Breitling Releases The Emergency II, A Watch That Can Save You If You're Trapped On The Island

If trapped on a deserted island, you may want to spend months looking for the Pearl Station and figuring out the smoke monster, you could just pull the antenna out of the Breitling Emergency II and call in a rescue party. The original Emergency watch, designed in the 1990s, sent 121.5 MHz signal that could be heard by rescue craft within 100 miles of the watch. The new model also transmits at 406.04 MHz, a frequency that is now monitored by orbiting satellite. The watch can transmit for about 24 hours before the battery dies.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WaduMrO7y5U/

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EXCLUSIVE: Acclaimed Young Filmmaker Turns Cameras Toward ...

Jamie Reno, an award-winning correspondent for Newsweek for 20 years, has also written for The Daily Beast, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, People, Men?s Journal, ESPN, Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, Mother Jones, MSNBC, Newsmax, Entertainment Weekly, and USA Today. Reno, who?s won more than 95 writing awards, was the lead reporter on a Newsweek series on the 9/11 terrorist attacks that earned him and his colleagues the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, the highest award in magazine journalism. Reno is also an acclaimed author, singer-songwriter, advocate for cancer patients, and 16-year cancer survivor. He lives in San Diego with his wife, Gabriela, and their daughter, Mandy.

Source: http://therenodispatch.blogspot.com/2013/04/exclusive-acclaimed-young-filmmaker.html

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'Super-resolution' microscope possible for nanostructures

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Researchers have found a way to see synthetic nanostructures and molecules using a new type of super-resolution optical microscopy that does not require fluorescent dyes, representing a practical tool for biomedical and nanotechnology research.

"Super-resolution optical microscopy has opened a new window into the nanoscopic world," said Ji-Xin Cheng, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and chemistry at Purdue University.

Conventional optical microscopes can resolve objects no smaller than about 300 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, a restriction known as the "diffraction limit," which is defined as half the width of the wavelength of light being used to view the specimen. However, researchers want to view molecules such as proteins and lipids, as well as synthetic nanostructures like nanotubes, which are a few nanometers in diameter.

Such a capability could bring advances in a diverse range of disciplines, from medicine to nanoelectronics, Cheng said.

"The diffraction limit represents the fundamental limit of optical imaging resolution," Cheng said. "Stefan Hell at the Max Planck Institute and others have developed super-resolution imaging methods that require fluorescent labels. Here, we demonstrate a new scheme for breaking the diffraction limit in optical imaging of non-fluorescent species. Because it is label-free, the signal is directly from the object so that we can learn more about the nanostructure."

Findings are detailed in a research paper that appeared online Sunday (April 28) in the journal Nature Photonics.

The imaging system, called saturated transient absorption microscopy,or STAM,uses a trio of laser beams, including a doughnut-shaped laser beam that selectively illuminates some molecules but not others. Electrons in the atoms of illuminated molecules are kicked temporarily into a higher energy level and are said to be excited, while the others remain in their "ground state." Images are generated using a laser called a probe to compare the contrast between the excited and ground-state molecules.

The researchers demonstrated the technique, taking images of graphite "nanoplatelets" about 100 nanometers wide.

"It's a proof of concept and has great potential for the study of nanomaterials, both natural and synthetic," Cheng said.

The doughnut-shaped laser excitation technique, invented by researcher Stefan Hell, makes it possible to focus on yet smaller objects. Researchers hope to improve the imaging system to see objects about 10 nanometers in diameter, or about 30 times smaller than possible using conventional optical microscopes.

"We are not there yet, but a few schemes can be applied to further increase the resolution of our system," Cheng said.

The paper was co-authored by biomedical engineering doctoral student Pu Wang; research scientist Mikhail N. Slipchenko; mechanical engineering doctoral student James Mitchell; Chen Yang, an assistant professor of physical chemistry at Purdue; Eric O. Potma, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of California, Irvine; Xianfan Xu, Purdue's James J. and Carol L. Shuttleworth Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Cheng.

Future research may include work to use lasers with shorter wavelengths of light. Because the wavelengths are shorter, the doughnut hole is smaller, possibly allowing researchers to focus on smaller objects.

The work will be discussed during the third annual Spectroscopic Imaging: A New Window into the Unseen World workshop on May 23 and 24 at Purdue. The workshop is hosted by the university's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.

The research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Purdue University. The original article was written by Emil Venere.

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. Pu Wang, Mikhail N. Slipchenko, James Mitchell, Chen Yang, Eric O. Potma, Xianfan Xu, Ji-Xin Cheng. Far-field imaging of non-fluorescent species with subdiffraction resolution. Nature Photonics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.97

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/biochemistry/~3/xlpSc93rgl0/130429154221.htm

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The Secret Twitter Music Feature That Adds a Dash of Pandora

Twitter's stab at music streaming burst onto the scene a few weeks ago, in all its celebrity-stalking glory. But there's at least one feature that's still hiding behind the scenes: a Pandora-like "similar artists" option. And you can coax it out if you know the secret code.

Discovered by Tyler Hayes the feature can be unlocked with just a little URL tweaking. If you take your favorite artist's page it'll have a URL like "https://music.twitter.com/justinbieber" (JUST AN EXAMPLE). Now, if you add /instant to the end, you'll suddenly find yourself with a plethora of similar artists, just like you'd stumble across while listening through a Pandora station. But this way, you don't have to wait for them to come to you.

Presumably, this is ultimately going to come to Twitter Music in the form of a button or switch at some point, but in the meantime, it's a bit of hidden functionality that only the cool kids know about. And also all you guys now, I guess. KIDDING! I'M KIDDING. [Tyler Hayes via The Next Web]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-secret-twitter-music-feature-that-adds-a-dash-of-pa-484815295

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Yanks complete four-game sweep of Jays

By RONALD BLUM

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 4:34 p.m. ET April 28, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) - These no-name Yankees are making a name for themselves.

Brennan Boesch and Lyle Overbay homered on knuckleballs from R.A. Dickey, and New York rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Sunday for a four-game sweep.

Despite missing injured All-Stars Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, the Yankees are 14-5 following a 1-4 start.

"We felt like if we pitched well, we were going to get big contributions from somebody," said Phil Hughes, who pitched well but remained winless in five starts.

They just weren't sure which bodies following a run of injuries.

Boesch homered into the first row of the right-field seats in the second inning. After Toronto took a 2-1 lead on Adam Lind's RBI single in the fourth and Maicer Izturis' run-scoring double off the base of the right-field wall in the sixth, the Yankees overcame a deficit for the fourth straight day.

Overbay hit a two-run homer into the right field bullpen in the seventh inning that was caught on the fly by Yankees reliever David Robertson.

Boesch began the day 1 for 6 against Dickey and Overbay 1 for 14, with both hits singles.

Overbay has three home runs, one more than his total last season. He said then-teammate Matt Stairs changed his mindset on knuckleballers a few years ago.

"His approach was to just try to pull homers. Ever since I did that, I started hitting them a lot better," Overbay said. "You start trying to feel for it, and it ends up beating you. It's just a matter of taking a big, strong, aggressive hack."

New York's batting order included four players added just before or during spring training: Overbay at first base, Boesch in right field, Vernon Wells in left and Travis Hafner at designated hitter - a day after hitting a three-run homer and go-ahead triple. Other starters included Jayson Nix at third, Eduardo Nunez at shortstop and Chris Stewart behind the plate.

"It's a group that has something to prove in a sense, some guys that are older that had some down years or some injury plagued years. some younger guys that are trying to establish themselves," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You didn't know how the new guys were going to respond, number one. We knew they had been very good players before. We've seen very good players come to New York and take time to adjust. We've seen guys that have injury plagued seasons that continue to have them and you can't shake that. We felt that we were going to have to win a lot of close games."

New York is 9-1 in games decided by two runs or fewer. When spring training began, the Yankees had realized many predicted them to finish at or near last in the AL East.

"It's hard to not notice that. It's talked about so much. First meeting of spring training we talked about that," Hughes said.

"Guys around here have kind of learned to deal with a lot of negative stuff that kinds of swirls around," he said.

Without a win in his first five starts for the first time since 2008, Hughes allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings with a season-high nine strikeouts and one walk. Toronto ran up his pitch count, fouling off 25 of 111 offerings.

Boone Logan (1-1) pitched a one-hit seventh, Robertson threw a 1-2-3 eighth and Mariano Rivera finished with a perfect ninth for his ninth save in nine chances, extending his career record to 617.

Dickey (2-4) pitched in New York for the first time since getting his 20th win for the Mets last September. Dealt to Toronto after going 20-3 and winning the NL Cy Young Award, Dickey already has lost more games this year than in all of 2012.

The 38-year-old allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings, with four strikeouts and a walk. He's been slowed by soreness in his neck and back.

"If I have to battle it for a while, I'll battle it for a while until it goes away," he said. "It gets marginally better between starts. It's just that when I have to start it breaks down again."

Last-place Toronto (9-17) gave up just four hits but was swept in a four-game series in which it led every game for the first time since Sept. 19-21, 1995, at old Yankee Stadium. The Blue Jays were 4 for 24 with runners in scoring position in the series and struck out 37 times, including 13 Sunday.

A favorite to win the division after bulking up its roster, Toronto is eight games under .500 in April for the first time since 2004, according to STATS.

"You want me to go out there and hit or something?" manager John Gibbons said. "I couldn't hit when I played."

NOTES: Yankees 3B-1B Kevin Youkilis was sidelined by a bad back for the sixth time in seven games and will have an MRI Monday. ... Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale was ejected for arguing in the seventh when New York's Eduardo Nunez was slow to walk to the plate after Overbay's homer. The Yankees said Nunez had something in an eye. ... Yankees CF Brett Gardner was left out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. He entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Howard delivers in Chooch's return

CSN: Carlos Ruiz returned from a 25-game suspension and Ryan Howard hit a two-run, pinch hit double that gave the Phillies a 5-1 win over the Mets and complete a three-game sweep of New York.

Tulowitzki strains shoulder in Rockies' loss

PHOENIX (AP) - Gerardo Parra tripled and scored twice, and Josh Wilson had a run-scoring double to help lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51694803/ns/sports-baseball/

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LG Optimus F5 mid-range LTE smartphone hits France April 29, global dispersion to follow

LG's F-series handsets may not be in the same class an HTC One or GS4, but we can't help to appreciate the solid specs and LTE-goodness baked into these mid-range devices. Following a debut alongside its F7 sibling at MWC, the F5 will begin trickling out to retail April 29th in France. While there's no mention of US availability -- despite a recent leak pegging it for Verizon -- LG will also be soon be pushing it out to parts of Asia and Central / South America as well. Aimed at markets new to LTE, the smartphone packs a beefy 2,150mAh battery, five-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor and a 4.3-inch screen to display LG's skinned version of Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2. If you're curious to give LTE a go with LG, you'll find the full press release after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/vva-YXWy-Is/

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NBA vet Jason Collins is first openly gay player in U.S. sports

(Adds quotes from President Clinton)

April 29 (Reuters) - Jason Collins, a veteran center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), announced on Monday that he was gay, becoming the first active player from any of the U.S. professional sports leagues to publicly reveal his homosexuality.

Collins, who played with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards this season and is now a free agent, made the announcement in an interview with Sports Illustrated, published on Monday,

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation," he said.

"I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand," he added.

The 34-year-old has played for six teams in the NBA and reached the NBA finals twice and says he intends to continue in the sport.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton , whose daughter Chelsea was a classmate of Collins at Stanford university, issued a statement applauding Collins for coming out.

"Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community," Clinton said.

"It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities. For so many members of the LGBT community, these simple goals remain elusive.

"I hope that everyone, particularly Jason's colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned."

(Reporting by Simon Evans; editing by Julian Linden)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nba-collins-comes-first-openly-gay-player-u-154748772.html

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Dealing With Commercial Real Estate? Be Informed And Read ...

It takes time and hard work to make a go of commercial real estate. When done right, though, this form of investing can be very profitable. By carefully applying the advice in this article, it will help you to succeed.

Check all disclosures of the chosen real estate agent that you wish to work with. Remember that dual agency is also an option. In this type of transaction, a real estate agency acts on behalf of both parties involved in the deal. In other words, the agency represents the landlord and the tenant simultaneously. If this is the case, and the agent is a dual agent, this should be known to both parties and agreed to by both parties.

Single Type

TIP! Focus on a single investment each time. Regardless of whether your real estate investment is a office, apartment complex, or undeveloped commercial land, it is important to concentrate your efforts on only one investment.

If you are novice investor, you should start off with just one single type of investment. For example, concentrate your efforts on working with a single type of property. It is advisable to try to do a good job at one type of investment as opposed to being average on a lot of different types.

Before making a real estate purchase, sit down and talk with your tax adviser. Not only can your tax adviser help you determine the total cost of your potential investment, but he can provide you information about the taxes on your investment and advise you about deductions you may be entitled to. Have your adviser assist you in finding an area in which the taxes won?t be so high.

When you are diving into commercial real estate, you want a broker firm that maintains honesty. A good question to ask potential firms is how most of its money is made. An honest real estate firm will usually answer these questions with ease and may even provide documentation to some extent. Be certain you understand exactly which part of the firm?s transaction with you will be profitable for the firm.

TIP! Maintaining and cleaning commercial properties can be costly, but occasionally it is possible to save money. Typically you are only required to pay for the cleanup costs if you own a piece of the property.

Build an online presence for yourself prior to stepping into the commercial real estate world. Creating a LinkedIn profile is one good way to accomplish this; another approach would be to develop your own professional website. Try using SEO to help yourself place higher in the search results. People should be able to find your website by googling your name.

Real Estate

Watch out for sellers with the right kind of motivation. Sometimes you will find sellers who are willing and able to sell well below the market value. Until you find a deal in real estate by a very motivated seller, nothing in real estate can happen.

TIP! If you are considering a commercial real estate investment, think big! Managing five units might seem far less complicated than fifty, but the work that you put into financing and setting up lease agreements will be the same no matter how many units you manage. That many units still need commercial financing like the larger ones do, and the larger ones generally cost less for every unit.

Consider the features that your business requires prior to searching for commercial property. Determine what sort of office you will need to run your business. If you are planning growth for your company, you should invest in more space than what you need when the price is low, it will save you later down the line.

Find out how any firm you have under consideration defines success. Learn how they determine how much space is needed, the property selection criteria, the negotiation methods, and other details that can affect you. Understanding where they stand in regards to these things before you sign with this company will be a wise decision.

In order to make sure that you are in prime position to grab that perfect location, gather multiple business partners who are capable of contributing. Contracts should be devised that either provide you with a fixed rate of interest on the loan repayment, or provide them with a percentage of what you make from the property.

TIP! Find an appropriate lender before beginning your search for investments. Commercial property loans and the establishments that finance them are not the same as the world of residential home finance.

When diving into the world of commercial real estate, it is important to stay calm and be patient. Don?t jump into any investment without doing your research. If the property isn?t really what you want, you will regret your haste. It may take a year for your needed investment to come about in the market.

Commercial Real Estate

As the above article stated, purchasing commercial real estate can be extremely rewarding when it comes to making a profit. Pay close attention to the advice presented in this article to circumvent potential problems, and build a successful career in commercial real estate.

TIP! There are certain differences between commercial and residential property loans. One example is that commercial loans require you to pay a larger percentage for the down payment.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/dealing-with-commercial-real-estate-be-informed-and-read-these-tips-4

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Best Man Fatally Stabs Bride in North Carolina

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/best-man-fatally-stabs-bride-in-north-carolina/

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Intel's Haswell-powered 'North Cape' reappears, promises 10 hours of battery life in tablet-mode (hands-on)

We've just spotted a familiar friend at Intel's Innovation Future Showcase in London -- its Haswell-powered North Cape laptop / tablet hybrid. As a quick reminder, alongside that fourth-generation Intel Core processor there's a 13-inch 1080p display that detaches from the keyboard, and now we've been given a few important updates on the reference device, battery performance on Haswell and how Intel's reference design will transfer between tablet and Ultrabook mode. All that and more after the break.

Gallery: Intel 'North Cape' reference design hands-on

Filed under: Laptops, Intel

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/mdC0b4YSei4/

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Thermo Fisher profit tops Street view as Life deal awaits

(Reuters) - Laboratory equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, which this month agreed to acquire Life Technologies Inc, on Wednesday reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit, helped by a 10 percent rise in specialty diagnostics sales.

Excluding one-time items, Thermo Fisher posted earnings of $1.37 per share. Analysts on average expected $1.29 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The world's largest maker of laboratory equipment and scientific instruments reported a net profit from continuing operations of $340.8 million, or 94 cents per share, compared with a profit of $280.8 million, or 76 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company raised the low end of its full-year revenue view and lowered its 2013 earnings per share forecast to reflect its decision to suspend share buybacks as it prepares to pay for Life Tech.

Thermo Fisher now expects adjusted earnings of $5.27 to $5.39 per share, down from its prior view of $5.32 to $5.46 per share. It expects 2013 revenue of $12.84 billion to $13 billion. The low end of the previously announced range was $12.80 billion.

Analysts were looking for earnings of $5.40 per share and revenue of $12.96 billion.

Revenue for the quarter rose 4 percent to $3.19 billion, roughly in line with Wall Street estimates of $3.17 billion.

The $13.6 billion Life Tech acquisition, which will give Thermo Fisher a major presence in advanced genetic testing, is expected to close in early 2014.

Sales from the Analytical Technologies unit fell to $978 million from $980 million a year ago, possibly reflecting the impact of automatic U.S. budget cuts known as sequestration, which hurts academic and government research customers.

Specialty Diagnostics saw sales rise 10 percent to $806 million, while sales from the Laboratory Products and Services unit rose 5 percent to $1.54 billion.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thermo-fisher-profit-tops-street-view-life-deal-102845528--finance.html

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Global shares rise as weak data again backs ECB rate cut

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets rose on Wednesday on strong corporate earnings and speculation the European Central Bank will cut interest rates next week, while U.S. government debt edged up on safe-haven demand after unexpectedly weak economic data.

Wall Street closed little changed after the Commerce Department reported U.S. durable goods recorded their biggest drop in seven months in March, which tempered enthusiasm over what has so far been a relatively robust U.S. earnings season.

A gauge of planned business spending rose modestly, pointing to a slowdown in U.S. economic activity, which also weighed on U.S. equities and boosted the appeal of government debt.

Recent disappointing data in the United States, Europe and China has fueled bets of a spring global slowdown for a third straight year and forced central banks to take action.

"Poor economic data could lead to some enhanced action from central banks, which has been bullish for stocks and other risk assets" and limited a further decline in Treasury yields, said Mike Lorizio, head of Treasuries trading at Manulife Asset Management in Boston.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 43.16 points, or 0.29 percent, at 14,676.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 0.01 points, or 0.00 percent, at 1,578.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.32 points, or 0.01 percent, at 3,269.65.

The market is trapped in a trading range, leaving investors with the choice of betting on stimulus from the Federal Reserve or the poor economic outlook, said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland.

"Until we get a better news flow here and overseas, it will be hard to get more enthusiasm to drive the market higher," he said of the trend in the equity market.

"In this environment it is hard to justify paying this kind of premium for stocks and it is hard to see the catalyst for strong growth," McCain said.

European equities got a boost after Germany's Munich-based Ifo think-tank reported that business sentiment in the country fell in April for a second consecutive month, coming in below even the most pessimistic forecasts.

The news, which came a day after weak data on German business activity, initially weighed on the euro.

The Ifo report added to the view that the ECB is closer to lowering interest rates than at any time since its last rate cut in July 2012, and is likely to shave off a quarter-point at its policy meeting next week.

Global equity markets, as measured by MSCI's all-country world equity index, rose 0.58 percent to 363.16.

European shares rose for a fourth straight session of gains, boosted by corporate results. The FTSEurofirst 300 of top regional shares closed up 0.7 percent at 1,191.82.

British insurer Standard Life and Portuguese retailer Jeronimo Martins led gainers, surging 8.0 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, after announcing strong first-quarter numbers.

Analysts see U.S. earnings growth of 3.1 percent this quarter, up from expectations of 1.5 percent at the start of April.

Of the 174 companies in the S&P 500 index that already have reported results, 68.4 percent have beat analysts' expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data through Wednesday morning. Since 1994, 63 percent have surpassed estimates on average, while the beat rate is 67 percent over the past four quarters.

European shares extended gains in late trading as dovish comments by ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio fueled talk of a rate cut next week to stimulate the economy after the weak German data. Constancio said monetary policy "will continue to be accommodative.

"A rate cut is on the cards," said Ronnie Chopra, head of strategy at Tradenext.

U.S. crude rose on expectations a glut of crude at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub could ease and on a steep 3.9 million barrel drop in gasoline inventories last week.

Brent futures settled up $1.42 to $101.73 a barrel. U.S. crude futures gained $2.25 to settle at $91.43.

The euro initially edged lower against the dollar but held above a near three-week low as hopes that Italy can resolve its political gridlock were trumped by the weak German data, which fanned talk of an ECB rate cut.

The euro dropped to $1.2954, its lowest since April 5, before paring losses to trade slightly higher at $1.3015.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 2/32 in price to yield 1.6996 percent.

GRAPHICS:

U.S. durable goods: http://link.reuters.com/huq55t

Q1 results: EPS v revenue: http://link.reuters.com/bub45t

PMIs vs GDP: http://link.reuters.com/rud84s

(Reporting by Herbert Lash; editing by Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-shares-oil-rise-weak-data-backs-ecb-175220034--finance.html

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Patrick Hughes Directing Expendables 3

He may not have landed The Rock, and he still might be trying to get Jackie Chan on board, but Sylvester Stallone has announced the man who will attempt to wrangle the Expendables for their third time on screen: Red Hill director Patrick Hughes.

The Australian director, who got his start making shorts before segueing into the successful 2010 Western thriller, is Stallone?s choice to carry the mantle first shouldered by Rocky himself and then Simon West for last year?s sequel.

As for what the film will actually be about? Sly isn?t saying yet, though assuming they?re all available, it?ll round up regular cohorts such as Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and possibly Chuck Norris. And you can bet Sly?s been working the phones to lock in some other names besides trying to lure Chan.

According to the man himself, who is busy working on the script, he wants some fresh blood and more humour in the movie, but we?ll just be happy if it?s better than the first two.?

Meanwhile, as Sly suggests above, you can get a look at Hughes? short film Signs below. And after you do, you can check out our casting suggestions for the new Expendables here.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927323/news/1927323/

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Asia stocks up on US company earnings, home sales

BANGKOK (AP) ? An increase in new U.S. home sales and strong corporate earnings across a range of industries lifted investment sentiment in Asia, where most stock markets rose Wednesday.

Luxury handbag maker Coach, Lockheed Martin and DuPont reported results that were better than analysts expected. Netflix, which streams TV shows and movies over the Internet, announced profits that delighted investors. Meanwhile, the U.S. government reported that sales of new homes rose 1.5 percent in March, adding to evidence of a sustained housing recovery.

That offset results of a survey into manufacturing conditions among the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. The monthly purchasing managers' index fell to a 3-month low in April.

"Sentiment was upbeat yesterday as solid US earnings and new home sales data helped equities shrug off disappointing PMI data earlier in the day," Gary Yau at Credit Agricole CIB said in a commentary.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.8 percent to 13,772.98, trading above 13,700 for the first time in nearly five years. South Korea's Kospi rose 1 percent to 1,936.83. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.4 percent to 5,087.90.

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks also climbed on expectations that the central government might take action to boost the Chinese economy after recent data showed growth lagging in the world's No. 2 economy.

"Because the macroeconomic situation is still bad, we are expecting there might be some new policy coming out," said Linus Yip, strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 1.3 percent to 22,088.95. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7 percent to 2,199.41 and the Shenzhen Composite Index rose 1.3 percent to 935.07. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines also rose.

Among individual stocks, Japanese vehicle maker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. jumped more than 16 percent after raising its group net profit forecast for the year ending March 2013, Kyodo News reported.

On Wall Street, corporate earnings propelled all three major indexes higher. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 1.1 percent, to close at 14,719.46. The S&P 500 index rose 1 percent to 1,578.78. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.1 percent to 3,269.33.

Later Wednesday in the U.S., consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, drug maker Eli Lilly and Boeing will release earnings. United Parcel Service, Exxon Mobil and Amazon are among the corporations that will do so on Thursday.

Benchmark oil for June delivery was up 42 cents to $89.60 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 1 cent to close at $89.18 a barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2997 from $1.2991 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar fell to 99.39 yen from 99.44 yen.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stocks-us-company-earnings-home-sales-051333740--finance.html

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Futurity.org ? How to tame 'triple negative' breast cancer

When given in higher doses, tamoxifen shows promise for women with basal-like breast cancer, sometimes known as triple-negative disease, a subtype that has a poor prognosis because it is notoriously resistance to treatment. (Credit: iStockphoto)

U. ROCHESTER (US) ? Scientists have discovered how to exploit tamoxifen?s secondary activities to treat more aggressive breast cancers.

Tamoxifen is a time-honored breast cancer drug used to treat millions of women with early-stage and less-aggressive disease.

Published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, the research is a promising development for women with basal-like breast cancer, sometimes known as triple-negative disease?a subtype with a poor prognosis because it is notoriously resistant to treatment.

In fact, basal-like cancers lack the three most common breast cancer biomarkers?the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and theHer2/neu receptor?and and without these receptors, the usual front-line treatments are not effective.

Until recently, tamoxifen was known primarily for its ability to block estrogen receptors on the outside of cancer cells. But new studies have suggested that when tamoxifen is given in higher doses, it works through a second mechanism of action independent of the estrogen receptor.

Led by doctoral student Hsing-Yu Chen and Mark Noble, professor of biomedical genetics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, researchers studied the molecular mechanism that allows basal-like breast cancer cells to escape the secondary effects of tamoxifen, and discovered that two proteins are critical in this escape. One protein, called c-Cbl, controls the levels of multiple receptors that are critical for cancer cell function. A second protein, Cdc42, can inhibit c-Cbl and is responsible for the tumor?s underlying resistance.

The team also discovered that targeting Cdc42, and thus inhibiting the inhibitor, with an experimental drug compound known as ML141 restored c-Cbl?s normal function. Through additional work in animal models and in human cell cultures, the team demonstrated that when ML141 is paired with tamoxifen, it enhances the ability of tamoxifen to induce cancer cell death and suppress the growth of new cancer cells. Neither drug alone had the same effect on basal-like breast cells.

Noble believes there is considerable value to targeting Cdc42, because elevated levels of the protein have been observed in multiple types of cancer. (In this context, scientists are also studying the potential for tamoxifen as a therapy for other cancers.)

The powerful ML141-tamoxifen drug combination looks like it has two more important features: It selectively targets cancer cells while sparing normal, healthy cells; and it appears to cripple cancer stem cells, the primitive cells responsible for initiating new tumors and for fueling the bulk of the tumor cell population.

?Our work is very exciting because our approach simultaneously addresses two of the most critical challenges in cancer research?to increase the utility of existing therapies and to discover new vulnerabilities of cancer cells,? Noble says.

?Based on these discoveries, we are already pushing forward with new compounds and with new approaches that might make clinical translation of this discovery much more rapid than would occur with traditional drug-discovery approaches.?

The National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the US Department of Defense, and the New York State NYSTEM initiative funded the research.

Source: University of Rochester

Source: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/how-to-tame-triple-negative-breast-cancer/

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'Vanilla Ice Goes Amish' to debut on DIY this year

NEW YORK (AP) ? The DIY television network is proving a comfortable home for rappers turned renovators.

"Vanilla Ice Goes Amish" will debut on the network this year. Network executive Burton Jablin says the former rap star will live with an Amish community in Ohio to learn how they do construction. Vanilla Ice already has a renovation series on the network that will return for its fourth season this fall.

Reverend Run of Run DMC will have a series next year starring with his wife and three children as they renovate their home.

Keeping with the music theme, DIY will also feature Daryl Hall next year as he renovates a farmhouse in Connecticut.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vanilla-ice-goes-amish-debut-diy-183523526.html

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Report: Richest 7% got richer during recovery

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The richest Americans got richer during the first two years of the economic recovery while average net worth declined for the other 93 percent of U.S. households, says a report released Tuesday.

The upper 7 percent of households owned 63 percent of the nation's total household wealth in 2011, up from 56 percent in 2009, said the report from the Pew Research Center, which analyzed new Census Bureau data released last month.

The main reason for the widening wealth gap is that affluent households typically own stocks and other financial holdings that increased in value, while the less wealthy tend to have more of their assets in their homes, which haven't rebounded from the plunge in home values, the report said.

Tuesday's report is the latest to point up financial inequality that has been growing among Americans for decades, a development that helped fuel the Occupy Wall Street protests.

A September Census Bureau report on income found that the highest-earning 20 percent of households earned more than half of all income the previous year, the biggest share in records kept since 1967. A 2011 Congressional Budget Office report said incomes for the richest 1 percent soared 275 percent between 1979 and 2007 while increasing just under 40 percent for the middle 60 percent of Americans.

Other details of Tuesday's new report:

?Overall, the wealth of American households rose by $5 trillion, or 14 percent, during the period to $40.2 trillion in 2011 from $35.2 trillion in 2009. Household wealth is the sum of all assets such as a home, car and stocks, minus the sum of all debts.

?The average net worth of households in the upper 7 percent of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28 percent, while that of households in the lower 93 percent dropped by 4 percent. That is, the mean wealth of the 8 million households in the more affluent group rose to an estimated $3.2 million from an estimated $2.5 million while that of the 111 million households in the less affluent group fell to roughly $134,000 from $140,000.

?The upper 7 percent were the households with a net worth above $836,033 and the 93 percent represented households whose worth was at or below that. Not all households among the 93 percent saw a decline in net worth, but the average amount declined for that group.

?On an individual household basis, the average wealth of households in the more affluent group was almost 24 times that of those in the less affluent group in 2011. At the start of the recovery in 2009, that ratio was less than 18 to 1.

?During the study period, Standard & Poor's 500 stock index rose by 34 percent, while the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index for home prices fell by 5 percent.

___

Online:

Pew Research Center: www.pewresearch.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-richest-7-got-richer-during-recovery-160138767--finance.html

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How Mexico City fixed its air pollution problem

Mexico City was once known for its smoggy landscape with industrial eyesores such as the 18 de Marzo Refinery spewing ozone-forming emissions such as sulfur dioxide. The cloud of contaminants hanging over the capital played into an apocalyptic reputation for pollution, crime, and overpopulation; and it fueled urban myths, like the one about birds dropping dead mid-flight because of the poor air quality.

But the refinery ? named for the day Mexico expropriated its oil industry ? was ordered closed in 1991, and converted into a park commemorating the country's 2010 bicentennial. It is but one example of industry exiting Mexico City and the steps taken to improve air quality over the past two decades in this megalopolis of more than 20 million people.

With urbanization advancing, economies expanding, and climate change a concern, Mexico City has emerged as an unlikely environmental example for cities in developing countries suffering similar air quality issues.

Mexico City recorded only eight days with air quality considered "good" in 1992. That compares with 248 "good" air days in 2012, reflecting the success of initiatives to relocate industry, kick clunkers off the capital's streets, encourage cleaner technologies, and expand public transit and cycling options.

"Mexico City is still perceived as one of the most contaminated [cities] in the world, but nowadays there are cities ... that have worse contamination," says Roberto Mu?oz, a biologist teaching at the Ibero-American University.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Mexico? Take our quiz.

Closing the refinery was among the first actions in cleaning up the capital as industries either invested in new technologies, ceased operations, or moved to other states.

The state oil company Pemex started selling lower-sulfur and unleaded gasoline, while a program known as "Hoy no Circula," or "No driving today," forced motorists off the road one day a week. Vehicles also had to undergo emissions tests.

Slowly but surely air quality improved here in spite of obstacles such as unfavorable geography, which keeps contamination in the Valle de M?xico ? the high-altitude valley containing Mexico City and the surrounding state of Mexico.

Left-wing administrations led by Mayors Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador and Marcelo Ebrard between 2000 and 2012 in the Federal District ? home to about 9 million residents; another 11 million live in municipalities in the state of Mexico ? took policies that targeted pollution even further.

The Mexico City government opened dedicated lanes for a public transport system known as Metrobus, built a new subway line, and launched a bicycle-sharing service, which was expanded after waits for new memberships reached six weeks. Mexico City is home to more than 4 million vehicles, and still faces notorious traffic problems, but this year it received the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy's Sustainable Transport Award.

Levels of ozone have dropped drastically, Mr. Mu?oz says, although the levels of particulate matter pollution ? tiny particles that can cause heart and lung problems ? remain a concern.

"The problem with contamination is [it's mostly] coming from vehicular sources" in Mexico City, Mu?oz says.

Cars are big contributors to air pollution in other parts of the country as well, where poor public policy is contributing to deteriorating air quality, says Gabriela Alarc?n, director of urban development studies at the think tank Mexican Institute for Competitiveness.

A glut of imported vehicles ? many illegal and older models ? have entered the country over the past 10 years and the federal government has spent more than $50 billion on gasoline and diesel subsidies since 2008, which has encouraged more private vehicle use across Mexico, Ms. Alarc?n says.

Government housing programs over that same time frame gave rise to far-off exurbs, creating lengthy commutes, adds Guillermo Velasco Rodr?guez, director of planning and projects for the Centro Mario Molina. Mr. Rodr?quez acknowledges the improvement in air pollution in Mexico City but cautions against prematurely celebrating.

"It sounds good if you compare it to 1992," he says, "but it's not [yet] what we want."

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Mexico? Take our quiz.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/model-megacities-mexico-city-cleans-air-145300765.html

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Feds delay policy to allow small knives on planes

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Airline passengers will have to leave their knives at home after all. And their bats and golf clubs.

A policy change scheduled to go into effect this week that would have allowed passengers to carry small knives, bats and other sports equipment onto airliners will be delayed, federal officials said Monday.

The delay is necessary to accommodate feedback from an advisory committee made up of aviation industry, consumer, and law enforcement officials, the Transportation Security Administration said in a brief statement. The statement said the delay is temporary, but gave no indication how long it might be.

TSA Administrator John Pistole proposed the policy change last month, saying it would free up the agency to concentrate on protecting against greater threats. TSA screeners confiscate about 2,000 small folding knives from passengers every day.

The proposal immediately drew fierce opposition from flight attendant unions and federal air marshals, who said the knives can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong passengers. Some airlines and members of Congress also urged TSA to reconsider its position.

The delay announced by TSA doesn't go far enough, a coalition of unions representing 90,000 flight attendants nationwide said Monday.

"All knives should be banned from planes permanently," the group said in a statement.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who opposed the policy, said TSA's decision is an admission "that permitting knives on planes is a bad idea." He also called for a permanent ban.

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., another opponent, said he will continue to push TSA to drop the proposal entirely.

"People with radical ideas can use everyday objects to cause great harm," Markey said. "If there is an opportunity to decrease risks to Americans, we have a duty to protect our citizens and disallow knives from being taken onto planes."

The proposed policy would have permitted folding knives with blades that are 2.36 inches (6 centimeters) or less in length and are less than 1/2-inch (1-centimeter) wide. The policy was aimed at allowing passengers to carry pen knives, corkscrews with small blades and other small knives.

Passengers also would have been be allowed to bring onboard as part of their carry-on luggage novelty-sized baseball bats less than 24 inches long, toy plastic bats, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and two golf clubs, the agency said.

Security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, already call for passengers to be able to carry those items. Those standards are non-binding, but many countries follow them.

The proposal didn't affect box cutters, razor blades and knives that don't fold or that have molded grip handles, which are prohibited.

Passengers were prohibited from carrying the small knives onboard planes after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Some of the terrorists in those attacks used box cutters to intimidate passengers and airline crew members.

It's unlikely in these days of hardened cockpit doors and other preventative measures that the small folding knives could be used by terrorists to take over a plane, Pistole told Congress last month.

There has been a gradual easing of some of the security measures applied to passengers after the 9/11 attacks. In 2005, the TSA changed its policies to allow passengers to carry on airplanes small scissors, knitting needles, tweezers, nail clippers and up to four books of matches. The move came as the agency turned its focus toward keeping explosives off planes, because intelligence officials believed that was the greatest threat to commercial aviation.

And in September 2011, the TSA no longer required children 12 years old and under to remove their shoes at airport checkpoints. The agency recently issued new guidelines for travelers 75 and older so they can avoid removing shoes and light jackets when they go through airport security checkpoints.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-delay-policy-allow-small-knives-planes-000334255.html

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TDK ST750

TDK continues to bring quality headphone?options to the world, the latest being the intriguing TDK ST750. Its alluring leather and metallic design houses a unique feature?an internal, battery-driven amplifier that makes the audio performance louder and more bass-heavy when powered-up. The $249.95 (list) headphones also work in passive mode, but in both modes, the audio leans toward a brighter, crisper sound that should appeal to purists more so than bass fiends.

Design
The ST750 sports a refined look, with black leather lining the headband and the edges of the earcups. The heavily cushioned black earpads and underside of the headband make for a very comfortable, lightweight fit, even over longer listening sessions. Each side incorporates the TDK logo on a brushed metallic surface. Inside the circumaural (around-the-ear) earcups, 40mm dynamic drivers bring intense audio when the power switch on the right earcup is on. The right side also houses the battery compartment?the ST750 requires two AAA batteries for powered operation.

Unfortunately, the cable is not detachable. Many current competing models now feature removable cables and often come with two (one is usually armed with an inline remote and microphone). It's not a deal-breaker, but at this price, it would've been a smart design addition. The ST750 has no inline remote or mic to speak of, and the cable itself has a tendency to stay wound and rigid, unlike many of the cloth-bound or flat cables we see on high-end headphones. The headphones themselves look and feel great, but the cable is a weak point of the design.

The ST750 ships with two AAA batteries, a shirt clip, and a black cloth drawstring carrying pouch.

Performance
It should be noted that while the ST750 has an internal amplifier to boost volume and bass response, these headphones sound pretty solid without the power?they just don't get super loud. In passive mode, their sound signature is close to flat, but spiked a bit with bright, crisp highs. The bass response is steady and clean, nothing booming.

With the batteries in and the power on, however, these headphones get very, very loud. They also do not distort at top volumes, even on tracks with intense sub-bass content, like the Knife's "Silent Shout." Some headphones manage not to distort on tracks like this by simply not delivering the very deepest bass frequencies, but the TDK ST750 does indeed deliver deep low-end, it just doesn't boost the lows dramatically.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the star is actually the mid-high and high frequency response?the kick drum loop's attack is crisp and punchy. Sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are robust but not comically intense, while the vocals and other high-mid content take center-stage.

Bill Callahan's vocals on "Drover" are imbued with a nice treble edge that helps them stay in the forefront of the mix. This track can often sound muddy on bass-boosted headphones, but here, Callahan's vocals, as well as the guitars, remain bright and clear. And the low frequencies enhance the drums only subtly?there's not nearly as much thunder to their low end as you hear on the Velodyne vTrue, for instance. Occasionally, however, the vocals sound a bit too sibilant, on both this track and the Jay-Z/Kanye West track.

On classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the higher register strings and percussion steal the spotlight, and they also can sound a bit overly bright at times. The lower register strings are graced with a touch of added bass response, but nothing intense. At the end of the piece, large drum hits that can sound unnatural on bass-heavy pairs sound powerful and real here?just enough low-end presence to bring a little thunder, but nothing that sounds unnatural or amplified, as the drums do on heavy-bass options like the aforementioned vTrue headphones.

In the $250 price range, you have a few options that offer different sound signatures. The Yamaha PRO 400 has a clean bass response but focuses more on the midrange content than the highs. The Denon Urban Raver AH-D320, meanwhile, offers a far more intense bass response?not unlike the Velodyne vTrue. If all of these are out of your price range, the Editors' Choice Sennheiser HD 558 is a more affordable gem, with a balanced frequency response and plenty of power.

For the price, the TDK ST750 delivers two different experiences?the quieter, less bass-enhanced passive mode, and the powered-up, louder, bass-heavy active mode. The ST750 is quite unique, in that it's a headphone pair with a powered internal amp but no extra features like Bluetooth streaming or noise cancellation. Forgetting about this factor and focusing on the audio delivered itself, the ST750 still stands out as a powerful audiophile-friendly pair that errs on the side of brightness, not booming low-end, when it errs at all. It's light on accessories or extra features beyond the internal amp, but it offers solid, clean sound.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Gpx8j4eUgbU/0,2817,2417925,00.asp

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3 Doors Down Bassist Charged With Vehicular Homicide

Robert Todd Harrell told police he had been drinking and taking prescription medication when he struck another vehicle on Friday.
By Gil Kaufman

3 Doors Down bassist Robert Todd Harrell's booking photo
Photo: Davidson County Sheriff

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706097/3-doors-down-bassist-robert-todd-harell-arrest.jhtml

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Today in History

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html

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The Environmental Impacts Of An Unregulated Marijuana Industry

A majority of Americans may support pot legalization but in a changing landscape with more 420-friendly folk, the true environmental impacts of an unregulated cannabis industry are often forgotten on the day meant to celebrate it.

A report released in 2011 (and updated in 2012) estimated that indoor marijuana production may account for 1 percent of the entire country's energy consumption and 2 percent of all household consumption.

The solution? Get these growers outside.

Unfortunately for environmentalists, pot farming is only legal in two states so those illegal outdoor grow operations have caused some havoc within isolated national parks that make for ideal farms.

A recent report by Mother Jones focused on a troubling Google Earth video that shows the devastation wrought by illegal marijuana farms in California's Humboldt County, where some estimate more than 25 percent of the economy comes from pot.

The video was made by Anthony Silvaggio, an environmental sociologist with Humboldt State University's Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research. The video shows deforestation caused by more than 600 illicit grow operations.

"We have an unregulated industry here causing ... ecological harm," Silvaggio says in the video. "Talking with agricultural commissioners of different counties they report to me that it's difficult for them to help growers that want to do the right thing."

Another problem? Pot plants take a lot of water to grow.

Small, sustainable pot farmers markets have popped up in the area, where aficionados can sample and buy rare strains from small, local batches. But many of these farmers still grow in off-the-grid areas and illegally siphon millions of gallons of water without any regulation, the L.A. Times reported back in December.

One potential solution could be vertical farming, and one company in British Columbia is trying to get the permits to start a large-scale medicinal marijuana grow operation that would limit energy and water waste.

But the majority of public support mixed with the few states that allow legal grow operations has created some legal confusion at the expense of the environment. Humboldt State hosted the first Earth Day Symposium on Marijuana and the Environment this weekend to delve into some of these issues.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has been urged to make a decision regarding government intervention in states where marijuana is legal.

But some cities have already decided to take action - Arcata, Calif. approved a 45 percent tax on households that use three times the normal amount of energy specifically aimed at pot producers.

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/the-environmental-impacts-of-marijuana_n_3118760.html

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Rescuers struggle to reach China quake zone as toll climbs

By Michael Martina and Maxim Duncan

LUSHAN, China (Reuters) - Rescuers struggled to reach a remote, rural corner of southwestern China on Sunday as the toll of the dead and missing from the country's worst earthquake in three years climbed to 208 with almost 1,000 serious injuries.

The 6.6 magnitude quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in the southwestern province of Sichuan, close to where a devastating 7.9 quake hit in May 2008, killing 70,000.

Most of the deaths were concentrated in Lushan, a short drive up the valley from Ya'an, but rescuers' progress was hampered by the narrowness of the road and landslides, as well as government controls restricting access to avoid traffic jams.

"The Lushan county center is getting back to normal, but the need is still considerable in terms of shelter and materials," said Kevin Xia of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"Supplies have had difficulty getting into the region because of the traffic jams. Most of our supplies are still on the way."

In Ya'an, relief workers from across China expressed frustration with gaining access to Lushan and the villages beyond, up in the mountains.

"We're in a hurry. There are people that need help and we have supplies in the back (of the car)," said one man from the Shandong Province Earthquake Emergency Response Team, who declined to give his name.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs put the number of dead at 184 and missing at 24, with more than 11,800 injured.

Hundreds of armed police were blocked from using roads that were wrecked by landslides and marched in single file with shovels en route to Baoxing, one of the hardest hit areas. Xinhua news agency said 18,000 troops were in the area.

The Foreign Ministry thanked foreign governments for offers of help, but said the country was able to cope.

In Lushan, doctors and nurses tended to people in the open or under tents in the grounds of the main hospital, surrounded by shattered glass, plaster and concrete. Water and electricity were cut off by the quake, but the spring weather is warm.

"I was scared. I've never seen an earthquake this big before," said farmer Chen Tianxiong, 37, lying on a stretcher between tents, his family looking on.

In another tent, Zhou Lin sat tending to his wife and three-day-old son who were evacuated from a Lushan hospital soon after the quake struck on Saturday.

"I was worried the child or his mother would be hurt. The buildings were all shaking. I was extremely scared. But now I don't feel afraid any more," said Zhou, looking at his child who was wrapped in a blanket on a makeshift bed.

Premier Li Keqiang flew into the disaster zone by helicopter to comfort the injured and displaced, chatting to rescuers and clambering over rubble.

"Treat and heal your wounds with peace of mind," Xinhua quoted Li as telling patients at a hospital. "The government will take care of all the costs for those severely wounded."

Chen Yong, the vice director of the Ya'an city government earthquake response office, told reporters on Saturday that the death toll was unlikely to rise dramatically.

Already poor, many of the earthquake victims said the government was their only hope.

Cao Bangying, 36, whose family had set up mattresses and makeshift cots under a dump truck, said her house had been destroyed.

"Being without a home while having a child of this age is difficult," Cao said, cradling her nine-month-old baby. "We can only rely on the government to help us."

No schools had collapsed, unlike in 2008 when many poorly constructed schools crumpled causing huge public anger, prompting a nationwide campaign of re-building.

Ya'an is a city of 1.5 million people and is considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese tea culture. It is also the home to one of China's main centers for protecting the giant panda.

(Writing by Ben Blanchard, Additional reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-earthquake-toll-rises-164-injuries-6-700-021635904.html

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