Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302663136?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Turtle genome analysis sheds light on turtle ancestry and shell evolution
Apr. 28, 2013 ? From which ancestors have turtles evolved? How did they get their shell? New data provided by the Joint International Turtle Genome Consortium, led by researchers from RIKEN in Japan, BGI in China, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK provides evidence that turtles are not primitive reptiles but belong to a sister group of birds and crocodiles. The work also sheds light on the evolution of the turtle's intriguing morphology and reveals that the turtle's shell evolved by recruiting genetic information encoding for the limbs.
Turtles are often described as evolutionary monsters, with a unique body plan and a shell that is considered to be one of the most intriguing structures in the animal kingdom.
"Turtles are interesting because they offer an exceptional case to understand the big evolutionary changes that occurred in vertebrate history," explains Dr. Naoki Irie, from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, who led the study.
Using next-generation DNA sequencers, the researchers from 9 international institutions have decoded the genome of the green sea turtle and Chinese soft-shell turtle and studied the expression of genetic information in the developing turtle.
Their results published in Nature Genetics show that turtles are not primitive reptiles as previously thought, but are related to the group comprising birds and crocodilians, which also includes extinct dinosaurs. Based on genomic information, the researchers predict that turtles must have split from this group around 250 million years ago, during one of the largest extinction events ever to take place on this planet.
"We expect that this research will motivate further work to elucidate the possible causal connection between these events," says Dr. Irie.
The study also reveals that despite their unique anatomy, turtles follow the basic embryonic pattern during development. Rather than developing directly into a turtle-specific body shape with a shell, they first establish the vertebrates' basic body plan and then enter a turtle-specific development phase. During this late specialization phase, the group found traces of limb-related gene expression in the embryonic shell, which indicates that the turtle shell evolved by recruiting part of the genetic program used for the limbs.
"The work not only provides insight into how turtles evolved, but also gives hints as to how the vertebrate developmental programs can be changed to produce major evolutionary novelties." explains Dr. Irie.
Another unexpected finding of the study was that turtles possess a large number of olfactory receptors and must therefore have the ability to smell a wide variety of substances. The researchers identified more than 1000 olfactory receptors in the soft-shell turtle, which is one of the largest numbers ever to be found in a non-mammalian vertebrate.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by RIKEN, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Zhuo Wang, Juan Pascual-Anaya, Amonida Zadissa, Wenqi Li, Yoshihito Niimura, Zhiyong Huang, Chunyi Li, Simon White, Zhiqiang Xiong, Dongming Fang, Bo Wang, Yao Ming, Yan Chen, Yuan Zheng, Shigehiro Kuraku, Miguel Pignatelli, Javier Herrero, Kathryn Beal, Masafumi Nozawa, Qiye Li, Juan Wang, Hongyan Zhang, Lili Yu, Shuji Shigenobu, Junyi Wang, Jiannan Liu, Paul Flicek, Steve Searle, Jun Wang, Shigeru Kuratani, Ye Yin, Bronwen Aken, Guojie Zhang, Naoki Irie. The draft genomes of soft-shell turtle and green sea turtle yield insights into the development and evolution of the turtle-specific body plan. Nature Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2615
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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5 ways the Samsung Galaxy S4 stunned an iPhone user
I've been an iPhone?user since the beast came out, and although I've dabbled with a second Android phone for work here and there, I'd never found any that impressed me. And I've been pretty immune to the hype about the Samsung Galaxy S4, which hit stores on April 26. It seemed to be a clever update to an already impressive phone, and one not worth spending money on. ?
I went into the mobile phone store on Friday determined to buy a Galaxy S3, for free, because of how deeply carriers are discounting it. I did not know that April 26 was delivery day for the new phones; the store in Los Angeles was literally in the process of changing the displays around as I walked in. The LG Optimus line also looked good, and it was also fairly cheap, provided that I purchase a $70 data contract.
SEE MORE: Inside Boston's 102-hour manhunt
But before the sales guy could upsell me, I started upselling myself. I walked out of the store with an?S4. I've spent the weekend playing with it. And as someone who has long been an Apple holdover, and as someone who will still use the iPhone for my non-work communication needs, I feel qualified to compare the two. My perspective is as a fairly gruntled (as in, I am not disgruntled, really, just habituated, to my phone) iPhone 5 user who hasn't really USED the Android operating system in years.
Here are five things that leapt out at me about the Galaxy phone. I realize that many features are not S4-specific; they're more generic to the operating system.?
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1. It does what I want it to do. I can't really customize the iPhone without jailbreaking it, and so I'm used to drawing within the lines when it comes to designing how I want my phone to look and to talk at me. ?It still takes me like a half a day to add a new ringtone to the iPhone, and I have to do a lot of it on my laptop. On Saturday, a friend sent me a ringtone from an old BlackBerry, and within 40 seconds, I had customized the Android phone to chirp at me with that sound. This is shocking for us iPhone users. It's like the break of dawn.?
2. It can do several things at once. When I was fiddling with the Galaxy S4 at the store, I wanted to see if I could slow it down by playing a video, taking a picture, using Facebook and another social media app, all in rapid sequence, shuttling quickly between them, and then adding a few more tasks. The iPhone doesn't do this well at all; the Galaxy didn't blink. I expected things to load more slowly than they did. It is very rare when your phone surprises you by how quickly it loads something. ?
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3. The Galaxy' S4's internal camera app is brilliant.?The sensor (13 megapixels) doesn't make that much of a difference, but the software that greets you when you use it incredible. I must have six or seven different photo apps on my iPhone. I don't think I'll need to download any on the S4. The way the S4 stores and edits photos is also incredibly intuitive; I still don't have the iPhoto system figured out, but I was able to link my Facebook, Picasa and Dropbox photo feeds to the Galaxy in less than two minutes. For all those Los Angeles shirtless photos a gay guy will inevitably acquire on his phone, it's also really easy to hide photo galleries. The iPhone forces you to the app store for that.?
4. More room for podcasts. I never really how much my Podcasts sucked up storage memory on the iPhone. But I've got about 12 gigabytes worth, and I'm not considered a super-user. The S4 comes with 16 gigabytes, of which about 12 are free, but of course, you can buy 64 gigabytes worth of storage on a micro storage drive for a hundred extra dollars. That's a lot of podcasts.?
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5. "Wait. You mean I can just replace the battery?" How many times has an iPhone user said this upon learning that many Android OS phones have removable batteries? The S4?doesn't have a super-long battery life, but it got me through a weekend day and night's worth without fully draining. And, of course, I could always simply change out the battery if I wanted more. No more Mophie Juice Packs for me. (I like Mophie Juice Packs, but they add heft to my iPhone.)?
Bottom line: What leaps out at a long-time iPhone user is the degree of control that's been built into phones like this, as well as the way the phone seems to have been built for people who live their lives online. I won't get rid of the iPhone, but I understand now why Apple needs to send out letters to its product owners reminding them why they bought their iPhone in the first place. ?(Their keyboard is much easier to use, and the knock-off versions on Android don't do it justice, for example).
SEE MORE: The week in words
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Will Chael Sonnen hang it up for good after UFC 159 loss to Jon Jones?
Minutes after losing by TKO to UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen indicated his fighting days may be over.
"I'm not going to be one of the guys to hang around. If there's not a road to the title, then this sport isn't for me. I believe that was probably my last opportunity," Sonnen said to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
He didn't specifically say "I'm retiring," but he did talk about the end of the road. This seems like more than the emotional ramblings of a fighter after a bad loss. B.J. Penn threatened retirement several times before it stuck. Nick Diaz has retired and unretired plenty of times.
Retirement wouldn't be out of the question. He's 36 years old and has fought in 40 fights after a long career as an amateur and collegiate wrestler.
If he does decide to retire, don't expect him to play shuffleboard and take up gardening. He already works as a commentator for Fox's broadcasts. During the last season of "The Ultimate Fighter," he proved to be a capable coach. Retirement would not mean Sonnen was done with MMA.
Sonnen talked his way into a title shot with Jones just months after he dropped a title shot to Anderson Silva at middleweight. Deserved or not, Sonnen has had several chances to win the UFC belt, and he hasn't won any of them. Not many fighters get more chances than he has. If the belt is the only thing that's important, why not retire?
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chael-sonnen-hang-good-ufc-159-loss-jon-051117400.html
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Friday, April 19, 2013
Universities inject neuron-sized LEDs to stimulate brains without a burden (video)
Existing methods for controlling brain activity tend to skew the results by their very nature -- it's difficult to behave normally with a wad of optical fibers or electrical wires in your head. The University of Illinois and Washington University have developed a much subtler approach to optogenetics that could lift that weight from the mind in a very literal sense. Their approach inserts an extra-thin ribbon into the brain with LEDs that are about as big as the neurons they target, stimulating deeper parts of the mind with high precision and minimal intrusion; test mice could act as if the ribbon weren't there. The solution also lets researchers detach the wireless transceiver and power from the ribbon to lighten the load when experiments are over. Practical use of these tiny LEDs is still a long ways off, but it could lead to both gentler testing as well as better treatment for mental conditions that we don't fully understand today.
Via: Mobile Magazine
Source: University of Illinois
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/18/universities-inject-neuron-sized-leds-to-stimulate-brains/
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Sunday, April 7, 2013
Arterial Hypertension Treatment with Siberian Pine Nut Oil | Your ...
Pine Nut Oil.org released clinical study for Siberian pine nut oil in the comprehensive treatment of patients with arterial hypertension.
In patients with arterial hypertension who are receiving basic hypertension treatment, the consumption of a 17.5 g daily dose of Siberian pine nut oil demonstrated a cholesterol lowering effect, was accompanied by the normalization of the lipid spectrum of the blood and systolic pressure, and a decrease in excess body mass.
The prime objective in treating a patient with arterial hypertension is to lower his elevated blood pressure and thereby reduce the risk of the onset of cardiovascular complications that occur, as is well known, on the background of an elevated level of cholesterol in the blood and general obesity.
The goal of this study is to determine the level of effectiveness of using of Siberian oil in the comprehensive therapy of arterial hypertension.
Doctor Vika Budaeva (Medical Doctor, Professor of Biysk Institute of Technology, I. I. Polzunov Altai State Technical University, Biysk, Russia) said: ?In our study we used Siberian pine nut oil from http://www.SiberianPineNutOil.org, made according to the original technology of cold-pressing. It is a transparent liquid with the color of golden straw, a delicate nutty taste, and a characteristic aroma. The oil is obtained by the cold pressing of selected shelled kernels. The oil obtained in this manner is packed only in a glass container. The produced oil is unrefined and therefore the most valuable, since it preserves the natural fatty-acid composition of the kernel of the pine nut, tocopherols, sterols, phosphatides, and other native biologically active components, which ensure an extended shelf life of the product.?
Doctor V. Budaeva explained that ?The study was conducted with the participation of two groups of patient-participants in the ?School for Arterial Hypertension Patients? at Municipal Hospital No. 4 at Biysk. The basic group and control group did not differ in the age of the subjects or the expression of arterial hypertension (I-II stage), the blood content of total cholesterol, and also the body mass index. Patients in both groups received basic hypertension therapy and followed the recommendations for their diet. Patients of the first, basic group, in distinction to the second, control group, over the course of three months took a daily dose of 17.5 g of Siberian pine nut oil (as desired: on an empty stomach, one tablespoon twice a day, or during the consumption of meals, as part of vegetable salads).?
Doctor Budaeva stated that ?In patients of the first group, after one month, a substantial lowering of the level of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and the atherogenic index was detected, after three months the lipid reducing effect of Siberian pine nut oil was even more pronounced. The level of HDL cholesterol in patients who received oil reliably increased after one month by 35%, and after three months, by 29% from the initial point. As a result, indicators, such as the level of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides reached the target value, while the level of LDL cholesterol was close to it. The atherogenic index, although decreased by 40%, did not reach the target value (2.6), but came to 2.9.
To read the full press release?..Click here
- Courtesy of PRWeb
Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/arterial-hypertension-treatment-with-siberian-pine-nut-oil/
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PwC 2013 State of Profession Survey finds strong need to enhance ...
However, according to survey respondents, before internal audit reaches for new heights, it must keep pace and continue to evolve its focus. Internal audit must also significantly improve its performance or risk losing relevance as other internal risk functions become more vital contributors in the risk management area. In the Middle East nearly 80% of respondents indicated that their organizations do not have an Enterprise Risk Management framework, opening the door for internal audit to play a key role in embedding risk management in the Board agenda.
"Our survey shows that 80% of global and 60% of Middle East respondents believe threats are increasing, yet only 12% of global and 5% of Middle East respondents think their own organization manages risk extremely well," said Adnan Zaidi, Leader of PwC's ME Risk Assurance practice. "As risks increase, internal audit's coverage of risk and performance in emerging areas is critical, which provides internal audit with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the value of the evolving profession. Internal audit must then aggressively increase its capabilities and add true value in risk areas most critical to the organization."
The study reveals that organizations have more work to do to align stakeholders' expectations and approach on coverage of critical risks, providing an opportunity for internal audit to deliver value outside of the traditional focus areas. Compared with management, board members are more likely to believe there are more risks and that they are growing faster, posing greater threats than there were a year ago.
"Audit committees and management expect more from internal audit, providing a huge opportunity for internal audit functions to be relevant contributors to protecting stakeholder value and the business from the most critical risks," said Andrew Garrett, Internal Audit Services Leader for PwC ME. "However, for internal audit functions to maximize their value to the organization, they must ensure alignment on multiple levels. There must be clear understanding and alignment of stakeholder expectations, alignment of internal audit focus on the highest risk areas, and alignment of internal audit capabilities to the needs of today and those emerging needs of tomorrow. Only then can internal audit contribute to the organization in a way that establishes relevance and value in the eyes of all key stakeholders."
Companies are raising the bar on performance to contend with the ever-changing risk landscape, but are not raising the bar on internal audit at the same pace, according to PwC's survey. In addition, stakeholders are requesting increased capabilities with internal audit's contribution in emerging risk areas such as large program assessment, new product introductions, capital project management and mergers and acquisitions.
"Those with the right plan, appropriate resources and capabilities that are aligned with what stakeholders expect, will be recognized for their contribution. They will see increased access within the organization, and more opportunities to demonstrate value. As a result, they will multiply the value internal audit delivers," said Firas Haddad, Director in PwC UAE Risk Assurance practice.
PwC's survey indicates that high performing internal audit functions have excelled in four important areas. They demonstrate significantly stronger foundational capabilities, coordinate with their organization's governance, risk and compliance activities, more effectively incorporate emerging risk into audit areas and partner with those they serve by providing proactive advice and actively engaging with management in organizational initiatives. To help reach these new heights, PwC outlines the key steps audit committees, management and chief audit executives can take to enhance the value internal audit can and should deliver to organizations:
Audit Committee: Ask More Questions
Most audit committees consider oversight of risk management to be a primary responsibility. However, they should ask if the internal audit's actions align with critical business risks and if internal audit has established a clear, strategic plan to raise capabilities and deliver value.
Management: Expect More
Management teams should require their organizations to have a strong enterprise-wide risk assessment process, enabling management, internal audit and the board to have a productive and transparent discussion about risk management. Management should expect internal audit to have the skills necessary to contribute value in key risk areas.
Chief Audit Executives: Deliver More
Chief audit executives should have a strategic vision that aligns to stakeholder expectations, including an investment strategy such as investing in the right resources. They must also be prepared to respond, or proactively engage, in conversations with the board and management about the internal audit's performance.
There are opportunities for internal audit to demonstrate a more valuable contribution, but to do so, not only must every stakeholder have a role in helping internal audit move in the right direction, but there must be a well-thought plan and well-charted course.
"Chief audit executives must get prepared, close performance gaps, and raise the bar on itself. Whether that is by increasing capabilities in new and emerging risk areas or delivering a greater level of service within those more traditional areas, the time is now for internal audit to take decisive action to strengthen their core performance and capabilities, resulting in value added contributions," continued Garrett.
Survey methodology
The survey covered 1,100 chief audit executives and more than 630 stakeholders, including CEOs, audit committee chairs, other board members and senior finance and risk managers, from 18 industries across 60 countries. 25 key organizations from 7 industries in four markets in the Middle East took part in the survey and contributed their views on today's critical risks, the role they expect internal audit to play in addressing them, and the performance of their enterprises' internal audit function.
Copies of the survey results will be available at the Institute of Internal Auditors UAE chapters' 14th Annual Regional Audit Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi on 15-17th April. PwC are key sponsors of this event at which they will be launching the 'I AM' - Internal Audit Matters campaign and will be available to discuss the survey.
Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/pwc-2013-profession-survey-strong-enhance-336439
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Retinoic acid gradient visualized for the first time in an embryo
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Public release date: 7-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
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pr@riken.jp
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RIKEN
In a ground-breaking study, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan report a new technique that allows them to visualize the distribution of retinoic acid in a live zebrafish embryo, in real-time. This technique enabled them to observe two concentration gradients going in opposing directions along the head-to-tail axis of the embryo, thus providing long-awaited evidence that retinoic acid is a morphogen.
The report, published today in the journal Nature, puts an end to a long-standing debate around the presence of retinoic acid gradients across the vertebrate embryo, during the early stages of development. It also sheds light on the role of retinoic acid in tissue development.
Retinoic acid has been thought to be a morphogen, a signalling molecule that diffuses throughout the embryo switching genes on and off and imparting different cell fates depending on its concentration. However, retinoic acid concentration gradients had never been visualized because retinoic acid cannot be tagged with the commonly used 'green fluorescent protein' GFP, or GFP-like proteins, as label.
"Until now no one had succeeded in monitoring the concentration of retinoic acid in real-time in a live embryo, and there was no direct data proving the existence of a retinoic acid gradient in the vertebrate embryo, explains Dr. Miyawaki, who led the research.
In order to monitor the concentration of retinoic acid in live zebrafish embryos at the early stages of their development, Dr. Miyawaki and his colleague Dr. Shimozono developed a technique to tag the molecule that acts as receptor for retinoic acid with genetically-encoded, coloured fluorophores. Based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), the tags allow them to visualize the presence of retinoic acid and quantitatively determine its concentration over time.
By combining this technique with pharmacological and genetic manipulations, Miyawaki and his team demonstrate the presence of two linear retinoic acid concentration gradients across the antero-posterior axis of the embryo, from the trunk area to the head and the tail. Their findings suggest that retinoic acid diffuses quickly, thus establishing stable and robust gradients that are resistant to external perturbations.
"A better understanding of the gradients of retinoic acid is essential for research into the patterns of tissue development. It is necessary if we ever want to control the development of three-dimensional tissue structures from induced pluripotent stem cells, for regenerative medicine for example," concludes Dr. Miyawaki.
###
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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: 7-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Juliette Savin
pr@riken.jp
81-048-462-1225
RIKEN
In a ground-breaking study, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan report a new technique that allows them to visualize the distribution of retinoic acid in a live zebrafish embryo, in real-time. This technique enabled them to observe two concentration gradients going in opposing directions along the head-to-tail axis of the embryo, thus providing long-awaited evidence that retinoic acid is a morphogen.
The report, published today in the journal Nature, puts an end to a long-standing debate around the presence of retinoic acid gradients across the vertebrate embryo, during the early stages of development. It also sheds light on the role of retinoic acid in tissue development.
Retinoic acid has been thought to be a morphogen, a signalling molecule that diffuses throughout the embryo switching genes on and off and imparting different cell fates depending on its concentration. However, retinoic acid concentration gradients had never been visualized because retinoic acid cannot be tagged with the commonly used 'green fluorescent protein' GFP, or GFP-like proteins, as label.
"Until now no one had succeeded in monitoring the concentration of retinoic acid in real-time in a live embryo, and there was no direct data proving the existence of a retinoic acid gradient in the vertebrate embryo, explains Dr. Miyawaki, who led the research.
In order to monitor the concentration of retinoic acid in live zebrafish embryos at the early stages of their development, Dr. Miyawaki and his colleague Dr. Shimozono developed a technique to tag the molecule that acts as receptor for retinoic acid with genetically-encoded, coloured fluorophores. Based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), the tags allow them to visualize the presence of retinoic acid and quantitatively determine its concentration over time.
By combining this technique with pharmacological and genetic manipulations, Miyawaki and his team demonstrate the presence of two linear retinoic acid concentration gradients across the antero-posterior axis of the embryo, from the trunk area to the head and the tail. Their findings suggest that retinoic acid diffuses quickly, thus establishing stable and robust gradients that are resistant to external perturbations.
"A better understanding of the gradients of retinoic acid is essential for research into the patterns of tissue development. It is necessary if we ever want to control the development of three-dimensional tissue structures from induced pluripotent stem cells, for regenerative medicine for example," concludes Dr. Miyawaki.
###
[ | 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/2013-04/r-rag040413.php
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Thursday, April 4, 2013
Scientists to Jupiter's moon Io: Your volcanoes are in the wrong place
Apr. 4, 2013 ? Jupiter's moon Io is the most volcanically active world in the Solar System, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains up to 250 miles high. However, concentrations of volcanic activity are significantly displaced from where they are expected to be based on models that predict how the moon's interior is heated, according to NASA and European Space Agency researchers.
Io is caught in a tug-of-war between Jupiter's massive gravity and the smaller but precisely timed pulls from two neighboring moons that orbit further from Jupiter -- Europa and Ganymede. Io orbits faster than these other moons, completing two orbits every time Europa finishes one, and four orbits for each one Ganymede makes. This regular timing means that Io feels the strongest gravitational pull from its neighboring moons in the same orbital location, which distorts Io's orbit into an oval shape. This in turn causes Io to flex as it moves around Jupiter.
For example, as Io gets closer to Jupiter, the giant planet's powerful gravity deforms the moon toward it and then, as Io moves farther away, the gravitational pull decreases and the moon relaxes. The flexing from gravity causes tidal heating -- in the same way that you can heat up a spot on a wire coat hanger by repeatedly bending it, the flexing creates friction in Io's interior, which generates the tremendous heat that powers the moon's extreme volcanism.
The question remains regarding exactly how this tidal heating affects the moon's interior. Some propose it heats up the deep interior, but the prevailing view is that most of the heating occurs within a relatively shallow layer under the crust, called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is where rock behaves like putty, slowly deforming under heat and pressure.
"Our analysis supports the prevailing view that most of the heat is generated in the asthenosphere, but we found that volcanic activity is located 30 to 60 degrees East from where we expect it to be," said Christopher Hamilton of the University of Maryland, College Park. Hamilton, who is stationed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is lead author of a paper about this research published January 1 in Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
Hamilton and his team performed the spatial analysis using the a new, global geologic map of Io, produced by David Williams of Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., and his colleagues using data from NASA spacecraft. The map provides the most comprehensive inventory of Io's volcanoes to date, thereby enabling patterns of volcanism to be explored in unprecedented detail. Assuming that the volcanoes are located above where the most internal heating occurs, the team tested a range of interior models by comparing observed locations of volcanic activity to predicted tidal heating patterns.
"We performed the first rigorous statistical analysis of the distribution of volcanoes in the new global geologic map of Io," says Hamilton. "We found a systematic eastward offset between observed and predicted volcano locations that can't be reconciled with any existing solid body tidal heating models."
Possibilities to explain the offset include a faster than expected rotation for Io, an interior structure that permits magma to travel significant distances from where the most heating occurs to the points where it is able erupt on the surface, or a missing component in existing tidal heating models, like fluid tides from an underground magma ocean, according to the team.
The magnetometer instrument on NASA's Galileo mission detected a magnetic field around Io, suggesting the presence of a global subsurface magma ocean. As Io orbits Jupiter, it moves inside the planet's vast magnetic field. Researchers think this could induce a magnetic field in Io if it had a global ocean of electrically conducting magma.
"Our analysis supports a global subsurface magma ocean scenario as one possible explanation for the offset between predicted and observed volcano locations on Io," says Hamilton. "However, Io's magma ocean would not be like the oceans on Earth. Instead of being a completely fluid layer, Io's magma ocean would probably be more like a sponge with at least 20 percent silicate melt within a matrix of slowly deformable rock."
Tidal heating is also thought to be responsible for oceans of liquid water likely to exist beneath the icy crusts of Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. Since liquid water is a necessary ingredient for life, some researchers propose that life might exist in these subsurface seas if a useable energy source and a supply of raw materials are present as well. These worlds are far too cold to support liquid water on their surfaces, so a better understanding of how tidal heating works may reveal how it could sustain life in otherwise inhospitable places throughout the Universe.
"The unexpected eastward offset of the volcano locations is a clue that something is missing in our understanding of Io," says Hamilton. "In a way, that's our most important result. Our understanding of tidal heat production and its relationship to surface volcanism is incomplete. The interpretation for why we have the offset and other statistical patterns we observed is open, but I think we've enabled a lot of new questions, which is good."
Io's volcanism is so extensive that it gets completely resurfaced about once every million years or so, actually quite fast compared to the 4.5-billion-year age of the solar system. So in order to know more about Io's past, we have to understand its interior structure better, because its surface is too young to record its full history, according to Hamilton.
The research was funded by NASA, the NASA Postdoctoral Program, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the European Space Agency.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Christopher W. Hamilton, Ciar?n D. Beggan, Susanne Still, Mikael Beuthe, Rosaly M.C. Lopes, David A. Williams, Jani Radebaugh, William Wright. Spatial distribution of volcanoes on Io: Implications for tidal heating and magma ascent. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2013; 361: 272 DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2012.10.032
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/zsK2fKUlOhc/130404170227.htm
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UK-Odd Summary
Popstar Justin Bieber given month to collect pet monkey
BERLIN (Reuters) - Teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber has been given a month to provide German authorities with the papers they need to release his pet monkey "Mally". Customs officials seized Bieber's capuchin monkey at Munich Airport last week when the 19-year-old failed to present the health and species protection certificates required to bring the pet into the country.
Arizona "pregnant man" to appeal ruling rejecting divorce
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A transgender man who made worldwide headlines after he married and gave birth to three children will appeal an Arizona judge's ruling denying him a divorce from his wife of 10 years, his attorneys said on Tuesday. Thomas Beatie, 39, was born a woman but began living as a man in his 20s, initiating hormone treatments, undergoing breast-removal surgery and legally changing his name, though he kept his female reproductive organs.
Samoan airline says pay by weight plan "fairest" way to fly
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A Samoan airline that says it is the world's first carrier to charge passengers by their weight rather than per seat defends the plan as the fairest way to fly, in some cases actually ending up cheaper than conventional tickets. Samoa Air, which opened in 2012, asks passengers to declare their personal weight during booking, which is then charged per kilogram (2.2 lb) at a rate dependent on flight length. The customers will also be weighed at the check-in counter.
Trump withdraws "orangutan" lawsuit against comic Bill Maher
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump is withdrawing his lawsuit against television host and comedian Bill Maher seeking $5 million (3.3 million pounds) that Maher said he would give to charity, in a seemingly facetious offer, if Trump could prove he was not the son of an orangutan. The lawsuit stems from comments Maher made during an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show" in January in which he said an orangutan's fur was the only thing in nature that matches the shade of Trump's trademark hair.
Waist-deep in mud, Cameron rescues distressed sheep
LONDON (Reuters) - Bogged down by a stagnating economy and sinking poll ratings, British Prime Minister David Cameron ventured into a new swamp when he waded waist-deep into mud to rescue a drowning sheep. Cameron was on his way back from visiting a farmer near his weekend home in the Oxfordshire countryside last month when he heard bleating and spotted a ewe that had got stuck in the mud after following her two lambs.
Two inmates flee Texas jail, possibly only in underwear
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - An inmate suspected of strangling a man with shoelaces escaped with a fellow prisoner from a Texas jail on Tuesday, triggering a manhunt for what authorities described as two dangerous fugitives, possibly clad in nothing but their underwear. "They squeezed their way through the fence somehow," said Sergeant Brad Cummings, a spokesman for the Hopkins County Sheriff's office in Sulphur Springs, Texas, about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Dallas.
Error led to early release for suspected killer of Colorado prison chief
DENVER (Reuters) - A white supremacist parolee suspected of killing Colorado's prisons chief and a pizza delivery man last month had been mistakenly released from prison in January - four years early - due to a clerical error, court officials said on Monday. Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, was killed in a roadside gun battle with police following a high-speed chase in Texas, two days after the March 19 killing of Tom Clements, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections.
April Fool becomes yet another marketing gimmick
LONDON (Reuters) - The April Fool is dead. Or at least the gentle jester of the common folk has been converted into a corporate colossus controlled by global marketing executives. Companies around the world, from Google to BMW and Sony, have adopted the tradition of goading the gullible on April 1 to show their lighter sides and steal some free publicity.
Octogenarian Japanese climber aims for Everest record
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber who has had heart surgery four times is heading to Mount Everest to try for a third ascent of the world's highest peak and will become the oldest person to reach the top if he succeeds. Yuichiro Miura climbed to the summit of the 8,850 metre (29,035 ft) mountain in 2003 and 2008. He skied down Everest from an altitude of 8,000 metres (26,246 ft) in 1970.
Google says to shut down YouTube in early April Fools' gag
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc, getting a head start on the annual tradition of April Fools' pranks, released a YouTube clip on Sunday declaring that the world's most popular video website will shut down at the stroke of midnight. The three-minute video intended as a gag - a montage of clips and cameos from viral video stars like David Devore from "David after the dentist" - describes how the website will wind down as some 30,000 technicians begin to trawl through 150,000 clips, to select the world's best video.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-odd-summary-024647724.html
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Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Abused dog left to die while tied to rock in rising Pa. creek
By David Chang, NBC10.com
Wyatt Erb couldn?t look away when he and his wife spotted a dog clinging to life as they walked near a creek in north-east Pennsylvania, Saturday. The lab mix was tied to a rock while inside the rising water.
?The leash was actually hooked to a stone in the ground,? said Erb. ?It?s not something the dog could have done by itself."
Erb quickly took action and went inside the Neshaminy Creek, in Bristol Township, north-east of Philadelphia, to get the dog out. Sergeant Thomas Gaffney of the Bristol Police Department believes the action saved the animal?s life.
?She would have drowned more than likely if the water got high enough,? said Gaffney.
Read more stories at NBC10.com
Gaffney says the dog suffered years of abuse and had a tumor on her hind leg that was never treated. He also believes it was the owner who left her tied up inside the creek in an attempt to kill her.
If the dog?s owner is found and has no history of animal cruelty, he or she could only be charged with a fine. Gaffney believes that punishment is not enough however. He vows to work with the District Attorney to stack charges of neglect and abandonment against the owner.
?You could adopt it or humanely euthanize it,? said Gaffney. ?You can do many other things but to do what the person did makes no sense.?
In addition to the tumor, the dog also suffered eye infections and is extremely emaciated. She will be taken to the Bucks County SPCA later this week where she will be available for adoption. Police also believe the dog is between 8 and 11 years of age.
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Hagel tells military to brace for further belt-tightening
By David Alexander and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the U.S. military on Wednesday to brace for a new round of belt-tightening as he carries out a sweeping review that could slash the number of generals, pare back civilian workers and stem spiraling costs of new weapons.
But Hagel, in his first major policy speech, also warned that the United States could not allow its current fiscal and budgetary crisis to force it to retreat from its role in the world.
"America does not have the luxury of retrenchment - we have too many global interests at stake, including our security, prosperity and future. If we refuse to lead ... someone will fill the vacuum," he said in remarks prepared for delivery to students at the National Defense University in Washington.
But at the same time, he stressed the limits of military power, saying that most of the world's pressing security challenges have political, economic and cultural components and "do not necessarily lend themselves to being resolved by conventional military strength."
Hagel took the helm at the Pentagon in February as it was struggling with $487 billion in budget cuts over a decade beginning last year. An additional $500 billion in cuts over a decade began March 1 under the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration.
Under those cuts, the Pentagon must slash $41 billion by September 30, the end of the 2013 fiscal year. Next year it is facing another $50 billion in cuts unless Congress and the White House agree on alternatives to reduce federal budget shortfalls.
At the same time, Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, is winding down the war in Afghanistan and grappling with a host of security challenges, from North Korea's threats to Iran's nuclear advances and the possibility of cyber attack from several countries.
WILL BUDGET CUTS ENDURE?
Hagel, while maintaining he did not "assume or tacitly accept" that further deep budget cuts would endure, said the Defense Department could not "simply wish or hope our way to carrying out a responsible national security strategy and its implementation."
In looking at areas where the Pentagon needed to further reduce spending, Hagel took aim at some of the key factors that have been driving up costs at an unsustainable pace, including excessive bureaucracy, creeping personnel costs and unwieldy weapons-development programs.
"In many respects, the biggest long-term fiscal challenge facing the department is not the flat or declining top-line budget, it is the growing imbalance in where the money is being spent internally," Hagel said.
He said he was concerned that the military was looking at "systems that are vastly more expensive and technologically risky than what was promised or budgeted for" as it attempts to modernize its weapons.
While recognizing the sacrifices of troops and their families over nearly a dozen years of war, Hagel said "fiscal realities demand" the Pentagon take another look at the number and mix of military and civilian personnel it employs.
"Despite good efforts and intentions, it is still not clear that every option has been exercised or considered to pare back the world's largest back-office," Hagel said, referring to the size of the Pentagon's administrative bureaucracy compared to numbers of combat troops.
He said the military's hierarchies needed further re-examination as well.
"Today the operational forces of the military - measured in battalions, ships and aircraft wings - have shrunk dramatically since the Cold War era," he said. "Yet the three- and four-star command and support structures sitting atop these smaller fighting forces have stayed intact, with minor exceptions, and in some cases they are actually increasing in size and rank."
(Reporting By David Alexander; Editing by Philip Barbara)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hagel-tells-military-brace-further-belt-tightening-165253488--business.html
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Can GOP win without Hispanics? Look at Arizona
FILE - In this June 5, 2010, file photo Judy Schulz, center, cheers as her husband Richard Schulz, left, both of Glendale, Ariz., joined hundreds supporting Arizona's new law on illegal immigration as they listen to speakers near the capitol in Phoenix. On the political map of the southwest, Arizona stands out. Most of its neighbors _ California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada _ are independent-minded states that once leaned Republican but are trending Democratic, partly because of increasing numbers of Hispanic voters alienated from the GOP by its tough stance on illegal immigration. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
FILE - In this June 5, 2010, file photo Judy Schulz, center, cheers as her husband Richard Schulz, left, both of Glendale, Ariz., joined hundreds supporting Arizona's new law on illegal immigration as they listen to speakers near the capitol in Phoenix. On the political map of the southwest, Arizona stands out. Most of its neighbors _ California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada _ are independent-minded states that once leaned Republican but are trending Democratic, partly because of increasing numbers of Hispanic voters alienated from the GOP by its tough stance on illegal immigration. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
PHOENIX (AP) ? On the political map of the Southwest, Arizona stands out.
Most of its neighbors ? California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada ? are independent-minded states that once leaned Republican but are trending Democratic, partly because of increasing numbers of Hispanic voters alienated from the GOP by its tough stance on illegal immigration.
But not Arizona.
Nowhere is a harder line on immigration taken than in Arizona, where Republicans have a lock on statewide offices and dominate the state legislature. In November, Democrats picked up a congressional seat, but Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney easily won the state with a slightly better margin against President Barack Obama than Arizona's own Sen. John McCain posted in the 2008 White House contest.
That record has led advocates of tighter immigration restrictions to point to Arizona as a model for how Republicans can maintain their tough stance on the issue and still win elections. "It's an example of a different way for things to play out than the conventional story," Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that favors tighter immigration policies, said of Arizona. "What's happened there is the non-Hispanic vote has become increasingly Republican."
But national Republicans aware of demographic trends are pondering how to win over more Hispanic voters in order to be more competitive in presidential elections. And it's unclear whether Arizona will remain a GOP stronghold.
Plenty of Arizona Republicans fear their state will go the way of its neighbors unless the GOP softens its immigration stance. That includes McCain, who in 2005 joined with Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts to sponsor legislation that included a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. A staunch supporter of strict border enforcement in 2008 and 2010, McCain has swung back after last year's election to supporting an overhaul of the immigration system that includes citizenship for those here without authorization, saying he was convinced the GOP could not survive with a hardline stance in states like his.
"If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe you're trying to keep their ... fellow Hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect," McCain told reporters earlier this year. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Romney called for "self-deportation," or creating an environment so uncomfortable for immigrants here illegally that they would choose to return to their original countries. And Romney praised Arizona's approach to immigration.
Two years earlier, the state became well-known for restrictive immigration legislation with the passage of SB 1070, a statute requiring police officers ? while enforcing other laws ? to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. While that part of the statute survived, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down three other provisions of the law.
Arizona's hardline stance has national implications as top Republicans try to reorient their party following its 2012 drubbing, largely because Hispanics, African Americans and Asians went for Obama in overwhelming numbers. A Republican National Committee panel recently released a 100-page report that advises more outreach to minorities and support for an immigration overhaul that would eventually legalize the status of most immigrants in the U.S. illegally ? an idea that's anathema to some Arizona Republicans. A bipartisan group of eight senators ? including McCain and Arizona's newly elected Republican senator, Jeff Flake ? are drawing up a bill that includes such a provision.
Arizona was always one of the less-promising states for Democrats for reasons other than immigration, said Scott Smith, a Republican who is mayor of Mesa, a Phoenix suburb. "You have a lot of retirees in Arizona ? Midwestern, conservative Republicans," he said. "Republicans far outnumber Democrats in registration, and the independents tend to be conservative more than liberal."
President Bill Clinton helped make immigration a major issue here. In an attempt to tamp down illegal immigration in California, his administration fortified the border with Mexico in the late 1990s. The beefed-up enforcement effectively pushed migrants east into the mostly empty desert that straddles the Mexican state of Sonora and Arizona. As crossing into the U.S. became harder, drug cartels and criminal syndicates expanded into human trafficking, with Phoenix becoming a major hub. The federal government warned Arizonans to stay out of various parks and swaths of public land for fear they could stumble across armed smugglers. There was widespread fear.
"That entire impact just changed the way undocumented immigrants were seen in Arizona," said Alfredo Gutierrez, a former Democratic president of the state senate and an immigrant rights activist. "It raised all kinds of opportunities for people to exploit this."
Since the passage of SB 1070, the battles over immigration have torn the state's Republican Party. Business leaders successfully stopped the passage of more aggressive measures in 2011. The law's architect, former State Senate President Russell Pearce, was recalled from office and last year lost a Republican primary trying to return to his legislative seat.
"Republicans in Arizona have shifted pretty dramatically in how they look at this issue," said Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, which spearheaded the push to block more stringent immigration legislation and supports the federal immigration overhaul. "If the current voting patterns hold, it's impossible to see in 10-20 years the same sort of results for Republicans" as they enjoy here now, he said.
From Hamer's perspective, the math is basic. Arizona has stayed Republican because in exit polls over the past decade whites, currently 74 percent of the state's voters, have backed GOP presidential candidates by roughly 3-2 margins, even while Hispanics vote Democratic by 3-1. By contrast, whites only narrowly supported Republican presidential candidates in neighboring swing states.
Hispanics are 30 percent of Arizona's population but made up only 18 percent of its voters in November. One-third are not citizens and cannot vote ? 18 percent of the Hispanics are here illegally. But Arizona's Hispanic population is unusually young, with a median age of 24, while its white population is significantly older, with a median age of 44. Political analysts say that makes it inevitable that at some point in the next decade or two Hispanic voters will overwhelm white voters.
Nonetheless, plenty of Arizona politicians are holding their strict stance in the immigration debate. Recently, Attorney General Tom Horne ? who came to prominence by banning a Mexican-American studies class in Tucson schools ? argued for the constitutionality of a 2005 referendum that requires all voters to prove citizenship before casting a ballot. The state legislature is considering tightening voting procedures in a way that Latino activists contend will lead to a disproportionate number of their voters being dropped from the rolls. Brewer became a heroine to those who favor immigration restrictions after signing SB1070. She has lashed out at the suggestion by the Obama administration and immigrant rights groups that the border is secure enough to legalize the status of many immigrants.
"A lot of the legislation we passed is in concert with what the people demanded of us," said State Rep. Steve Smith, a Republican who is author of a bill allowing the state to collect donations to build a border fence. "We have a front row seat to it. People see the direct, detrimental effect of the drugs, the gangs, the smuggling and what they are doing to our state."
Smith said he thinks Republicans should not abandon their forthright stance on immigration because it has won them support in Arizona and beyond. "Don't sell your morals, beliefs and thoughts down the river," he said. "When I, or other elected officials, or our governor, go to other states, people there say 'Thank God for Arizona.'"
___
Follow Nicholas Riccardi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickRiccardi.
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