Saturday, June 30, 2012

How an ancestral fungus may have influenced coal formation

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2012) ? For want of a nail, the nursery rhyme goes, a kingdom was lost. A similar, seemingly innocuous change -- the evolution of a lineage of mushrooms -- may have had a massive impact on the carbon cycle, bringing an end to the 60-million year period during which coal deposits were formed.

Coal generated nearly half of the roughly four trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in the United States in 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This fuel is actually the fossilized remains of plants that lived from around 360 to 300 million years ago. An international team of scientists, including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), has proposed a new factor that may have contributed to the end of the Carboniferous period -- named after the large stores of what became coal deposits.

The evidence, presented online in the June 29 edition of the journal Science, suggests that the evolution of fungi capable of breaking down the polymer lignin, which helps keep plant cell walls rigid, may have played a key role in ending the development of coal deposits. With the arrival of the new fungi, dead plant matter could be completely broken down into its basic chemical components. Instead of accumulating as peat, which eventually was transformed into coal, the great bulk of plant biomass decayed and was released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

"We're hoping this will get into the biology and geology textbooks," said Clark University biologist David Hibbett, senior author of the comprehensive study comparing the complete genomes of dozens of species of fungi, most of which were sequenced at the DOE JGI. "When you read about coal formation it's usually explained in terms of physical processes, and that the rate of coal deposition just crashed at the end of the Permo-Carboniferous. Why was that? There are various explanations. The evolution of white rot fungi could've been a factor -- perhaps a major factor. Once you have white rot you can break down lignin, the major precursor of coal. So the evolution of white rot is a very important event in the evolution of carbon cycle."

"The concept of the invention of an enzyme that can break down the 'unbreakable' is really great," said Kenneth Nealson, Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. "The idea that a stable (inedible) form of organic carbon can become edible (and thus more difficult to bury over time), changes our perspective not only on global energy storage in the past, but on what it means for present day carbon sequestration and storage, in that sense this idea will have a big impact on our thinking about the past and the present."

For their study, Hibbett and his colleagues focused on Basidiomycetes, which include mushroom species with the familiar cap-and-stem look that most people associate with fungi. Basidiomycetes also include brown rot fungi such as the dry rot that can destroy houses by breaking down the cellulose in the construction wood but leave the lignin untouched and white rot fungi of interest to the pulp and paper industries that can break down both types of polymers. Of the 31 brown rot and white rot fungal genomes that were compared for the study, 26 were sequenced at the DOE JGI, including a dozen that were done specifically for the study to flesh out representation of the fungal orders.

Igor Grigoriev, head of the DOE JGI Fungal Genomics Program noted that the comparative fungal genomics study underscores the abiding interest in support to DOE mission, to harness fungal enzymes for converting biopolymers such as cellulose into simple sugars to optimize biofuels production. In this pursuit, Grigoriev and his colleagues continue to contribute to growing list of firsts. "The first fungus ever sequenced at the DOE JGI was also the first genome of a white rot fungus," he said. "A few years later, we sequenced the first brown rot fungus. Less than a decade after that first fungal genome, we're presenting the first large-scale comparison of wood-decaying fungi."

With multiple fungal genomes on hand, the team compared DNA sequences, searching for gene families that encoded enzymes involved in wood decay. They focused particularly on enzymes called class II fungal peroxidases that turned out to be present in the lineages of white rot fungi but not in brown rot fungi, suggesting they played a role in breaking down the lignin in plants.

The researchers then used molecular clock analyses to track the evolution of the enzymes back through the fungal lineages. The idea is that just as the hands of a clock move at a defined rate around the dial, genes accumulate mutations at a roughly constant rate. This rate of change allows researchers to work backwards, estimating when two lineages last shared a common ancestor based on the amount of divergence.

The comparative analyses suggested that around 290 million years ago, right at the end of the Carboniferous period, a white rot fungal ancestor with the capacity to break down lignin appeared. Prior to that ancestor, fungi did not have that ability and thus the lignin in plant matter was not degraded, allowing these lignin-rich residues to build up in soil over time. Because molecular clock analyses have substantial error, fungal "fossils" are needed for calibration. For this study, the molecular clock analyses were calibrated against three fungal fossils. Hibbett said that more fossils would help improve the age estimate. "Unfortunately," he added, "fungal fossils are rare and easily overlooked." He said that his group is interested in trying to reconstruct that ancestral white rot fungal genome. "We're motivated to understand when this metabolic pathway responsible for lignin degradation came into existence. That's why we needed to have that many fungal genomes in this study. Up until fairly recently, it was so much work to just get one genome at a time. Now we have comparative fungal genomics projects as we're transitioning to a cool time with hundreds of fungal genomes."

Joseph Spatafora, a professor at Oregon State University and co-author on the study, agrees with Hibbett's assessment that the group's findings could alter biology and geology texts. "When you look at this particular phenomenon of the decrease of coal deposition, by far the majority of explanations have been abiotic and that doesn't seem like that should be the entire story," he said.

Grigoriev said that this paper is the first product of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Fungi, the DOE JGI umbrella project that focuses fungal genome sequencing efforts on DOE-relevant missions in energy and the environment. "This paper is the first chapter in the Encyclopedia," he said, "The data generated has produced the most comprehensive catalog of lignocellulolytic enzymes yet, which is of interest to industry. We've now got the blueprint of all genes across very diverse phylogenies, and we'll get more. This is a huge step forward. The next milestone is the 1000 Fungal Genomes project to complete the entire diversity in Basidiomycetes."

As the head of the 1000 Fungal Genomes project, a part of the DOE JGI's Community Sequencing Program portfolio, Spatafora said that despite the goal of facilitating the sequencing of a thousand fungal genomes, two from each of 500 families, over five years, fungal genomics still has a long way to go. "There's an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi," he said. "We have names for about 100,000 species, and we're looking at 1,000 fungi in this project. This is still the tip of the iceberg in looking at fungal diversity and we're trying to learn even more to gain a better idea of fungal metabolism and the potential to harness fungi for a number of applications, including bioenergy. It's a really exciting time in fungal biology, and part of that is due to the technology today that allows us to address the really longstanding questions."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Joint Genome Institute.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. D. Floudas, M. Binder, R. Riley, K. Barry, R. A. Blanchette, B. Henrissat, A. T. Martinez, R. Otillar, J. W. Spatafora, J. S. Yadav, A. Aerts, I. Benoit, A. Boyd, A. Carlson, A. Copeland, P. M. Coutinho, R. P. de Vries, P. Ferreira, K. Findley, B. Foster, J. Gaskell, D. Glotzer, P. Gorecki, J. Heitman, C. Hesse, C. Hori, K. Igarashi, J. A. Jurgens, N. Kallen, P. Kersten, A. Kohler, U. Kues, T. K. A. Kumar, A. Kuo, K. LaButti, L. F. Larrondo, E. Lindquist, A. Ling, V. Lombard, S. Lucas, T. Lundell, R. Martin, D. J. McLaughlin, I. Morgenstern, E. Morin, C. Murat, L. G. Nagy, M. Nolan, R. A. Ohm, A. Patyshakuliyeva, A. Rokas, F. J. Ruiz-Duenas, G. Sabat, A. Salamov, M. Samejima, J. Schmutz, J. C. Slot, F. St. John, J. Stenlid, H. Sun, S. Sun, K. Syed, A. Tsang, A. Wiebenga, D. Young, A. Pisabarro, D. C. Eastwood, F. Martin, D. Cullen, I. V. Grigoriev, D. S. Hibbett. The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes. Science, 2012; 336 (6089): 1715 DOI: 10.1126/science.1221748

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Ffc7iLQKCt8/120628181721.htm

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Friday, June 29, 2012

'Miss Holocaust Survivor' crowned in Israel, stirring smiles and controversy

HAIFA, Israel - Fourteen women who survived the horrors of World War II paraded Thursday in an unusual pageant, vying for the honour of being crowned Israel's first "Miss Holocaust Survivor."

Billed by organizers as a celebration of life, the event also stirred controversy. In a country where millions have been touched by the Holocaust, many argued that judging aging women who had suffered so much on physical appearance was inappropriate, and even offensive.

"It sounds totally macabre to me," said Colette Avital, chairwoman of Israel's leading Holocaust survivors' umbrella group. "I am in favour of enriching lives, but a one-time pageant masquerading (survivors) with beautiful clothes is not what is going to make their lives more meaningful."

Pageant organizer Shimon Sabag rejected the criticism, saying the winners were chosen based on their personal stories of survival and rebuilding their lives after the war, and physical beauty was only a tiny part of the competition.

"They feel good together. They are having a good time and laughing in the rehearsals," said Sabag, director of Yad Ezer L'Haver, or Helping Hand, which assists needy Holocaust survivors and organized the pageant.

"The fact that so many wanted to participate proves that it's a good idea."

Nearly 300 women from across Israel registered for the competition and contestants were whittled down to the 14 finalists who appeared Thursday.

The contest, part of Helping Hand's annual "cultural" night, included a lavish dinner and music at a Haifa reception hall. Some 600 people attended, including two Cabinet ministers, Moshe Kahlon and Yossi Peled, himself a Holocaust survivor.

The women, ranging in age from 74 to 97, clearly enjoyed themselves. Wearing black dresses, earrings and necklaces, and sporting blue-and-white numbered sashes, they grinned and waved as they were introduced to the adoring audience. Music played as the contestants walked along a red carpet, introduced themselves and described their memories of World War II.

"I have the privilege to show the world that Hitler wanted to exterminate us and we are alive. We are also enjoying life. Thank God it's that way," said Esther Libber, a 74-year-old runner-up who fled her home in Poland as a child, hid in a forest and was rescued by a Polish woman. She said she lost her entire immediate family.

A four-judge panel consisting of three former beauty queens and a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in treating Holocaust survivors chose the winner. Hava Hershkovitz, a soon-to-be 79-year-old, was banished from her home in Romania in 1941 and sent to a detention camp in the Soviet Union for three years. Today, she lives in an assisted living home run by Helping Hand.

"This place is full of survivors. It puts us at the centre of attention so people will care. It's not easy at this age to be in a beauty contest, but we're all doing it to show that we're still here," the silver-haired Hershkovitz said.

Wearing a glittering tiara, she was joined by her granddaughter, Keren Hazan. "I'm very proud of her because she's the most beautiful woman in the room tonight," Hazan said.

In addition to the contestants' accounts of surviving Nazi ghettos and concentration camps, their later contributions to their communities were also considered, Sabag said. Physical appearance was maybe "10 per cent" of the criteria, he said, though a cosmetics company was recruited to help the women dress up for the occasion.

"We always tell them to dress well and look good. To think positive and to take care of themselves," Sabag said. "Always look at life with a smile and continue to live."

The thought that physical appearance could even remotely be a factor rubbed some the wrong way. Avital, of the Holocaust survivors' umbrella group, criticized the cosmetics company, saying it was using Holocaust survivors in a cheap marketing stunt to promote their products.

"Why use a beauty contest to show that these people survived and that they're brave?" wondered Lili Haber, a daughter of Holocaust survivors who heads an Israeli organization that assists survivors from Poland. "I think it's awful. I think it's something a decent person shouldn't even think about."

The Holocaust, in which Nazi Germany oversaw the systematic slaughter of 6 million European Jews, plays a unique role in Israeli society. The country gained independence in the wake of the Holocaust, serving as a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people who survived the genocide.

Nearly 200,000 aging survivors live in Israel today, and the country's annual Holocaust Day is one of the most solemn occasions on the calendar. Restaurants and cinemas close, and the country comes to a standstill as sirens wail for two minutes. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, frequently make references to the Holocaust when discussing the threat they believe a nuclear-armed Iran would pose to the Jewish state.

Thursday's contest was among the many unconventional beauty pageants that have sprouted up over the years. The war-torn countries of Angola and Cambodia have held "Miss Landmine" contests for survivors of land mine explosions, Star Trek fans enjoy the "Miss Klingon Empire" contest in Atlanta, and plus-sized women in Thailand compete for the honour of "Miss Jumbo Queen." There are also a senior citizens' pageants in the U.S.

Gal Mor, editor of the popular Israeli blog "Holes in the Net," said Thursday's pageant was well-intentioned but misguided.

"Why should a decayed, competitive institution that emphasizes women's appearance be used as inspiration, instead of allowing them to tell their story without gimmicks?" he wrote. "This is one step short of 'Survivor-Holocaust' or 'Big Brother Auschwitz.' It leaves a bad taste. Holocaust survivors should be above all this."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/miss-holocaust-survivor-crowned-israel-stirring-smiles-controversy-222008358.html

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Don't hate Maroon 5 for being 'Overexposed'

A&M

By Tony Sclafani, TODAY.com contributor

Every generation has its artists that breed resentment simply because they?re a bit too successful. Hall & Oates. Madonna. Lionel Richie. Over time, people get tired of hearing these artists because their music is ubiquitous, so a backlash develops. Even the Beatles experienced this to some degree in the years immediately following their breakup, with critic Lester Bangs questioning whether their music stood the test of time in a now-infamous essay called ?Dandelions in Still Air: The Withering Away of the Beatles.?

Maroon 5, who perform on the TODAY show Friday, June 29, are today?s edition of these artists. For almost a decade, they?ve churned out hit song after hit song. How many of them are there? Too many to list, but a sample includes ?This Love,? ?She Will Be Loved,? ?Sunday Morning,? ?Makes Me Wonder,? ?Harder to Breathe? and of course, last year?s ?Moves Like Jagger.?

All of these songs ? and more ??not only got tons of radio play, but became the kind of musical staples you couldn?t escape, whether it was hearing them in the supermarket or at weddings. So the news of Maroon 5 returning with a new album almost comes as an anticlimax since their songs have never really gone away.

The band clearly knows how they?re now perceived, which is why they?ve titled their new album ?Overexposed,? a reference to their omnipresence on the pop scene. The album has already spawned a hit single with yet another earworm, the track ?Payphone.? Yet reviews of the album have been mixed, with Entertainment Weekly saying Maroon 5 ?barely sound like a band? or the Washington Post calling it ?shiny and ridiculously pleasurable, which is different than saying it?s good.?

The TODAY team reveals the 2012 TODAY summer concert series lineup, which will include Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Usher, and more.

But calling out Maroon 5 on the details of their presentation or sound is missing the point. What makes the band stand out is their ability to consistently churn out first-rate pop hits. Those hits aren?t the type of semi-novelty songs that explode and disappear either, but the type of songs that become pop standards of sorts. This isn?t easy to do. If it were, then every artist would do it.

Similar criticism has been directed over the years to artists ranging from Neil Diamond to Paul McCartney to Madonna to New Kids on the Block. Their albums weren?t challenging enough. Their music was ?well crafted? but somehow substandard or formulaic. Time proved the critics wrong in such cases and time is also likely to blunt much of the criticism directed at Maroon 5.

What is the band doing right? Maroon 5, for their part, are bringing a sense of melody back to the pop charts, which have been dominated by rap and dance music for the past few years. Had the band failed commercially at this, it?s very likely their haters would be complaining that the public was too blind to recognize the band's subtle blend of pop smarts and neo-soul grooves. Since Maroon 5 is so popular, it?s easy to take what they do for granted.

But don?t be surprised if history is kind to the band, like it?s been to Hall & Oates, who were the butt of jokes in their day but are respected now. Or Lionel Richie, who just released an album to the type of critical excitement he never quite received in the 1980s.

Mediocre artists might get to release albums over the course of a decade, but they don?t chalk up hit after hit after hit. But that?s what Maroon 5 has done. If they?re overexposed it?s because of their hit-making ability, not publicity stunts. It?s because year after year they somehow manage to come up with songs people really love. And that?s the whole point, isn?t it.

Which Maroon 5 earworm is your favorite? Move (like Jagger) over to our Facebook page and let us know.

Tony Sclafani is an arts and culture writer whose first book is due out next year. His writing can be seen at www.tonysclafani.com.

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Syria violence escalates as US seeks turning point

BEIRUT (AP) ? Gunmen attacked a pro-government TV station Wednesday near the Syrian capital, killing seven employees in the latest barrage of violence as world powers prepared for a high-level meeting that the U.S. hopes will be a turning point in the crisis.

Invitations to Saturday's gathering in Geneva were sent by special envoy Kofi Annan to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council ? including Syrian allies Russia and China ? but not to major regional players Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The absence of those two countries, as well as the lack of any appetite for international military intervention, could make it difficult for the group to find the leverage to end the bloodshed in Syria. An effort by Annan to broker a peace plan failed earlier this year.

Diplomatic hopes have rested on Russia ? Syria's most important ally and protector ? agreeing on a transition plan that would end the Assad family dynasty, which has ruled Syria for more than four decades. But Moscow has rejected efforts by outside forces to end the conflict or any plan to force regime change in Damascus.

The United Nations said Wednesday that the conflict, which began in March 2011 as part of the Arab Spring that swept aside entrenched leaders across the region, is descending into sectarian warfare.

President Bashar Assad has so far appeared largely impervious to world pressure and he has warned the international community from meddling in the crisis, which has seen a sharp escalation in violence in recent months. He said this week that his country is in "a genuine state of war," an increasingly common refrain from the Syrian leader.

Assad denies there is any popular will behind the uprising, which is in its 16th month, saying terrorists are driving a foreign conspiracy to destroy the country. Activists say more than 14,000 people have been killed in the violence.

An Associated Press photographer said the attack on the Al-Ikhbariya TV station in the town of Drousha, about 20 kilometers (14 miles) south of the capital Damascus, left bloodstains on the ground and bullet holes in the walls. The attack heavily damaged five portable buildings used for offices and studios.

Al-Ikhbariya is privately owned but strongly supports the regime.

"What happened today is a massacre," Information Minister Omran al-Zoebi told reporters. He blamed terrorists ? the same term the government uses for rebels.

The rebels deny they target the media. Activists blamed the attack on elite Syrian troops who defected from the regime Tuesday. The allegation could not be independently confirmed.

Several other staff members of the TV station were wounded in the attack, which happened just before 4 a.m., an employee said. He added that the gunmen kidnapped him along with several station guards. He was released but the guards were not.

The employee, who did not give his name for fear of retribution, said the gunmen drove him about 200 meters (yards) away and he then heard an explosion from the station.

"I was terrified when they blindfolded me and took me away," the man said by telephone.

Hours after the attack, the station was still on the air, broadcasting news of a rally in a Damascus square by people protesting the raid.

Earlier this month, two Al-Ikhbariya employees were shot and seriously wounded by gunmen in the northwestern town of Haffa while covering clashes between government troops and insurgents.

Much of the violence that has gripped Syria in the uprising has been sanctioned by the government to crush dissent. But rebel fighters are launching increasingly deadly attacks on regime targets, and several massive suicide attacks this year suggest al-Qaida or other extremists are joining the fray.

On Wednesday, the U.N. gave a grim assessment of the crisis, saying the violence has worsened since April, when the cease-fire brokered by Annan was supposed to go into effect. There also were signs the bloodshed is descending into sectarian warfare.

"Where previously victims were targeted on the basis of their being pro- or anti-government, the Commission of Inquiry has recorded a growing number of incidents where victims appear to have been targeted because of their religious affiliation," a panel of U.N.-appointed human rights experts said in a report released in Geneva.

Sectarian warfare is one of the most dire scenarios in Syria, which for decades managed to ward off the kind of bloodshed that has long bedeviled Iraq and Lebanon.

Sunnis make up most of Syria's 22 million people, as well as the backbone of the opposition. But the Assads and the ruling elite belong to the tiny Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, which has bred deep resentments.

Several notorious attacks during the uprising appeared to have sectarian overtones ? including the Houla massacre in May, when more than 100 people were killed in a collection of villages in central Syria.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, who heads a U.N. panel conducting an international investigation of allegations of human rights abuses in Syria, called the country a "crime scene."

He said the probe into the Houla massacre concluded that forces loyal to the regime "may have been responsible" for many of the deaths. Investigators have said pro-regime, Alawite gunmen known as shabiha were believed to be responsible for at least some of the killings.

Houla leans toward the opposition, and most of the victims were women and children who were slain in their homes, the report said.

"The manner in which these killings took place resembles those previously and repeatedly documented to have been committed by the government," Pinheiro told the U.N.'s top human rights body in Geneva.

A final position on who was responsible for the massacre would require more work, Pinheiro said. But he said interviews conducted by the commission "indicated that government forces and shabiha have committed acts of sexual violence against men, women and children."

The U.N.'s deputy envoy for Syria, Jean-Marie Guehenno, told the Human Rights Council that the violence has "reached or even surpassed" levels seen before the April 12 cease-fire.

Fayssal al-Hamwi, the Syrian ambassador in Geneva, said the allegations against the government are "quite fantastic." Calling the council meeting blatantly political, he said he no longer wished to participate and strode out in protest.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she has "great hope" that the Geneva meeting can be a turning point in the crisis.

Annan "has developed his own very concrete road map for political transition" from the Assad regime, Clinton said. "We believe it embodies the principles needed for any political transition in Syria that could lead to a peaceful, democratic and representative outcome reflecting the will of the Syrian people."

Annan, who represents the U.N. and the Arab League, said he sent invitations to Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States ? plus Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, and the European Union.

The absence of Iran and Saudi Arabia is significant because they support opposing sides of the conflict. Iran is one of the regime's top allies, and Saudi Arabia backs Syria's opposition. Annan gave no reason for not including the countries, although the U.S. has been adamantly opposed to Iran taking part.

Iran's U.N. ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, said the way to resolve the Syrian crisis is "cooperation among everybody, especially the major players in the region, based on a fair approach on the issue."

Russia, which along with China has twice protected Assad's regime from U.N. sanctions and continued to provide it with weapons, has argued that the West should raise pressure on the Syrian opposition to sit down for talks with the government. Moscow has argued that the Syrians themselves must determine the country's future and warned that it would firmly oppose any document urging Assad to step down.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said the Geneva meeting "should be aimed at mobilizing resources that foreign players have to create conditions needed to start an all-Syrian political process, not to predetermine its direction." He warned against using the conference to "justify any future unilateral actions."

The meeting comes also at a time of regional tensions. Syria shot down a Turkish military plane last week, saying it violated Syrian airspace.

Turkey denies that, but both sides have appeared keen to avoid escalating the matter. On Wednesday, al-Zoebi, the Syrian information minister, told Turkish TV that Syrian forces may have mistaken the plane for an Israeli aircraft. Syria and Israel are enemies.

___

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, John Heilprin and Frank Jordans in Geneva, Matthew Lee in Helsinki, Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Stock market cuts its losses with late comeback

Specialist Gregg Maloney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, June 25, 2012. U.S. stocks are sliding at the opening of trading, following global markets lower after Spain requested help for its struggling banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Gregg Maloney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, June 25, 2012. U.S. stocks are sliding at the opening of trading, following global markets lower after Spain requested help for its struggling banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? When the stock market began tumbling Thursday, many people assumed the selloff had something to do with the Supreme Court ruling to uphold President Barack Obama's health care law. But for a lot of investors, it was the same old concerns about Europe, along with a few new worries.

The market fell sharply in early trading, before the high court's announcement, as investors questioned whether a European Union meeting in Brussels would yield the same results as many meetings before it ? vague pledges, rather than concrete plans for what to do with struggling countries like Greece and Spain.

Bank stocks also declined, in part because of a report that a trading loss at JPMorgan Chase first estimated at $2 billion could be as much as $9 billion.

U.S. stocks still closed lower for the day, but they bounced back in the last half-hour of trading. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down nearly 25 points, after falling as much as 177.

There were varying explanations for the late comeback, but most seemed to focus on Europe, including rumors that the European Central Bank would cut interest rates and that EU leaders might actually emerge from this week's meetings with a plan. Late Thursday, a top EU official said leaders had agreed to devote $149 billion to "immediate growth measures."

Nicholas Colas, ConvergEx Group chief market strategist, said blaming the health care ruling for the market's losses was "a convenient excuse."

"No doubt that the court's decision was disappointing," he said, "but I really think the indecisiveness of European policy makers at the nth summit on the same topic is the cause of the decline."

Other traders had similarly low expectations.

"The first one thousand summits, I was pretty excited," deadpanned Jeff Sica, president and chief investment officer of SICA Wealth Management in Morristown, N.J.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was down about 100 points around 10 a.m., just before the Supreme Court ruled. Then it fell more steeply but recovered most of those losses, ending down 24.75 points at 12,602.26.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 2.81 points to end at 1,329.04 and the Nasdaq composite fell 25.83 points to 2,849.49. Both indexes bounced back from bigger losses.

There was disappointment to be found in almost all corners of the market. The Commerce Department said the American economy expanded at a 1.9 percent annual rate in the first quarter, a weak pace that isn't expected to pick up. Family Dollar fell after reporting that it missed analysts' profit estimates.

David Lefkowitz, senior equity strategist at UBS wealth management research in New York, was immune to the media frenzy around the Supreme Court ruling. He watched for news out of Europe because, he said, "There's not much else going on." Health insurance companies make up only about 1 percent of the Standard & Poor's 500, he said.

Some critics of the new health care law say it will hurt small businesses by requiring more of them to provide insurance for employees.

Piling that extra cost on businesses is "not a way to get people off the fence to hire people," said Rick Fier, vice president of stock trading at Conifer Securities in New York.

Lefkowitz disagreed. The Supreme Court was never considering whether to strike down the provision affecting employers, but only the mandate requiring individuals to buy insurance. So businesses should have already been expecting to take on the extra costs, he said. (However, if the Supreme Court had rejected the individual mandate, that could have eventually led to getting rid of the employer mandate as well.)

Paul Zemsky, head of asset allocation at ING Investment Management in New York, thought the Supreme Court ruling was affecting the market, but indirectly. The ruling, he said, crystallizes the federal government's polarization ahead of the election.

Republicans, who will feel ripped off, and Democrats, who will feel vindicated, are now less likely to agree on how to solve looming complications like tax increases and spending cuts that are supposed to take effect in January. "This doesn't make me feel like the spirit of compromise will be in the air," Zemsky said.

Though health care stocks fell overall, the companies had disparate reactions to the ruling. Insurers WellPoint and Aetna fell. Hospitals such as HCA Holdings and Community Health Systems rose.

When all of the new health care requirements kick in, insurers will have more customers, but they'll also be subject to more taxes and regulations. They'll also have to take on less-profitable customers, such as patients who are already sick.

But hospital emergency rooms, which have to treat patients regardless of whether they're insured, are more likely to get paid if almost everyone they treat has insurance. Having insurance will also spur more people who might have otherwise put it off to seek medical treatment.

"Insured people have more purchasing power, and they'll buy whatever you make, whether you're a supplier of drugs or devices," said Gerard Wedig, a health care economist at the University of Rochester.

U.S.-listed shares of Barclays, the British bank, plunged 12 percent. A day earlier, the bank had agreed to settle charges with U.S. and U.K. regulators who accused it of manipulating key international interest rates.

New York-based bank JPMorgan Chase fell 2.5 percent, more than any other company in the Dow index, after the New York Times reported that a trading loss there first estimated at $2 billion could eventually reach $9 billion.

Associated Press

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Big US cities boom as young adults shun suburbs (Providence Journal)

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Securing Your Home and Your Family | ej-fransen.com

Keeping your home secure is essential to your wellbeing; the wellbeing of your family and it will keep your insurance company very happy. Sadly break ins, vandalism and accidents do occur from time to time, so ensuring your home is secure at all times can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Alarm Systems

One of the best security features for any home is an alarm system; these systems have sensors which are strategically placed around the home in access areas, capturing movement. The sensors are also placed on doors and windows that open, should one of these open while the alarm is set, it will go off alerting neighbours that there is a problem.

Most alarm systems these days can be linked to a security company. You pay the company a monthly fee and often they arrive before the police when the alarm is sounded, they check the property to ensure all is ok and advise you accordingly. This is handy if you are away on holiday or at work and have a distance to drive before getting home.

CCTV Cameras

CCTV cameras have grown in popularity as a security feature for homes. These cameras are placed around the outside of the home capturing video throughout the day and night; they can be useful in the event of a break in, helping the police identify the thieves.

CCTV cameras can also offer security when husbands work away regularly or late into the night, leaving the family alone at home. When the doorbell rings, the wife can check the cameras to see who is knocking before answering the door, just adding that little bit extra security to give you peace of mind.

Panic Buttons

Most alarm systems come with a panic button located on the keypad, but is this useful when someone breaks into the home leaving your family stuck upstairs with no way to notify anyone of the robbery in progress.

Of course you have a mobile phone, but when you are at home you don?t carry it everywhere with you, so having a couple of panic buttons around the home can make a huge difference. Often when at home you don?t set the alarm until going to bed, most of the time the alarm is used while you are out.

The panic button can be sounded alerting neighbours but also causing the robbers to run for their lives, definitely a security feature you should have in your home.

Take Control

There are loads of great home security features these days from impenetrable locks to security glass, burglar bars to security gates, though you don?t want your beautiful home looking like a prison. Take control of your security before anything happens to save yourself money in the long run.

A break in can cost a fair amount in excess when forced to claim on your insurance policy, rather be safe than sorry and take your security into your own hands at all times. This may include advising neighbours when you are going out of town and getting them to keep an eye on the place to ensure nothing happens.

You may also want to place some timer switches onto lamps in the home, getting them to switch on when it gets dark and switch off later in the night so it looks like someone is at home, deterring robbers and keeping your home safe.

Sometimes robberies, vandalism and accidents cannot be avoided, a baseball through a glass pane or an object hitting a glass door can cause the glass to smash, luckily most glass is glazed and doesn?t splinter, but will need to be repaired quickly and effectively to keep the home as secure as possible.

London Glaziers are specialists in glass and glazing and understand the importance of having your glass replaced immediately to avoid a security breach in your home.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A New Chapter For Yahoo Music: A Deal With Spotify, Replacing Rhapsody

yahoo-logoHere's an interesting twist for Yahoo, the beleaguered internet company, and Spotify, the upstart streaming music service that is taking the market by storm: today the two have announced a global deal, in which Yahoo will integrate and promote Spotify's music service on the Yahoo Media network, which reaches 700 million unique users monthly, and Yahoo will create an app for Spotify's platform, a sign of how Yahoo is trying to extend its own network beyond its own properties. It is also a big blow for Rhapsody, which Spotify will now be replacing as Yahoo's music streaming partner. The deal will see Spotify first rolling out to Yahoo Music, and then later it will also start appearing in other verticals within the media network, including Yahoo Movies and omg! That represents a much wider-ranging deal than the one than the Rhapsody streaming deal that Yahoo ha had in place since 2008.

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Eric Christian Olsen Married: 'NCIS: Los Angeles' Star Weds Actress Sarah Wright

People:

Eric Christian Olsen is officially off the market.

Read the whole story at People

Contribute to this Story:

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Duracell 24-Hour Power System


Everything is going wireless these days, and that even includes power cables. Using magnetic inductive charging, the Duracell 24-Hour Power System ($99.99 list) wirelessly delivers juice to compatible devices. This technology isn't new, but the latest iteration brings a more streamlined form factor, for both the base station and wireless case, than we saw in the original Powermat Home & Office?($59.99, 4 stars). If Duracell can deliver on its promise to build out its network of public wireless power stations across the country, and embed the technology directly into more devices, the Powermat system could hold some serious potential. Until then, the 24-hour Power System seems more novel than truly convenient.

Design and Features
Both the original Powermat and the new Duracell-branded Powermat use the same magnetic inductive charging system, which lets you place compatible devices on the mat to begin charging. It's simpler than plugging cords in and out, and it looks much cleaner on your desk. Here, the included Powermat measures 0.38 by 6.25 by 3.75 inches (HWD) and weighs just over 6 ounces. It's more attractive than the last iteration, with a nice brushed aluminum base and a glossy black plastic top. There are two charging spots on top, marked by small and subtle concentric circles, and rubberized rails on the bottom to keep the Powermat in place.

The power adapter plugs into the back of the Powermat, and two LEDs on the bottom light up to indicate charging. There is also a built-in speaker that makes a somewhat obnoxiously loud chirp when charging begins. Unfortunately, Duracell nixed the USB port found on the original Powermat.?

The two included accessories are a slim iPhone 4/4S case and a portable external battery. The iPhone case is made of glossy plastic, with a top that folds back to allow the phone to slip in. A 30-pin dock connecter sits in the bottom of the case, making the iPhone a bit longer when it's inside. There's also a micro USB port on the bottom for traditional charging or syncing with a computer. Other than that, though, it's hard to differentiate between this case and any normal non-Powermat compatible case out there. The fit of the case isn't completely precise, as the top portion has a bit too much wiggle room. It's only a modest improvement over the Powermat Wireless Charging System for iPhone 4??($59.99, 3 stars).

The external battery resembles a small square puck, with a combination of gray and black plastic. It measures 2.75 inches across and 0.69 inches tall, making it somewhat pocket friendly, but you'll probably just want to throw it in your bag in case of emergencies. The battery has a stowaway 30-pin Apple dock connector and micro USB cable built in, with a power button on front and four LED status lights. It features an 1850mAh capacity, which added about 4 hours of 3G talk time to an iPhone 4S in our tests. The battery can also provide a charge to devices while charging itself on the mat, making it something of a universal adapter for devices with micro USB ports and 30-pin Apple ports.

Testing and Conclusions
Setup is fairly straightforward: Simply attach the wireless charging accessory and place the device on the indicated charging spot. The magnetic attraction helps guide the accessories into place, and I found that you can simply toss the battery onto the Powermat and it will usually find its own way?a neat trick for sure. The phone case, however, took a bit more getting used to. The margin for error was far narrower, and the connection was more finicky. The best way to establish a connection was sliding the case onto the mat from one end until you hear a chirp. Every so often I would get a connection, only to see it disconnect from a slight nudge. After some practice, though, lining up the connection became much easier. The Powermat also features what Duracell calls Smart Charging, which stops the flow of power once devices are fully charged. That said, I didn't notice any discernable difference between charging times with a traditional wall adapter and the Powermat system.

The new Powermat is compatible with all existing Powermat products. There are Powermat wireless accessories made for devices like Blackberrys and Nintendo DS's, but you won't find them listed directly on the Duracell website. For now, your only options for expansion are an iPhone 4/4S case ($34.99), additional Powermats for one, two, or three devices ($34.99, $49.99, and $69.99 respectively), and portable backup batteries ($49.99).

Everything works as advertised, and the whole system is pretty cool. But my biggest concern is replacing all your traditional power adapters with Powermats. Most people charge their devices in multiple locations, like at home and at the office, and would need separate Powermats for each location. That isn't exactly cost effective. On the other hand, if Duracell can deliver on its Wireless Nation promise, Powermat has some serious potential for changing the way we charge. The 24-Hour Power System definitely has a futuristic feel to it, and it will certainly tidy up your charging area. But until Duracell starts to embed the capability directly into a multitude of devices, it remains something of a novelty.?

More Gadget Reviews:
??? Duracell 24-Hour Power System
??? Cobra CPI 480 400-Watt Power Inverter
??? Cobra iRadar iRAD-105 (for Android)
??? Nike+ FuelBand
??? Fitbit Ultra
?? more

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Dining in New Orleans ... On the cheap | News | Gambit New ...

You might be broke and fresh out of Groupons but can't face eating scrambled eggs for the fourth night in a row. Or maybe you just want something cheap to snack on while boozing. Either way, there are some bars and restaurants around town that can help you out with free ? or really cheap ? food that isn't just red beans and rice (OK, sometimes it's red beans and rice). Here's how to get your fill without resorting to dumpster diving or getting banned by Whole Foods for grabbing too many samples.

??? The American Sector at The National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St., 528-1940; www.nationalww2museum.org/american-sector) offers its barbecued beef sliders for 75 cents during the restaurant's daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., along with half-price draft beers and other drink specials.

??? Banks Street Bar & Grill (4401 Banks St., 486-0258; www.banksstreetbar.com) has free red beans and rice on Mondays at 7 p.m. Also, most Wednesdays, the blues band Major Bacon plays and brings along free BLTs starting at 10 p.m.

??? Fortify yourself for a night of dancing to Treme Brass Band at Candlelight Lounge (925 N. Robertson St., 525-4748) with free red beans and rice. The Treme destination does sometimes charge a cover of $5 to $10 at the door.

??? Handsome Willy's (218 S. Robertson St., 460-7365; www.handsomewillys.com) showcases seasonal offerings and selections from its catering menu by serving free food on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Past meals have featured crawfish, boiled shrimp, Cuban sandwiches and jerk chicken.

??? On Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the cozy Il Posto Cafe (4607 Dryades St., 895-2620; www.ilpostocafe-nola.com) has a happy hour featuring free appetizers and beer and wine specials. The cafe calls them "light" appetizers, but the spread, which has included snacks like bruschetta and roasted Brussels sprouts, can be pretty filling.

??? The perennial favorite of foodie freeloaders is the Hare Krishna Love Feast at International Society for Krishna Consciousness (2936 Esplanade Ave., 486-3583; www.iskcon-nola.org). The temple serves vegetarian Indian food to the public from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; no Krishna conversion required.

??? Mick's Irish Pub (4801 Bienville St., 482-9113) offers free food four days a week at its neighborhood bar. On Mondays there's red beans and rice, Tuesdays bring hot dogs, Thursdays have ham and cheese and turkey and cheese sandwiches, and Fridays feature a rotating choice of soup.

??? Molly's at the Market (1107 Decatur St., 525-5169; www.mollysatthemarket.net), which serves bar food from its Munch Kitchen, has $1 tacos on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

??? Pal's Lounge (949 N. Rendon St., 488-7257) offers free or cheap food every day of the week. On Mondays, Thursdasy, Saturdays and Sundays, the bar offers free food to people who are drinking: Mondays feature red beans and rice, Thursdays there's pasta, Saturdays are chili dogs and Sundays feature macaroni and cheese. Tacos are two for $2 on Tuesdays, hot wings are five for $1 on Wednesdays and sloppy joes are $1 on Fridays.

??? Rendezvous Tavern (3101 Magazine St., 891-1777) hosts a free buffet of Indian food from Nirvana restaurant on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The food is usually gone by 6 p.m., but during football season ? when the bar is thronged during New Orleans Saints games ? the food runs out faster.

??? Twelve Mile Limit (500 S. Telemachus St., 488-8114; www.facebook.com/twelve.mile.limit), where regular offerings include quality barbecue, macaroni and cheese, mini doberge cakes and craft cocktails, has a free "family meal" on Mondays. Past spreads have included barbecued chicken, pizza, pasta and curry. The meal starts at 7 p.m., and owner Cole Newton says the food usually is gone by 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m.

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Treasure Coast Real Estate | FALCETTA Homes For Sale June, 2012

by starfish on June 25, 2012

Find FALCETTA Homes For Sale and FALCETTA Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Treasure Coast Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful Indian River COUNTY Florida

Paul Kitchen and Starfish Team provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Treasure Coast, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including FALCETTA, school districts and the Treasure Coast Real Estate market in this beautiful Florida town.

Paul Kitchen
Broker-Owner
Starfish Real Estate
3221 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963
(772) 539-8420
(800) 793-7304 toll free
Treasure Coast Real Estate
Treasure Coast Real Estate Blog

Starfish Real Estate

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PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment

You've likely read our review of Sony's Xperia Ion by now, so just consider this a reminder for those who've yet to peruse it. After nearly half a year from being christened at CES, the Ion can officially be purchased today in the US. Agreeing to a two-year commitment and laying out 100 smackers at AT&T -- or just 50 at Sony or Best Buy -- will net you this handset and its curious match-up of dated and up-to-date specs. On the one hand, this Xperia disappointingly runs Android Gingerbread (2.3.7) atop a dual-core 1.5Ghz Snapdragon S3 processor. However, it also packs a 4.6-inch HD Reality display (1280 x 720), 1,900mAh battery, 1GB of RAM, a 12MP (720p video) Exmor R sensor-loaded rear shooter, NFC and PlayStation certification. Hit up your local AT&T, Best Buy or Sony store to see if it feels better in your hand than it did in ours, or shop for it online at the source links below.

[Thanks, Jason & Oliver]

Continue reading PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment

PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

24karatst.com ? New GameOn Video Gaming Console Storage ? Red


New GameOn Video Gaming Console Storage ? Red

The flagship product of the GameOn(tm) line is designed to be an all-in-one video gaming storage system. GameOn(tm) is your answer to decreasing the challenge of ?video game clutter? whether it?s in a bedroom, family room or a crowded Dorm room. The GameOn(tm) storage system vertically supports all of today?s hottest video game consoles and can be used on a table top or easily mounted to the wall to free up space. The GameOn(tm) supports up to 25 pounds when properly wall-mounted. The upper shelf stores games and software while the four side support handles organize up to 4 hand controls and guitar accessories. Sleek ?S? curves on the sides of the unit provide ventilation to the console when games start to really heat up! Available in your choice of black, white, red, blue, yellow or green to look cool in any room. GameOn(tm) is responsibly finished with safety certified paint and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Can be combined with GameOn?s Stash Box Video Game Accessories Storage unit for even more organizational space. Provides out-of-the-way, wall or table top mounted organization of all today?s hottest video gaming consoles and game discs. Side support brackets can be used to hold controllers, instruments, or other gaming accessories. Safely supports up to 50 pounds when wall mounted properly and is available in multiple colors including black, green, red, blue, yellow and white. Vertical configuration and side ?S? holes ensure proper ventilation and minimize the chance of an overheated console.

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Tags: Console, GameOn, Gaming, Storage

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Chief Justice Roberts crucial in Arizona immigration ruling (Los Angeles Times)

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

At least 40 killed in Syria violence: NGO

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Thai 'Red Shirts' stage mass protest in Bangkok

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President & CEO of Ascena Retail David R Jaffe sold 433,600 shares

Ascena Retail Group, Inc, formerly known as The Dress Barn, Inc. Ascena Retail has a market cap of $3 billion; its shares were traded at around $19.01 with a P/E ratio of 14.9 and P/S ratio of 1. Ascena Retail had an annual average earnings growth of 17.8% over the past 10 years.

President & CEO of Ascena Retail (ASNA) David R Jaffe sold 433,600 shares on June 21, 2012 at an average price of $19.56. The total transaction amount is $8,481,216.

Mr Jaffe joined Ascena as Vice President Business Development from 1992 to 1995. He then worked as Senior Vice President from 1995 to 1996, Executive Vice President from 1996 to 2001, and Chief Operating Officer from September 2001 to 2002. Since February 2002, Mr. David R Jaffe served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Ascena Retail Group Inc.

On January 20, 2012, Executive Vice President & CFO Armand Correia sold 60,000 shares of ASNA stock at the average price of 17.71. SVP, General Counsel Gene Wexler sold 6,206 shares of ASNA stock at the average price of 17.64.on January 19, 2012.

2 GuruFocus Gurus, Joel Greenblatt and Ken Fisher, left their positions in ASNA unchanged or slightly adjusted. David Dreman and Robert Olstein have reduced their positions in the Company. David Dreman owns 628,613 shares as of March 31, a decrease of 31.49% of from the previous quarter. As of March 31, 2012, Robert Olstein owns 115,000 shares, a decrease of 40.72% of from the previous quarter.

On May 31, 2012-- Ascena Retail Group, Inc. reported financial results for its fiscal third quarter. The Company reported net income of $49.4 million and revenues of $783.3 million, an eight percent increase from the last year?s third quarter.

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