Grand Theft Auto 3 for iOS just got a nice little update that brings proper widescreen support now for the iPhone 5, iCloud game saves and custom music playlists. For such a major title, it's a little disappointing it's taken so long for it to support the 4-inch display on the iPhone 5, but better late, than never.
iCloud game save support is a pretty big addition, and is a big deal if you want to seamlessly switch between playing on your iPhone and your iPad. We haven't tried it out yet, but if it works as well as we hope it does, GTA 3 is back on the playlist.
Speaking of playlists, the latest update now allows for custom music playlist creation for listening to while your driving around shooting things. Create a playlist in iTunes called "GTA3" and you'll be able to listen to your music as you roam around Liberty City. If you've already downloaded, be sure to tell us how the new features are working out for you. Does the iCloud syncing work as well as it should?
93 percent of homicides of US law enforcement officers result from firearmsPublic release date: 30-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tim Parsons tmparson@jhsph.edu 410-955-7619 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
While occupational homicides continue to decline in the U.S., law enforcement remains one of the deadliest jobs in America. A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The report found documents that 93 percent of homicides of law enforcement officers between 1996 and 2010 were committed with firearms. Among those homicides, 10 percent were committed using the officer's own service weapon. The findings, published May 30 by the journal BMJ Injury Prevention, could help develop new procedures to reduce risk to officers.
"Law enforcement officers across the U.S. are highly trained, yet it remains a dangerous and demanding profession," said study author, David Swedler, a PhD candidate with Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management and the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. "We owe it to our law enforcement professionals to make their jobs as safe as possible. By analyzing the circumstances of these homicides, we can improve training and procedures to reduce risk to officers."
According to the study, 796 officers were murdered on the job between 1996 and 2010, excluding the deaths of the 72 law enforcement officers killed during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Over 90 percent of these homicides of officers were committed using firearms, with short-barreled weapons being used 72 percent of the time. In 43 percent of incidents in which an officer was killed, the officer was working alone. In 58 percent of the incidents, the officer was wearing body armor for protection.
The most common encounter that resulted in homicide of an officer was response to a "disturbance call." In 29 percent of these cases, the assailant was waiting to ambush the officer. Eighteen percent of all response calls resulted in a "secondary ambush" of the officer after the initial encounter had begun. More than half (52 percent) of these "secondary ambush" encounters involved high-powered, long-barrel weapons. The highest rates of law enforcement homicide occurred in states in the southeastern United States. The lowest rates occurred in the New England states.
"This study allowed us to systematically explore the circumstances of these law enforcement officer fatalities, which can help develop targeted policies and practices to keep officers safe in the line of duty," said Keshia M. Pollack, PhD, MPH, author of the study, and associate professor of Health Policy and Management and director of the Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Training Program.
The analysis was based on crime statistics available to the public: the Law
Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) reports from the FBI.
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"Occupational homicide of law enforcement officers in the U.S., 1996-2010" was written by David I. Swedler, Cassandra Kercher, Molly M. Simmons, and Keshia M. Pollack. Funding was by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant #T42OH008428.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
93 percent of homicides of US law enforcement officers result from firearmsPublic release date: 30-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tim Parsons tmparson@jhsph.edu 410-955-7619 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
While occupational homicides continue to decline in the U.S., law enforcement remains one of the deadliest jobs in America. A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The report found documents that 93 percent of homicides of law enforcement officers between 1996 and 2010 were committed with firearms. Among those homicides, 10 percent were committed using the officer's own service weapon. The findings, published May 30 by the journal BMJ Injury Prevention, could help develop new procedures to reduce risk to officers.
"Law enforcement officers across the U.S. are highly trained, yet it remains a dangerous and demanding profession," said study author, David Swedler, a PhD candidate with Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management and the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. "We owe it to our law enforcement professionals to make their jobs as safe as possible. By analyzing the circumstances of these homicides, we can improve training and procedures to reduce risk to officers."
According to the study, 796 officers were murdered on the job between 1996 and 2010, excluding the deaths of the 72 law enforcement officers killed during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Over 90 percent of these homicides of officers were committed using firearms, with short-barreled weapons being used 72 percent of the time. In 43 percent of incidents in which an officer was killed, the officer was working alone. In 58 percent of the incidents, the officer was wearing body armor for protection.
The most common encounter that resulted in homicide of an officer was response to a "disturbance call." In 29 percent of these cases, the assailant was waiting to ambush the officer. Eighteen percent of all response calls resulted in a "secondary ambush" of the officer after the initial encounter had begun. More than half (52 percent) of these "secondary ambush" encounters involved high-powered, long-barrel weapons. The highest rates of law enforcement homicide occurred in states in the southeastern United States. The lowest rates occurred in the New England states.
"This study allowed us to systematically explore the circumstances of these law enforcement officer fatalities, which can help develop targeted policies and practices to keep officers safe in the line of duty," said Keshia M. Pollack, PhD, MPH, author of the study, and associate professor of Health Policy and Management and director of the Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Training Program.
The analysis was based on crime statistics available to the public: the Law
Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) reports from the FBI.
###
"Occupational homicide of law enforcement officers in the U.S., 1996-2010" was written by David I. Swedler, Cassandra Kercher, Molly M. Simmons, and Keshia M. Pollack. Funding was by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant #T42OH008428.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Buying antique furniture can be hard, so when you decide that you are going to buy furniture that is second hand or is an antique there are some steps that you should consider. This is important especially when buying from a dealer or a restorer and not directly from an owner. One thing that people forget when buying second hand or classic furniture is that it is likely that the item has been repaired several times in the past and this should not present you with a problem. Repairs are common and if done correctly they will unnoticeable and will serve to only bring the price down for you. However if a repair looks shoddy stay well away from it as repairs should be done by professionals.
Below are ten essential considerations to be made when buying antique, classic or second hand furniture.
1. locate the item that you like the look of and will be suitable for your house
2. take measurements and think carefully about where in your house it will go
3. find the owner of the shop and have a good chat to them about the item
4. try to establish the classic items history
5. carefully check the item for repair work, remember it does not matter that it has been repaired just how well it has been repaired is key
6. find out more about what you are buying by going away and researching on the internet
7. think about how it is going g to be delivered, no one wants to buy and item then have it trashed in transit
8. think how much you want to pay for it
9. make an offer based on what you want to pay and no what is on the pricing tag
10. the last thing you need to get skilled up on is bargaining as you will have to try to move the owner on price. Don?t be put off trying this because there is always a discount to be had if you are persistent and you are willing to walk away if the price doesn?t get to the right point.
Buying a used item of furniture or a classic item of furniture can be hard but it might bring you some absolutely fantastic pieces. Remember it is more likely to have a hidden past so check the item a few times to make sure it is what it says on the tin!
Want to find out more about restored furniture, then visit Emmanuel T Patterton?s site on how to choose the best classic furniture for your needs.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? The wife of a rogue abortion doctor told a judge Wednesday that her husband deserves his life sentence for killing babies born alive, but complained that she and her children are left to deal with the public scorn.
Pearl Gosnell must spend at least another four months in prison for helping perform illegal, third-trimester abortions at the seedy clinic, including one on a 14-year-old girl who was 31 weeks pregnant. Her husband, Kermit Gosnell, 72, was sentenced this month to life without parole in a case that became a flashpoint in the nation's polarized abortion debate.
"I am the wife of Kermit Gosnell. I'm not happy about that now, and I haven't been for a long time," Pearl Gosnell, 51, said at her sentencing Wednesday, when a judge gave her seven to 23 months in prison, minus nearly three months for time served after her 2011 arrest.
Gosnell lashed out at her husband, saying he refused to take a plea deal that would have spared her prison and saved the family home, and called him cowardly for refusing to speak at his sentencing.
"By choosing to take the cowardly course that he did, my husband has left me to make the apologies," Gosnell told a judge. "My husband is in jail forever, which is where he should be."
A trained cosmetologist, she reaped the financial rewards of her husband's busy abortion and pain clinic, and lied about the $250,000 in cash found stashed in their teen daughter's bedroom, a prosecutor said. She told the FBI it came from rental properties.
"You chose to be his partner in life. And you chose to be his partner in this operation masquerading as a medical facility," Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner said.
Earlier in the day, Lerner freed a former employee who had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and testified against Gosnell, though she admits killing a baby born alive in a toilet. Adrienne Moton had spent 28 months in prison, but Lerner credited her with both remorse and redemption.
"I don't feel I got arrested. I feel I got rescued," the 36-year-old Moton said in emotionally raw remarks to the judge that mirrored a gospel sermon.
Moton, a friend of Gosnell's daughter, had moved in with the Gosnells as a teen amid family problems. She later went to work in the clinic, moving from the front desk to the procedure room, where she and other unlicensed workers monitored heavily sedated patients as they endured labor and cut the necks of babies born alive.
She did that at least 10 times before she quit the $10 an hour job and entered a welfare-to-work program.
"I wasn't thinking about the fetuses or the babies. I was thinking about those women. I was thinking about those stories," Moton said, describing how she wanted to help the female patients, some of whom she saw beaten or coerced outside the West Philadelphia clinic.
Moton had taken a cellphone picture of an aborted baby that was about 30 weeks old that became a key piece of evidence at Gosnell's trial. The photo was shown repeatedly to jurors.
Lerner called Gosnell a manipulator and "charismatic sociopath," while defense lawyer Stephen Patrizio, who represents former worker Lynda Williams, called him "a depraved, parasitic hustler."
Williams was Exhibit A of the way Gosnell preyed on his workers and patients alike, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said Wednesday.
Williams, 44, was raising four children after she saw her husband murdered in nearby Chester. She had long been bipolar, and had left school after sixth grade to raise her siblings. Yet Gosnell put her in charge of anesthesia, leading to the 2009 death of a new immigrant who died after repeated doses of sedatives and painkillers. Gosnell was also convicted of contributing to the woman's death.
Gosnell played Williams from the start, Patrizio said.
"He gave her something nobody in her life has ever done. He gave her a little bit of self-esteem," the lawyer said.
Pescatore asked for at least 10 years for Williams, who pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the deaths of both the patient, 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar of Woodbridge, Va., and a baby that moved after being born. But her sentencing was postponed until federal drug charges can be resolved. They stem from Williams' role at Gosnell's front desk, where she allegedly sold painkiller prescriptions for him to addicts and drug dealers.
The scheduled sentencings of two other co-workers ? 53-year-old Sherry West and 47-year-old Tina Baldwin ? are likewise on hold amid the federal charges. Gosnell is also charged in the federal court case, but plans to plead guilty at a June 6 hearing. Several other co-defendants, including an unlicensed doctor who admits cutting 100 babies for Gosnell, also await sentencing.
Before his capital murder trial got underway in March, Gosnell rejected an offer to serve a life term on both the drug and murder charges. In exchange, his wife would have been spared prison time and avoided the likely forfeiture of their home, where she lives with their 15-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son, who is in college. Gosnell also has four older children from two previous marriages.
"Being the selfish, inconsiderate person that he is ... he decided to go to trial," said defense lawyer Michael Medway, representing Pearl Gosnell. "He left his family essentially hanging out to dry."
What's worse, he said, his client and her children have to live with a name that "will go down in infamy."
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) ? A Walt Disney World patron on a ride with her grandson found a loaded gun on her seat.
Officials said Wednesday that the woman found the pistol on the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom. The woman gave the loaded weapon to a park attendant, who then contacted her manager and authorities.
The owner of the gun, Angelo Lista, told authorities that he discovered his firearm was missing several minutes after leaving the ride. He has a concealed weapons permit.
Lista told authorities he didn't know Disney World patrons weren't allowed to bring guns. He said he thought the security checkpoint at the entrance to the central Florida park was only so guards could check bags for bombs or explosives.
Disney World prohibits patrons from bringing weapons of any kind on its property.
By Toby Davis PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) - With a piercing flat forehand and a serve launched from high in the Parisian sky, Daniel Brands laid out a blueprint for how to upset claycourt king Rafa Nadal in his own backyard. For the best part of two sets on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, Nadal was lost for ideas and looking up into the ether for a drip of inspiration to help him fathom a solution to Brands' hard hitting, heavy-pressure tennis. It was not the first time the seven-times champion had been shaken by a big server with the hammerhead approach shot. ...
Someone is easily distracted today, making them unpredictable and a bit of a loose cannon. You have no way of knowing what they're going to do from one minute to the next, although embarrassing you seems to be high on the list of probabilities. Keep your cool because the more ruffled you are, the more you'll encourage this person to commit further outrages. Besides, is it really so awful?
Offering full wrap-around protection, the FREQUENCY case by Incipio is crafted with shock-absorbing polymer. Designed with a transparent response deco pattern, this music influenced case offers a smooth, unique and protective design for your iPhone 5. Comes in black, pink, purple, teal and gray.
I am currently conducting a broad study of the US oil industry from small- capitalization refiners to large-capitalization integrated-oil companies. The shale revolution has added to the industry a dynamism that it has not had since the 20th century started. The US will become one of the world's biggest gas exporters and an energy powerhouse. Here I present three great exploration and production (E&P) companies. Let's see if any of this companies?should?be a part of your portfolio.
No free lunch: Quality comes with a high price tag
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) is one of the largest independent oil and gas companies engaged in the E&P of natural gas, crude oil, and natural-gas liquids. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) operates mainly in North America, Algeria, Venezuela and Qatar. The company has approximately 2.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent (bboe) of proved reserves and more than 740 million?barrels of oil equivalent (mboed) worth of production.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) is ameliorating its performance steadily. The company's adjusted 1Q 2013 earnings were 16% above consensus, up 18% year-over-year and 19% sequentially. Earnings benefited from?increased production, lower unit costs, and higher realized prices. The company's?continued growth in US?unconventional?resources has been?lifting production steadily and, hence, earnings.
Financially, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) is also performing very well. Its net debt ratio fell to 31%,?from 33% at the end of last year. All of the above being said, the company trades at a relatively expensive level. At 2013 17x P/E and 6x P/CF, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) is a great company trading at a very well-deserved premium to its peer group. I would buy it, if it was cheaper.
Successful asset diversification in progress but a bit too expensive.
Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL)'s? main domestic operations are located in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Rockies. Besides this, Noble has relevant international investments in Israel, where huge offshore-gas projects such as the Leviathan field are located.
The first thing we should note when taking a look at Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL) is that the company continues to make good progress diversifying its asset portfolio and growing its reserves and production with an increased focus on oil and liquids. As a matter of fact, results are coming in better than what's expected by most analysts.
For the first quarter, Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL)'s adjusted earnings were 21% above consensus thanks to better-than-expected volumes and lower-than-expected costs and expenses. Earnings, however, declined 15% year-over-year and 10% sequentially on lower realized prices and lower volumes. Nevertheless, the company keeps on generating great amounts of cash. Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL) should generate operating cash flow of approximately $3.2 billion this year and is expected to increase that number by 12% in 2014.
Having raised its quarterly dividend by 12% to $0.28 per share, Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL) pays a 0.9% dividend yield and trades at 2013 17x P/E and 6.5x P/CF. Those multiples are a significant (I believe unjustified) premium to its peer group. Within this group of three companies, I think Noble is the least compelling alternative at the current market prices.
May 28, 2013 ? Cells have a sophisticated system to control and dispose of defective, superfluous proteins and thus to prevent damage to the body. Dr. Katrin Bagola and Professor Thomas Sommer of the Max Delbr?ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch as well as Professor Michael Glickman and Professor Aaron Ciechanover of Technion, the Technical University of Israel in Haifa, have now discovered a new function of an enzyme that is involved in this vital process. Using yeast cells as a model organism, the researchers showed that a specific factor, abbreviated Cue1, is not only a receptor and activator for a component of the degradation apparatus, but also contributes to ensuring that the defective protein is marked with a molecular tag for degradation.
Proteins are molecular machines in the cells of an organism. Different types of proteins perform many different functions: They transport materials to their destination, ward off pathogens, enable chemical reactions in the cell and much more. Many proteins are produced in a cell organelle, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), are then folded and subsequently transported to their destination.
Some proteins are only required for a specific, time-limited purpose and must be degraded once their purpose has been served. But errors also frequently occur during production and folding. These defective proteins are not functional and can even harm the organism. Therefore they, too, must be degraded.
The cells therefore have a sophisticated system to dispose of defective, superfluous proteins. In the ER there is a special process for protein degradation, known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). This system contains a number of enzymes that cooperate to ensure that a defective protein is marked with a molecular tag, the molecule ubiquitin. This process is called ubiquitylation. A chain of four to six molecules serves as degradation signal. A protein tagged with such a molecular chain is transported to the proteasome, the protein-cleaving machinery of the cell, where it is separated into its components.
This ubiquitin-proteasome system is found in all eukaryotic cells; it is ubiquitous. It is one of the most complex cellular systems and protects the body from severe diseases. Defective proteins that escape this system trigger serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis or diabetes. The scientist who discovered this protective program is Professor Ciechanover. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004 for this achievement together with Professor Avram Hershko (Technion) and Professor Irwin Rose (University of California, Irvine, USA).
Several enzymes must work in concert to facilitate the attachment of a ubiquitin chain to a defective protein. Some of these enzymes are anchored in the membrane of the ER, others such as the enzyme Ubc7 swim freely inside the cell. A factor called CUE1, which itself is bound to the membrane, is responsible for recruiting Ubc7 and escorting it to the enzymes at the membrane. To achieve this, it has a domain which binds specifically to Ubc7. Another domain of the factor is the so-called CUE domain. Dr. Bagola and Professor Sommer have studied its function in yeast cells together with their colleagues Professor Glickman and Professor Ciechanover.
Fateful connection
The CUE domain is a ubiquitin-binding domain (UBD). UBDs bind to specific ubiquitin patterns. For example, they can recognize whether one or more ubiquitin molecules have been attached to a protein and how the respective ubiquitin molecules are linked together in chains. The ubiquitin pattern determines which ubiquitin domain binds to which protein and thus determines the subsequent fate of the protein.
Direct impact on molecular chain formation -- Signal for protein degradation
The MDC and Technion researchers, who have collaborated closely for many years, showed that the CUE domain of the factor Cue1 binds to ubiquitin chains that are linked together via a specific building block of the individual ubiquitin molecules. These chains subsequently serve as a degradation signal for proteins. In addition, the researchers found that the CUE domain also has a direct impact on the length of the ubiquitin chains: If the CUE domain was lacking or limited in its function due to a mutation, the ubiquitin chains developed more slowly and were shorter in length. Apparently, the CUE domain stabilizes the ubiquitin chains, allowing additional ubiquitin molecules to be attached more easily.
In yeast cells, the researchers found that the CUE domain of Cue1 in this way actually affects how effectively the ERAD system can degrade proteins. The researchers suspect that the CUE domain is used specifically for the disposal of proteins which are bound to the ER membrane. However, they seem to have no influence on the degradation of soluble proteins. "Our results show that a ubiquitin-binding domain can also regulate the formation of ubiquitin chains," the researchers said. "This function was previously unknown until now."
There's a simplistic and naive belief that war doesn't solve anything, Mike Herman told those who attended Monday's Memorial Day service at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
?That mindset is fine, the retired South Dakota Army National Guard colonel said, unless you care to account for the United States winning its independence, the preservation of the union, the elimination of slavery and toppling of both terrorist and imperialist regimes around the world.
?More than 1.2 million American soldiers have died in military conflicts through the history of the nation. And, Herman said, they didn't die accomplishing nothing.
?"We owe it to the men and women who have died defending America since our nation's founding to live life to the fullest," Herman said.
?And we owe it to them, he said, to remember that Memorial Day is not simply the kickoff of the summer season or a day away from work.
?"Today is a solemn day of remembrance, a day that should be properly set aside for contemplation," Herman said. "Ask yourself where you'd be without the personal sacrifice made by these men and women."
?Herman briefly recounted many of the country's wars and military conflicts, a reminder of that troops and soldiers have been fighting and dying for the United States for roughly 230 years.
?"Scripture tells us that there is no greater love than a man laying down his life for his friends. The men and women that we honor and remember today have proven that they are not just friends to us as Americans, but they are friends to men and women in countries around the world," Herman said.
?More than 1,000 veterans are buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Counts from different military conflicts include:
? World War I: 112
? World War II: 577
? Korean War: 216
? Vietnam War: 77
? Desert Storm: 6
? Iraq/Afghanistan: 3
? Peacetime: 63
?The service featured a traditional 21-gun salute and the playing of taps. Representatives from groups that ranged from the Girl Scouts to the Knights of Columbus to the American Legion Auxiliary laid wreaths at the base of U.S. and American Legion flags, a sign of respect for past sacrifices.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? As tornado victims are laid to rest in Moore, Okla., President Barack Obama is visiting Sunday to survey damage from Monday's storm, which killed 24 people and damaged an estimated 12,000 homes.
The White House said Obama wanted a firsthand look at recovery from the monstrous EF5 tornado that barreled through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday afternoon. The president planned to visit with affected families and thank first responders in devastated Moore, a town of 41,000 residents about 10 miles from Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said Sunday her message to Obama is that she appreciates the visit, but the state also needs quick action from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Republican governor said so far, the agency has done a great job of speeding relief and cash assistance to affected families, but she's concerned about the long run.
"There's going to come a time when there's going to be a tremendous amount of need once we begin the debris clearing, which we already have, but really get it cleared off to where we need to start rebuilding these homes, rebuilding these businesses," she said on CBS' "Face the Nation." ''And we know at different times in the past, money hasn't come always as quickly as it should."
Obama offered prayers for residents from the White House in recent days and has promised to support the rebuilding for as long as it takes. "They have suffered mightily this week," Obama said Wednesday. "And while the road ahead will be long, their country will be with them every single step of the way."
Among the dead were 10 children, including two sisters pulled by the strong winds out of their mother's grasp, an infant who died along with his mother trying to ride out the storm in a convenience store and seven students at Plaza Towers Elementary School. Many students were pulled from the rubble after the school was destroyed.
Fallin noted that some 100 other schools in Oklahoma have safe rooms for children to seek shelter in tornados.
"Schools that have been lost in the past, many of them have rebuilt rooms of some sort as a safe room in their school, and we're certainly going to encourage that," she said.
"Any death is very unfortunate, but it's truly incredible that we had only 24 deaths at this site, because if you look at all the debris field and how wide it is, I don't know how anybody survived this tornado," she said on CBS.
First time accepted submitter ben saad issam writes in with news about a new biological transducer built by Israeli scientist. "Using only biomolecules (such as DNA and enzymes), scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed and constructed an advanced biological transducer, a computing machine capable of manipulating genetic codes, and using the output as new input for subsequent computations. The breakthrough might someday create new possibilities in biotechnology, including individual gene therapy and cloning."
In this Saturday, May 25, 2013 photo, unidentified relatives of an injured of a rebel attack cry outside a government hospital in Raipur, India. About 200 suspected Maoist rebels set off a land mine and opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying local leaders and supporters of India's ruling Congress party in the country's east, killing at least 28 people and wounding 24 others, police said. (AP Photo)
In this Saturday, May 25, 2013 photo, unidentified relatives of an injured of a rebel attack cry outside a government hospital in Raipur, India. About 200 suspected Maoist rebels set off a land mine and opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying local leaders and supporters of India's ruling Congress party in the country's east, killing at least 28 people and wounding 24 others, police said. (AP Photo)
In this Saturday, May 25, 2013 photo, an unidentified injured of a rebel attack gets treated in a government hospital in Raipur, India. About 200 suspected Maoist rebels set off a land mine and opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying local leaders and supporters of India's ruling Congress party in the country's east, killing at least 28 people and wounding 24 others, police said. (AP Photo)
In this Saturday, May 25, 2013 photo, unidentified relatives of an injured of a rebel attack cry outside a government hospital in Raipur, India. About 200 suspected Maoist rebels set off a land mine and opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying local leaders and supporters of India's ruling Congress party in the country's east, killing at least 28 people and wounding 24 others, police said. (AP Photo)
FILE ? In this April 15, 2007 file photo, Mahendra Karma, center, lawmaker and founder of Salwa Judum, the government-supported militia to combat Communist rebels known as Naxalites, is surrounded by bodyguards at his residence in Jagdalpur, in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh. Karma was killed when Maoist rebels attacked a convoy of cars of Congress party leaders and supporters in eastern India, injuring several people on Saturday, May 25, 2013. The rebels have been fighting the central government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers and the poor. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi, File)
NEW DELHI (AP) ? Officials reacted with outrage Sunday to an audacious attack by about 200 suspected Maoist rebels who set off a roadside bomb and opened fire on a convoy carrying Indian ruling Congress party leaders and members in an eastern state, killing at least 24 people and wounding 37 others.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accompanied by party President Sonia Gandhi, visited the injured in a hospital in the Chhattisgarh state capital and said the government would take firm action against the perpetrators.
"We are devastated," said Gandhi, who denounced what she called a "dastardly attack" on the country's democratic values.
Rajnath Singh, president of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, said the country should unite in its fight against the Maoist insurgency.
The convoy was attacked Saturday in a densely forested area about 345 kilometers (215 miles) south of Raipur, Chhattisgarh's capital, as the Congress members were returning from a party rally.
Four state party leaders and eight police officers were among those killed. Other victims were party supporters.
Police initially reported that 28 people were killed, but they later changed the death toll to 24. It was not clear why it had been revised.
Police officer R.K. Vij said 11 of the 37 injured were in serious condition.
Police identified one of those dead as Mahendra Karma, a Congress party leader in Chhattisgarh who founded a local militia, the Salwa Judum, to combat the Maoist rebels. The anti-rebel militia had to be reined in after it was accused of atrocities against tribals ? indigenous people at the bottom of India's rigid social ladder.
The dead also included state Congress party chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son. The injured included former federal minister Vidya Charan Shukla, 83, police said.
The Press Trust of India news agency said the attackers blocked the road by felling trees, forcing the convoy to halt. Vij said the suspected rebels triggered a land mine that blew up one of the cars. The attackers then fired at the Congress party leaders and their supporters before fleeing.
Congress is the main opposition party in the state. It has stepped up political activities, trying to win the support of tribals, ahead of state elections scheduled to be held by December.
K.P.S. Gill, a former police chief of Punjab state who has written widely on reform, said the attack was "a very horrifying incident."
However, Gill said the state government was incapable of devising a strategy to tackle the Maoist threat. "They don't have the political will and bureaucratic and police set-up to prevent such attacks," he said.
He said the state government had ignored the need for special forces to tackle the threat. "Most of the special forces in the state are being used for non-operational duties like guarding state politicians," he said.
Prime Minister Singh has called the rebels India's biggest internal security threat. They are now present in 20 of India's 28 states and have thousands of fighters, according to the Home Ministry.
The rebels, known as Naxalites, have been fighting the central government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers and the poor. They take their name from the West Bengal village of Naxalbari where the movement began in 1967.
The fighters were inspired by Chinese Communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong and have drawn support from displaced tribal populations opposed to corporate exploitation and official corruption.
The government has offered to begin peace talks with the rebels, but without success. The Maoists demand that it first withdraw thousands of paramilitary soldiers deployed to fight the rebels.
Maoist rebels carried out two major attacks in Chhattisgarh in 2010. They ambushed a paramilitary patrol in April that year, killing 76 troops in their worst attack ever. A month later, they triggered a land mine under a bus carrying civilians and police, killing 31.
EcoCAR 2 Competition Announces Year Two Winner: Penn State University
15 Student Teams Test Drive Eco-Engineered Vehicles on GM Desert Proving Ground
SAN DIEGO -- (May 24, 2013) -- EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future today named Pennsylvania State University its Year Two winner at the EcoCAR 2013 Competition in San Diego. The 15 universities competing in EcoCAR 2 gathered in Yuma, Arizona last week for six days of rigorous vehicle testing and evaluation on drive quality and environmental impact at General Motors (GM) Desert Proving Ground. From there, the competition moved to San Diego for a second round of judging by automotive industry experts.
"These students are the next generation of engineers who will help make that vision a reality, and their hard work and dedication throughout the first two years shows they can rise to the challenge." EcoCAR 2 -- a three-year competition managed by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, GM and 30 other government and industry leaders -- gives students the opportunity to gain real-world automotive engineering experience while striving to improve the environmental impact and energy efficiency of an already highly-efficient vehicle ? the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.
"The students competing in EcoCAR 2 are leading the way in designing and building the next generation of American-made automobiles that will reduce our dependence on oil and save families and businesses money at the pump," said Assistant Secretary for the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson. "I look forward to seeing these teams' creative, super efficient vehicle designs in the final round of the competition next year in Washington, D.C."
"Engineering advanced technologies that help reduce dependency on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions is the key to developing sustainable transportation," said John Haraf, GM's director of hybrid vehicle integration and controls and one of GM's EcoCAR leads. "These students are the next generation of engineers who will help make that vision a reality, and their hard work and dedication throughout the first two years shows they can rise to the challenge."
After a year creating and testing their eco-vehicle designs using technologies such as Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation, teams spent the second year of EcoCAR 2 utilizing cutting-edge automotive engineering processes to redesign their Malibu vehicles. Argonne National Laboratory and GM engineers subjected these vehicles to extensive safety inspections and on-road evaluations, similar to those conducted on new GM vehicles. Each car was evaluated on reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as performance, utility and safety.
Pennsylvania State University was named this year's winner after impressing inspectors and other judges representing various EcoCAR 2 sponsors with its ethanol (E85) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The team was the first to pass safety and technical inspections, on-road safety evaluation as well as run all the competition dynamic events.
While Penn State won the top prize, it wasn't the only accomplished team at the Year Two Finals. The second place team, Cal State Los Angles excelled with its ethanol-fueled vehicle and was the first team to complete all the dynamic events. The Ohio State University took third place overall after demonstrating its series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle. The 15 university teams will now spend Year Three of EcoCAR 2 perfecting their designs before the competition finals in Washington, D.C., in May 2014.
Additional information about EcoCAR 2 is available on the competition website and blog, Flickr stream, Facebook page and Twitter stream. Sponsors contributing a total of $745 million in software, hardware and cash donations include: General Motors; U.S. Department of Energy; Natural Resources Canada; MathWorks; California Air Resources Board; Clean Cities; dSPACE, Inc.; A123 Systems, Inc.; Freescale; AVL Powertrain Engineering, Inc.; National Science Foundation; TRC, ETAS; Snap-On Tools; Magna Powertrain; Robert Bosch, LLC; CrossChasm; Siemens PLM Software; CD-adapco; Ventor CANtech, Inc.; GKN; Sensors; New Eagle; Blackberry; QNX; Woodward; Gage; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Delphi Foundation; Caterpillar; Ricardo; and Proterra.
About EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future is a three-year collegiate engineering program that builds on the successful 25-year history of Department of Energy advanced vehicle technology competitions by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate leading-edge, eco-friendly automotive technologies. General Motors provides each of the 15 competing teams with a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, as well as vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation and logistical support. Through this important public/private partnership, EcoCAR 2 provides invaluable experience and training to promising young minds entering the North American job market. EcoCAR 2 follows the widely acclaimed competition series EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge.
A colleague remarked last week that what we do isn?t science. He was referring to making decisions as news breaks, details emerge and we learn more of the truth.
Naming juveniles who have been accused of crimes has been a topic of discussion in our newsroom ? and in this column ? in recent days and weeks, what with the death of soccer referee Ricardo Portillo after allegedly being punched by a 17-year-old player.
Top of the Rockies
Newspapers from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico
1st place ? Tribune staff, general website excellence; Tribune staff, front page design; Jenna Busey, single page design; David Montero, Kimball Bennion, news reporting; Kirsten Stewart, Scott Sommerdorf, health general reporting; Nate Carlisle, Cimaron Neugebauer, legal enterprise reporting; Aaron Falk, legal general reporting; Sean P. Means, arts and entertainment criticism; Ben Fulton, arts and entertainment story; Tribune staff, business enterprise reporting; Tony Semerad, business general reporting; Robert Kirby, personal/humor column; Rudy Mesicek, feature page design; Al Hartmann, spot news photography
2nd place ? Tribune staff, breaking news; Kirsten Stewart, health enterprise reporting; Brandon Loomis, environmental enterprise reporting; Brooke Adams and Melinda Rogers, legal enterprise reporting; Matt Canham, Peggy Fletcher Stack, Lee Davidson, politics enterprise reporting; Scott D. Pierce, arts and entertainment criticism; Tribune staff, business enterprise reporting; Kurt Kragthorpe, sports column; Francisco Kjolseth, feature page design
3rd place ? Heather May, Julia Lyon, Melinda Rogers, health enterprise reporting; Aaron Falk, legal enterprise reporting; Matt Canham, politics enterprise reporting; Brooke Adams, news reporting; Derek P. Jensen and Dawn House, business general reporting; Bill Oram, sports general reporting; Peg McEntee, news column; Francisco Kjolseth, news photography
?
Best of the West
Newspapers from throughout the Western U.S.
1st place ? Brandon Loomis, growth and environment reporting; Ben Fulton, arts and entertainment writing; Pat Bagley, editorial cartooning
2nd place ? Michael Nakoryakov and Dave Noyce, page design
3rd place ? Lisa Schencker, Kyle Goon and Melinda Rogers, sports reporting
The Salt Lake Tribune has chosen to not identify the player as his case remains in juvenile court. The policy is based on the premise that someone who is not yet an adult deserves a degree of protection for making mistakes that may be, at least in part, the result of their immaturity and will affect them for the rest of their lives. If the teenager is certified as an adult for trial, we will name him.
Our own policy placed us in a problematic position when news broke Wednesday night that two young boys were found murdered in their West Point home, and their brother was missing.
Taking the lead from police, we published online that night and in print the next morning the name and photograph of the 15-year-old, who initially was thought to possibly be in danger but who had been found by midnight. Editors discussed whether or not to publish the identifying information and decided the potential benefits (finding the boy) outweighed the possible downside (that he was involved in the crime).
Then the story changed. Police identified him as the primary suspect in the homicide Thursday morning. We removed his photograph and name from our online coverage. His name does not appear in Friday?s print story. We explained to readers that we had identified the boy in earlier stories, as he initially was the subject of a missing-person investigation by police.
We realize by doing this we are trying to ? pick your clich? ? unring the bell, put the genie back in the bottle. The boy?s name is out there. Other news media will continue to name him, and his identity likely remains somewhere in cyberspace, attached to a Tribune story, and it is in Thursday?s print edition.
But we?ve done the best we can to follow a policy we believe is sound. Juveniles are a special case and deserving of special consideration. They are still children. As in the case of the soccer player, if the courts decide the 15-year-old will be tried as an adult, we will follow suit and publish his name.
No, this isn?t science.
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story continues below
Awards ? Spring is contest season for journalists, and Tribune reporters, photographers and editors are getting their share and more of prizes. In the Utah Press Association awards, handed out in March, The Tribune took 13 first-place awards, 29 awards overall and swept all awards in five categories: general news, investigative reporting, feature reporting, sports reporting and sports columns. The newspaper also took the top award for general excellence.
More recently, The Tribune excelled in the regional Top of the Rockies and Best of the West contests, which include newspapers from throughout the West.
In Top of the Rockies, our website, sltrib.com, took the general excellence award. We took first place for our news reporting, health care reporting, arts and entertainment criticism and reporting, spot news photography, humor columns, general and enterprise business reporting. We swept first, second and third in enterprise reporting on legal issues. Our designers took first places for their front pages, feature pages and sports pages.
In Best of the West, we took the top awards in growth and environment reporting, arts and entertainment writing and editorial cartooning.
Awards are nice, particularly when the competition includes newsrooms from throughout the region, many larger than ours. It?s a chance to reflect on a job well done. But we know the real judge is you, readers of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Terry Orme is a Tribune managing editor. Reach him at orme@sltrib.com.
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Automattic, the company behind publishing platform WordPress, has sold $50 million in a secondary offering led by investment management firm Tiger Global. The sale will allow some early investors and employees to get cash in exchange for their shares, while adding another stakeholder in the company.
MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) ? A female suicide bomber identified as a widow of two killed Islamists blew herself up in the southern Russian region of Dagestan on Saturday injuring at least 12, including two children and five police officers, police said.
The bomber detonated an explosives-laden belt in the central square in the provincial capital, Makhachkala, Dagestan's police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said.
The bomber was identified as Madina Alieva, who married an Islamist who was killed in 2009 and then wedded another Islamic radical who was gunned down last year, police spokeswoman Fatina Ubaidatova said.
Since 2000, at least two dozen women, most of them from the Caucasus, have carried out suicide bombings in Russian cities and aboard trains and planes. All were linked to an Islamic insurgency that spread throughout Dagestan and the predominantly Muslim Caucasus region after two separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya.
The bombers are often called "black widows" in Russia because many are the widows, or other relatives, of militants killed by security forces. Islamic militants are believed to convince "black widows" that a suicide bombing will reunite them with their dead relatives beyond the grave.
Police said two of the people injured in the attack were in a critical condition. There were no details about the injured children.
The Tsarnaev brothers suspected of carrying out last month's Boston marathon bombings, are ethnic Chechens who lived in Dagestan before moving to the United States. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder brother who was killed a shootout with police days after the April 15 bombings, spent six months in Dagestan in 2012.
Dagestan remains an epicenter of violence in the confrontation between radical Islamists and federal forces.
This week, a double explosion in Makhachkala killed four civilians and left 44 injured, while three security officers and three suspected militants have been killed in other incidents.
Islamists strive to create an independent Muslim state, or "emirate," in the Caucasus and parts of southern Russia with a sizable Muslim population.
Although Chechen separatists were battered almost a decade ago, Islamists continue to move through the region's mountains and forests with comparative ease despite security sweeps by federal forces and police under the control of local leaders loyal to the Kremlin.
Human rights groups say that abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings of young men suspected of militant links by Russian security forces have helped swell the rebels' ranks. Caucasus experts say that Islamists routinely extort money from government officials and businessmen and attack or kill those who refuse to pay.
_________
Mansur Mirovalev contributed to this report from Moscow
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? A new military communications satellite has been launched into space.
An unmanned Delta IV rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday evening. The satellite was the fifth Wideband Global satcom spacecraft to be launched.
The satellite, which is being sent into an orbit that follows the earth's rotation 22,000 miles above the equator, will serve the U.S. military with the highest capacity communications currently available.
It will take several months for the satellite to settle into the proper orbit.
It?s easy to find authentic Mexican food in the Southwest, but if you get hooked, you?re going to miss out on some exciting Scottsdale dining alternatives. You?ll find plenty of Japanese seafood delicacies just a stone?s throw away from your luxury vacation rental, so if you?re a sushi lover, Scottsdale has you covered.
Hiro Sushi. Enjoy fresh Japanese cuisine from Hiro Sushi?s kitchen and bar, open every day of the week. The chef has over 25 years of culinary training in Japan, and he?s brought that experience with him to Arizona so that he could bring traditional sushi to the Scottsdale dining scene.
Sushi Roku. Sushi Roku?s website calls the establishment a ?pioneer of contemporary sushi,? and that?s a fact. The restaurant adds a California twist to traditional Japanese food by using non-traditional ingredients like cilantro and jalape?os. There are five locations around the Southwest.
Hana Japanese Eatery. If you can pull yourself away from the comfort of your luxury vacation rental, head out to Hana Japanese Eatery, where you?ll never need a reservation and you can bring your own wine, beer or saki to enjoy. The chefs here take great care when choosing their fresh fish, and just one bite will turn you into a lifelong ?Hanacore,? which is the official name for the eatery?s biggest fans.
Shimogamo. For 10 years, Shimogamo owner Sanae Otomo has brought the people of Arizona the delectable taste of traditional Japanese food. This fabulous restaurant?s menu includes the expected sushi, tempura, teriyaki and noodles, but there?s also a whole host of creative items for more adventurous diners.
Roka Akor. Travel & Leisure Magazine calls Roka Akor ?the best sushi restaurant in the U.S.? It?s easy to believe when you get a taste of this Scottsdale restaurant?s Robatayaki-style cuisine, fired over open charcoal. Chef Ce Bian handpicks the fish used in his sushi dishes and they?re flown in fresh daily for your dining pleasure.
Getting the most from your vacation in AZ means taking a break from your luxury vacation rental every now and then to explore the region?s many wonderful restaurants and attractions. Scottsdale dining offers many unexpected treats. Bet you didn?t know that sushi was one of them!
The Solar Impulse airplane takes off from Phoenix for Dallas-Fort Worth on Wednesday.
The Swiss-made Solar Impulse plane went after a distance record for solar-powered flight on Wednesday as it sailed from Phoenix to Dallas-Fort Worth, on the second leg of its coast-to-coast odyssey across America.
The super-light, super-wide plane rose from its runway at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport at 4:47 a.m. MST (7:47 a.m. ET) with Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse's co-founder and CEO, at the controls. He guided the plane through Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas, conducting a string of interviews from the air.
"It's flying very well," Borschberg told NBC News a couple of hours after takeoff.
Although the cockpit had room for only one flier, many more people were looking over his shoulder, thanks to a live video link. "They're all with me virtually," Borschberg said.
Flight controllers said the plane was making such good time that Borschberg would have to fly in a holding pattern before landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The latest word was that touchdown might come earlier than scheduled, perhaps before midnight CT (1 a.m. ET Thursday).
That would make for a 17-hour flight, which wouldn't break any speed records.You could drive between Phoenix and Dallas in less time, and most commercial jets make the trip in two hours. But the 830-mile trek would break the distance record for a single solar-powered flight. Borschberg set the current record, 693 miles (1,116 kilometers), a year ago during a Solar Impulse flight from Switzerland to Spain.
The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of 90 million euros ($115 million), backed by Swiss sponsors. The plane is designed to demonstrate a host of clean-energy technologies, ranging from lightweight carbon composites to the 12,000-solar-cell system that powers the plane. The airplane is as light as a typical passenger car, but its wingspan matches the width of a jumbo jet.
On Wednesday, the plane ranged as high in altitude as 27,000 feet, soaking up the sun's energy as it went. "The more I fly, the more energy I have aboard the airplane," Borschberg said.
In addition to the technical challenges, mission planners had to coordinate their itinerary with the Federal Aviation Administration and airport authorities to avoid conflicting with regular air traffic. "It's not easy," Borschberg admitted.
Famed adventurer Bertrand Piccard piloted the plane on the first leg of its cross-country journey on May 3, from Moffett Field in the San Francisco Bay Area to Phoenix. Piccard and Borschberg are taking turns in the cockpit as Solar Impulse makes its way eastward. After Dallas-Fort Worth, the plane is scheduled to move on to St. Louis, and then to Washington, D.C. The final leg of the trip, from Washington to New York, is expected to come sometime around the Fourth of July.
Updates on Wednesday's flight are being provided via Solar Impulse's website and its Twitter account (@solarimpulse).
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Public release date: 30-May-2013
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I am currently conducting a broad study of the US oil industry from small- capitalization refiners to large-capitalization integrated-oil companies. The shale revolution has added to the industry a dynamism that it has not had since the 20th century started. The US will become one of the world's biggest gas exporters and an energy powerhouse. Here I present three great exploration and production (E&P) companies. Let's see if any of this companies?should?be a part of your portfolio.
Automattic, the company behind publishing platform WordPress, has 
Hiro Sushi. Enjoy fresh Japanese cuisine from Hiro Sushi?s kitchen and bar, open every day of the week. The chef has over 25 years of culinary training in Japan, and he?s brought that experience with him to Arizona so that he could bring traditional sushi to the Scottsdale dining scene.
