-syria-germany-154704954.html

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Ghana Advised To Manage Oil Find Transparently

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has cautioned Ghana to illustrate greater transparency and accountability in managing the fledgling oil industry to avoid the challenges associated with the harnessing of the natural resource.

?My sisterly advice is that you should be uncompromising on issues of transparency and accountability in the sector,? the Nigerian Finance Minister stressed.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Nigerian Coordinating Minister of the Economy made the recommendation during a lecture on: ?What Africa should do to claim the 21'st Century,? at the 2nd John A. Kufuor Global Development Series 2013 in Accra on Friday.

She said before her country discovered oil the national economy was well-diversified, with agriculture contributing about 64 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whilst the manufacturing sector was netting five per cent.

However, ?once oil came on stream, the non-oil sectors contracted, the psychology and mentality of the people changed, and a lot of entrepreneurial energy was now directed at rent-seeking activities liking chasing after government contracts rather than productive investments?, she said.

By 2010, agriculture had shrunk to about 40 per cent of GDP, and manufacturing slipped to about four per cent of GDP.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala said Ghana's Petroleum Revenue Management Act was praised widely since the legislation specified how petroleum revenue should be collected and allocated.

She however warned that temptations could set in at some level and therefore recommended policymakers and leaders to be more transparent in the negotiations of contracts.

They should also do their homework thoroughly before beginning contract negotiations with foreign oil firms as well as investing the oil income in public infrastructure.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who is also a former Managing Director of the World Bank Group, called on African leaders to pay close attention job creation, addressing widening inequality, building resilience against climate shocks, financing development and deepening regional integration.

She noted that Africans could do better if they work harder at regional and sub-regional integration stressing: ?Nigeria and Ghana can be a collective powerhouse of Africa and West Africa if we can look closely at economic ties we need to build to bind us?together.?

?Infrastructure is certainly key, like making the West Africa Gas Pipeline, work better. But trade is also important and we need to facilitate commerce in our sub-region, making it easier for the private sector to manufacture and sell goods in our countries.?

Dr Okonjo-Iweala Dr Ngozi observed that the necessary building blocks for development are finally falling in place, good economic policies, good governance, and investments in infrastructure and skills.

?With these building blocks in place, we can create a platform for the private sector to grow,? she said.

Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana's former President noted that human and natural resources abound in Africa but due to un-groomed and un-nurtured leadership the people are living in abject poverty.

He said leadership is the most important and decisive factor in all human activity that is why his Foundation is seeking to establish good leaders by creating a Centre of Distinction that would train budding world leaders in all facets of human endeavour.

The Foundation would fashion out measures to promote good governance on the continent through electoral monitoring, strengthening electoral systems, conflict mediation and resolution, promoting accountability and transparency and deepening democratic structures.

Source: http://www.modernghana.com/news/447425/1/ghana-advised-to-manage-oil-find-transparently.html

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TechCrunch Giveaway: Free Ticket To Disrupt NY Plus A New GoPro Camera #TCDisrupt

As you know TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013 is right around the corner. This April we will be, as they say, taking over the Big Apple. We have already announced a few of our special guests and speakers, including Instagram’s Kevin Systrom, Sequoia Capital’s Roelof Botha, SV Angel’s Ron Conway and David Lee, Thrillist Media Group’s Ben Lerer, Huffington Post’s Ken Lerer, Gilt Groupe’s Kevin Ryan, and Union Square Ventures’ Fred Wilson. Those are just to name a few. We will have more exciting announcements coming up, so be on the lookout for those. A couple of weeks ago, we gave away a free Disrupt ticket and a free Lytro camera to a lucky winner. Have?you heard about?GoPro? Well my colleague Kim-Mai Cutler wrote an amazing piece?about their new camera. And guess what? We are giving one of those away, too. One lucky winner will receive a free ticket to Disrupt NY, plus the top model of the new GoPro camera — the HERO3 Black Edition, valued at $399.99. To win both, all you have to do is follow the steps below. The giveaway will start now and end next Friday, March 1st, at 7:30 pm PT. 1) Become a fan of our TechCrunch Facebook Page: 2) Then do one of the following: - Retweet this post (making sure to include the #TCDisrupt hashtag) - Or leave us a comment below telling us what you’re excited to use the camera for Please only tweet the message once or you will be disqualified. We will make sure you follow the steps above and choose our winner next Friday. Anyone in the world is eligible. Please note the ticket is for one person only and does not include airfare or hotel. Our sponsors help make Disrupt happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our amazing sponsorship team here?sponsors@techcrunch.com.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/6reGbe6WRkE/

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LA cardinal: I'm a 'scapegoat' for sex-abuse crisis

There still isn't a frontrunner to succeed Pope Benedict, and some are asking that California Cardinal Roger Mahony ? who was criticized for his role in shielding abusive priests -- skip the conclave. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is also attending the conclave, was recently deposed regarding his role in dealing with abusive priests in Wisconsin. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

Los Angeles' retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, who was rebuked last month for his handling of the sex-abuse crisis, suggests he was "scapegoated" in a blog post ahead of two important dates: his Saturday deposition in a lawsuit alleging that?the church hierarchy protected a priest accused of molesting children?and his trip to Rome to help pick the next pope.

The high-profile "prince of the church" is at the center of an outcry over several scandal-tainted cardinals being allowed to help choose who will succeed Pope Benedict XVI at next month's conclave at the Vatican.

Ireland's Sean Brady, Belgium's Godfried Danneels and Philadelphia's Justin Rigali have all been pilloried in the Italian press over allegations they failed to protect children from pedophiles -- but it's Mahony who has drawn the most ire.

---

A group called Catholics United started a petition against his attendance at the conclave. And an Italian consumer group requested Rome prosecutors open a criminal investigation into Mahony if he travels to the Vatican, the news agency ANSA reported Friday.

Improbable as that is, it underscores the outrage in some quarters that cardinals whose reputations have been battered by cover-up allegations will have an equal say in who will next lead the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

NBC News' Vatican expert, George Weigel, said he could not recall similar calls for abstention at other conclaves, but he noted that voting is an obligation under church law and that other "less-than-admirable" figures have attended for more than a millennium.

"If people are looking for a perfect, sinless electorate to choose religious leadership, they should look somewhere else," Weigel said.

Mahony, who retired as head of the L.A. Archdiocese last year, was stripped of his remaining diocesan duties last month over his handling of priest sex abuse cases.?He has repeatedly apologized for past mistakes but isn't bowing to pressure to skip the historic moment. No criminal charges have been filed against him.

He's raising eyebrows and hackles, however, with a series of blog posts about the rebuke.

In one this week, Mahony said he had tried to live out "the acceptance of being scapegoated, pointing out the necessary connection between humiliation and redemption."

Vincenzo Pinto / AFP - Getty Images

After Pope Benedict XVI steps down next week, the cardinals will pick his successor. Some say not everyone deserves a vote.

"This scandal is putting us, the clergy and the church, where we belong -- with the excluded ones," he added. "Jesus was painted with the same brush as the two thieves crucified with him."

The Surviviors Network of those Abused by Priests slammed the language.

"It's hurtful and disingenuous for Mahony to claim he's been scapegoated," said director David Clohessy. "He's been a bishop for almost 40 years and the sole?head of America's largest archdiocese for more than a quarter century. Few, if any, U.S. Catholic prelates have been more powerful than Mahony. So for him to somehow pretend to be a powerless pawn is pathetic."

Fueling the latest round of criticism of Mahony is last month's release of reams of confidential personnel files that, according to Reuters, showed Mahony and an aide, Thomas Curry, worked to send priests accused of abuse out of California to shield them from law enforcement scrutiny in the 1980s.

In a letter to the archdiocese about the documents and his dismissal, Mahony said that he had worked hard since 1989 to toughen guidelines for handling abuse and apologized for missteps before that.

"I have stated time and time again that I made mistakes, especially in the mid-1980s," he wrote. "I apologized for those mistakes, and committed myself to make certain that the Archdiocese was safe for everyone."

The document release -- part of a $660 million settlement with abuse victims struck in 2007-- has set the stage for this weekend's deposition by Mahony in a lawsuit by a 35-year-old man who says he was molested by a priest in the late 1980s.

The suit alleges that church officials effectively let the Rev. Nicholas Aguilar Rivera escape to Mexico after child sex-abuse complaints were made, the Associated Press reported. He remains a fugitive.

One 1988 memo made public last month revealed a top Mahony lieutenant confided that he told Rivera ?it was likely the accusations would be reported to the police and that he was in a good deal of danger."

The plaintiff?s lawyer, Anthony De Marco, will have four hours to question Mahony about Rivera and 25 other priests, attempting to show a pattern of cover-up so he can try to collect punitive damages on behalf of his client.

Then, within days, Mahony will fly to Rome to join 116 other cardinals under the age of 80 who will meet twice a day in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff.

"Mahony?s bad luck is all of these documents were released right before the pope resigned and this is why people are going after him instead of other people," said Father Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church."

He said there was virtually no chance Mahony would be pressured to stay away.

"The last one turned away from a conclave was in the time of the Napoleon," he said.

"If Mahony can't go, then there's a whole list of other cardinals who maybe can't go, and if you say these guys can't attend for this reason, then what about other reasons."

Even after sidelining him, the L.A. Archdiocese backed Mahony's voyage to Rome. In a statement, it portrayed Catholics United as a fringe group and its petition as pointless.

"Cardinal Mahony will travel to Rome to fulfill his sacred duty under church law to vote for the next pope,? it said.

Cardinal Roger Mahony was stripped of duties last month. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

?

?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/23/17057099-las-cardinal-mahony-calls-himself-scapegoat-ahead-of-deposition-conclave?lite

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Teachers? union vote to end protest

Teachers? union vote to end protest

22 February 2013 No Comment

The Canadian Press | Last Updated:Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:12:40 GMT

TORONTO - Ontario's high school students are one step closer to being able to enjoy extracurricular activities, the union representing the province's secondary school teachers suggested Friday.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation said local leaders held a vote during which they agreed to "suspend political action" related to tumultuous labour negotiations with the Liberal government.

Most of the province's public school teachers had stopped participating in non-classroom-related activities in protest of Bill 115, a controversial law that imposed two-year contracts on more than 126,000 public educators. The results of the vote were not released.

OSSTF president Ken Coran said the decision to resume extracurricular activities will be left up to individual teachers.

"We still maintain that voluntary activities are just that: voluntary," Coran said in a statement.

"We encourage members to review recent information and decide if they are willing to return to participating in the activities we know they feel so passionately about."

Coran said he hoped the vote result would be taken as a sign of good will that would encourage the government of newly minted Premier Kathleen Wynne to reopen dialog with the province's teachers.

Wynne ? a former education minister ? reached out to the teachers during her leadership campaign, promising to develop a better process for the next round of negotiations, but made it clear she will not rip up the contracts imposed by the government Jan. 1.

Wynne issued a statement praising the result of the union vote.

"Today's news is a great indication of the hard work all parties are putting into the repair of this valued relationship," she said.

"It shows our willingness to work together, to listen to one another's concerns, and to find common ground on which we can rebuild a foundation of trust and create an effective process going forward.

More details of the OSSTF decision will be released at a news conference on Monday.

Wynne has also met with unions representing Ontario's elementary school teachers, but political protests continue.

Source: http://www.tonightnewspaper.com/2013/02/22/newsalertteachers-union-vote-to-end-protest/

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College students to spend spring break with Horry County's Habitat for Humanity

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) ?Students will be volunteering for Habitat for Humanity of Horry County during their spring breaks.

The Collegiate Challenge, Habitat's national alternative break program, has 36 students participating this year.

Visiting from Eastern Kentucky University, Vanderbilt University and Alfred State College during the weeks of March 4-23, the students will help revitalize homes for families who've been in the Habitat for Humanity program for quite some time.

Gail Olive, the Executive Director for Horry County's Habitat for Humanity, says she looks forward to hosting the student volunteers once again.

"Collegiate Challenge provides the students with an opportunity to help build affordable housing in the area," Olive said. "The work they will do during their spring break will have a lasting impact in our community."

The sponsor for the program this year is Ripley's Aquarium, and several local restaurants, churches, and organizations are helping the cause by donating meals to the Collegiate Challenge volunteers. T-Bonz will be providing a lunch each week, while Mellow Mushroom has agreed to donate a dinner.

For more information, visit Habitatmb.org.

If you would like to be a part in hosting and welcoming these students to the community, please send an email to volunteer@habitatmb.org.

Copyright 2013 WMBF News. All rights reserved.

Source: http://myrtlebeach.wmbfnews.com/news/news/50727-college-students-spend-spring-break-horry-countys-habitat-humanity

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Gem Players present 'Soldier, Come Home' | timesfreepress.com

Featured in the cast of ?Soldier, Come Home? are James Staton and Mary Poteet, second and third from left, as letter writers Philip and Mary Pringle. In supporting roles are Larry Schiller, left, and Tim Poteet, right, as their brothers, Martin Pringle and Dan Luke. Bill Freeman, second from right, has multiple roles, portraying fathers, an older brother and family friends.

IF YOU GO

What: "Soldier, Come Home"

When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 22-23 and March 1-2; 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 24 and March 3

Where: Gem Theater, Etowah, Tenn.

Admission: $10 adults, $8 children under 12

Phone: 423-263-3270

Website: www.gemplayers.com

? Note: Tickets may be purchased at The Town Squire, 1717 Keith St., N.W., Cleveland, Southern Heritage Antiques, 802 Tennessee Ave., Etowah; and at the box office one hour before showtime.

A story inspired by a collection of family Civil War letters will be presented over the next two weekends at the Gem Theater in Etowah, Tenn.

The Gem Players are reviving the production of "Soldier, Come Home," which the troupe last presented in May 2012, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The dramatization by Frank W. Wicks is based on letters written by his great-grandparents. Mary Pringle wrote to her husband, Philip, from their home in Armagh, Pa. He responded from several major battle sites, including Antietam, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg and Appomattox.

Written from 1859 to 1865, their long-forgotten correspondence was discovered in a shoebox in the attic of the home of Wicks' grandparents, John S. and Sadie Pringle Wicks, in South Fork, Pa. Wicks' father, Frank Wicks Sr., began transcribing the letters. After his father's death, the younger Wicks continued the project and eventually transformed them into a play.

"I was struck from the beginning by the emotional content of the letters," he has said. "They were filled with conflicts, complicated relationships, humor, enormous difficulties and struggles for survival."

Director LaMone Rose said she wanted to bring the play back to the Gem stage "because of the significance of the letters during this most sorrowful and dramatic time in our country's history."

The production will use a simple set, dramatic lighting and more than 100 images of the war projected on the theater's movie screen to take the audience to that time and space. While the actors have only their voices to convey the agony and destruction of a family torn apart by war, their voices also convey the hope that it will never happen again.

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Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/feb/21/gem-players-present-soldier-come-home/

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Ubuntu Touch developer preview: What you need to know

You can now run Ubuntu Touch on a select few Android devices, but this is far from a finished product

We've been waiting for the first developer preview of Ubuntu Touch for a while now. After a bit of an odd start, today is the day we finally get to try it ourselves. As a long-time Linux user on the desktop (I've even installed Ubuntu 12.10 to prepare) I'm excited, and I know plenty of you folks are, as well. We're going to take a quick look at what Canonical is offering up today, talk a bit about their plans for Ubuntu, and even do a little bit of blogger speculation about it's future.

The most important thing to remember is that this is just a preview, meant for enthusiasts and aspiring developers. We're going to install it to play with (of course) but there's plenty that isn't working yet. The final version is still a ways off, so we can't really draw solid conclusions from what we're seeing today. 

What we can do, is have fun trying it. Hit the break to see the how and why.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/qErbA35KRtA/story01.htm

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Every Reason Not to Buy the Google Chromebook Pixel

Google just showed off a dumb new thing: an expensive laptop that pairs the gorgeous screen, capable components, and design of a MacBook Pro with the diluted, web-based Chrome OS. It makes no sense. Don't buy one. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/LuFN5fvXn0M/every-reason-not-to-buy-the-google-chromebook-pixel

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Robotic bat wing engineered: Researchers uncover flight secrets of real bats

Feb. 21, 2013 ? The strong, flapping flight of bats offers great possibilities for the design of small aircraft, among other applications. By building a robotic bat wing, Brown researchers have uncovered flight secrets of real bats: the function of ligaments, the elasticity of skin, the structural support of musculature, skeletal flexibility, upstroke, downstroke.

Researchers at Brown University have developed a robotic bat wing that is providing valuable new information about dynamics of flapping flight in real bats.

The robot, which mimics the wing shape and motion of the lesser dog-faced fruit bat, is designed to flap while attached to a force transducer in a wind tunnel. As the lifelike wing flaps, the force transducer records the aerodynamic forces generated by the moving wing. By measuring the power output of the three servo motors that control the robot's seven movable joints, researchers can evaluate the energy required to execute wing movements.

Testing showed the robot can match the basic flight parameters of bats, producing enough thrust to overcome drag and enough lift to carry the weight of the model species.

A paper describing the robot and presenting results from preliminary experiments is published in the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics. The work was done in labs of Brown professors Kenneth Breuer and Sharon Swartz, who are the senior authors on the paper. Breuer, an engineer, and Swartz, a biologist, have studied bat flight and anatomy for years.

The faux flapper generates data that could never be collected directly from live animals, said Joseph Bahlman, a graduate student at Brown who led the project. Bats can't fly when connected to instruments that record aerodynamic forces directly, so that isn't an option -- and bats don't take requests.

"We can't ask a bat to flap at a frequency of eight hertz then raise it to nine hertz so we can see what difference that makes," Bahlman said. "They don't really cooperate that way."

But the model does exactly what the researchers want it to do. They can control each of its movement capabilities -- kinematic parameters -- individually. That way they can adjust one parameter while keeping the rest constant to isolate the effects.

"We can answer questions like, 'Does increasing wing beat frequency improve lift and what's the energetic cost of doing that?'" Bahlman said. "We can directly measure the relationship between these kinematic parameters, aerodynamic forces, and energetics."

Detailed experimental results from the robot will be described in future research papers, but this first paper includes some preliminary results from a few case studies.

One experiment looked at the aerodynamic effects of wing folding. Bats and some birds fold their wings back during the upstroke. Previous research from Brown had found that folding helped the bats save energy, but how folding affected aerodynamic forces wasn't clear. Testing with the robot wing shows that folding is all about lift.

Studying an animal with unique abilities

Over the years, Kenneth Breuer, an engineer, and Sharon Swartz, a biologist, have developed a large archive of bat data, from wind tunnels to field studies and slow-motion video.In a flapping animal, positive lift is generated by the downstroke, but some of that lift is undone by the subsequent upstroke, which generates negative lift. By running trials with and without wing folding, the robot showed that folding the wing on the upstroke dramatically decreases that negative lift, increasing net lift by 50 percent.

Data like that will not only give new insights into the mechanics of bat flight, it could aid the design of small flapping aircraft. The research was funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation..

Inspired by the real thing

Bat wings are complex things. They span most of the length of a bat's body, from shoulder to foot. They are supported and moved by two arm bones and five finger-like digits. Over those bones is a super-elastic skin that can stretch up to 400 percent without tearing. The eight-inch robot mimics that anatomy with plastic bones carefully fabricated on a 3-D printer to match proportions of a real bat. The skin is made of a silicone elastomer. The joints are actuated by servo motors that pull on tendon-like cables, which in turn pull on the joints.

The robot doesn't quite match the complexity of a real bat's wing, which has 25 joints and 34 degrees of freedom. An exact simulation isn't feasible given today's technology and wouldn't be desirable anyway, Bahlman said. Part of why the model is useful is that it distills bat flapping down to five fundamental parameters: flapping frequency, flapping amplitude, the angle of the flap relative to the ground, the amount of time used for the downstroke, and the extent to which the wings can fold back.

Experimental data aside, Bahlman said there were many lessons learned just in building the robot and getting it to work properly. "We learned a lot about how bats work from trying to duplicate them and having things go wrong," he said.

During testing, for example, the tongue and groove joint used for the robot's elbow broke repeatedly. The forces on the wing would spread open the groove, and eventually break it open. Bahlman eventually wrapped steel cable around the joint to keep it intact, similar to the way ligaments hold joints together in real animals.

The fact that the elbow was a characteristic weak point in the robot might help to explain the musculature of elbows in real bats. Bats have a large set of muscles at the elbow that are not positioned to flex the joint. In humans, these muscles are used in the motion that helps us turn our palms up or down. Bats can't make that motion, however, so the fact that these muscles are so large was something of a mystery. Bahlman's experience with the robot suggests these muscles may be adapted to resist bending in a direction that would break the joint open.

The wing membrane provided more lessons. It often tore at the leading edge, prompting Bahlman to reinforce that spot with elastic threads. The fix ended up looking a lot like the tendon and muscle that reinforce leading edges in bats, underscoring how important those structures are.

Now that the model is operational, Bahlman has lots of plans for it.

"The next step is to start playing with the materials," he said. "We'd like to try different wing materials, different amounts of flexibility on the bones, looking to see if there are beneficial tradeoffs in these material properties."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Brown University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Joseph W Bahlman, Sharon M Swartz, Kenneth S Breuer. Design and characterization of a multi-articulated robotic bat wing. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 2013; 8 (1): 016009 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/8/1/016009

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/mH5WJdkNVC4/130221143942.htm

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