Finger (mal)formation reveals surprise function of desert DNA

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Scientists from the EPFL and the University of Geneva have discovered a genetic mechanism that defines the shape of our members in which, surprisingly, genes play only a secondary role. The research published in Cell, online the 23rd of November, shows the mechanism is found in a DNA sequence that was thought, incorrectly, to play no role. This long string has seven enhancers which, when combined with one another, modulate the activity of the genes responsible for the formation of the fingers ? an important fundamental discovery for the field of genetics. The discovery could notably help better understand anomalies that are transmitted from generation to generation such as welded fingers or extra or abnormally short fingers (Kantaputra syndrome) even if the genes appear perfectly normal.

Turbos on the genome

DNA is composed of only about 2% genes. But it has other types of sequences, such as enhancers that increase the activity of certain genes at key moments. "The discovery we have made is that the group of genes involved in finger growth is modulated by seven enhancers, not just one, and they combine through contact," says Thomas Montavon, lead author of the article and researcher at the EPFL.

When the fingers in the embryo begin to take shape, the string of DNA folds and the enhancers, located on different parts of the string, come into contact. They then bring together various proteins that stimulate the activity of the genes, and the fingers start to grow. If one of these seven enhancers is missing, the fingers will be shorter, or abnormally shaped. When two are missing, the defects are even more pronounced. Without enhancers, the genes work slowly, and generate only the beginnings of fingers.

How does the DNA fold in exactly the right way so that the enhancers will correctly do their job? The recently discovered process remains largely unexplained. "In other tissues, such as the brain, the string of DNA folds differently," says Denis Duboule, director of the study and researcher at both the EPFL and the University of Geneva. "To our knowledge, it is only in the fingers that it adopts this shape."

An explanation for evolutionary diversity

Statistically, the seven enhancers involved in finger growth create seven opportunities for a mutation to occur. The flexibility of this mechanism, with no known equivalent to date, causes not only hereditary malformations, but also the many variations in the hands, legs and other appendages in nature. "Just think of some ungulates, which walk on a single finger, or the ostrich, which has only two, and the human hand, of course" explains Denis Duboule.

Other genetic processes may also function on the basis of a similar principle. This could explain the diversity of the products of evolution, in areas other than the fingers, according to Denis Duboule. "When a mutation occurs on a gene, for instance in cystic fibrosis, it is often binary. This amounts to an 'all or nothing' situation. With the mechanism we have discovered, it is a 'more or less' situation. It is combined, it is modulated."

###

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne: http://www.epfl.ch/index.en.html

Thanks to Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115447/Finger__mal_formation_reveals_surprise_function_of_desert_DNA

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Stocks plunge as debt talks near collapse (AP)

NEW YORK ? Stocks are plunging at midday after Congress' latest bid to resolve the federal budget gridlock appeared to fail.

The Dow Jones industrial average is down 327 points, or 2.8 percent, at 11,469 shortly before noon Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 31, or 2.5 percent, at 1,185. The Nasdaq composite index is down 67, or 2.6 percent, at 2,506.

A 12-member bipartisan panel was assigned to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit by Wednesday. The panel appeared ready to admit failure on Monday. That could lead to broad, automatic cuts from military and social spending.

Uncertainty about government spending drags on the economy because the private sector is growing so slowly. Traders also fear that Europe's debt crisis might spill over, disrupting the fragile U.S. recovery.

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Obama asserts growing US stake in Asia (Providence Journal)

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Gingrich's Growth and Innovation (TIME)

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will.i.am And Jennifer Lopez Glow In The Dark At AMAs

Mick Jagger also appeared via video screen for debut performance of 'T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever.)'
By James Dinh

will.i.am performs at the 2011 AMAs
Photo: Getty Images

Sunday night's (November 20) 2011 American Music Awards were full of onstage collaborations, and one of the most entertaining was will.i.am, Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger's debut performance of "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)."

In between two life-size stereos, Jenny from the Block kicked off the bass-heavy number with the song's chorus line: "You can go hard or you can go home." Shortly into the performance, you could tell this hitmaking crew clearly went hard. Utilizing the pitch-black Nokia Theatre and performance group Fighting Gravity's lit-up ensembles, will.i.am delivered a complete glow-in-the-dark performance that included floating dancers, a headless will and even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it disappearing act.

Lopez played up her part as featured guest, and even though Jagger was missing from the action, the Rolling Stones frontman did appear via video for his portion of the dance tune. To conclude the number, glowing confetti filled the air.

"T.H.E (The Hardest Ever)" is the lead single from will's forthcoming solo album, #willpower, which is expected to drop next year. Produced by Audiobot, Dallas Austin and will himself, "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" was released on iTunes immediately after the AMA performance. Rich Lee directed the video for the song, which was shot in Los Angeles and London; it is expected to premiere later this month.

What did you think of will.i.am's glow-in-the-dark performance? Share your thoughts below!

Related Videos

• 2011 AMAs: Carpet And Performance Highlights

Related Photos

• Hottest 2011 American Music Award Moments
• MTV Style | 2011 American Music Awards Red Carpet

Related Artists

• Will.I.Am
• Jennifer Lopez

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Pogoplug lets Drobo into its Cloud, offers 10GB of 'public' storage to sweeten the deal

Do you use a Drobo for your RAID storage needs? Wish you could access that data from wherever your travels take you? Well then, wish no more! Today the company has a announced a partnership with Pogoplug aimed at getting your Drobo hooked up to the cloud. So long as you've got an internet connection, you'll now be able to use Pogoplug software to privately access your data and multimedia from wherever you may be. Better yet, Cloud Engines is also throwing in 10GB of free off-site storage on its recently minted -- and Dropbox-like -- Pogoplug Cloud service. Curious for info on getting started? You'll find details in the press release after the break along with a cringe-inducing "demo" video reminiscent of The Office to further explain it all.

Continue reading Pogoplug lets Drobo into its Cloud, offers 10GB of 'public' storage to sweeten the deal

Pogoplug lets Drobo into its Cloud, offers 10GB of 'public' storage to sweeten the deal originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists and the Media, at ScienceOnline2012

Several sessions this year focus on the strategies for scientists and the media how to talk to each other better:

Pimp your elevator pitch (workshop) ? Karen James

For practising scientists: can you describe your research, clearly and accessibly, in two minutes? We plan to video about five volunteers doing their ?elevator pitch?, then ask for feedback from the floor. Then the same five people do it again, and we compare the two (times five) videos. Hopefully this will be a worthwhile and engaging experiment for everybody who wants to engage with their family, the wider population, the departmental head, rich philanthropists?

Why Scientists Hate & Fear the Media; or, Science training for journalists. (discussion) ? Miriam Goldstein and Craig McClain

During last year?s Death to Obfuscation workshop, tips & tricks came up for getting scientists to talk to journalists. But why do scientists have to be cajoled, lured, and begged to talk to journalists? And how can you as a journalist/writer avoid being a source of fear & loathing, and develop a positive relationship with scientists? Practicing scientists who?ve spent time in the communication trenches (Miriam on the ?Great Pacific Garbage Patch?, Craig on ?Isopocalypse?, and others in the room) will give the inside scoop about what scientists complain about behind closed doors, and how you as a journalist/writer can get beyond the apathy and hostility to amazing science stories.

Do press officers/public information officers need journalists any more (discussion) ? David Harris

With the plethora of tools available to press officers/public information officers for direct-to-audience communication, how much is the intermediary of the mainstream press required? What kinds of formats and players are taking the place of mainstream press? How are press officers/PIOs using these tools effectively to both communicate messages and engage in substantive dialog with their stakeholders and audiences? The session is intended to not only assess where we are now but to futurecast the direction of this kind of work.

On the record ? a media-skills workshop for scientists. (workshop) ? Ed Yong and Charles Duhigg

This practical workshop will cover why media work is important, how to gain confidence, how to defend yourself against misquoting, and how to deal with interviews in a variety of media ? phone, TV and radio; live and pre-recorded. It will be run by a massive raft of seasoned spokespeople and journalists. We will hope to give delegates practice by matching them up in pairs or small groups with journalists for mock interviews. The journalists may or may not be pretending to be evil.

What to do when you?re the go-to online outreach person at your institution: guidelines from the Science Online group (Working Group ? commit to develop a written document) ? Miriam Goldstein and Jai Ranganathan

When someone comes to you and says, ?So I want to get into this internets things,? what do you tell them? Best practices? Lessons learned? This information is scattered over the blogosphere to some degree, so this working group will gather it up, incorporate new suggestions, and create a document for newcomers to online science communication. In addition to best practices, it would be useful to provide scientists with a ?layman?s guide to social media? ? what outlets are good for what kind of information, the most popular (and informative) tools, how to make your life easy in managing them all (programs like tweetdeck, linking posts, etc)

Next generation scientific society and conference ? (discussion) ? Scicurious and Donna Krupa

The most interesting scientific meetings for the participants are small, with lots of time for informal interactions and discussion of not-yet-published results. They sometimes happen in remote or unusual locations and are often funded by foundations or agencies rather than scientific societies. Such meetings have many drawbacks that go against the principles of open science ? they encourage cliques, exclude many people who may be interested, and may fail to make a broad impact outside the participants. The documents that come out of such meetings, often edited volumes running hundreds of dollars, look good on a shelf but have little urgency or value. Journalists and the public may not even know that an interesting meeting is happening! This session will explore ways to create hybrid conferences, that combine the focus of a small meeting with a broader communication and publication strategy. The questions include: When is streaming media useful? How best to integrate remote participants? What kind of video product after the conference is most useful? How can a small meeting accomplish open access publication? What kind of advance timeline is necessary to catalyze the participants? How can such meetings be leveraged for outreach opportunities? Discussing how scientific societies and other scientific non-profits can work with science bloggers to increase the outreach potential of both. More organizations are becoming interested in recruiting bloggers, and many scientist bloggers are interested in blogging meetings related to their interests. We are interested in bringing the two together, and sharing our experiences as bloggers who blog meetings, and as organizers for societies that have worked with bloggers. How are bloggers different from mainstream reporters? Why should an organization work with one? How should organizations work with bloggers in terms of registration, setup, and facilitating their work? From the blogger?s end, what are organizations looking for in science bloggers, and what should we expect from the organization? What are best practices of blogging conferences? How do you approach an organization about blogging for one of their meetings?

Why the resistance to science blogging? (discussion) ? Pascale Lane and Holly Bik

Many scientists and journal editors actively dismiss and denigrate all scientists who blog. They argue that bloggers are anonymous, untrustworthy, engage in ad hominem attacks, have no authority, and cannot (indeed, should not) be considered to be part of the scientific record. This session could examine ways to change the culture within peer-reviewed journals in particular that accepts ? maybe even encourages! ? the usefulness of blogging and other online discussion. How can bloggers change the attitude of journal editors, editorial boards, and reviewers? Can blogging, post-publication peer review, and other online activities be brought into the fold as part of the scientific record?

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11 Amazing Things NASA's Huge Mars Rover Can Do (SPACE.com)

NASA is getting set to launch its next Mars rover this week, a 1-ton robotic beast that will take planetary exploration to the next level.

The car-size Curiosity rover is the centerpiece of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, slated to blast off Saturday (Nov. 26) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Curiosity's main goal is to assess whether the Red Planet is, or ever was, capable of supporting microbial life.

The rover will employ 10 different science instruments to help it answer this question once it touches down on the Red Planet in August 2012. Here's a brief rundown of these instruments (and one more on the rover's heat shield):

Mast Camera (MastCam)

The MastCam is Curiosity's workhorse imaging tool. It will capture high-resolution color pictures and video of the Martian landscape, which scientists will study and laypeople will gawk at.

MastCam consists of two camera systems mounted on a mast that rises above Curiosity's main body, so the instrument will have a good view of the Red Planet environment as the rover chugs through it. MastCam images will also help the mission team drive and operate Curiosity. [Photos of NASA's Curiosity Rover]

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

MAHLI will function much like a high-powered magnifying glass, allowing Earthbound scientists to get up-close looks at Martian rocks and soil. The instrument will take color pictures of features as tiny as 12.5 microns ? smaller than the width of a human hair.

MAHLI sits on the end of Curiosity's five-jointed, 7-foot (2.1-meter) robotic arm, which is itself a marvel of engineering. So mission scientists will be able to point their high-tech hand lens pretty much wherever they want.

Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)

MARDI, a small camera located on Curiosity's main body, will record video of the rover's descent to the Martian surface (which will be accomplished with the help of a hovering, rocket-powered sky crane). [Video: Curiosity's Peculiar Landing]

MARDI will click on a mile or two above the ground, as soon as Curiosity jettisons its heat shield. The instrument will then take video at five frames per second until the rover touches down. The footage will help the MSL team plan Curiosity's Red Planet rovings, and it should also provide information about the geological context of the landing site, the 100-mile-wide (160-km) Gale Crater.

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)

SAM is the heart of Curiosity; at 83 pounds (38 kilograms), it makes up about half of the rover's science payload.

SAM is actually a suite of three separate instruments ? a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph and a laser spectrometer. These instruments will search for carbon-containing compounds, the building blocks of life as we know it. They will also look for other elements associated with life on Earth, such as hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

The SAM instrument suite is located in Curiosity's main body. The rover's robotic arm will drop samples into SAM via an inlet on the rover's exterior. Some of these samples will come from the interior of rocks, powder bored out by a 2-inch (5-centimeter) drill situated at the end of the arm.

None of Curiosity's predecessors could get deep into Martian rocks, so scientists are excited about the drill.

"For a geologist that studies rocks, there's nothing better than getting inside," said MSL deputy project scientist Joy Crisp, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin)

CheMin will identify different types of minerals on Mars and quantify their abundance, which will help scientists better understand past environmental conditions on the Red Planet.

Like SAM, CheMin has an inlet on Curiosity's exterior to accept samples delivered by the rover's robotic arm. The instrument will shine a fine X-ray beam through the sample, identifying minerals' crystalline structures based on how the X-rays diffract.

"This is like magic to us," Crisp told SPACE.com. X-ray diffraction is a leading diagnostic technique for Earthbound geologists, she explained, but it hasn't made it to Mars yet. So CheMin should help Curiosity provide more definitive mineral characterizations than previous Mars rovers such as Spirit and Opportunity have been able to achieve.?

Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam)

For sheer coolness, it's tough to beat ChemCam. This instrument will fire a laser at Martian rocks from up to 30 feet (9 meters) away and analyze the composition of the vaporized bits.

ChemCam will thus enable Curiosity to study rocks that are out of reach of its flexible robotic arm. It will also help the mission team determine from afar whether or not they want to send the rover over to investigate a particular landform.

ChemCam is composed of several different parts. The laser sits on Curiosity's mast, along with a camera and a small telescope. Three spectrographs sit in the rover's body, connected to the mast components by fiber optics. The spectrographs will analyze the light emitted by excited electrons in the vaporized rock samples.

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)

APXS, which sits at the end of Curiosity's arm, will measure the abundances of various chemical elements in Martian rocks and dirt.

Curiosity will place the instrument in contact with samples of interest, and APXS will shoot out X-rays and helium nuclei. This barrage will knock electrons in the sample out of their orbits, causing a release of X-rays. Scientists will be able to identify elements based on the characteristic energies of these emitted X-rays.

Spirit and Opportunity were outfitted with a previous version of APXS and used the instrument to help elucidate the prominent role water has played in shaping the Martian landscape. [Latest Mars Photos From Spirit and Opportunity]

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN)

DAN, located near the back of Curiosity's main body, will help the rover search for ice and water-logged minerals beneath the Martian surface.

The instrument will fire beams of neutrons at the ground, then note the speed at which these particles travel when they bounce back. Hydrogen atoms tend to slow neutrons down, so an abundance of sluggish neutrons would signal underground water or ice.

DAN should be able to map out water concentrations as low as 0.1 percent at depths up to 6 feet (2 m).

Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD)

The toaster-size RAD is designed specifically to help prepare for future human exploration of Mars. The instrument will measure and identify high-energy radiation of all types on the Red Planet, from fast-moving protons to gamma rays.

RAD's observations will allow scientists to determine just how much radiation an astronaut would be exposed to on Mars. This information could also help researchers understand how much of a hurdle Mars' radiation environment might have posed to the origin and evolution of life on the Red Planet.

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)

This tool, which sits partway up Curiosity's mast, is a Martian weather station. REMS will measure atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, air temperature, ground temperature and ultraviolet radiation.

All of this information will be integrated into daily and seasonal reports, allowing scientists to get a detailed look at the Martian environment.

MSL Entry, Descent and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI)

MEDLI isn't one of Curiosity's 10 instruments, since it's built into the heat shield that will protect the rover on its descent through the Martian atmosphere. But it's worth a few words here.

MEDLI will measure the temperatures and pressures the heat shield experiences as the MSL spacecraft streaks through the Martian sky. This information will tell engineers how well the heat shield, and their models of the spacecraft's trajectory, performed.

Researchers will use MEDLI data to improve designs for future Mars-bound spacecraft.

You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20111121/sc_space/11amazingthingsnasashugemarsrovercando

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Kindle Fire's App Problems: Google and Apple (The Atlantic Wire)

Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet doesn't have native Google apps, angering some would-be users. And Apple doesn't want them to use a certain marketing term.

Related: iPhone Location Tracking Gets Worse: Apple Saves the Data

First, the Google problem: While Amazon allows third-party apps on the new Fire, it doesn't allow Google apps requiring a login, writes Greg Knieriemen for The Register. In an open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Knieriemen says it just doesn't make sense (and claims enough buyer's remorse to trade the tablet back in for a gift card!).

Maybe there are strategic business reasons to block Google apps but if I could side-load and run the Nook app on the Kindle Fire, surely I?d be able to run an app like Gmail that was not competitive to Amazon. Other competitive services like Netflix and Hulu are directly available on the Amazon App Store.

It's not hurting sales yet. 6 million Kindle Fires have shipped, the company said this week. And Forbes adds to the recent spate of good press for the Fire. Reason number one it'll take off: software developers are coming.

Related: Android's Browser Leaves the iPhone's in the Dust

But where will those developers sell their wares? That leads us to the Apple problem:

Related: The iPhone Gmail App Returns

The wizards of Cupertino have noticed that Amazon is offering an "App Store." They recognize that name, and are not amused, reports PC World.

Related: Comment of the Day: Of Course Apple and Google Track Us

?

Apple believes it owns the words "App Store" and no one else should be using it to sell apps on the Internet. So it?filed a lawsuit in March?to block Amazon from calling its online outlet the "Amazon Appstore for Android."

As in its other lawsuits, Apple tried to stop the immediate use of "Appstore" by Amazon by requesting a preliminary injunction. That request was rejected by the federal district court judge in the case, Phyllis Hamilton, who wasn't sold by Apple that Amazon was "diluting" the App Store trademark with its Appstore.

While the lawsuit winds through the legal process, Amazon decided to tweak Apple's nose again about the name of its Android app store. When Amazon began marketing the Fire, it dropped the "for Android" entirely from its app store title. That move was calculated to befuddle consumers, Apple argues.

"Beginning in or about September 2011 Amazon began altering its use of the infringing mark by omitting or de-emphasizing the use of the 'for Android' suffix to the ?Amazon Appstore? phrase," said an amended?complaint?(PDF) filed this week in the case by Apple.

Apple is seeking an injunction against that use of the term "app store," arguing customers could be deceived by the similarity.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111119/tc_atlantic/kindlefiresappproblemsgoogleandapple45203

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Sunken Chest Demands Prompt Evaluation, Expert Says (HealthDay)

THURDSAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Children with sunken chest require prompt evaluation to rule out more serious underlying conditions and to plan corrective surgery if necessary, according to experts.

Sunken or hollow chest, the result of a malformed rib cage, is one of the most common birth defects of the chest wall. It affects one in 300 to 400 children and is rarely life-threatening.

The main reason to perform surgery is to improve heart and lung function, not to improve appearance, Dr. Fizan Abdullah, a pediatric surgeon at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, explained in a Hopkins news release.

He said assessment of children with sunken chest accomplishes three goals -- it rules out serious underlying syndromes, assesses cardio-pulmonary function and begins the planning of surgery.

A small number of children with sunken chest have Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder of the connective tissues that can cause potentially deadly problems such as arterial aneurysms or rupture of the heart's aorta, Abdullah said.

A sunken chest can compress the heart and lungs and affect breathing and circulation, especially in more severe cases. Serious heart and lung problems are rare, but even children with mild sunken chest can have reduced cardiovascular endurance, tire quickly, have a feeling of pressure on their chest, and experience neck and back pain.

Surgery can remedy these problems and restore the chest to normal appearance. Several different surgical approaches can be used, including minimally invasive alternatives to open-chest surgery, Abdullah said.

The ideal time for surgery is between ages 14 and 16, Abdullah said. Doing the surgery at an earlier age when a child's bones are still growing could result in reemergence of the sunken chest. However, earlier surgery would be performed in severe cases that seriously compromise heart and lung function, Abdullah said.

More information

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about sunken chest.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111118/hl_hsn/sunkenchestdemandspromptevaluationexpertsays

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[OOC] Central Academy: A new year

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Two sex-spread diseases increase, syphilis down

ATLANTA (AP) ? Cases of some common sexually spread diseases continue to increase in the United States, but the syphilis rate dropped last year for the first time in a decade.

Health officials on Thursday released their annual report on sexually transmitted disease, and found chlamydia and gonorrhea rates continued to grow last year.

More than 1.3 million cases of chlamydia were reported last year ? the largest number ever reported in one year for any condition. The number of new gonorrhea cases surpassed 300,000.

Fewer than 14,000 Americans were reported last year to have the most contagious forms of syphilis. While the number affected is fairly small, the rate of new cases had been increasing since 2001, but dropped by about 2 percent in 2010.

___

Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/default.htm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-17-STD%20Cases/id-87f6f50d962049b995a051c67f4cb1ad

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Japan central bank keeps interest rate near zero (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan's central bank on Wednesday kept its key interest rate at virtually zero to help the economy weather a global slowdown, a strong yen and the recent flooding in Thailand.

The Bank of Japan's nine-member policy board voted unanimously at a two-day meeting to maintain the overnight call rate target at 0 to 0.1 percent.

It lowered its assessment of Japan's economy, describing it as picking up but at a "more moderate pace mainly due to effects of a slowdown in overseas economies."

The central bank noted potential risks from the U.S. and Europe's debt problems. It also expressed concerns about emerging economies and their ability to control inflation amid rapid growth.

The Bank of Japan maintained its view that Japan's economy would eventually return to moderate growth. But for the time being, the economy would be hurt by global headwinds.

The yen has hit multiple historic highs against the dollar this year as investors flock to the Japanese currency as a relatively safe haven. The strong yen, which reduces the value of repatriated overseas earnings, has unnerved export-reliant Japan.

Major exporters like Panasonic Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. have announced plans to shift some production out of Japan. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said he is worried about a hollowing out of Japanese industry.

The recent flooding in Thailand has also hit Japanese manufacturers, who had staged a quick recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Companies like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. were forced to cut output due to flooded factories and supply shortages.

The Bank of Japan pledged to leave interest rates at virtually zero until prices stabilize from a prolonged period of deflation.

It said it is steadily buying financial assets through a fund it expanded last month in an effort to further loosen monetary policy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111116/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_central_bank

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Mitt Romney downplays his Iowa strategy (The Ticket)

Romney in Iowa last week (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Mitt Romney is again playing coy about how much he'll invest in winning Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses in January.

In a series of fundraisers yesterday in Florida, Romney suggested he'll spend just enough to have a good showing in the state, but that he doesn't expect to win, sources tell the St. Petersburg Times:

Romney said after airing ads in Iowa for nearly an entire year during the 2008 campaign, he has not run any spots to date. Romney told the crowd his campaign calculus was that he could spend nothing and come in fourth or spend a bit and finish second or third. He guessed that Republicans could split the first three events, which would make Florida particularly important.

Romney predicted a Tea Party favorite would win Iowa and that he would take New Hampshire, according to interviews with six people in the audience.?Romney told the crowd he would seal the nomination by then winning Florida's Republican contest.

Romney's comments come as he's slowly increased his presence in Iowa in the last month. Last week, he campaigned in the state for only the fourth time this year, and next week, he's set to visit the state again.

The former Massachusetts governor recently filmed in an ad in the state, though his campaign has declined to talk about the spot or when it might air.

Romney's strategy of doing just enough to stay competitive appears to be working. ?A new Bloomberg poll finds Romney in a statistical four-way tie in the state with Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:

Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20111115/el_yblog_theticket/mitt-romney-downplays-his-iowa-strategy

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Cox to exit wireless business: sales end Nov. 16th, leaves the air March 30th, 2012

Cox Wireless has always been something of an also-ran, trying to play catch up with the big boys that already had a well-established infrastructure. It snatched up some precious 700MHz spectrum from the FCC in 2008 and launched its somewhat gimmicky "unbelievably fair" service late last year. However, by May 2011 it was clear things were not going as planned. The company announced it would become a Sprint MVNO and finish migrating its customers to that network by the end of the year. Well, it appears even that plan was unsustainable as a tipster has sent us some legit looking documents indicating Cox plans to put its wireless division out of its misery completely. As of November 16th the company will cease selling wireless plans to new customers and support for existing subscribers will end on March 30th of 2012. The memo declares that Cox simply "no longer see[s] the 3G model as a strategic pursuit." Before you go pour one out for the short-lived carrier, head on after the break for one more pic.

Continue reading Cox to exit wireless business: sales end Nov. 16th, leaves the air March 30th, 2012

Cox to exit wireless business: sales end Nov. 16th, leaves the air March 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London celebrates famous fossils

16 November 2011 Last updated at 10:07 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

It is currently the hottest topic in palaeoanthropology, and visitors to London's Natural History Museum can now get to see what all the fuss is about.

The institution has just taken delivery of casts of Australopithecus sediba.

This 1.9-million-year-old creature caused a sensation when the discovery of its fossil remains in South Africa was first announced in 2010.

A. sediba has a curious mix of ape and human features, suggesting it could be one of our direct ancestors.

"This is one of the most exciting and controversial fossil finds of recent years and it's fantastic to have this material at the museum," said Prof Ian Owens, the NHM's director of science.

"Researchers will get to work with it, but also the public will get to see it, and we hope that will really help bring the science alive," he told BBC News.

The replicas are a gift from the government of the Republic of South Africa and the University of the Witwatersrand, which is leading the investigation into the fossils.

The real specimens were found at Malapa in the famous Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just to the northwest of Johannesburg.

Continue reading the main story

They were pulled from a pit - a depression left in the ground by a cave complex that subsequently lost its roof through erosion.

Identified as the remains of an adult female and a juvenile male, the two individuals were quite possibly mother and son.

It seems they died together in some tragic accident that saw them either fall into the cave complex or become stuck in it. After death, their bodies were washed into a pool and cemented in time along with the skeletons of many other animals - sabre-tooth cats, hyenas, antelope, even birds and mice.

"All of this accumulation happened very, very quickly - in a few days, weeks or months," said lead researcher Prof Lee Berger of the Institute for Human Evolution at Wits University.

"Once we've completed this project, we're going to be able to show a texture of a moment in time that we have never seen before except in maybe the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the burial of Pompeii."

Scientists are now engaged in an intense debate over the status of A. sediba in the story of our origins.

Prof Berger and his colleagues say the creature's mix of ancient and modern traits probably make it central to that story. They propose that A. sediba could even sit on, or very close to, the line that led directly to us - modern humans (Homo sapiens).

Other scientists remain to be convinced, and argue too little is known about the diversity of ancient human forms this far back in time to make any bold statements.

What is not in doubt is the remarkable preservation of the fossils, which includes a stunning articulated hand.

In something of a coup for the NHM, the replicas have copies of bones not yet described in the scientific literature - a knee bone, vertebrae, and fragments of lower jaw from the female.

So good was the process of fossilisation at Malapa that more finds are sure to follow. It is expected that many of the parts missing from the existing skeletons will be unearthed at some point, along with the bones of other A. sediba individuals.

"We have not excavated yet but we can see at least four others," said Prof Berger. "There's a baby that may be about 18 months of age based on the arm we can see. There's probably another juvenile. There's probably another two adults."

There are also some tantalising possibilities to come from the items already in the possession of the scientists. The most intrigue surrounds what could be the remains of soft tissue - something that would be a major surprise in fossils this old.

The Wits team is unsure how to investigate such special material and has appealed to the wider scientific community to recommend the most appropriate techniques.

"We've started an open access science experiment; we're trying to identify whether material that we find in direct association with these skeletons and the skeletons of animals is in fact skin," explained Prof Berger.

"It looks like skin; it's in the right position to be skin - but extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-15749367

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Andrea Paine: Breast Cancer and Running

I have been following a number of breast cancer patients, survivors, health care professionals and organizations over the past couple of years. I follow them mostly on Twitter, but also on Facebook. There is a very interesting conversation occurring on Twitter at #BCSM. Last week they were discussing lifestyle changes.

Many breast cancer survivors undergo all sorts of changes following their medical ordeals. Some change careers or hobbies, others start exercising more regularly and clean up their social contacts. Many of us get involved in any way we can to help those unfortunate enough to follow in our footsteps. This means that we may get involved in fundraising activities, volunteer at cancer centers or hospitals or write blogs similar to this one.

We all have our story to tell, and not one of them is the same. That is the beauty of it. There is so much information at our fingertips now. With social media use on the rise, there are many sources of information, both professional and social, that can be accessed in an instant.

Last Monday's Twitter conversation highlighted an American woman that went through breast cancer followed by a recurrence. She was the mother of a pre-teen when she went through her first bout of breast cancer. Following that she started running. It has turned out that running has sustained her through a recurrence, as well as a variety of treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation.

I felt an immediate closeness to this woman, as my story is similar. My girls were 13, 11 and 7 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. All vulnerable ages. I chose to be very open with them, and we talked a lot, and were very close. I had also started running the year before my diagnosis. This, above anything else gave me the physical and mental fortitude to deal with my operations, treatment and emotional stress. Had it not been for running, I would not have had the same experience going through the quest for my cure.

Patients, survivors and doctors took part in this Twitter conversation. All of them had their particular stories to tell and experiences to share. It was interesting to see the variety of services available to patients with regards to where they lived. But the one thing that jumped out at me was the discussion about the importance of exercise. "Exercise is the clearing house for estrogen," this survivor said. How true is this?!

For women whose pathology revealed that they were estrogen-receptor positive, such as myself, the importance of exercising and keeping the weight off takes on a whole new dimension. It could literally be a life or death decision. The higher your BMI is, the more likely you will have more estrogen in your body, and the more prone to getting cancer, or a recurrence, you will be. As I was already a runner, there was no need for the medical professionals dealing with my case to talk to me about the importance of exercise. Looking back to my twenties and thirties, however, that would have been sound advice.

Eighteen years ago, when I was already going through my first of three pregnancies, I gained the weight between all three, and tried my best to exercise. I registered for aerobic dancing at a place that had a childcare option (something that was rare, if impossible to find back then). I walked religiously, and even went to see a dietitian to help me get the pounds off. It worked, but I still carried around that ten to fifteen extra pounds that I would have been better off losing.

When I started running the pounds were shed, I felt great, and was at my healthiest weight. if only they had those jogger strollers around when my kids were young! Although nobody likes to be told that they're overweight, it would be highly beneficial for this discussion to be worked into any medical appointment today. It can be relayed to the patient in a compassionate way, and, properly articulated, might prevent some diseases from occurring in the first place.

So I have yet one more reason to lace up those running shoes. I need to keep my body at a healthy weight that will enable me to maintain appropriate estrogen levels as well. And for those of you that are not like minded. Have no fear. There are plenty of other ways to get that heart pumping. The important thing is to practice your preferred sport regularly, and maintain a healthy weight through a balanced diet. Not rocket science. It may not keep cancer away, but can go a long way to preventing it!

Changes are what cancer survivors are all about. Like the old adage, we've been there ... done that. As a result we have modified our lifestyles, and we have also learned quite a few things along the way. And this knowledge, some which comes with experience, is what I want to pass along to you ... straight from the heart.

?

Follow Andrea Paine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lifepowerblogca

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-paine/breast-cancer_b_1082165.html

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Mark W. Schleisner: Shocked, Shocked(!) About Penn State

It's amazing how often life parodies the French policeman in the film Casablanca being shocked, shocked(!) that gambling was going on at Rick's cafe. The latest parody, now playing out at Penn State, is especially noteworthy.

Everyone is, well, shocked that a former coach was molesting young boys under the protection of Penn State's legendary football department. But you know what's really shocking? The scandal was going on for the better part of two decades and nobody broke open the story until this year.

I mean, c'mon. Even top-secret documents appeared on WikiLeaks faster than that. Even mafia wiseguys have broken their omerta silence in less time.

And Penn State is no secret government agency or mafia. It's a public university with a police force, tens of thousands of students, and media from all over the USA reporting on the activities of its lionized football department.

Think about it. Of all the students, personnel and news reporters professing shock that pedophilia was going on, are we supposed to believe that:

-- Not one person who saw or heard something went to a law authority figure?

-- Not one of the traditional media outlets usually combing the Penn State campus for sports-related tidbits of news got suspicious enough to have even an intern look into it?

-- Not one blogger, tweeter or Facebook writer would post even a rumor about it?

You can tell me until the cows come home that Penn State's football department was so sacred and intimidating that people were too scared to talk. I don't think so.

No one to my knowledge was threatened with excommunication, prison in Guantanamo or being tied in a sack and thrown in a Pennsylvania lake to swim with the fishes. Even if they were, no one thought even to call 911 or quietly slide a note under some newspaper's door.

We are a society that obsesses over Lindsey Lohan going panty-less or Kim Kardashian making a sex tape, but seems to be hesitant to shine a light on something as seedy as a pedophile hiding amongst its football coaching staff. I'm not surprised that Saint Joe Paterno and his ilk chose to ignore or conceal the problem. In their cloistered minds, there was too much of a legacy at stake to worry about some victimized boys getting justice.

But I am shocked, shocked(!) that nobody else worried about those boys either. Somewhere out in our nation standing for truth and justice, during the better part of two decades, there were students, authority figures and media people who had seen or heard something about this scandal and did nothing.

You know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-w-schleisner/shocked-shocked-about-pen_b_1091076.html

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David Nelson, Bills Wideout, Scores Touchdown; Hugs Cowboys Cheerleader/Girlfriend

David Nelson, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, caught a touchdown pass in today's showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. It cut his team's deficit to 14 points.

How did Nelson celebrate? By running back down the field and handing the ball to his girlfriend. Sweet, right? Except for this: Kelsi Reich is a cheerleader for the Cowboys! She looked both pleased and embarrassed by the gesture, perhaps wondering what owner Jerry Jones thought of her interaction with the day's enemy.

Watch it unfold below and decide: In or out of bounds?

David Nelson Hands Girlfriend Game Ball

What do you think of Nelson's act?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/david-nelson-bills-wideout-scores-touchdown-hugs-cowboys-cheerle/

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Syrians protest Arab vote; embassies attacked

Pro-Syrian regime protesters, carry a giant Syrian flag during a demonstration against the Arab League decision to suspend Syria, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising. Saturday's Arab League decision was a sharp rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism, but it was unlikely to immediately end a wave of violence that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters, carry a giant Syrian flag during a demonstration against the Arab League decision to suspend Syria, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising. Saturday's Arab League decision was a sharp rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism, but it was unlikely to immediately end a wave of violence that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters, carry a giant Syrian flag during a demonstration against the Arab League decision to suspend Syria, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising. Saturday's Arab League decision was a sharp rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism, but it was unlikely to immediately end a wave of violence that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters, hold up portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and for his father Hafez Assad, right, during a demonstration against the Arab League decision to suspend Syria in front the Syrian embassy, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising. Saturday's Arab League decision was a sharp rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism, but it was unlikely to immediately end a wave of violence that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March. The Arabic words in the left portrait read: "Congrats for Syria on its great leader". (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters hang the Syrian flag on the fence of the Qatari embassy, in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday Nov. 12, 2011. The Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria in four days and warned the regime could face sanctions if it does not end its bloody crackdown against anti-government protesters. The decision was a symbolic blow to a nation that prides itself on being a powerhouse of Arab nationalism. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters, shout slogans and hold portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a demonstration against the Arab League decision to suspend Syria, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising. Saturday's Arab League decision was a sharp rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism, but it was unlikely to immediately end a wave of violence that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Tens of thousands of Syrian government supporters poured into the streets Sunday to protest an Arab League vote to suspend the country's membership, as Turkey sent planes to evacuate diplomatic staff and their families after a night of attacks on embassies.

Facing growing isolation, the Syrian government called for an urgent Arab summit to discuss the country's spiraling political unrest and invited Arab League officials to visit before its membership suspension was to take effect on Wednesday.

In a significant concession, the government said the Arab officials could bring any civilian or military observers they deem appropriate to oversee implementation of an Arab League plan for ending the bloodshed.

The 22-member bloc's vote on Saturday was a stinging rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism and left Syria increasingly isolated over its crackdown on an eight-month uprising that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people since mid-March.

The violence continued Sunday, with activists reporting at least 11 people killed in shootings by security forces in several parts of the country.

The Local Coordination Committees activist network said at least four of the deaths occurred in the central city of Hama when security forces fired on a group of opposition protesters who infiltrated a pro-government rally in the area.

Sunday's protests in support of the government drew large numbers in the capital and four other cities ? a turnout helped by the closure of businesses and schools.

"You Arab leaders are the tails of Obama," read one banner held by protesters accusing the Arab League of bowing to pressure from the U.S. president.

Thousands of people carried red, black and white Syrian flags and posters of President Bashar Assad in a Damascus square. Similar demonstrations were held in the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, Tartous and Hasakeh.

The Syrian leader asserts that extremists pushing a foreign agenda to destabilize Syria are behind the country's unrest, rather than true reform seekers aiming to open the country's autocratic political system. Sunday's demonstrators accused Arab countries of being complicit with the purported conspiracy.

The government called the Arab League decision "illegal," claiming it was intended to set the stage for foreign military intervention like in Libya.

However, the offer to allow a visit by an Arab League ministerial committee and accompanying monitors appeared to signal some will to try to implement an Arab League-brokered deal for ending the violence that the government has so far seemed unwilling or unable to do. The Nov. 2 deal calls for Syria to halt attacks on protesters, pull tanks out of cities and hold talks with the opposition.

There was no immediate reaction from Arab League officials on the Syrian invitation. Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby, on a visit to Libya, demanded immediate implementation of the Arab peace initiative.

Youssef Ahmed, Syria's ambassador to the Arab League, said the official request for an emergency meeting was on its way to the organization and that Syria was awaiting a response.

Iraq's representative with the Arab League has offered Baghdad as a location for the meeting if it is approved.

Members of the Syrian opposition rejoiced and saw the Arab vote to suspend Syria as a step toward greater recognition for their movement.

"This gives strong legitimacy to our cause. ... We consider this decision to be a victory for the Syrian revolution," Bassma Kodmani, a spokeswoman for the Syrian National Council opposition group, told The Associated Press.

Hours after the Arab League vote, pro-regime demonstrators in Syria assaulted the diplomatic offices of countries critical of the Syrian government, including break-ins at the Saudi and Qatari embassies and attacks at Turkish diplomatic posts across the country.

The overnight embassy attacks are likely to stoke anger in Arab states against the regime in Damascus. Arab disapproval in itself may not seriously damage President Assad's hold on power, but if Syria further antagonizes Gulf states, it risks having them build up the Syrian opposition into a unified body that can win international recognition, as happened during Libya's civil war this year.

Syrian security forces had confronted Saturday night's protesters at embassies with batons and tear gas but were unable to stop a group from breaking into the Qatari embassy and bringing down the Qatari flag and replacing it with the Syrian flag. Others entered Saudi Arabia's embassy compound, broke windows and ransacked some areas, the kingdom's media reported.

The kingdom strongly condemned the attack in a Foreign Ministry statement and said it held the Syrian authorities responsible for protecting its interests.

Saudi King Abdullah, who has condemned Assad's crackdown, had already recalled the Saudi ambassador to Syria in August. Kuwait and Bahrain have also recalled their ambassadors.

Protesters also tried to break into the Turkish Embassy in Damascus Saturday and into the country's consulates in the cities of Aleppo and Latakia, Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Turkey is not a member of the Arab League but has also been sharply critical of Syria's crackdown, and Turkey's foreign minister welcomed the League vote.

Turkey on Sunday sent a plane to Damascus to evacuate the families of its diplomats as well as nonessential staff, Anatolia reported. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said Turkey summoned Syria's charge d'affaires who was given a formal protest note demanding protection for its diplomatic missions.

France also said it had summoned Syria's ambassador to "remind" him of Syria's international obligations, after demonstrators tried to attack an honorary French consulate in Latakia and another French office in Aleppo.

On Sunday, hundreds of baton-carrying Syrian riot police in helmets ringed the U.S., Qatari, Saudi and Turkish embassies ? all located in the capital's upscale Abu Rummaneh district. Three fire trucks were parked in front of the Turkish Embassy. The Turkish and Qatari embassies were closed for the day but the Saudi Embassy was operating, an operator said.

___

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Greg Keller from Paris, France, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-13-ML-Syria/id-0e6a5698811a4801b44931f30dc1c1e6

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