Former star of MTV series “Teen Mom” Farrah Abraham has finally come clean about her porno movie with adult film star hottie James Deen. Abraham initially denied making a sex tape in a pretty hilarious video days ago, but finally admits making her “own personal video” that she’ll sell for millions. Farrah’s plan to pretend ...
If Windows 8 is the ticket to a bounce-back in PC sales, it's going to be a long, slow recovery. At least, as long as you ask IDC. It estimates that worldwide computer shipments in the first quarter of 2013 fell 13.9 percent to 76.3 million, which is the steepest quarterly drop the research firm has recorded since it started tracking PCs back in 1994. While the exact factors at work aren't clear, IDC blames it on a mix of customers spooked by Windows 8's unfamiliar interface, the continued rise of mobile devices, and the decline of the netbook. This isn't helped by the higher typical prices of touchscreen PCs, or by restructuring efforts at computing giants like Delland HP.
Who's reigning in this apparently declining PC empire, then? Worldwide, it's a different picture than it was a few months ago: HP is back on top at 15.7 percent, followed by Lenovo, Dell, Acer and ASUS. The American climate is somewhat more familiar, with HP in front at 25.1 percent while being chased by Dell, Apple, Toshiba and Lenovo. With the exception of Lenovo, however, virtually all of the manufacturers involved saw at least some decline in their PC shipments. To IDC, that's a sign that vendors and Microsoft need to find an antidote to the crazes for smartphones and tablets -- and find it quickly.
An artist's conception shows the International Space Station in the midst of an experiment in quantum entanglement.
By Clara Moskowitz LiveScience
"Spooky" quantum entanglement connects two particles so that actions performed on one reflect on the other. Now, scientists propose testing entanglement over the greatest distance yet via an experiment on the International Space Station.
Until now, entanglement has been established on relatively small scales in labs on Earth. But now physicists propose sending half of an entangled particle pair to the space station, which orbits about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the planet.
"According to quantum physics, entanglement is independent of distance," physicist Rupert Ursin of the Austrian Academy of Sciences said in a statement. "Our proposed Bell-type experiment will show that particles are entangled, over large distances ? around 500 kilometers ? for the very first time in an experiment."
Ursin and his colleagues detail the proposed experiment on Monday in the New Journal of Physics, published by the Institute of Physics and the German Physical Society. [Wacky Physics: The Coolest Little Particles in Nature]
Tests of quantum entanglement are called Bell tests after the late Northern Irish physicist John Bell, who proposed real-world checks of quantum theories in the 1960s. Entanglement is one of the weirdest quantum predictions, positing that entangled particles, once separated, can somehow "communicate" with each other instantly. The notion unsettled Albert Einstein so much he famously called it "spooky action at a distance."
To better understand entanglement and test its limits, the researchers suggest flying a small device called a photon detection module to the International Space Station, where it could be attached to an existing motorized Nikon 400mm camera lens, which observes the ground from the space station's panoramic Cupola window.
Once the module is installed, the scientists would entangle a pair of light particles, called photons, on the ground. One of these would then be sent from a ground station to the device on the orbiting lab, which would measure the particle and its properties, while the other would stay on Earth. If the particles keep their entangled state, a change to one would usher in an instant change to the other. Such a long-range test would allow the physicists to probe new questions about entanglement.
"Our experiments will also enable us to test potential effects gravity may have on quantum entanglement," Ursin said.
The project should be relatively quick to perform during just a few passes of the space station over the ground lab, with each experiment lasting just 70 seconds per pass, the researchers said.
"During a few months a year, the ISS passes five to six times in a row in the correct orientation for us to do our experiments," Ursin said."We envision setting up the experiment for a whole week and therefore having more than enough links to the ISS available."
The researchers also proposed a related experiment to try sending a secret key used for quantum information encryption over the farthest distance yet via the International Space Station. Until now, quantum encryption keys have been sent over only relatively short distances on Earth. If the key can be transferred via the researchers' proposed method, it could help to enable more practical quantum encryption.
Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter and Google+. Follow us?@livescience,?Facebook?&?Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The new interface and features make tumblr for Android a beautiful and functional application
Tumblr for Android got quite the update today, bringing an overhaul to the entire interface. Gone are the boring, scrolling lists and static squares of old, and the new interface is a bit of Path or Flipboard wrapped up inside a Holo design frame. It's all very well done, if I'm allowed to interject my own opinion here.
In addition to the overall design changes, tumblr has built in some snazzy animations. Pull to refresh or tap a button to post and you'll see things bouncing and popping up, making it a bit more engaging and fun to fiddle with. The way images inside posts are shown has been tweaked as well, and they now really stand out in the stream.
It's a really nice piece of work. If you're a tumblr user, you'll love it. If you're not a tumblr user, it may be enough to make you one. In either case, it's worth having a look if you appreciate great app design. Grab it from the Google Play link above.
The Sony HDR-CX220/B High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) pictured here is a good choice for those wanting high quality video at a lower price point. [Buy]
This page provides some basic information about the camera and highlights some of the unique features that make this camera a good choice.
Amazon Product Information. The following information is from the Amazon product page for the Sony HDR-CX220.
Color: Black
1920?1080 Full HD 60p with 8.9MP Exmor R CMOS Sensor
SteadyShot image stabilization reduces blur
27x Optical / 32x Extended Zoom to get even closer to the action
29.8mm wide angle Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar Lens
2.7? wide Clear Photo LCD display (230K)
The professional-quality 29.8mm Carl Zeiss? Vario-Tessar? lens is designed specifically for compact camcorders. Precision ground optics help maintain the sharpness and contrast of larger lenses, and SteadyShot? image stabilization helps reduce blur caused by camera shake.
Select between HD video in the AVCHD or MP4 format for highest quality or easy transfer and sharing. AVCHD provides premium video that can be enjoyed on large screen HDTVs, and MP4 is great for those moments that you want to quickly share on your social networks or store on the cloud.
The 2.7? (16:9) Clear Photo? LCD (230K) displays sharp, bright, vivid images, letting you compose a shot more easily ? even outdoors, while enabling you to change settings to best represent the scene.
Create high definition 1920 x 1080 60p videos and high quality 8.9MP still images. Experience stunning low-light sensitivity with improved image clarity and drastically reduced grain with Sony?s back-illuminated Exmor? R CMOS sensor. Designed for compact cameras and camcorders, the Exmor?R CMOS sensor relocates the photo diodes above the support circuitry, maximizing the light gathering area per pixel so you can shoot with better results in lower lighting conditions.
SteadyShot? image stabilization with Active Mode compensates for greater degrees of camera shake to deliver stunningly smooth video from wide angle to full telephoto shooting. In addition, innovative 3-Way Shake-Canceling adds electronic roll stability for even smoother video capture.
Extended Zoom works in conjunction with 27x optical zoom to get even closer to the action while maintaining HD image quality.
The professional-quality 29.8mm Carl Zeiss? Vario-Tessar? lens is designed specifically for compact camcorders. Precision ground optics help maintain the sharpness and contrast of larger lenses, and SteadyShot? image stabilization helps reduce blur caused by camera shake.
The 2.7? (16:9) Clear Photo? LCD (230K) displays sharp, bright, vivid images, letting you compose a shot more easily ? even outdoors, while enabling you to change settings to best represent the scene.
Select between HD video in the AVCHD or MP4 format for highest quality or easy transfer and sharing. AVCHD provides premium video that can be enjoyed on large screen HDTVs, and is ideal for capturing precious memories at special occasions, family vacations and other moments you want to treasure for a lifetime. MP4 is great for those moments that you want to quickly share on your social networks or store on the cloud.
Why spend hours editing your movies when you can let your camcorder do it for you? Highlight Playback identifies and compiles key scenes into a short, entertaining movie complete with music and transitions. You can even pinpoint the exact scene you want to include in the highlight reel.
Store your memories in a whole new way with the ability to copy videos from your camcorder directly to an external hard disk drive13 (sold separately), all without a computer. Your camcorder can also access videos stored on the external hard drive for playback on your HDTV4, allowing you to utilize the camcorder?s handy playback features.
The high-speed, built-in USB 2.0 cable allows for easy connection to your computer for charging or file transfer without having to remember separate cables. It also fits conveniently into the hand strap so it?s out of the way until you need it. Charging your camcorder is faster than ever now through the USB; for every two minutes of charge time you get one minute of recording time.
Intelligent Auto mode goes a step beyond traditional auto modes by analyzing your shot and then automatically selecting the appropriate settings from ten distinct scene modes and wind noise reduction. There are 60 different combinations possible: Portrait, Baby, Tripod , Backlight, Landscape, Spotlight, Twilight, Macro, Low light.
FOOTNOTES:
4. Requires HDTV and HDMI cable sold sep.
9. For PC: Requires Microsoft? Windows? XP SP3/ Windows Vista? SP2/Windows
7. For Mac: Requires Mac OSX (v10.5-10.7)
13. Requires via VMC-UAM1 cable (sold separately), AC power for camcorder, and hard drive formatted in FAT-32. USB-hub not supported. External HHD/USB media should be less than 2TB(Terabytes).
Below is information obtained from the Sony Product page for the HDR-CX220.
Product Summary. The Sony Handycam? HDR-CX220 camcorder offers stunning 1920 x 1080 Full HD video quality at a great value. Plus, you can capture beautiful 8.9MP photos to frame or post to your profile. Your photos and footage will be incredibly smooth thanks to Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, which compensates for camera shake to cut down on blur. Sony?s back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor delivers superb low-light performance with drastically reduced grain for crisp, clear quality. And with a professional-quality 29.8mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, you?ll enjoy ultimate sharpness and contrast in every shot.
Create high definition 1920 x 1080 60p videos and high quality 8.9MP still images. Experience stunning low-light sensitivity with improved image clarity and drastically reduced grain with Sony?s back-illuminated Exmor? R CMOS sensor. Designed for compact cameras and camcorders, the Exmor? R CMOS sensor relocates the photo diodes above the support circuitry, maximizing the light gathering area per pixel so you can shoot with better results in lower lighting conditions.
The professional-quality 29.8mm Carl Zeiss? Vario-Tessar? lens is designed specifically for compact camcorders. Precision ground optics help maintain the sharpness and contrast of larger lenses, and SteadyShot? image stabilization helps reduce blur caused by camera shake.
Why spend hours editing your movies when you can let your camcorder do it for you? Highlight Playback identifies and compiles key scenes into a short, entertaining movie complete with music and transitions. You can even pinpoint the exact scene you want to include in the highlight reel.
Intelligent Auto mode goes a step beyond traditional auto modes by analyzing your shot and then automatically selecting the appropriate settings. There are 60 different combinations possible: Portrait, Baby, Tripod , Backlight, Landscape, Spotlight, Twilight, Macro, Low light.
SteadyShot? image stabilization with Active Mode compensates for greater degrees of camera shake to deliver stunningly smooth video from wide angle to full telephoto shooting. In addition, innovative 3-Way Shake-Canceling adds electronic roll stability for even smoother video capture
The 2.7? (16:9) Clear Photo? LCD (230K) displays sharp, bright, vivid images, letting you compose a shot more easily ? even outdoors, while enabling you to change settings to best represent the scene.
Store your memories in a whole new way with the ability to copy videos from your camcorder directly to an external hard disk drive13 (sold separately), all without a computer. Your camcorder can also access videos stored on the external hard drive for playback on your HDTV4, allowing you to utilize the camcorder?s handy playback features.
Extended Zoom works in conjunction with 27x optical zoom to get even closer to the action while maintaining HD image quality.
Select between HD video in the AVCHD or MP4 format for highest quality or easy transfer and sharing. AVCHD provides premium video that can be enjoyed on large screen HDTVs, and is ideal for capturing precious memories at special occasions, family vacations and other moments you want to treasure for a lifetime. MP4 is great for those moments that you want to quickly share on your social networks or store on the cloud.
The high-speed, built-in USB 2.0 cable allows for easy connection to your computer for charging or file transfer without having to remember separate cables. It also fits conveniently into the hand strap so it?s out of the way until you need it. Charging your camcorder is faster than ever now through the USB; for every two minutes of charge time you get one minute of recording time.
Dimensions (Approx.) : Approx.2 1/8inch x 2 1/4inch x 4 5/8inch (52.5mm x 57mm x 117mm)
Weight (Approx.) : Approx.6.3oz ((178g) Main Unit Only); Approx.7.8oz (NP-FV30 (supplied battery); Approx.8.1oz (NP-FV50); Approx.9.7oz (NP-FV70); Approx.13.2oz (NP-FV100)
Imaging Sensor : 1/5.8 ?(3.1mm) back-illuminated Exmor? R CMOS Sensor
Memory Card Slot : Memory Stick PRO Duo? and SD/SDHC/SDXC compatible
SD Output : Composite Video Out(AV CABLE(sold separately))
HD Output : HDMI Out(micro)(supplied)
USB Port(s) : TypeA(built-in)/USB2.0 Hi-speed (mass-storage/MTP)
BRAVIA? Sync? : Yes
PhotoTV HD : Yes
DC IN : Yes
HDMI Terminal : Yes (HDMI micro)
Multi/Micro USB Terminal : Yes
Supplied Software : PC: PlayMemories Home Lite (built-in; for PC only); PlayMemories Home (by download); Music Transfer(by download); MAC:Music Transfer(by download); PlayMemories Online Uploader(by download)
Operating System Compatibility : Windows XP SP3 /Windows Vista SP2 /Windows7 64-bit editions and Starter (Edition) are not supported. The Windows Image Mastering API (IMAPI) Ver. 2.0 or later is required to use the function for creating discs. Starter (Edition) are not supported. Standard installation is required. Operation is not assured if the above OS has been upgraded or in a multi-boot environment.
Media Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo?; (Mark 2)Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo?; Memory Stick XC-HG Duo?; SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card(Class 4 or Higher)
Still Image Mode : JPEG
Still Image Max Effective Resolution : 8.9 megapixels
Still Image Size 16:9 : Movie Mode: 8.9 megapixels 16:9 (3984?2240); Photo Mode: 8.9 megapixels 16:9 (3984?2240)
Still Image Size 4:3 : Movie Mode:6.7 megapixels 4:3 (2992?2240); Photo Mode: 6.7 megapixels 4:3 (2992?2240)
Movie Recording Rate(Average Bit Rate/VBR) : HD PS: 28Mbps / FX: 24Mbps / FH: 17Mbps / HQ:Approx.9Mbps / LP:Approx.5Mbps ( Approx); STD HQ:9Mbps; MP4: Approx.6Mbps
Still Image File Format : DCF Ver.2.0 compatible, Exif Ver.2.3 compatible, MPF Baseline compatible
Wind Position : Yes(Off/On)
Focus System : Contrast AF
AF Modes : Auto/Manual(Menu)
Focus Area : Full range Focus
Manual / Auto Lens Cover : Manual
Fader Effect(s) : White/Black
Date / Time Stamp : Yes(Rec Date and Time, Camera info)
Erase/Protect : Yes/Yes
Media/Battery Indicator : Yes(recordable time, free and used media space)/Yes(recordable time, remaining capacity)
Power Save Mode : Yes
Still Image Playback Options : Slide Show
Video Playback Options : Highlight Playback(HD Movie Only); Highlight Playback Save and Share(Translate into STD quality); Highlight Scenario(Save/Playback/Erase); Hightlight BGM(Preinstalled 4 music files, Music transfer)
Built-in USB Cable : Yes(USB Charge Available)
Multiple Language Display : English; Spanish; Brazilian Portugese; Canadian French
Self Recording : Yes
View & Index : Event
Dimensions (Approx.) : Approx.2 1/8inch x 2 1/4inch x 4 5/8inch (52.5mm x 57mm x 117mm)
Weight (Approx.) : Approx.6.3oz ((178g) Main Unit Only)
Limited Warranty Term : Limited Warranty ? 1 Year Parts; 90 Days Labor
Lens Type : Carl Zeiss? Vario-Tessar? Lens
Lens Stabilization : SteadyShot? image stabilization w/ Active mode (Wide to Tele)
Low on self-control? Surrounding yourself with strong-willed friends may helpPublic release date: 9-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anna Mikulak amikulak@psychologicalscience.org 202-293-9300 Association for Psychological Science
We all desire self-control the resolve to skip happy hour and go to the gym instead, to finish a report before checking Facebook, to say no to the last piece of chocolate cake. Though many struggle to resist those temptations, new research suggests that people with low self-control prefer and depend on people with high self-control, possibly as a way to make up for the skills they themselves lack.
This research, conducted by psychological scientists Catherine Shea, Grinne Fitzsimons, and Erin Davisson of Duke University, is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
"We all know how much effort it takes to overcome temptation," says Shea, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in Fitzsimons's lab. "People with low self-control could relieve a lot of their self-control struggles by being with an individual who helps them."
To test this prediction, Shea and her colleagues conducted two lab-based studies and one study with real-life romantic partners.
In the first study, participants were asked to watch a video. The researchers experimentally manipulated participants' self-control by asking one group to avoid reading words that flashed up on the screen during the video (depleting their self-control), while giving no such instructions to the other group.
Each participant then read a vignette about one of three office managers one who demonstrated low self-control behavior, one who demonstrated high self-control behavior, and one who demonstrated both high and low self-control behaviors. The participants rated the office managers on their leadership abilities.
The results were clear: When people were temporarily depleted of their self-control, they rated the manager who had high self-control more positively than the two other managers. That is, these participants seemed to compensate for the self-control they lacked by valuing it in others.
A second study confirmed these results: People who demonstrated low trait self-control on a standard self-control task also showed a preference for the manager with high self-control.
In the third study, the researchers tested their hypothesis using survey data from 136 romantic couples.
Again, the data confirmed the hypothesis: Individuals who reported having low-self control also reported greater dependence on their partner if the partner happened to have high self-control.
These results show that the phenomenon isn't just lab-based, it also extends to real-world relationships.
"Self-control, by its name and definition, is a 'self' process something that we do alone, as individuals," observes Shea. "Yet, when we order food on a menu or go to work, we're often surrounded by other people."
The findings are particularly interesting because previous research has typically focused on the downsides of low self-control, such as poorer academic achievement and health outcomes. But this new research suggests that individuals who lack self-control may actually have a unique skill: the ability to pick up on self-control cues in others and use those cues to form adaptive relationships.
"What we have shown is that low self-control individuals seem to implicitly surround themselves with individuals who can help them overcome temptation you get by with a little help from your friends," says Shea.
###
This research was supported in part by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.
For more information about this study, please contact: Catherine T. Shea at catherine.shea@duke.edu.
The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Riding Other People's Coattails: Individuals With Low Self-Control Value Self-Control in Other People" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.
[ | 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.
Low on self-control? Surrounding yourself with strong-willed friends may helpPublic release date: 9-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anna Mikulak amikulak@psychologicalscience.org 202-293-9300 Association for Psychological Science
We all desire self-control the resolve to skip happy hour and go to the gym instead, to finish a report before checking Facebook, to say no to the last piece of chocolate cake. Though many struggle to resist those temptations, new research suggests that people with low self-control prefer and depend on people with high self-control, possibly as a way to make up for the skills they themselves lack.
This research, conducted by psychological scientists Catherine Shea, Grinne Fitzsimons, and Erin Davisson of Duke University, is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
"We all know how much effort it takes to overcome temptation," says Shea, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in Fitzsimons's lab. "People with low self-control could relieve a lot of their self-control struggles by being with an individual who helps them."
To test this prediction, Shea and her colleagues conducted two lab-based studies and one study with real-life romantic partners.
In the first study, participants were asked to watch a video. The researchers experimentally manipulated participants' self-control by asking one group to avoid reading words that flashed up on the screen during the video (depleting their self-control), while giving no such instructions to the other group.
Each participant then read a vignette about one of three office managers one who demonstrated low self-control behavior, one who demonstrated high self-control behavior, and one who demonstrated both high and low self-control behaviors. The participants rated the office managers on their leadership abilities.
The results were clear: When people were temporarily depleted of their self-control, they rated the manager who had high self-control more positively than the two other managers. That is, these participants seemed to compensate for the self-control they lacked by valuing it in others.
A second study confirmed these results: People who demonstrated low trait self-control on a standard self-control task also showed a preference for the manager with high self-control.
In the third study, the researchers tested their hypothesis using survey data from 136 romantic couples.
Again, the data confirmed the hypothesis: Individuals who reported having low-self control also reported greater dependence on their partner if the partner happened to have high self-control.
These results show that the phenomenon isn't just lab-based, it also extends to real-world relationships.
"Self-control, by its name and definition, is a 'self' process something that we do alone, as individuals," observes Shea. "Yet, when we order food on a menu or go to work, we're often surrounded by other people."
The findings are particularly interesting because previous research has typically focused on the downsides of low self-control, such as poorer academic achievement and health outcomes. But this new research suggests that individuals who lack self-control may actually have a unique skill: the ability to pick up on self-control cues in others and use those cues to form adaptive relationships.
"What we have shown is that low self-control individuals seem to implicitly surround themselves with individuals who can help them overcome temptation you get by with a little help from your friends," says Shea.
###
This research was supported in part by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.
For more information about this study, please contact: Catherine T. Shea at catherine.shea@duke.edu.
The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Riding Other People's Coattails: Individuals With Low Self-Control Value Self-Control in Other People" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.
[ | 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.
NEW YORK (AP) ? A man dressed as the Cookie Monster has been accused of shoving a 2-year-old in New York's Times Square and has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Queens resident Osvaldo Quiroz-Lopez was arrested Sunday afternoon. He was arraigned Monday on charges including aggressive begging. He didn't enter a plea.
A Connecticut family posed for a photo with the man dressed as the "Sesame Street" character. Police say he demanded $2 but the family refused to pay. A criminal complaint says the man shoved the toddler and yelled obscenities at the family.
Quiroz-Lopez has no prior arrests. His lawyer hasn't returned a message seeking comment.
In December, a performer dressed as a Super Mario Brother was accused of groping a woman in Times Square. His case is pending.
Measuring microbes makes wetland health monitoring more affordable, says MU researcherPublic release date: 9-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tim Wall walltj@missouri.edu 573-882-3346 University of Missouri-Columbia
Understanding microbe communities could improve wetland wastewater treatment systems
Wetlands serve as the Earth's kidneys. They filter and clean people's water supplies while serving as important habitat for many species, including iconic species like cattails, cranes and alligators. Conventional ecosystem health assessments have focused on populations of these larger species. However, the tiny, unseen creatures in the wetlands provided crucial indicators of the ecosystems' health in a study by University of Missouri Associate Professor of Engineering Zhiqiang Hu and his team. Using analysis of the microbiological health of wetlands is cheaper and faster than traditional assessments, and could lead to improvements in harnessing natural processes to filter human's wastewater.
"During road and building construction, engineers must sacrifice wetlands to development, but laws dictate that these lost wetlands be compensated for by establishing a wetland somewhere else," said Hu. "Our research could be applied to both monitor the success of these compensation wetlands and guide conservationists in inoculating new engineered ecosystems with the correct types of microorganisms."
Understanding the microbial biodiversity of a healthy wetland also informs engineers' decisions when building constructed wetlands or wastewater treatment ponds, according to Hu. These systems can help clean water flowing from sewer lines and reduce the need for expensive treatment plants.
"Microbes form the base of the wetland food chain and nutrient cycle, so the health of their populations reverberates through the ecosystem," said Hu. "However, analyzing their populations was once too difficult. Now, advances in microbial analysis allow us to more easily and accurately identify the species present in soil or water samples. This could become a vital tool to complement other forms of wetland health evaluation."
Hu's team, led by former MU doctoral student Atreyee Sims, found that a higher ratio of certain microbes, known as archaea, to bacteria was a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. When a few species of bacteria dominated the samples, the wetland was probably contaminated and unhealthy from the ground up, Sims concluded.
The study "Toward development of microbial indicators for wetland assessment" was published in the journal Water Research.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Measuring microbes makes wetland health monitoring more affordable, says MU researcherPublic release date: 9-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tim Wall walltj@missouri.edu 573-882-3346 University of Missouri-Columbia
Understanding microbe communities could improve wetland wastewater treatment systems
Wetlands serve as the Earth's kidneys. They filter and clean people's water supplies while serving as important habitat for many species, including iconic species like cattails, cranes and alligators. Conventional ecosystem health assessments have focused on populations of these larger species. However, the tiny, unseen creatures in the wetlands provided crucial indicators of the ecosystems' health in a study by University of Missouri Associate Professor of Engineering Zhiqiang Hu and his team. Using analysis of the microbiological health of wetlands is cheaper and faster than traditional assessments, and could lead to improvements in harnessing natural processes to filter human's wastewater.
"During road and building construction, engineers must sacrifice wetlands to development, but laws dictate that these lost wetlands be compensated for by establishing a wetland somewhere else," said Hu. "Our research could be applied to both monitor the success of these compensation wetlands and guide conservationists in inoculating new engineered ecosystems with the correct types of microorganisms."
Understanding the microbial biodiversity of a healthy wetland also informs engineers' decisions when building constructed wetlands or wastewater treatment ponds, according to Hu. These systems can help clean water flowing from sewer lines and reduce the need for expensive treatment plants.
"Microbes form the base of the wetland food chain and nutrient cycle, so the health of their populations reverberates through the ecosystem," said Hu. "However, analyzing their populations was once too difficult. Now, advances in microbial analysis allow us to more easily and accurately identify the species present in soil or water samples. This could become a vital tool to complement other forms of wetland health evaluation."
Hu's team, led by former MU doctoral student Atreyee Sims, found that a higher ratio of certain microbes, known as archaea, to bacteria was a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. When a few species of bacteria dominated the samples, the wetland was probably contaminated and unhealthy from the ground up, Sims concluded.
The study "Toward development of microbial indicators for wetland assessment" was published in the journal Water Research.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Margaret Thatcher, who was portrayed by Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”, passed away on Monday at age 87 after suffering a stroke. A spokesman for the family confirmed the news of her death from Thatcher’s children, saying in a statement, “It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother ...
A Monitor reporter who briefly overlapped with Margaret Thatcher when he was Paris correspondent recounts her outsized presence at European gatherings.
By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / April 8, 2013
President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher speak to reporters at the White House in Washington, June 1982. Thatcher had enjoyed a remarkably close bond with President Reagan, once describing him as 'the second most important man' in her life.
AP/File
Enlarge
Margaret Thatcher is being remembered as the prime minister who remade Britain's economy, the ?Iron Lady? who stood up to communism and who fought and won a war in the distant South Atlantic.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
But to this reporter (who briefly overlapped with Mrs. Thatcher as the Monitor?s Paris correspondent from 1989 to 1994), she is remembered as the British leader who could be counted on for a good quote.
Amid a sea of mild, if sometimes dull, European leaders, Thatcher stood out for always speaking her mind.
At the end of various summits of the European Council, reporters fretted over which of the many simultaneously scheduled press conferences with this president or that prime minister to attend. But there was no such deliberating over Thatcher. She always got the big auditorium while other leaders had to settle for diminutive side rooms.
Part of Mrs. Thatcher?s draw was her reputation. This woman among men, who always carried her handbag with her to the press conference stage, was remembered for telling Europe in 1984, ?I want my money back!? (Her actual quote, as she insisted that Britain deserved a refund of its contribution to the European budget, was, ?We are simply asking to have our own money back.?)
But she never disappointed. One of her more memorable quotes came in 1990 (although not at a council summit): ?No. No. No,? she declared in response to Frenchman Jacques Delors, then president of the European Commission, and his prediction that European institutions would become the seats of democracy in Europe.
Thatcher had enjoyed a remarkably close bond with President Reagan, once describing him as ?the second most important man? in her life. But by the time George H.W. Bush arrived at the White House in 1989, things were different for the Anglo-American relationship. Thatcher was under attack at home, even from within her own party, and a crumbling Iron Curtain had President Bush focusing more of his attention on West Germany.
Eager to manage the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in an orderly and stabilizing manner, Bush would use a trip to Europe to underscore the importance his administration would give to US-Germany relations. And so in Brussels, Europe?s capital, Bush would leave Thatcher ?cooling her heels? (to quote from an earlier dispatch), as he met with the European Commission president first.
It was not an order of importance that Thatcher was accustomed to from a US leader.
Thatcher would be out of office before Bush, but she would not go before supplying one last juicy quote. As Bush mulled over what to do in response to Saddam Hussein?s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 ? to repel the Iraqi leader militarily or not ? Thatcher would tell Bush in an aside at an Aspen Institute conference, ?Remember George, this is no time to go wobbly.?
Red has just announced the Red Motion lens mounting system for Epic and Scarlet motion camera systems that'll eliminate one of their chief snags: the dreaded CMOS rolling shutter. Though details are scant, it seems it'll do that in a similar manner to the Tessive system (see More Coverage), where a second liquid crystal shutter is placed in front of the main sensor and timed to engage only when the camera's CMOS is fully "open." That'll help eliminate artifacts like skew / judder in pans, repeating motion artifacts (think distorted propellers) and flicker from lights or displays, among others. The mount also brings an 8x electronic ND filter adjustable to 1/100th of an f-stop, partially negating the need for a matte-box in bright lighting situations. The Red Motion's drawback is that it'll cost you a stop of speed even when the ND is off, meaning you may have to change to a classic mount in low-light situations. Red's showing it now at its NAB booth-cum-factory and it'll ship out this fall in PL-mount form (with a Canon mount arriving later) for $4,500. Check the source for more discussion.
A week after the Marlins shocked everyone by announcing his callup, 20-year-old Jose Fernandez allowed one run in five innings and struck out eight Mets in his major league debut Sunday.
Fernandez, regarded as one of the game?s top five pitching prospects, was expected to spend the bulk of the season in the minors. In fact, he made just one two-inning appearance for the Marlins this spring before being sent down. The team, though, had a change of heart when both Henderson Alvarez and Nathan Eovaldi came down with sore shoulder at the end of the spring.
Fernandez allowed three hits and walked one before leaving with a 3-1 lead today. He threw 80 pitches, 53 of them for strikes, and topped out at 97 mph on the gun. He became the 22nd pitcher since 2000 to strike out at least eight batters in his major league debut. Matt Harvey (11) and Collin McHugh (nine) of the Mets were the only two to do it last year.
The Marlins are planning on limiting Fernandez to 150-170 innings this season, so five- and six-inning starts will be the norm for him.
LONDON (Reuters) - British businesses expect to increase hiring over the next six months but given falling confidence among manufacturers, they do not anticipate overall growth in the nation's economy, a survey showed on Monday.
An optimism index from accountancy firm BDO, which measures business performance expectations two quarters ahead, rose to 92.2 in March from 90.6 in February.
But both the optimism and output indices compiled by BDO remained below 95 which marks the dividing line between growth and contraction for the survey, BDO said in a statement.
BDO's employment Index, which measures UK businesses' hiring intentions over the next two quarters, reached 96.0 in March, the highest since August 2011.
The British economy could already be in its third recession in five years although the strength in the labour market has surprised economists.
Service sector confidence rose substantially in March but optimism in the manufacturing sector deteriorated sharply - falling to 88.2 in March from a reading of 94.5 in February, according to BDO.
A falling pound, which makes imported components more expensive, and weak demand for British exports from struggling euro zone economies were among the factors weighing on manufacturers' confidence, BDO said.
"It was disappointing to see little action taken in last month's budget to help this beleaguered sector," Peter Hemington, partner at BDO said of manufacturing.
Manufacturing activity, which accounts for around a fifth of the economy and is at the forefront of the government's recovery efforts, fell for the second consecutive month in March.
The indices are calculated from data including purchasing managers' surveys and surveys by the Confederation of British Industry and the Bank of England.
(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
ISTANBUL (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry is mourning the first death of an American diplomat on the job since last year's Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic installation in Benghazi, Libya.
Anne Smedinghoff, 25, was one of six Americans killed in an attack Saturday in Afghanistan.
Smedinghoff, an Illinois resident, was on her second tour in Afghanistan after returning last summer. She aided Kerry on his visit there last month.
Visiting Istanbul, a clearly emotional Kerry told consulate workers on Sunday that Smedinghoff stood for everything America stands for.
He says she died trying to make a difference by providing young Afghans with education.
Robert Morris hopes to address this week allegations of physical confrontations with players and former coach Mike Rice during his three seasons with the Colonials.
Athletic director Craig Coleman could speak on the matter Monday or Tuesday, after the school wraps up an internal investigation looking into the claims, according to a university official.
During Eric Murdock's interview with ESPN, aired last Tuesday along with the video of Rice's abusive practices at Rutgers, Murdock pointed out what he had heard about Rice's tactics at Robert Morris, a Northeast Conference school in suburban Pittsburgh, where he coached from 2007-10.
"It's amazing to me how he got this far in this profession," Murdock said, "first of all, because what I understand is at Robert Morris there were five coaches-versus-player brawls in practice."
Last Wednesday, Robert Morris athletic director Craig Coleman issued a statement on behalf of his school not long after Rice was fired from Rutgers.
"He is obviously an intense coach, and his passion for the game was mirrored by our student-athletes on the court," Coleman said. "The behavior on the video is quite unfortunate, but it is not indicative of Coach Rice during his tenure at RMU."
A star on the rise three years ago after leading Robert Morris to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, Rice, 44, now finds himself a flashpoint for what is ? and what is not ? considered appropriate coaching behavior.
The drive to succeed that made Rice such a success at Robert Morris wasn't part of a switch that Rice flipped on whenever he entered a huddle. It was always on, regardless of the situation.
Rice once knocked out one of his father's teeth while they were playing against each other. Former assistant coach Andy Toole, now head coach at Robert Morris, once called Rice "crazed" by the game. Rice went 73-31 in three seasons with the Colonials.
Born in Pittsburgh, Rice spent his childhood by his father's side, learning the Xs and Os while serving as a ballboy and engaging in lengthy debates over the dinner table. Mike Rice, Sr., was the coach at Duquesne from 1978-82. While in middle school, Rice, Jr., once stood up in the middle of the Duquesne locker room and told the Dukes they weren't playing hard enough. The players taped him to a training table as a way of thanking him for the pep talk.
In his second tourney appearance, the Colonials snared a No. 15 seed and took second-seeded Villanova to overtime before losing 73-70 in 2010. Under the glare of the national spotlight, Rice showed a bit of the over-the-top behavior that would become his calling card ? and ultimately his downfall. He erupted at the officials in the waning seconds of the game, screaming profanities at them as Robert Morris' bid for the upset fell short.
It was dismissed as a coach getting caught up in the crucible of the tournament. Rice even signed a contract extension later that month, proof of the confidence Coleman had in the direction of the program and the man leading it.
Jimmy Martelli, an assistant coach at Rutgers who resigned last week after the video went viral, was also at Robert Morris with Rice, though it is unclear if he ever witnessed or took part in any of the alleged brawls with the Colonials.
"I am sickened that as an assistant coach I contributed in any way to an unacceptable culture," Martelli said in a statement last week. "Wednesday, I resigned from Rutgers and I hope that coaches on all levels will learn something important from these events. For my actions, I am deeply sorry and I apologize to the players from the bottom of my heart."
Rice, who brought Martelli with him to Rutgers in 2010, went 44-51 at the Big East school, and posted just a 16-38 mark in the conference. The Scarlet Knights went 15-16 this season and 5-13 in the league. Incidentally, when Rice was suspended for the video in November ? the same video he was fired for last week ? Rutgers went 3-0 without him.
The Hillsong Church and movement is led by Brian Houston in Sydney, Australia. ?They started services in a Public School hall only 45 people and now they run over 21,000 people at their main campus alone, with several multi-sites around other cities in Australia. ? Hillsong United worship band also organically spawned from the youth group at Hillsong led by Brian Houston's son, Joel. ?Hillsong United, now over 15 years late has become the most influential worship band of this generation and tours all over the world leading people in worship. ?
Like Us on Facebook
When Carl Lentz and Joel Houston were in bible college together over 10 years ago they had a discussion and agreed that if Hillsong ever did a church in America that they would do it together and New York would be a great place to do it. ?
Little did they know that the friendly deal they made so many years back would actually come true. ?
Hillsong NYC, the Manhattan-based church, which meets at Irving Plaza near Union Square, kicked-off their weekly services on Feb. 13, 2011 following it's official launch on Oct. 17, 2010. ?They are now running over 5 services which usually result in standing room only. ?The church sometimes meets in the Gramercy Theatre and other different locations ?for their services which helps bring home the point constantly to the people that the church is about the community and people of the church, not a building to meet in. ?
If you see Carl and Joel, they don't automatically strike you as "church leaders" which is part of their appeal. ?On the other hand though, they are not just a trendy, lets look cool and sound cool and nothing more kind of people. ?And Hillsong NYC is definitely not that kind of church either. ?They are impacting the city and reaching new souls for Jesus every day.?
If you follow either of them on twitter (@carllentznyc @joelhouston) or instagram (@carllentz @jtimh) they are constantly sharing about the church (especially Carl) and it's need to be involved in the community. ?They use the hash tags like #occupyallstreets and #churchinthewild to keep everyone focused on the reason that the church exists and its mission. ?Being one with the community and showing the love of Jesus Christ are their main focuses. ? ??
Lentz is a regular at New York Knicks games and as become close personal friends with Knicks center Tyson Chandler. ?Chandler is very involved in the community as well and he and Lentz do a lot of events together. ?Being close with the Knicks team has helped his platform grow even more and has even been seen sharing the book "Jesus Is ____" by Judah Smith with players among others. ?Smith is the popular pastor of The City Church in the Seatle,WA area and is also a close personal friend of Lentz.?
The church and it's leaders have a pulse on the community unlike many churches, especially being in the largest city in the world. ?They know how to "be in the world but not of the world". ?They, as all Christians should, are working on walking that line closely and carefully, because that is what we are called to do. ?We are not called to be safe and stay out of harms way. ?We as Christians are called to reach the unloveable and the hopeless, with no one being out of reach and too far gone from God's plan to come back. ?
As a Christian, I am thankful they are doing such great work in New York City and showing how to balance Christ and culture together. ?I can't wait to see what God does through them next. ??
Former star of MTV series “Teen Mom” Farrah Abraham has finally come clean about her porno movie with adult film star hottie James Deen. Abraham initially denied making a sex tape in a pretty hilarious video days ago, but finally admits making her “own personal video” that she’ll sell for millions. Farrah’s plan to pretend ...
The Sony HDR-CX220/B High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) pictured here is a good choice for those wanting high quality video at a lower price point. [Buy]![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 9-Apr-2013
Share ] 
Margaret Thatcher, who was portrayed by Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”, passed away on Monday at age 87 after suffering a stroke. A spokesman for the family confirmed the news of her death from Thatcher’s children, saying in a statement, “It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother ...
