Cyprus is very special case, found right solution: German finance minister

By Brian Homewood March 28 (Reuters) - Swiss champions FC Basel, renowned for their youth development programme, face a constant battle to stop teenage players moving to English, Spanish and Italian clubs. President Bernhard Heusler told Reuters in an interview that parents often do not listen to the club when warned against taking their sons elsewhere. "We get enormous pressure from outside, including English clubs," said Heusler before adding Basel were powerless to stop their youngsters leaving before the age of 16. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-very-special-case-found-solution-german-finance-070837317--business.html

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Child development: Early walker or late walker of little consequence

Mar. 28, 2013 ? On average, children take the first steps on their own at the age of 12 months. Many parents perceive this event as a decisive turning point. However, the timing is really of no consequence. Children who start walking early turn out later to be neither more intelligent nor more well-coordinated. This is the conclusion reached by a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Because parents pay great attention to their offspring, they often compare them with the other children in the sandpit or playground. Many of them worry that their child is lagging behind in terms of mental development if it sits up or starts to walk a bit later than other children. Now, however, in a statistical analysis of the developmental data of 222 children born healthy, researchers headed by Oskar Jenni of the Zurich Children's Hospital and Valentin Rousson of Lausanne University have come to the conclusion that most of these fears are groundless.

Considerable variance

Within the framework of the Zurich longitudinal study, the paediatricians conducted a detailed study of the development of 119 boys and 103 girls. The researchers examined the children seven times during the first two years of their life and subsequently carried out motor and intelligence tests with them every two to three years after they reached school age. The results show that children sit up for the first time at an age of between slightly less than four months and thirteen months (average 6.5 months). They begin to walk at an age of between 8.5 months and 20 months (average 12 months). In other words, there is considerable variance.

The researchers found no correlation between the age at which the children reached these motor milestones and their performance in the intelligence and motor tests between the age of seven and eighteen. In short, by the time they reach school age, children who start walking later than others are just as well-coordinated and intelligent as those who were up on their feet early.

More relaxed

Although the first steps that a child takes on its own represent a decisive turning point for most parents, the precise timing of this event is manifestly of no consequence. "That's why I advise parents to be more relaxed if their child only starts walking at 16 or 18 months," says Jenni. If a child still can't walk unaided after 20 months, then further medical investigations are indicated.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Foerderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, via AlphaGalileo.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Oskar G Jenni, Aziz Chaouch, Jon Caflisch, Valentin Rousson. Infant motor milestones: poor predictive value for outcome of healthy children. Acta Paediatrica, 2013; 102 (4): e181 DOI: 10.1111/apa.12129

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/ZKoHsM8rMCQ/130328075702.htm

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Discovery may allow scientists to make fuel from CO2 in the atmosphere

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Excess carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways to generate power that leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found a way to transform the carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere into useful industrial products. Their discovery may soon lead to the creation of biofuels made directly from the carbon dioxide in the air that is responsible for trapping the sun's rays and raising global temperatures.

"Basically, what we have done is create a microorganism that does with carbon dioxide exactly what plants do?absorb it and generate something useful," said Michael Adams, member of UGA's Bioenergy Systems Research Institute, Georgia Power professor of biotechnology and Distinguished Research Professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

During the process of photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to transform water and carbon dioxide into sugars that the plants use for energy, much like humans burn calories from food.

These sugars can be fermented into fuels like ethanol, but it has proven extraordinarily difficult to efficiently extract the sugars, which are locked away inside the plant's complex cell walls.

"What this discovery means is that we can remove plants as the middleman," said Adams, who is co-author of the study detailing their results published March 25 in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. "We can take carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and turn it into useful products like fuels and chemicals without having to go through the inefficient process of growing plants and extracting sugars from biomass."

The process is made possible by a unique microorganism called Pyrococcus furiosus, or "rushing fireball," which thrives by feeding on carbohydrates in the super-heated ocean waters near geothermal vents. By manipulating the organism's genetic material, Adams and his colleagues created a kind of P. furiosus that is capable of feeding at much lower temperatures on carbon dioxide.

The research team then used hydrogen gas to create a chemical reaction in the microorganism that incorporates carbon dioxide into 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a common industrial chemical used to make acrylics and many other products.

With other genetic manipulations of this new strain of P. furiosus, Adams and his colleagues could create a version that generates a host of other useful industrial products, including fuel, from carbon dioxide.

When the fuel created through the P. furiosus process is burned, it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide used to create it, effectively making it carbon neutral, and a much cleaner alternative to gasoline, coal and oil.

"This is an important first step that has great promise as an efficient and cost-effective method of producing fuels," Adams said. "In the future we will refine the process and begin testing it on larger scales."

###

University of Georgia: http://www.uga.edu

Thanks to University of Georgia for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127479/Discovery_may_allow_scientists_to_make_fuel_from_CO__in_the_atmosphere

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Credit Suisse buys Morgan Stanley's European private bank

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/credit-suisse-buys-morgan-stanleys-private-bank-emea-065147247--sector.html

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Domino's Is Offering Slower Delivery Service ... - Business Insider

Good morning, AdLand. Here's what you need to know today:

Domino's?is touting an unexpected new service in its ads ? slower delivery service.?"Domino's used to be all about speed. Not anymore," the ad reads, countering previous promises of "30 minutes or less" delivery service. This is all a part of Domino's new campaign to focus on high quality taste rather than subpar pizza.?CP&B?made the commercial.

According to?Ad Age's?estimates, the Sandusky disaster ended up costing Penn State $46 million in damage control.

Gillette?is using QR codes to market its new shaving products.

People are drinking significantly less soda than usual. The consumption levels haven't been this low since 1996.

The insignia for Star Trek's Starfleet shone over London during Earth Hour, which asks cities to turn off lights in honor of environmental awareness.

According to an?FTC?survey, more retailers and movie theaters are enforcing age restrictions on violent and inappropriate content, which means more kids are getting turned away from "R-rated" movies.

Pingage is a new startup that just partnered with P&G to help the massive company integrate with Pinterest.

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/dominos-is-offering-slower-delivery-service-the-brief-2013-3

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Insert Coin: Duo kit lets you build your own 3D motion tracker

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Between the Kinect and Leap Motion, gesture control's on just about everyone's minds these days. There's still a ways to go, certainly, before such devices become a mainstream method for interfacing with our PCs, but they've already become a ripe source of inspiration for the DIY community. Duo's hoping to further bridge the gap between the two, with a "the world's first 3d motion sensor that anyone can build." The desktop sensor features two PS3 Eye cameras that can track hands and objects for a more natural interface with one's computer. Duo's unsurprisingly looking to crowdfund its efforts. A pledge of $10 or more will get you early access to the company's SDK. For $40 you'll get the case and instruction. Add $30 to that number, and you've got yourself the kit, which includes everything but the camera ($110 will get you all that). Check out the company's plea after the break, and if you're so inclined you can pledge at the source link below.

Filed under: Peripherals

Comments

Source: Kickstarter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/insert-coin-duo-kit/

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The Komodo Dead: What Really Kills in The Walking Dead

You don?t need a gun. You don?t need a knife or a machete or an axe. If you find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world filled with shambling swallowers of human flesh, what you really need is good hygiene.

The resurgence of zombies into pop culture has tickled our morbid curiosity, but has also sparked many nerdy debates about viruses and disease. Arguably the most popular zombie narrative today, The Walking Dead takes place in the wake of an airborne virus or pathogen that has enabled the dead to walk among the living. The show doesn?t dabble in the supernatural, so many have taken the opportunity to explore zombies literally, that is to say, the science behind the gruesome pandemic.

[Note: Mild SPOILERS for the show are below.]

A fan of the show myself, I wanted to figure out how you exactly become a zombie. Is it the bite? Is it death? What I found suggests that most viewers are likely mistaken about how zombification in The Walking Dead works.

It turns out that becoming a zombie is fairly straightforward. According to a quote from the creator of the original comic series, Robert Kirkman:

The rule is: WHATEVER it is that causes the zombies, is something everyone already has. If you stub your toe, get an infection and die, you turn into a zombie, UNLESS your brain is damaged. If someone shoots you in the head and you die, you?re dead. A zombie bite kills you because of infection, or blood loss, not because of the zombie ?virus.?

The Walking Dead (TWD) then substitutes the conventional zombie trope of ?you get bit, you turn,? with, ?you die, you turn.? Unlike getting bitten by another fictional creature like a vampire or a werewolf, the gnawing teeth of the walkers in TWD don?t carry an infecting ?zombie virus.? If we go by the rules of the creator, true zombification follows another route.

This of course brings us to Komodo Dragons.

Do You Know Where That Mouth Has Been?!

At the end of season one of TWD, protagonist Rick Grimes discovers that everyone carries a virus which ?reboots the brain? upon death, resulting in a ghastly transformation. But if it is merely death that turns you, why do all of the characters regard a zombie bite as a death sentence? Why is it one of the first questions they ask strangers, and why did Herschel need to lose a leg?

There is a way to square this with Kirkman?s quote, and more interestingly, with science. Dead bodies can be dangerous in and of themselves, so humans have always taken precaution with them. In fact, in a case where we have to handle corpses, such as after a natural disaster, there are a number of steps responders have to take to avoid infection and disease. For example, a rotting body can still transfer gastrointestinal pathogens, tuberculosis, and hepatitis [PDF] to the living. So, one can imagine that a biting mouth of a rotting corpse, continuously chomping down on humans, isn?t the most hygienic place.

A diseased body is bad enough, but it doesn?t fully explain the extreme aversion to being bit by a zombie. Beyond the disorders and detritus that come along with death, perhaps the walkers in TWD employ the same deadly cocktail of disease that Komodo Dragons do.

The largest lizards in the world, Komodo Dragons are fierce predators. They can weigh-in much heavier than the average human, and can eat 80% of their body weight in 20 minutes. Multiplying the danger, Komodo Dragon mouths are famously so filthy that their bites give additional killing power, as if the intensely powerful bodies and jaws weren?t enough. Their mouths are host to up to 80 different kinds of harmful bacteria that serve to infect unfortunate prey and speed along their demise. (Scientists have recently discovered that the dragons also have a venomous bite; a scary addition to an already formidable foe.)

The mouth of a flesh-hungry corpse, as dirty as a Komodo Dragon?s and harboring the diseases that can accompany death, is definitely something to avoid. A bite of this kind would be nearly impossible to treat the in the resource-strapped world of TWD. Not even Herschel?s handful of scavenged antibiotics and veterinary skill could save you from a serious blood infection.

A ?Komodo Dead? approach to explaining zombification not only has scientific support, it?s supported by the show. Whether TWD is written so that the characters know this information, they know enough to realize that they can?t treat a bite (or even a scratch) from a walker. Trying to mend a diseased bite is hopeless in a world without working hospitals. This explains why T-Dog or Rick can survive a stabbing but not a walker bite. Rudimentary first aid might be able to handle a gunshot wound, but not tuberculosis.

Though the show routinely portrays the aftermath of a zombie bite as a terrible, unknown kind of fever, this too is consistent with a Komodo-style bite. There is no reason to believe that anyone without medical training would recognize the symptoms of a serious systemic infection. The Walking Dead then cleverly plays with the audience?s conceptions of how zombification works: even the characters assume that there is something special to a zombie bite, when in reality they are simply misidentifying a blend of bacteria.

A scientific understanding of a zombie bite still makes it rational to fear (and possibly mercy-kill) a bitten survivor. An untreatable infection brings on the transformation quicker, and the only way to stop that is with a bludgeon to the brain. Without medical training and supplies, you should avoid the mouth of a walker like, well, grim death.

Who Would You Believe In An Apocalypse?

There are problems with this twist in zombie canon. Like most other zombie tales, nearly everything in TWD suggests that a zombie bite is what changes you, as though it carries a zombifiying virus itself. Everyone in the show treats a zombie bite as a special case of bodily harm. ?Have you been bit?!? is a conversation starter.

Furthermore, the ?Komodo Dead? is inconsistent with certain episodes. When the Center for Disease Control (CDC) enters the show, we see medical tests being performed on ?turning? subjects. You would think that the CDC could figure out that these poor souls were dying from dysentery or hepatitis or a gastrointestinal pathogen, and not some ?unknown? malady.

Lastly, if diseased bodies and mouths are really the problem here, Rick and the rest of the group don?t seem to be too concerned with getting entirely covered in human entrails and blood. There is an episode or two where we see an aversion to the guts of walkers, but it is generally inconsistent.

So we have a classic fanboy dilemma: do we trust what the audience sees and what is implied on the show, or do we re-interpret what the audience sees through the creator?s own words? Personally, I prefer the Komodo-style interpretation, as it has some basis in reality, agrees with the creator, and is a clever twist on the often-trite zombie narrative.

All that being said, I?d much rather take on a herd of walkers than a pack of Komodo Dragons.

Images: Screenshot from The Walking Dead (used for educational purposes); Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis, by Midori

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d70d5cd1ff945dcefbd5654f4936bb94

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