cabaret allusiveness: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Apr. 29, 2013 ? A revolutionary X-ray analytical technique that enables researchers at a glance to identify structural similarities and differences between multiple proteins under a variety of conditions has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). As a demonstration, the researchers used this technique to gain valuable new insight into a protein that is a prime target for cancer chemotherapy.

"Proteins and other biological macromolecules are moving machines whose power is often derived from how their structural conformations change in response to their environment," says Greg Hura, a scientist with Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division. "Knowing what makes a protein change has incredible value, much like knowing that stepping on a gas pedal makes the wheels of a car spin."

Hura led the development of what is being called a structural comparison map for use with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), an imaging technique for obtaining structural information about proteins and protein complexes in solution. Cynthia McMurray, a biologist with Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division, provided the cancer-relevant protein used to test the new SAXS structural comparison map.

Says McMurray, "In biology, the first step in correcting a problem, such as the formation of a cancerous lesion, is understanding the conditions under which the problem arose. With the SAXS structural comparison map, we can compare multiple protein structures en masse and quickly identify areas of interest."

Greg Hura, Helen Budworth and Cynthia McMurray, shown here at the Advanced Light Source, developed a structural comparison map for SAXS imaging and tested it on a chemotherapeutic target protein. (Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab)

Hura is the lead author and McMurray one of two corresponding authors of a paper in the journal Nature Methods that describes this research. The paper is titled "Comprehensive objective maps of macromolecular conformations by quantitative SAXS analysis." Also a corresponding author is John Tainer, who holds joint appointments with Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division and the Scripps Research Institute. The other authors are Helen Budworth, Kevin Dyer, Robert Rambo and Michal Hammel.

In perhaps no other area of science does the maxim "function follows form" hold more true than for proteins and protein complexes. The structural conformations created by the folding, twisting and turning of a protein's amino acid chain can allow or prevent the protein from doing what it's supposed to do and this can mean the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy cell. A protein can assume multiple distinct conformational states as it undergoes various chemical processes such as phosphorylation, nucleotide or ligand binding, ATP hydrolysis or the formation of complexes.

The most widely used technique for determining a protein's structure remains crystallography, but many proteins and protein complexes can't be crystalized. Furthermore, though precise, crystallography is a low-throughput process that can only capture one conformational state at a time. Enter SAXS, a high-throughput technique that can image any protein or protein complex in solution under any condition, and provide nanoscale resolution for distinguishing and characterizing the different conformational states that flexible biological macromolecules such as proteins can assume.

"With SAXS, there are relatively few restraints on conditions, construction, concentration or solution chemistry," Hura says. "However, analytical methods have not kept pace with the hardware. While there are many factors that may induce a protein to undergo structural changes, these factors are difficult to predict. Our structural comparison map technique gives us a high-throughput screening capability. The combination of SAXS and our maps allows us to highlight those factors that make the biggest difference in structural conformations. We're also able to track trends and identify intermediate states and other factors that shift equilibrium from one structure to another."

The data in a structural comparison map is presented in the form of a color-coded checkerboard with similarity scores displayed as gradients moving from red, indicating high, to white, indicating low, and various shades of orange and yellow in between.

"With structural comparison maps, I can immediately see which structures under which conditions are the same and which are not," says McMurray. "The maps provide both structural and chemical information and enable us to identify those conformations we should be looking at."

To test the structural conformation map technique, co-author Budworth, a member of McMurray's research group, prepared samples of a protein known as MutS?, an inviting chemotherapeutic target because of its ability to remove problematic DNA that can lead to cancer and other genetic mutations.

"MutS? is a heterodimer whose two macromolecules undergo an ordered series of nucleotide-dependent steps to initiate DNA repair," Budworth says. "Each discrete nucleotide-bound state is a conformational state decision point that primes the next pathway step. A mechanistic understanding of these steps is crucial to learning how cells avoid mutation."

Says McMurray, "Initially this was a very big puzzle because MutS? had no crystal structure, nor could we take a look at any one conformational state and say this is good or this is bad. The structural conformation maps allowed us to characterize the different conformational states individually and then compare them to one another. We discovered that DNA has surprisingly little impact on MutS? conformational structures, a fact that was not evident from biochemical measurements, but obvious when examining the maps."

From the SAXS imaging and structural conformation map analysis, McMurray and her group believe that DNA is sculpted to the protein conformation and that nucleotide-binding drives MutS? conformational changes. This, they say, holds implications for future cancer therapies.

The MutS? samples were subjected to SAXS at the SIBYLS beamline of Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, a synchrotron that generates premier beams of X-ray and ultraviolet light for scientific research. The acronym SIBYLS stands for Structurally Integrated Biology for Life Sciences. The beamline is maintained by Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division under the direction of corresponding author Tainer.

Says Tainer, "The structural comparison map technique is a big step forward in the development of tools that will help biologists use the full potential of the awesome throughput we expect to achieve with the next generation of light sources."

This research was supported by funds from the DOE Office of Science and from the National Institutes of Health.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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

Journal Reference:

Greg L Hura, Helen Budworth, Kevin N Dyer, Robert P Rambo, Michal Hammel, Cynthia T McMurray, John A Tainer. Comprehensive macromolecular conformations mapped by quantitative SAXS analyses. Nature Methods, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2453

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/top_news/top_environment/~3/_XQpz2Ub8Bw/130429130545.htm

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Helen Mirren reigns at London's Olivier awards

LONDON (AP) ? Helen Mirren was crowned queen of the London stage at the Olivier Awards Sunday, while compelling, canine-titled teen drama "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" emerged as best in show with seven trophies.

Mirren, 67, was a popular and expected best actress choice for her regal yet vulnerable Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience," Peter Morgan's behind-palace-doors drama about the relationship between Britain's queen and its prime ministers.

The actress, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for playing Britain's monarch in "The Queen," quipped that it was 87-year-old Elizabeth who deserved an award, "for the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th century, and probably the 21st century."

Backstage, it turned out she wasn't kidding. Mirren, who has been Olivier-nominated three times before, said that finally winning "doesn't mean that I was the best actor. There were so many incredible performances out there."

"I was making a joke about the queen winning, but I think actually it is a reflection of the kind of respect the queen is held in," she said.

Her "Audience" co-star, Richard McCabe, who won the supporting actor trophy for playing 1960s and 70s Prime Minister Harold Wilson, said Mirren was a joy to work with.

"It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless, and she is," he said.

While the queen herself hasn't been to see the Stephen Daldry-directed show ? rumored to be Broadway-bound ? McCabe said "a lot of people in the royal household have been coming in and watching incognito, and they must be reporting back."

The surprise of the awards ceremony at London's Royal Opera House was "Curious Incident," an adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling young-adult novel about a teenage math prodigy with Asperger's Syndrome who sets out to find the killer of his neighbor's dog, with destabilizing results.

The show, which premiered at the state-subsidized National Theatre last year before transferring to a commercial West End playhouse, has won praise for its creative use of movement and technology to make the leap from page to stage.

The Simon Stephens-scripted drama was named best new play, and 28-year-old Luke Treadaway was crowned best actor, beating a strong list of contenders including Rupert Everett, Mark Rylance and James McAvoy.

Treadaway said the "Curious" company knew they had created "something really special" with the show about a teenager "who sees the world differently to a lot of people."

"I think people could kind of see themselves in him," Treadaway said.

"This is not even necessary," he said, holding his trophy, a bust of the late actor Laurence Olivier. "I enjoy doing it so much anyway."

The play also won prizes for director Marianne Elliott and supporting actress Nicola Walker, as well as for set, lighting and sound.

Walker said the play had, through some "magic," succeeded in creating an onstage world as seen through the eyes of a teenage hero with autism.

"You start out thinking (it) is completely different to our world, and you end up thinking 'No, there are parts of this world I understand.'"

The Olivier awards honor achievements in London plays, musicals, dance and opera. Winners in most categories are chosen by a panel of stage professionals and theatergoers.

Founded in 1976, the Oliviers have been laying on the glitz in recent years, with glossy ceremonies modeled on Broadway's Tony Awards.

"Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville and West End star Sheridan Smith ? an Olivier winner in 2011 and 2012 ? hosted a sparky ceremony that included performances by "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, Tony-winning "Wicked" diva Idina Menzel and 60s songstress Petula Clark.

The best new musical category had a retro feel, with the trophy going to "Top Hat" ? a tap-dancing, tail-coated homage to Hollywood's Golden Age based on the 1935 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie. It also won awards for costume design and choreography.

Blood-soaked musical "Sweeney Todd" took the prize for best musical revival, with its stars Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball named best actress and actor in a musical.

"I'm not sure I deserve this," Ball said. "But I've also got sciatica, and I don't deserve that either."

Royal Ballet principal dancer Marianela Nunez took the prize for outstanding achievement in dance, while the same company's "Aeternum" was named best new dance production.

An immersive staging of the Philip Glass opera "Einstein on the Beach" at London's Barbican Centre was named best new opera production. American tenor Bryan Hymel won the outstanding achievement in opera prize for performances at the Royal Opera House.

Special achievement awards went to choreographer Gillian Lynne ? best known for her work on Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals including "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera" ? and playwright Michael Frayn, whose classic backstage farce "Noises Off" is still going strong 30 years after its debut.

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Online: http://www.olivierawards.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/helen-mirren-reigns-londons-olivier-awards-204835864.html

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Taliban vow suicide and 'insider' attacks in new spring offensive

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban in Afghanistan vowed on Saturday to start a new campaign of mass suicide attacks on foreign military bases and diplomatic areas, as well as damaging "insider attacks", as part of a new spring offensive this year.

The offensive was announced via emails from Taliban spokesmen. The Islamist group has made similar announcements in recent years, which have sometimes been followed by spikes in violence after Afghanistan's harsh winter months.

The announcement of more mass suicide and insider attacks will likely be greeted with concern by the NATO-led military coalition, which is in the final stages of a fight against the Taliban-led insurgency that began in late 2001.

However, there was no immediate reaction to the Taliban's statement from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

After announcing their spring offensive last year, the Taliban launched a large attack in Kabul involving suicide bombers and an 18-hour firefight targeting Western embassies, ISAF headquarters and the Afghan parliament.

The start of the traditional "fighting season" is particularly important this year, with ISAF increasing the rate at which it hands security responsibility to Afghan forces before the withdrawal of most foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The Taliban statement said this year's offensive, named after Khalid bin Waleed, one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Mohammad, will involve "special military tactics" similar to those carried out previously.

"Collective martyrdom operations on bases of foreign invaders, their diplomatic centers and military airbases will be even further structured while every possible tactic will be utilized in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors," the statement said.

Insider attacks, also known as "green on blue" attacks, involve Afghan police or soldiers turning their guns on their ISAF trainers and counterparts. They have grown considerably since last year and have strained relations between Kabul and foreign forces.

However, there is considerable debate over how many can be attributed to infiltration by insurgents and how many are by disgruntled members of the Afghan security forces.

Last August, then ISAF commander, U.S. General John Allen, said about a quarter of such attacks involved the Taliban.

The spring offensive was coordinated to begin on April 28 to coincide with a national holiday to mark the overthrow of the Soviet-backed government of Mohammad Najibullah in 1992, the statement said.

(This story corrects date of offensive in last paragraph to April 28, not May 28, removes reference to Islamic calendar)

(Reporting by Dylan Welch and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-vow-suicide-insider-attacks-spring-offensive-071938216.html

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Two bizarre endings mar UFC 159 prelims

The UFC debut of two Strikeforce light heavyweights was spoiled by a odd ending. Ovince St-Preux beat Gian Villante in a majority technical decision after the fight was stopped because of a poke to the eye.

After a back-and-forth, but not entirely thrilling bout, St-Preux threw a punch and accidentally poked Villante in the eye. Villante stepped back and crouched down, indicating to referee Kevin Mulhall that there was a problem with the eye. Mulhall asked Villante if he could see, and Villante said no, he couldn't see.

At that point, Mulhall waved his arms and the fight was stopped. Villante protested, but the fight was over. Because the round had started, it had to be judged. The scores were 30-28, 29-28 and 29-29 in St-Preux's favor.

?I couldn?t see. He did poke me in the eye so I don?t know," Villante said after the fight. "He said the fight was over and I didn?t expect that because I was just reacting to his question. I got poked and my eye was closed up so I thought he would stop it but he didn?t, he just kind of looked at me. I don?t understand how you score thirty seconds of a round and that?s how I lost? We were just getting going and I got poked in the eye. I don?t know what to say.?

Mulhall's stoppage adhered to the eyepoke rule, if not literally, then in spirit. When a fighter says he can't see, the fight is stopped. However, Mulhall could have used better communication and followed procedures. It would have been better if he explained to Villante that he didn't have time to recover and that the fight would be stopped if he said he couldn't see.

UFC 159's weird streak continued in the very next bout. Rustam Khabilov and Yancy Medeiros' fight was stopped halfway through the first round. Medeiros defended a Khabilov takedown attempt, but hit his hand awkwardly. His thumb ended up pointing a way thumbs are not supposed to point and the bout was stopped at 2:32 of the first round.

Two weird endings marred the preliminary card, but the UFC rarely lets a weird ending go. Quite often, these fights get a rematch, so don't be shocked if you see these fights happen again on a card this summer.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/two-bizarre-endings-mar-ufc-159-prelims-020815615.html

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Why mom of alleged Boston bombers buys conspiracy theories

Despite a reported confession by one of the suspects, the parents of the two alleged Boston Marathon bombers say their sons are innocent.

"I am sure that my kids were not involved in anything," said a tearful Zubeidat Tsarnaeva at a press conference in Russia on April 25. Tsarnaeva maintains that her sons have been set up, and has also suggested that the bombing might have been staged.

Regardless of the legal outcome of the case, such denial is not uncommon in the families of killers, experts say, though plenty of killers? family members are also well aware of their relatives? capability to kill. [Understanding the 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

"In some cases, they deny the participation of their kids; in other cases, they say they were surprised," said Dean Alexander, director of the Homeland Security Research Program at Western Illinois University and a researcher of terrorists' family ties. "In other cases, they condemn."

Psychologists say the Tsarnaevs' reactions may also stem from circumstances unique to the case ? for instance, the family's history in the volatile Caucasus region, the parents' distance from the bombing and other personal factors.

Family dynamics

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was charged on April 22 for his role in setting off two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three and injuring hundreds. Also allegedly involved was Tsarnaev's 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, who died after an overnight shoot-out with police on April 18.

After the FBI released photos of the suspects, the two brothers allegedly hijacked a car, leading police on a chase during which the alleged bombers threw improvised explosive devices. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, along with an MIT police officer, was killed in the subsequent shoot-out, but Dzhokhar Tsarnaev escaped.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was later arrested after being found wounded and hiding in a stored boat in Watertown, Mass. Authorities said that when Tsarnaev was questioned, he confessed to the bombings.

While the Tsarnaev parents have maintained their sons are innocent, other family members see the situation differently ? illustrating how variable reactions can be. The Tsarnaev brothers' uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who had not spoken with the brothers since 2010, called the men "losers." According to Tsarni, Tamerlan Tsarnaev began adopting radical Islamist ideas and then influenced his younger brother.

"Dzhokhar is being used by his older brother. [Tamerlan] used him as his ? not even accomplice ? as some kind of instrument," Tsarni told CNN.

But very little research has focused on how families respond when a loved one goes bad, or why some family members may have more trouble than others accepting a perpetrator's involvement.

"There's a lot of literature on the effects of parental incarceration, for example, on children, but there isn't the opposite," said Priscilla Dass-Brailsford, a trauma psychologist at Georgetown University Medical Center.

For parents, acceptance can be the hardest. Ten years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School, the mother of shooter Dylan Klebold wrote an essay in O magazine describing what it was like to find out her son was one of the killers.

"It took about six months for the sheriff's department to begin sharing some of the evidence explaining what happened that day. For those six months, Dylan's friends and family were in denial," Susan Klebold wrote in the essay. "We didn't know that he and [fellow Columbine shooter] Eric [Harris] had assembled an arsenal of explosives and guns. We believed his participation in the massacre was accidental or that he had been coerced. We believed that he did not intend to hurt anyone."

As she came to terms with how wrong she and her family had been, Klebold was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. She second-guessed every parenting choice, even questioning whether she should have told her son she was proud of him, fearing those words made him feel pressured. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids]

"It was impossible to believe that someone I had raised could cause so much suffering," she wrote.

Shock and denial

The Klebolds stayed quiet and isolated after the Columbine shooting, whereas the Tsarnaev parents have been outspoken, participating in press conferences and speaking to the media.

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva has even gone so far as to entertain conspiracy theories about the bombing, saying she's seen theories that the blood shown at the scene near the Boston Marathon finish line was actually red paint.

Much is still unknown about the Tsarnaev family, Dass-Brailsford told LiveScience, but the media interactions suggest defensiveness and denial.?

"When you think about a mother with one child in the hospital and the other dead in the morgue, she's just lost two children. That's the place I go to as a trauma psychologist," Dass-Brailsford said. "She's just lost two children. The only way she can cope with it is by denial."

The family's history may also contribute, Dass-Brailsford said. Father Anzor Tsarnaev is Chechen, and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva is Avar, both minorities in the conflict-torn Caucasus region of Eastern Europe. Oppressed people tend to be suspicious of government authority, Dass-Brailsford said, which could explain some of the Tsarnaevs' skepticism about the bombing.

Another unusual aspect of the case is the parents? extreme distance from the site of the bombings, said Nancy Berns, a sociologist at Drake University in Iowa who has researched grief. Being in Russia, so far away, could make it easier to remain in denial, Berns told LiveScience.

The media attention likely isn?t helping, either. Loved ones of victims or perpetrators of violent deaths often lack the luxury to grieve in private, Berns said.

"They're often having to try and make sense of it in the public eye, through interviews, through people asking them questions," she said. "I am hearing that process unfold for them."

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter?and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook?& Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-mom-alleged-boston-bombers-buys-conspiracy-theories-113004676.html

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Service sector helping UK out of recession - Business News - News ...

THE return to growth is welcome news for the North East where a buoyant service sector is helping to pull the UK out of recession, business leaders have said.

The UK has avoided a triple-dip recession after the economy grew by 0.3% at the start of the year, official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

According to the ONS, the powerhouse services sector grew by 0.6% in the first quarter, spurred by 1.1% growth in the wholesale and retail distribution, hotels and restaurant trades sector.

There was a strong boost from the transport, storage and communications sector, which saw growth of 1.4% and demand for electricity and gas saw output from the energy supply sector rise 0.5%.

Sales in the retail sector fell in January and March but a strong February helped it notch up growth of 0.3% overall in the quarter.

Despite growth fears over the strength of the recovery, with the key sector of construction plunging by 2.5% in the first quarter.

Production and manufacturing inched up 0.2% higher during the first quarter, but it remains down on the 2008 peak by 13.4%.

In the North East a brighter picture is starting to appear in the manufacturing and construction sectors.

North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) director of policy, Ross Smith, said: ?The service sector has grown reasonably strongly and construction has gone in the wrong direction and that?s broadly reflected in what we have seen here in the North East, but from what our members are saying manufacturing has done better than the ONS has estimated for the UK as a whole.

Smith continued: ?On construction, it?s the sector probably having the biggest challenges over the last two to three years, so that?s not a great surprise to see it?s the weak end of the economy.

?But we have members in construction that are beginning to turn the corner, particularly in gaining work outside the North East, but they are still having to fight hard.

?In the service sector, broadly speaking, in the two years previous to this a lot of companies were either standing still or cutting back.

?We have seen plenty of businesses who have just started to dip their toe into recruitment and are beginning to see things turn around.

?Locally we have Phusion who have shown they are able to successfully export their software products, and if you look at Utilitywise in South Tyneside, they have grown rapidly by tapping into what is a big issue for businesses.?

Sarah Green, director of CBI North East, said: ?These figures are to be welcomed and confirm our view that 2013 will see real growth. The general sentiment among our members in the North East remains upbeat, despite the challenging economic environment and disappointing recent unemployment figures.

?What the UK economy now needs to see in the coming months is a recovery in manufacturing output, helped by a brighter global outlook, and the North East has a critical role to play in that recovery.

?The Government must build on these emerging signs of confidence by getting behind our region?s entrepreneurs and exporters.?

The Government can build on today?s GDP figures by putting focus on the UK construction industry, according to bosses at one of the North of England?s leading housebuilders.

Paul Moore, managing director of Southdale, which has offices in Halifax, Darlington and Warrington, added: ?Even if construction had flat-lined over the course of the last 12 months, it would have pushed overall GDP up considerably.

?The positive effects of a successful construction industry are far reaching, particularly because the vast majority of the supply chain is domestic, meaning that each level puts taxes into the Treasury and creates and sustains UK jobs.?

Source: http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2013/04/26/service-sector-helping-uk-out-of-recession-51140-33238059/

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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Rare 1913 nickel fetches over $3.1M at auction

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (AP) ? A rare century-old U.S. nickel that was once mistakenly declared a fake and forgotten about for decades has sold at auction for more than $3.1 million.

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist. But it's all the more prized because of its unusual back story: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades and then declared the real deal.

It was offered up for sale Thursday by four Virginia siblings at a rare coin and currency auction in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg where it sold for well over the expected $2.5 million.

The winning bidders were two men from Lexington, Ky., and Panama City, Fla., who bought the coin in partnership, according to Heritage Auctions.

"Not only is it just one of only five known, genuine 1913-dated Liberty Head design nickels, this particular one was off the radar for decades until it literally came out of the closet after a nationwide search," said Heritage Auctions Vice President Todd Imhof.

The coin was struck at the Philadelphia mint in late 1912, the final year of its issue, but with the year 1913 cast on its face ? the same year the beloved Buffalo Head nickel was introduced.

A mint worker named Samuel W. Brown is suspected of producing the coin and altering the die to add the bogus date, according to Douglas Mudd, curator of the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Col., which has held the coin for most of the past 10 years.

The coins' existence wasn't known until Brown offered them for sale at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Chicago in 1920, beyond the statute of limitations. The five remained together as a set under various owners until 1942.

A North Carolina collector, George O. Walton, purchased one of the coins in the mid-1940s for a reported $3,750. The coin was with him when he was killed in a car crash on March 9, 1962, and it was found among hundreds of coins scattered at the crash site.

One of Walton's heirs, his sister, Melva Givens of Salem, Va., was given the 1913 Liberty nickel after experts declared the coin a fake because of suspicions the date had been altered. The flaw probably happened because of Brown's imprecise work casting the planchet ? the copper and nickel blank disc used to create the coin.

"She kept the nickel in a box with family items in the closet, and it stayed there for four decades," said Givens' son, Ryan Givens of Salem.

After his mother's death, the siblings brought the coin to the 2003 American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Baltimore, where the four surviving 1913 Liberty nickels were being exhibited. A team of rare coin experts concluded it was the long-missing fifth coin. Each shared a small imperfection under the date.

Since its authentication, the Walton nickel has been on loan to the Colorado Springs museum and has been publicly exhibited nationwide.

"This is one of the greatest coins at that price range," said one of the successful bidders, Jeff Garrett of Lexington, Ky.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rare-1913-nickel-fetches-over-3-1m-auction-132137444.html

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Confirmed: Central Banks Now Buying Stocks - Profit Confidential

Friday, April 26th, 2013
By Michael Lombardi, MBA for Profit Confidential

Central Banks Now Buying Stocks As of April 22, 67% of the companies in the key stock indices that reported their corporate earnings were able to beat earnings estimates, but only 44% of them were able to exceed the revenue expectations of Wall Street analysts. (Source: Reuters Alpha Now, April 22, 2013.)

Looking at all this, you have to ask: why are the key stock indices rising when the underlying reasons for their rise (corporate earnings and growth) are diminishing?

The key stock indices aren?t climbing because of fundamental reasons. The harsh reality is that the yields from other investments are too low, so investors are forced to take higher risks to earn a decent rate of return. Just look at the yields on bonds of stronger governments around the world?most are barely beating inflation.

Even the most conservative investors, central banks, are rushing toward the stock market. According to a survey done by Central Banking Publication and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC of 60 central banks, 23% of them said they either own equities or plan to purchase them in the future. (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, April 25, 2013.)

The central bank of Israel bought stocks for the first time last year. Similarly, the central bank of Switzerland and the Czech National bank have increased their stock holdings to at least 10% of their reserves.

The Japanese central bank has done the same. The Bank of Japan, the central bank with the second most reserves, expects to boost its holdings of equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to 3.5 trillion yen (about US$35.2 billion) by 2014.

Dear reader, central banks around the world usually hold safer asset classes in their reserves, such as gold, and government bonds, which they can sell in order to intervene in any major currency move (or to implement their monetary policy).

But since investment yields have collapsed in the global economy, central banks? reserves are in danger. Some central banks have actually seen the value of their reserves decline! For example, the central banks of Taiwan and Singapore saw a collective decline of US$1.0 billion in their assets in 2012.

Looking ahead, this is troublesome for the key stock indices. The reason: as the most conservative investors, central banks, move toward the stock market, even just a little downward movement in equity prices will cause losses in their reserves.

When everyone is rushing to buy stocks, it?s not a good sign.

Michael?s Personal Notes:

The fourth-biggest hub in the eurozone, Spain, is facing a severe economic slowdown. According to Spain?s National Statistics Institute in Madrid, the unemployment rate in the country has surpassed the 27% mark, with more than six million people jobless?the highest number since 1976. (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, April 25, 2013.)

Furthermore, the Bank of Spain reported that the Spanish economy contracted 0.5% in the first quarter of this year after witnessing a decline of 0.8% in the last quarter of 2012. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects this eurozone nation to contract 1.6% this year.

While Spain seems to be at the forefront of headlines about the eurozone, other nations like Portugal are witnessing a severe economic slowdown as well. The country has been experiencing a recession for three years, with its unemployment rate at a record high of 17%. (Source: Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2013.)

The situation in the eurozone is very critical; but if you look at the key stock indices, they do not portray this.

Even though Ford Motor Company (NYSE/F) was able to earn a profit in North America in the first quarter of 2013, its losses in Europe are piling up. The company posted a loss of $462 million in the first quarter in Europe, an increase of more than 210% compared to the same quarter of last year. (Source: Wright, R., ?Ford reveals deeper European losses,? Financial Times, April 24, 2013.)

Ford is just one example of how U.S.-based multinational companies can face severe losses in the eurozone as the economic slowdown continues to take its toll on Europe. Even with all the austerity measures and bailouts by the European Central Bank, the eurozone is deteriorating further.

More troublesome is the fact that strong eurozone nations are starting to show weaknesses. Take a look at the two biggest economies in the region: France and Germany. Their growth is anemic at best, and the economic slowdown in those countries seems to be strengthening.

As I have been harping on about in these pages over the past few months, the eurozone?s economic slowdown is far from over, and I expect it to continue for a long, long time. Eventually, just like Ford, U.S.-based companies, especially the 40% of them listed on the S&P 500 that have sales in the eurozone, will see their losses mount?and stock prices reflect as much.

What He Said:

?What group of stocks are next to fall in light of the softening U.S. housing market? The stocks of companies that sell retail products to the American consumer, I believe, are next on the hit list. Many retail stocks are already reporting soft sales. In my opinion, they haven?t seen anything yet in respect to weaker sales.? Michael Lombardi in Profit Confidential, August 30, 2006. According to the Dow Jones Retail Index, retail stocks fell 42% from the fall of 2006 through March 2009.

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Confirmed: Central Banks Now Buying Stocks, 10.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/economic-analysis/confirmed-central-banks-now-buying-stocks/

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Watching Supervillains Try to Find Dates Through Speed Dating Is Hilarious

Supervillains are so consumed with being evil and doing bad things against humanity and/or superheroes that they don't really have time to go dating. Sad, right? What should they do? Why go speed dating! World of Heroes imagined how supervillains like Darth Vader, Joker, Bane, Cobra Commander, Doctor Octopus and others would do on a speed dating run. I think I'd let Cobra Commander or Bane holler. Doctor Octopus is too creepy. [World of Heroes via The Awesomer] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Ssnx30C4jT8/watching-supervillains-try-to-find-dates-through-speed-dating-is-hilarious

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Friday, April 26, 2013

HTC Rezound finally gets global roaming, Jelly Bean nowhere to be seen

HTC Rezound

Numerous fixes and improvements are also included in build 4.05.605.14 710RD

No luck this time around for HTC Rezound users hoping to receive Jelly Bean, but the update still has a pretty cool feature nonetheless. As promised -- although not exactly timely -- the Rezound is finally getting Global Roaming Support. This enables roaming on networks previously inaccessible to the phone, which covers over 205 countries.

A couple pre-installed apps have gotten updates, while a handful of others have been removed. Mobile Hotspot and Visual Voicemail get bug fixes, and improvements were made to Skype, Backup Assistant, and overall data connectivity. Users that have been experiencing freezes and random reboots should see system stability improve as well.

There is no word yet on when the update rollout will begin. If notifications start popping up, let our other Rezound owners know in the comments. For the complete change log, check out the source link below.

Source: Verizon

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/rULb_vaFxLs/story01.htm

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The sun sends 2 CMEs toward Mercury

Public release date: 25-Apr-2013
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Contact: Susan Hendrix
Susan.m.hendrix@nasa.gov
301-286-7745
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

On the night of April 24 and the morning of April 25, 2013, the sun erupted with two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar phenomena that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space that can affect electronic systems in satellites. Experimental NASA research models show that the first CME began at 9:30 p.m. EDT on April 24. The second CME began at 5:24 a.m. EDT on April 25. Both left the sun traveling at about 500 miles per second and they are headed in the direction of planet Mercury.

While they are not Earth-directed, the CMEs may pass by NASA's Messenger and STEREO-A and their mission operators have been notified. There may be low levels of particle radiation associated with this event, which is what would normally concern operators of interplanetary spacecraft since the particles can trip computer electronics on board. When warranted, NASA operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from the solar material.

###

Updates will be provided as needed.
To see an animation of the flares: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News042513-cme.html

What is a CME?

For answers to these and other space weather questions, please visit the Spaceweather Frequently Asked Questions page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/spaceweather/index.html

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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.

The sun sends 2 CMEs toward Mercury Public release date: 25-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Susan Hendrix
Susan.m.hendrix@nasa.gov
301-286-7745
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

On the night of April 24 and the morning of April 25, 2013, the sun erupted with two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar phenomena that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space that can affect electronic systems in satellites. Experimental NASA research models show that the first CME began at 9:30 p.m. EDT on April 24. The second CME began at 5:24 a.m. EDT on April 25. Both left the sun traveling at about 500 miles per second and they are headed in the direction of planet Mercury.

While they are not Earth-directed, the CMEs may pass by NASA's Messenger and STEREO-A and their mission operators have been notified. There may be low levels of particle radiation associated with this event, which is what would normally concern operators of interplanetary spacecraft since the particles can trip computer electronics on board. When warranted, NASA operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from the solar material.

###

Updates will be provided as needed.
To see an animation of the flares: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News042513-cme.html

What is a CME?

For answers to these and other space weather questions, please visit the Spaceweather Frequently Asked Questions page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/spaceweather/index.html

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/nsfc-tss042513.php
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U.S. arms makers boost earnings, shares surge

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. weapons makers reported higher-than-expected profit and improved margins for the first quarter, even as revenue began to taper off after more than a decade of sharp growth in U.S. military spending.

Boeing Co's defense division, Northrop Grumman Corp and General Dynamics Corp on Wednesday followed the lead of Pentagon supplier Lockheed Martin Corp in reporting higher earnings and lower revenue.

Shares of the companies rose sharply on their financial results, with General Dynamics shares closing nearly 7 percent higher at $71.73 in what analysts said amounted to a strong vote of confidence in the firm's new chief executive, Phebe Novakovic.

Boeing shares closed 3 percent higher at $90.83, while Northrop shares gained 3.2 percent to close at $73.77. Lockheed shares, which saw big gains on Tuesday, edged up another 0.65 percent higher to close at $97.69.

Operating margins remained steady or improved across the sector, ranging from 10.3 percent to 12.4 percent, but executives warned that uncertainty about future military spending levels could weigh on revenue this year and next.

"Weaker revenues and strong earnings are typical of this point in the defense spending cycle. However, the erosion in revenues is probably a leading indicator of where earnings are headed," said defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute.

"Earnings eventually will erode as the impact of sequestration is fully felt," he said, referring to across-the-board federal spending cuts.

Northrop Grumman, which builds unmanned planes and other military equipment, said it was focused on executing programs, cash deployment and tweaking its portfolio as mandatory spending cuts known as sequestration start to take effect.

The company reported net earnings of $489 million, or $2.03 a share, compared with $506 million, or $1.96 a share a year earlier. Revenue dipped to $6.1 billion from $6.2 billion.

"Looking ahead, we recognize that we are operating in an uncertain and constrained budget environment," said Northrop Chief Executive Wes Bush.

Bush told analysts that he did not expect cancellation of any significant Northrop programs as a result of sequestration in fiscal 2013, but continuing uncertainty about future budget cuts could weigh on bookings this year.

Sales and bookings in the third and fourth quarters would help clarify the outlook for 2014, Bush said. "It is very likely this is going to negatively impact sales in 2014," he said. "To think that the sequester somehow dissipates and goes away and doesn't impact the future is putting your head in the sand."

Bush said a broader strategic review initiated by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and due to be completed next month would also help inform future budgets. He cited double-digit growth on programs in the cyber security arena.

Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall said his office was closely involved in Hagel's department-wide review.

Kendall on Wednesday unveiled plans to further improve the way the Defense Department buys arms, including new guidelines on profits on fixed-price contracts, but he insisted the Pentagon did not aim to cut into companies' margins.

"We're not after people's profits as a way to reduce costs," Kendall told reporters at the Pentagon. "We want to tie profit and performance together."

General Dynamics, which builds ships, tanks and Gulfstream business jets, reported slightly higher first-quarter earnings, far exceeding analysts' forecasts, but revenue fell short of expectations.

General Dynamics said net earnings rose to $571 million, or $1.62 per share, from $564 million or $1.57 per share, a year earlier. Revenue dipped to $7.4 billion from $7.58 billion.

Novakovic, who has carried out a series of management changes since taking over on January 1, said the company was focused on operations, cost improvement and cash generation.

"Going after overhead is critical to margin expansion in the down environment," she told analysts. She said General Dynamics would continue to reduce its workforce as needed in the current budget environment but declined to forecast any specific areas targeted for layoffs.

Boeing, the second-largest U.S. weapons maker, said its defense earnings rose 12 percent to $832 million, while revenue slipped 1 percent to $8.1 billion.

Boeing's operating margin remained the lowest among the companies that reported earnings this week, although it rose to 10.3 percent from 9 percent a year earlier.

Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney said Boeing expected growth in key areas such as space, unmanned systems, intelligent surveillance and reconnaissance, and cyber security. He said the company also expected expanding sales of its smaller commercial satellites.

(Editing by John Wallace and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-arms-makers-boost-earnings-shares-surge-221411743--finance.html

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Instant View: Amazon sustains growth, revenue up 22 percent

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc kept up a strong pace of growth in core retail and newer businesses like digital media, posting a 22 percent jump in revenue to $16.1 billion in the first quarter, while its earnings beat expectations.

Commentary:

KERRY RICE, ANALYST, NEEDHAM & CO

"Gross margin is definitely better than expected. That is something that investors are certainly keen on.

"Guidance was light, both top- and bottom-line. That certainly won't help the stock perform, although they have over the last several quarters exceeded expectations on the operating income side. So for the guidance, people are more concerned about revenue than operating income."

(Reporting By Malathi Nayak and Poornima Gupta)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/instant-view-amazon-sustains-growth-revenue-22-percent-202758794--finance.html

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Europe needs genetically engineered crops, scientists say