Thursday, April 11, 2013

'Elysium,' Matt Damon's New Movie, Makes Enemies Of The 1 Percent

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Lindsay Lohan greets fans as she heads into a taping of 'The Late Show with David Letterman' in New York

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard was spotted out and about in New York City on April 9. He spent time signing autographs for his fans on the street.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Cameron Diaz grabbed an iced tea after a workout at the gym on April 8 in Los Angeles, Calif.

  • Celebrity Phoos: April 2013

    Olivia Wilde took her dog Paco out for a walk with her brother Charlie in New York City, New York on April 8.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Rumor Willis was spotted wearing the U by Kotox Generation Know bracelet while playing with her dog in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 8.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Taylor Swift walked the red carpet at the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 6.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Jessica Alba flaunted her amazing bikini body as she hit the beach while on vacation in St. Barts on April 7.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Giuliana Rancic was all smiles at The Naked Grape Wine's `Peel It Off to Give Back` event in Chicago on April 6.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Pregnant Jessica Simpson's curves were on full display in a tight black shirt as she took her family to lunch at King's Fish House In Calabasas, Calif., on April 6.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Chris Hemsworth took his adorable daughter India Rose grocery shopping at the 'Whole Foods' in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 5. Hot dad alert!

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Angelina Jolie attended the Women in the World Summit 2013 on April 4 in New York City.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Jada Pinkett Smith spotted out and about in New York City on April 3.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Emmy Rossum was all smiles in New York while sporting the Henri Bendel Sutton Mini Bag on April 2.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Jon Hamm and his girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt took their dog for a walk in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 2.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Charlize Theron was seen bundled up in a dark pea coat and scarf as she hurried out of her hotel to run some errands around New York City on April 2.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Rihanna performed at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on April 1. Looking good, RiRi!

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Kate Beckinsale was spotted stocking up on spring fragrances from Jo Malone London in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 1.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Heidi Klum walked on the beach at the North Shore in Oahu, Hawaii on April 1.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Sarah Jessica Parker walked her kids to school on April 1 in New York City. How adorable are those army jackets?

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    A bikini-clad Hayden Panettiere enjoyed a peaceful Easter Sunday on the beach in Miami, Fla., on March 31.

  • Celebrity Photos: April 2013

    Kourtney Kardashian took her kids Mason and Penelope to Church on Easter Sunday, where they were joined by Kendall, Kylie and Kris Jenner in Los Angeles, Calif.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Lily Collins attended Day 2 of WonderCon 2013 at Anaheim Convention Center on March 30 in Anaheim, Calif.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Britney Spears, her two sons Sean and Jayden Federline and her father Jamie were spotted arriving on a flight in New Orleans, La., on March 29.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Diane Kruger posed for pictures outside ABC Studios for an appearance on "Good Morning America" on March 28 in NYC.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Taylor Swift went casual in a black sweater and red pants as she headed out and about in New York City on March 27.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Sandra Bullock gave her son Louis a piggyback ride after picking him up from school in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 26.

  • Celebrity News: March 2013

    Angelina Jolie and the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague visited a rescue camp for women on March 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo to raise awareness of warzone rape. Jolie, a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner, said the issues need a "worldwide focus."

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Kim Kardashian stepped out in New York City on March 26 after revealing her pregnancy weight is around 140 pounds.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Jamie Lynn Sigler celebrated the news of having a boy with with a Sally Hansen Nail Color Manicure (in blue) in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 25.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Kelly Osbourne attended a photocall to promote her E! show Fashion Police in Amsterdam on March 25.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Anne Hathaway looked all bundled up as she was spotted out and about with husband Adam Shulman in New York on March 25.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale took their sons Kingston and Zuma to a park in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on March 24.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart attended Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix, Arizona on March 23, where the Moet & Chandon champagne was flowing as celebrities toasted the guest of honor, Muhammad Ali.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Drew Barrymore ran some errands in New York City on March 22. Looking good post-baby!

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Ashley Greene was spotted leaving a gym wearing a pink top in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 20.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Eva Mendes, wearing a brown leopard print dress and brown boots, headed to a taping of "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York City on March 19.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    "The Bachelor" star Sean Lowe and his fiance Catherine Giudici took a stroll at The Grove in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 19.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    A makeup-free Cameron Diaz sported black spandex pants as she got some exercise while hiking with a friend in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 19.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Emilia Clarke looked incredible at HBO's Season Three premiere of "Game of Thrones" held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif., on March 18.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Selena Gomez showed off her legs in a a short skirt as she arrived at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City to promote her new film "Spring Breakers" on the "Late Show with David Letterman" on March 18.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Lindsay Lohan was seen leaving the court house in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 18 after showing up 45 minutes late.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara took a taxi to an office building in New York on March 18.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner took their kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel to a park in Brentwood, Calif., on March 17. How adorable are these sweet siblings?

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Taylor Swift rocked short shorts as she headed to a photo shoot in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 16.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    "Jersey Shore" star Pauly D was spotted this past weekend spinning some of today's hottest hits at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana's ORO Nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Jessica Simpson, who recently confirmed she is expecting a boy, shopped at Bel Bambini Baby Boutique in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 15.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Khloe Kardashian left the One The Thirty restaurant in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on March 14. Looking good, Khloe!

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Jennifer Garner struck a pose at the Neutrogena Sun Summit (raising awareness on the changing environment's impact on overall skin health) in in New York City on March 13.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Camila Alves rocked a blue leather jacket, black top and black pants as she set out around New York City on March 13.

  • Celebrity Photos: March 2013

    Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar filmed scenes on the beach in Malibu, Calif., for the TV show "Franklin & Bash" on March 12.

  • Celebrity PHotos: March 2013

    Pregnant reality star Kim Kardashian headed to an office to film scenes for 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 12.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/elysium-matt-damon_n_3046779.html

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    Biofilm helps Salmonella survive hostile conditions

    Apr. 10, 2013 ? Virginia Tech scientists have provided new evidence that biofilms -- bacteria that adhere to surfaces and build protective coatings -- are at work in the survival of the human pathogen Salmonella.

    One out of every six Americans becomes ill from eating contaminated food each year, with over a million illnesses caused by Salmonella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finding out what makes Salmonella resistant to antibacterial measures could help curb outbreaks.

    Researchers affiliated with the Fralin Life Science Institute discovered that in addition to protecting Salmonella from heat-processing and sanitizers such as bleach, biofilms preserve the bacteria in extremely dry conditions, and again when the bacteria are subjected to normal digestive processes. The study is now online in the International Journal of Food Microbiology and will appear in the April issue.

    "Biofilms are an increasing problem in food processing plants serving as a potential source of contamination," said Monica Ponder, an assistant professor of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "We have discovered that Salmonella in biofilms survive on dried foods much better than previously thought, and because of this are more likely to cause disease," said Ponder.

    Outbreaks of Salmonella associated with dried foods such as nuts, cereals, spices, powdered milk and pet foods have been associated with over 900 illnesses in the last five years. These foods were previously thought to be safe because the dry nature of the product stops microbial growth.

    "Most people expect to find Salmonella on raw meats but don't consider that it can survive on fruits, vegetables or dry products, which are not always cooked," said Ponder.

    In moist conditions, Salmonella thrive and reproduce abundantly. If thrust into a dry environment, they cease to reproduce, but turn on genes which produce a biofilm, protecting them from the detrimental environment.

    Researchers tested the resilience of the Salmonella biofilm by drying it and storing it in dry milk powder for up to 30 days. At various points it was tested in a simulated gastrointestinal system. Salmonella survived this long- term storage in large numbers but the biofilm Salmonella were more resilient than the free-floating cells treated to the same conditions.

    The bacteria's stress response to the dry conditions also made it more likely to cause disease. Biofilms allowed the Salmonella to survive the harsh, acidic environment of the stomach, increasing its chances of reaching the intestines, where infection results in the symptoms associated with food poisoning.

    This research may help shape Food and Drug Administration's regulations by highlighting the need for better sanitation and new strategies to reduce biofilm formation on equipment, thus hopefully decreasing the likelihood of another outbreak.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Virginia Tech.

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


    Journal Reference:

    1. Bryan Aviles, Courtney Klotz, Joseph Eifert, Robert Williams, Monica Ponder. Biofilms promote survival and virulence of Salmonella enterica sv. Tennessee during prolonged dry storage and after passage through an in vitro digestion system. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2013; 162 (3): 252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.01.026

    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/X6ZZHvPpI2M/130410154918.htm

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    1 in 8 Skip Meds to Save Money

    About one in eight working-age adults say they have skipped doses of their medications or delayed filling prescriptions because of the cost, according to a new government report.

    The report, based on the results of a national 2011 survey, says that 12.6 percent of adults between ages 18 and 64 said they had not taken medication as prescribed in order to save money. Among adults ages 65 and older, 5.8 percent said the same.

    Those who do not take their medications as prescribed are more likely to wind up in an emergency room, be hospitalized, and have a heart attack or stroke, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The report was aimed at allowing researchers to track the strategies adults use to reduce their prescription drug costs. In 2011, Americans spent $45 billion on prescription drugs.

    Among 18- to 64-year-olds, 10.6 percent delayed filling a prescription to save money, 8.5 percent took less medication than prescribed (for example, by cutting pills in half) and 8.2 percent skipped doses.

    Those living at or near the poverty line, and those without insurance were more likely to not take medication as prescribed to reduce their drug costs.

    About one in five adults said they have tried to save money by asking their doctor for a lower-cost medication. A small percentage of people said they bought medications from other countries or used alternative therapies.

    Pass it on: Working-age adults are about twice as likely as older adults to save money by not taking their prescription drugs as prescribed. ?

    Follow Karen Rowan?@karenjrowan. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily?@MyHealth_MHND, Facebook?&?Google+.

    Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/1-8-skip-meds-save-money-124147891.html

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    Orders of keyboard BlackBerry start in Canada

    (AP) ? The maker of the BlackBerry phone said Tuesday that a modern smartphone with a physical keyboard will be available in Canada in the coming weeks as major wireless companies started taking advance orders.

    Details on when the BlackBerry Q10 will go on sale elsewhere will be announced soon, Research In Motion Ltd. said. Advance orders are already being accepted in the U.K.

    The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and phone calls. RIM faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system with the BlackBerry 10. During that time, it had to cut more than 5,000 jobs and saw shareholder wealth decline by more than $70 billion.

    RIM surprised Wall Street last month by returning to profitability and shipping about 1 million touch-screen BlackBerry Z10 phones in the most recent quarter, which ended March 2. It will take several quarters, though, to know whether RIM is on a path toward a successful turnaround. RIM had just entered the critical U.S. market with the Z10 phone, and the more anticipated Q10 keyboard phone won't be on sale until late May or June because of testing by U.S. wireless companies.

    The U.S. delay in selling the new keyboard BlackBerry complicates RIM's efforts to hang on to customers tempted by Apple's iPhone and a range of devices running Google Inc.'s Android operating system. Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many BlackBerry users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen found on the iPhone and most Android devices. The temptations to switch grow with each additional delay, despite favorable reviews for BlackBerry 10 operating system.

    Canadian carriers Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. both said Tuesday that advance orders are under way for the keyboard Q10 device, but neither would provide an exact date for when the Q10 would be available. Telus is offering the phone one a $199 with a three-year service agreement or $700 without a contract.

    The all-touch-screen Z10 launched in Canada and other markets earlier this year and in the United States last month.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-09-BlackBerry%20Keyboard/id-de658190dc984969969f3a5c25537ceb

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    'To Do List' Item One: Watch This Exclusive Clip To Boost Your Sex Life!

    Sneak Peek Week prepares you for Sunday's MTV Movie Awards at 9 p.m. ET with interviews from comedy's cast.
    By Brett White


    Aubrey Plaza in "The To Do List"
    Photo: CBS Films

    Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705402/to-do-list-movie-clip-pineapple-juice.jhtml

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    Wednesday, April 10, 2013

    FINALS WATCH: Bluegrass glory, Louisville wins

    Louisville players celebrate after defeating Michigan 82-76 after the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

    Louisville players celebrate after defeating Michigan 82-76 after the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

    Louisville head coach Rick Pitino reacts to play against the Michigan during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

    Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) and Michigan guard Nik Stauskas (11) work for a loose ball during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

    Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock (11) loses the ball as Michigan forward Glenn Robinson III (1) and Michigan guard Nik Stauskas (11) defend during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

    Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock (11) reacts to play against the Michigan during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

    (AP) ? Around the Final Four and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the games.

    ___

    BLUEGRASS STATE GLORY

    The state of Kentucky is 2-for-2.

    The Louisville Cardinals will be taking the second consecutive NCAA national championship back to the Bluegrass State. The Kentucky Wildcats and coach John Calipari captured the crown last year.

    Monday night it was Rick Pitino and the Cardinals' turn. They were the favorites and the top-seeded team in the tournament didn't disappoint ? winning in entertaining fashion.

    Louisville rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit to beat Michigan 82-76.

    And in doing so, Pitino made history ? he became the first coach to lead two different schools to the title. The other? Those rival Wildcats.

    And the ride for the basketball-crazed state isn't over.

    Next up is the Louisville women's team, which plays Connecticut Tuesday night for the title.

    ___

    LOUISVILLE WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

    Rick Pitino has history.

    The Cardinals' coach became the first to win titles at two different schools, adding to the one he won with Kentucky by leading Louisville to a 82-75 victory over Michigan on Monday night.

    Louisville trailed by 12 early in the game, but turned up the pressure on defense, kept up their hot shooting on offense and made enough free throws down the stretch to put away the Wolverines.

    Luke Hancock, who led Louisville with 22 points, made two foul shots with 29.8 seconds left for an 80-74 lead. And after Tim Hardaway Jr. scored at the other end for Michigan, Peyton Siva added two more foul shots with 12.9 seconds to go to seal the game.

    Trey Burke's 3-pointer in the closing seconds missed everything and went out of bounds, and the Cardinals started to celebrate as Russ Smith was fouled with 2 seconds left.

    When the buzzer sounded, the Cardinals rushed to center court and began jumping as fireworks exploded in the Georgia Dome and confetti fell onto the floor.

    ? Dave Skretta ? http://twitter.com/@APdaveskretta

    ___

    LOUISVILLE'S RALLY

    Louisville has stormed back and taken the lead since trailing Michigan by 12 points in the first half of Monday night's championship game.

    Michigan led the top-seeded Cardinals 33-21 in the first half. The Cardinals recovered to lead 71-64 with 4:34 remaining ? a 19-point turnaround.

    Luke Hancock started the comeback with 16 points in the first half.

    ? Charles Odum ? http://twitter.com/@CharlesOdum

    ___

    RECORD TURNOUT

    The attendance for Monday night's Louisville-Michigan game at the Georgia Dome is 74,326 ? a record for a championship game.

    The record may not last long. The 2014 Final Four will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Attendance there could reach 80,000.

    ? Charles Odum

    ___

    FOUL TROUBLE

    Foul trouble is starting to mount for Louisville.

    Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, the Cardinals' starting guards, each picked up their third foul early in the second half, along with Luke Hancock, who had been hot from the 3-point line.

    The foul trouble in the backcourt is especially troublesome for Louisville because of the injury sustained by Kevin Ware, who had been providing valuable minutes off the bench.

    Ware broke his leg in the regional finals against Duke.

    The Wolverines were in better shape, with only forward Mitch McGary in foul trouble. The big forward picked up his fourth with 9:11 left in the game.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    HOT SHOOTING

    So much for that theory about poor shooting in domes.

    Michigan and Louisville aren't having any trouble. The teams combined to start the second half 5 of 6 from the field.

    The Wolverines took a 38-37 lead into halftime Monday night thanks in part to shooting 50 percent from the field, and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. Spike Albrecht helped, of course, with his 6-for-7 half and by going 4 for 4 from deep.

    The Cardinals aren't doing shabby, either. They were hitting at a 46-percent clip and were 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, led by a 4-for-4 effort from Luke Hancock.

    There's long been a belief that shooting in domes is more difficult because depth perception is thrown off by the spacious surroundings. That hasn't been the case tonight.

    ? Dave Skretta ? http://twitter.com/@APdaveskretta

    ___

    HALFTIME ? MICHIGAN LEADING

    It's halftime at the national championship game and Michigan is 20 minutes away from only its second national championship.

    Freshman Spike Albrecht is the surprise scoring leader with 17 points as Michigan leads Louisville 38-37 at halftime of Monday night's championship game. Michigan won its only title in 1989.

    Michigan, the No. 4 seed, is trying to upset Louisville, the No. 1 seed. Luke Hancock has 16 points for Louisville, which made a late charge to lead 37-36 before Michigan's Glenn Robinson III sank two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining.

    Michigan star Trey Burke scored the first five points on a jumper and 3-pointer and had seven points less than 3 minutes into the game, matching his total from the Wolverines' semifinal win over Syracuse.

    ? Charles Odum ? http://twitter.com/CharlesOdum

    ___

    GETTING SPIKED!

    Louisville is getting Spiked in the NCAA finals.

    As in, Spike Albrecht.

    The freshman guard for Michigan has nearly outscored the Cardinals by himself ? he had 17 points as the Wolverines raced to a 33-21 lead late in the first half.

    Albrecht was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc, running his NCAA tournament to 9 for 9 and matching Sam Cassell of Florida State (1993) for the most 3-pointers without a miss in tourney history.

    Albrecht came into the game averaging about 2 points, with nine made 3s all season. His season high had been just seven points.

    Late in the half, he got the ball on the wing and pumped faked from beyond the arc, not only bringing his defender off his feet but also about 50,000 fans. Albrecht wisely passed the ball away, but got it back moments later and converted on a nifty driving layup.

    He furiously punched the air as Louisville called timeout.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    WEBBER SIGHTING

    Former five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber showed up at the Georgia Dome just about the time Michigan's starting lineup was being introduced before the Wolverines squared off against Louisville in Monday's night's national championship game.

    CBS-TV showed Webber arriving at the Georgia Dome and exiting his car minutes before the game. He was wearing a UM hat.

    Webber played on Michigan's 1992 and 1993 Final Four teams but a federal investigation revealed that a booster gave Webber and three non-Fab Five players more than $600,000 while they were student-athletes. The NCAA forced the school to dissociate from them until this year. The dissociation officially ends in May.

    ? Charles Odum

    ___

    CLEAN PLAY

    There haven't been many whistles blown early on in the championship game.

    That's a good thing, too.

    After a season in which basketball often resembled wrestling, and in which officials often stole the headlines, it was Michigan and Louisville on center stage at the Georgia Dome.

    Only two fouls had been called in the first 7 minutes, 11 seconds, as the teams got into an up-and-down affair that finally looked the way basketball was meant to be played.

    Both teams were shooting it well, too. Michigan started off 7 of 11 from the field, while Louisville was 5 for 11 as the second media timeout neared.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    VENUS WILLAMS

    Venus Williams' pick is looking pretty good.

    The tennis star is using her mother's home state as a good reason to cheer for Michigan against Louisville. The Wolverines are up 38-37 at the half.

    Williams said she hasn't watched much of the NCAA tournament but is pulling for Michigan because her mother was born in Saginaw, Mich.

    "I'm going with her hometown," Williams said before the game. She is in Atlanta on Monday to promote her athletic clothing line, EleVen.

    ? Jonathan Landrum ?http://twitter.com/@MrLandrum31

    ___

    SANDY HOOK

    Police Chief Michael Kehoe and some of the other officers from Newton, Conn., who responded to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School were honored during a timeout in the first half at the Final Four.

    The crowd erupted when the officers, dressed in their uniforms, were shown on the video board hanging over the court and on the screens at each end of the Georgia Dome.

    Twenty children and six adults were killed in the shooting last December.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    WARE CHEERS

    Injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware followed his same pregame routine as in the Cardinals' semifinal win over Wichita State.

    Ware, on crutches after having surgery to repair his broken right leg, again was cheered when he took his seat by the Louisville bench. Wearing his white No. 5 jersey, Ware sat beside the elevated court, facing the action, where he could prop up his injured leg on another chair. He stood at the end of Saturday's semifinal win over Wichita State and even shocked his teammates by joining a late-game huddle.

    His teammates again wore T-shirts over their jerseys in pregame warmups with the words "Ri5e to the Occasion." A fan raised a sign which read "Rise for 5."

    Ware played at Rockdale County High School, about 30 miles east of Atlanta.

    ? Charles Odum

    ___

    MICHIGAN's HOMECOURT

    Michigan ought to have a homecourt advantage over Louisville on Monday night.

    The maple floor that the teams are playing on in the Georgia Dome was made by Connor Sport Court International at its plant in Amasa, Mich., and the lumber for it came from Timber Products Company, which is based in Munising, Mich.

    The court is made up of 4-by-7 foot pieces that were sent by truck to Atlanta, where they were fitted together on an elevated platform in time for the Final Four.

    Connor Sport Court also made the court for the women's Final Four in New Orleans.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    MAYWEATHER'S PICK

    Floyd Mayweather Jr. won't know until halftime which team he'll pick to win the national basketball championship.

    Once the undefeated boxing champion figures it out, he is expecting to place a $50,000 bet toward either Michigan or Louisville in the NCAA title game on Monday night. He thinks the Wolverines have a strong chance to come away with the crown if they're able to sustain an early lead against the Cardinals.gg

    "I think that if Michigan gets a lead like that, it's going to be kind of hard to come back," said Mayweather, who is an avid sports fan and often bets on games. He probably should wait as long as he can: He had Indiana winning it all in his bracket.

    Mayweather was in Atlanta to promote his upcoming fight against Robert Guerrero on May 4 in Las Vegas.

    ? Jonathan Landrum

    ___

    TRAVIS TRITT

    Country musician Travis Tritt has quite the task ahead of him when he performs the national anthem prior to Monday night's national championship between Michigan and Louisville.

    The Georgia native will be following a virtuoso performance by the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir before Saturday night's national semifinals, a rendition that drew almost universal praise from fans, the media and across social media platforms.

    Tritt is no stranger to big sporting events. The two-time Grammy Award-winner has performed at two Super Bowls, a World Series and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and will be performing for the 15th time during Kentucky Derby festivities next month in Louisville, Ky.

    ? Dave Skretta

    ___

    TICKET PRICES

    Fans waiting until the last minute to buy NCAA championship game tickets are paying a steep price.

    The average price for Monday night's game had soared to $720, according to TiqIQ.com, which tracks ticket trends. The company says that is a 140-percent increase over last year's final between Kentucky and Kansas in New Orleans.

    At Ticketstub.com, prices for Monday night's game were starting at $330 about three hours before the game.

    ? Charles Odum

    ___

    MICHIGAN'S FAB FIVE

    One unanswered question at the Final Four: Will there be a reunion of Michigan's Fab Five?

    Twenty years ago, the brash group of Michigan youngsters lost to North Carolina in the NCAA title game. This is Michigan's first trip back to the championship game.

    Chris Webber's whereabouts are causing the most commotion. Jalen Rose went on a Grantland.com podcast and encouraged Webber to join him and other Fab Five players at Monday night's title game against Louisville, but it's not clear whether that will happen.

    Michigan has been recovering from the fallout after a federal investigation revealed that a booster gave Webber and three non-Fab Five players more than $600,000 while they were student-athletes. The NCAA forced the school to dissociate from them until this year. The dissociation officially ends in May.

    On Saturday, Webber tweeted "It's Your Time Now!" ? along with a picture of current Michigan players Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III.

    ? Noah Trister ? http://twitter.com/@noahtrister

    ___

    HAIL TO THE VICTORS

    Michigan coach John Beilein attended the Final Four in 1989, when the Wolverines last won a national championship, and remembers one thing sticking out in his mind:

    "Hail! to the victors valiant

    Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes

    Hail! Hail! to Michigan

    The leaders and best!"

    "I heard 'The Victors.' I heard the best fight song in the world," said Beilein, who was then a coach at Division II Le Moyne, and was attending the Final Four in Seattle with his wife, Kathleen.

    "Kathleen and I looked at each other and said, 'This is the best fight song I have ever heard," Beilein recalled this week. "That's why it's so eerie to hear it today, that it ended up being my destination."

    ? Dave Skretta

    ____

    NCAA Finals Watch follows the Final Four games and all the activities surrounding the event as seen by journalists from The Associated Press from across Atlanta. It will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and other items of interest. Follow AP reporters on Twitter where available.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-09-US-NCAA-Finals-Watch-Package/id-686b70eec368433693b6cf1e24d46d8d

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    Sony Anycast Touch live-broadcasting system hands-on (video)

    DNP  Sony Anycast Touch livebroadcasting system handson video

    The Anycast Touch is not only a sleeker incarnation of Sony's all-in-one studio, with a slider design and a manageable-enough 6.6-kg (13-pound) body; it's also the company's first such system to feature a touchscreen interface. The machine sports two touch-enabled displays, allowing users to adjust audio controls, type via an on-screen keyboard and edit footage, among other functions. Video sources are assigned to one side of the panel, and tapping a particular input will bring up the footage in the middle preview window. It seems like an intuitive interface, especially given all the live-broadcasting controls on board -- a six-input video switcher, a five-channel audio mixer, a built-in character and title generator, and a remote camera controller, just to name a few.

    Aside from the touchscreens, built-in live-streaming capability is one of the Anycast Touch's most unique features. On the show floor, Sony was sharing the product's output with WiFi-enabled devices. According to the company, this functionality will be useful in educational settings, at houses of worship, corporate seminars and any other events intended to reach a broad audience. The Anycast could even help news producers scale back on their own gear, letting them trade those gigantic live trucks for live vans or sedans, for example. Pricing info isn't set in stone, but Sony says the MSRP will be less than $20,000 when the device ships at the end of summer. There's simply a ton of functionality here, so we definitely recommend checking out the studio-in-a-box in action in our hands-on video after the break for a bit more detail.

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    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/sony-anycast-touch-hands-on/

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    Tin nanocrystals for the battery of the future

    Apr. 8, 2013 ? More powerful batteries could help electric cars achieve a considerably larger range and thus a breakthrough on the market. A new nanomaterial for lithium ion batteries developed in the labs of chemists at ETH Zurich and Empa could come into play here.

    They provide power for electric cars, electric bicycles, smartphones and laptops; nowadays, rechargeable lithium ion batteries are the storage media of choice when it comes to supplying a large amount of energy in a small space and light weight. All over the world, scientists are currently researching a new generation of such batteries with an improved performance. Scientists headed by Maksym Kovalenko from the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry at ETH Zurich and Empa have now developed a nanomaterial which enables considerably more power to be stored in lithium ion batteries.

    The nanomaterial is composed of tiny tin crystals, which are to be deployed at the minus pole of the batteries (anode). When charging the batteries, lithium ions are absorbed at this electrode; while discharging, they are released again (see box). "The more lithium ions the electrodes can absorb and release -- the better they can breathe, as it were -- the more energy can be stored in a battery," explains Kovalenko.

    Uniform crystals

    The element tin is ideal for this: every tin atom can absorb at least four lithium ions. However, the challenge is to deal with the volume change of tin electrodes: tin crystal becomes up to three times bigger if it absorbs a lot of lithium ions and shrinks again when it releases them back. The scientists thus resorted to nanotechnology: they produced the tiniest tin nanocrystals and embedded a large number of them in a porous, conductive permeable carbon matrix. Much like how a sponge can suck up water and release it again, an electrode constructed in this way can absorb lithium ions while charging and release them when discharging. If the electrode were made of a compact tin block, this would practically be impossible.

    During the development of the nanomaterial, the issue of the ideal size for the nanocrystals arose, which also carries the challenge of producing uniform crystals. "The trick here was to separate the two basic steps in the formation of the crystals -- the formation of as small as a crystal nucleus as possible on the one hand and its subsequent growth on the other," explains Kovalenko. By influencing the time and temperature of the growth phase, the scientists were able to control the size of the crystals. "We are the first to produce such small tin crystals with such precision," says the scientist.

    Larger cycle stability

    Using uniform tin nanocrystals, carbon, and binding agents, the scientists produced different test electrodes for batteries. "This enables twice as much power to be stored compared to conventional electrodes," says Kovalenko. The size of the nanocrystals did not affect the storage capacity during the initial charging and discharging cycle. After a few charging and discharging cycles, however, differences caused by the crystal size became apparent: batteries with ten-nanometre crystals in the electrodes were able to store considerably more energy than ones with twice the diameter. The scientists assume that the smaller crystals perform better because they can absorb and release lithium ions more effectively. "Ten-nanometre tin crystals thus seem to be just the ticket for lithium ion batteries," says Kovalenko.

    As the scientists now know the ideal size for the tin nanocrystals, they would like to turn their attention to the remaining challenges of producing optimum tin electrodes in further research projects. These include the choice of the best possible carbon matrix and binding agent for the electrodes, and the electrodes' ideal microscopic structure. Moreover, an optimal and stable electrolyte liquid in which the lithium ions can travel back and forth between the two poles in the battery also needs to be selected. Ultimately, the production costs are also an issue, which the researchers are looking to reduce by testing which cost-effective base materials are suitable for electrode production. The aim is to prepare batteries with an increased energy storage capacity and lifespan for the market, in collaboration with a Swiss industrial partner.

    How lithium ion batteries work

    In lithium ion batteries, the energy is stored in the form of positively charged lithium atoms (ions) that are found at the minus pole in a charged battery. If energy is taken from the battery, negatively charged electrons flow from the minus pole to the plus pole via the external circuit. To balance the charge, positively charged lithium ions also flow from the minus pole to the plus pole. However, these travel in the electrolyte fluid inside the battery. The process is reversible: lithium ion batteries can be recharged with electricity. In most lithium ion batteries these days, the plus pole is composed of the transition metal oxides cobalt, nickel, and manganese, the minus pole of graphite. In more powerful lithium ion batteries of the next generation, however, elements such as tin or silicon may well be used at the minus pole.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ETH Zurich. The original article was written by Fabio Bergamin.

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


    Journal Reference:

    1. Kostiantyn Kravchyk, Loredana Protesescu, Maryna I. Bodnarchuk, Frank Krumeich, Maksym Yarema, Marc Walter, Christoph Guntlin, Maksym V. Kovalenko. Monodisperse and Inorganically Capped Sn and Sn/SnO2Nanocrystals for High-Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013; 135 (11): 4199 DOI: 10.1021/ja312604r

    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/EVV_Zc2w5Aw/130408123254.htm

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    Red details Scarlet upgrades and trade-ins: $9,500 for Full Epic-X or Scarlet Dragon

    Red details Scarlet upgrades and trade-ins: $9,500 for Full Epic-X or Scarlet Dragon

    If you're pining for a Dragon Sensor but don't have an Epic-M or Epic-X in your collection, you might be in luck: Red just detailed an upgrade and trade-in path for owners of its entry-level Scarlet camera. By plunking down $9,500 and trading-in your Scarlet, you'll nab a Full Epic-X with its new black body, and have the option upgrade it to a Full Epic Dragon through the standard update process, to boot. If that doesn't strike your fancy, you could send in $9,500 instead and have your grey-bodied cam turned into a Scarlet Dragon, netting you the dynamic range and revamped color of the new sensor, replete with a maximum frame rate of 60 fps at 5k. Ready to move on up to gear that packs a bigger punch? Pre-orders kick off this Thursday, while upgrades are slated to commence in July.

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    Source: RED

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/08/red-scarlet-upgrade-trade-in-program-full-epic-x-scarlet-dragon/

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    Genius.box wants to put a different experiment on your doorstep every month

    Geniusbox wants to put a different experiment on your doorstep every month

    There are a lot of things you can have delivered to your home on a monthly basis: magazines, hot sauces, underwear and beer are just a few. The second place winner at the Husky Startup Challenge, genius.box, takes that basic concept but replaces the Fruit of the Looms with simple to perform science experiments. Aimed at children between the ages of eight and 12, the projects inside each package teach a basic lesson in science, technology, engineering or math through a hands-on experience. All of the materials needed for each experiment are included, along with a lesson plan, instructions and "factoid" cards with tidbits of interesting trivia, such as the number of elements on the periodic scale.

    The two boxes trotted out for demo day by creators Kate Pipa and Shivangi Shah covered the science and technology portions of the STEM equation. One was a kitchen chemistry set for growing crystals and the other a simple electronics kit, based partially around parts of a Snap Circuits set, that has kids building an electromagnet and lighting up an LED. This isn't exactly a return to hardcore chemistry sets of the past (you'll find no radioactive materials or poisons in here), but it's certainly a step in the right direction for an America whose love affair with science is on the rocks. Every four weeks a child would get a whole new educational playset for the target price of $20 a month. Which is quite a bit cheaper than your standard chemistry set or electronics kit. To be kept in the loop as genius.box works to get off the ground, sign up at the more coverage link.

    Gallery: genius.box

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    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/genius-box/

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    Tuesday, April 9, 2013

    UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione calls trans fighter Fallon Fox a ?sociopath? and ?freak?

    Matt Mitrione is coming off a huge win. On Saturday, he won with a 19-second knockout of Philip de Fries. It was a hugely needed win after Mitrione suffered two losses in his last two fights. Now Mitrione is using the spotlight to talk about trans fighter Fallon Fox.

    While on the MMA Hour, Mitrione repeatedly called the postoperative transgender female a "he." Mitrione also called Fox, who is scheduled to fight again in May, a sociopath and a freak.

    "Because she's not a he. He's a he," he said. "He's chromosomally a man. He had a gender change, not a sex change. He's still a man. He was a man for 31 years. Thirty-one years. That's a couple years younger than I am. He's a man. Six years of taking performance de-hancing drugs, you think is going to change all that? That's ridiculous.

    "That is a lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak," he continued. "And I mean that. Because you lied on your license to beat up women. That's disgusting. You should be embarrassed yourself. And the fact that Florida licensed him because California licensed him or whoever the hell did it, it's an embarrassment to us as fighters, as a sport, and we all should protest that. The woman that's fighting him, props to you. I hope you beat his ass, and I hope he gets blackballed and never fights again, because that's disgusting and I'm appalled by that."

    Mitrione earned a Bachelor's degree from Purdue in Law and Society, with minors in supervision and communications, and he doesn't have a medical degree. It's unlikely that he examined Fox, yet he speaks as if he is aware of the particulars of her anatomy.

    If Mitrione doesn't think Fox should be allowed to fight, that's his opinion. State commissions don't agree with him, but he's not being forced to watch her fight. He is also not being forced to fight her, and the women who are walking into a fight with Fox know her history. They don't need to be saved by Mitrione.

    For him to go off on such a hate-filled, uninformed tirade is just plain sad, particularly for someone who has been involved with anti-bullying initiatives in the past. Hopefully, Mitrione will keep bullied trans people in mind the next time he calls anyone a "freak."

    Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-heavyweight-matt-mitrione-calls-trans-fighter-fallon-200711664--mma.html

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    Birds find ways to avoid raising cuckoos' young

    Apr. 8, 2013 ? Study suggests swallows and martins breed indoors and close to humans to avoid having to rear cuckoos.

    Some species of birds reproduce not by rearing their own young, but by handing that task on to adults of other species. Known as brood parasitism, this habit has been most thoroughly researched in the cuckoo. Previous research has found, however, that the nests of martins and swallows in Europe are rarely parasitized by cuckoos. A new study by Wen Liang from the Hainan Normal University in China and his colleagues suggests that swallows build their nests close to humans to reduce their susceptibility to brood parasitism..

    The findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

    When a cuckoo egg is placed in a host nest, the host may either recognize that the egg is not one of its own and eject it from the nest, or it incubates and hatches the cuckoo egg. If the cuckoo egg hatches, the fledgling will usually push any other eggs and nestlings it encounters over the edge of the nest. Once the host parents are deprived of their rightful young, they devote all their time and energy to feeding the young cuckoo.

    Cuckoos tend not to inhabit villages, towns and cities and prefer to nest in open areas. The researchers suggest that the low rates of brood parasitism of swallows and martins in Europe could be caused by these birds now breeding in close association with humans and building their nests inside buildings. The barn swallow in China still nests predominantly outside but, interestingly, has low rates of parasitism by cuckoos.

    In order to fully investigate the reasons for this, the researchers placed model mimetic eggs in the nests of barn swallows, house martins and red-rumped swallows. They noted that the rate of rejection of model cuckoo eggs was much higher in the birds with nests located outdoors than in the indoor nests.

    The authors contend that in order to avoid brood parasitism by cuckoos, European martins and swallows have over the years evolved to build their nests inside and in places inaccessible to cuckoos. These birds therefore are less "skillful" in ejecting the mimic cuckoo eggs from their nests. As barn swallows in China still build nests outside and therefore are more susceptible to brood parasitism, they are better able to assess when an egg is not theirs and remove the foreign egg from their nest quickly. This shows that they have been able to develop an alternative strategy to reduce the likelihood of cuckoo parasitism.

    The authors conclude that "suitable cuckoo hosts breeding close to human habitation enjoy a selective advantage from breeding indoors in terms of reduced risk of parasitism. Cuckoos are more likely to parasitize barn swallow nests outdoors than indoors. These findings suggest that birds benefit from association with humans in terms of reduce risk of parasitism."

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    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Springer Science+Business Media, via AlphaGalileo.

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


    Journal Reference:

    1. Wei Liang, Canchao Yang, Longwu Wang, Anders Pape M?ller. Avoiding parasitism by breeding indoors: cuckoo parasitism of hirundines and rejection of eggs. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2013; DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1514-9

    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/top_news/top_environment/~3/P-cJr_BBEPY/130408103302.htm

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    Visualized: Sony teases prototype 4K cameras and lenses at NAB

    DNP  Visualized Sony teases prototype 4K cameras and lenses at NAB

    At its NAB 2013 press conference, Sony told us several times that it never stops thinking about the future. It's fitting, then, that in addition to announcing pricing for two 4K sets, the company gave us a taste of what's to come a few years down the line. A wide variety of lenses, including both current models and some prototypes, appeared on stage briefly -- behind ropes, no less -- and while we got no shortage of shots, specs, model names and any other particulars were strictly off-limits. Current optics included basic wide-angle and telephoto models, and of the two prototype cameras on display, one was of particular interest, due in no small part to its DSLR-like form-factor -- this could perhaps become Sony's version of the Canon EOS-1D C. Unfortunately, Sony says that these devices won't make it to market for quite some time, so photogs will have to make do with this eye candy for now.

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    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/07/sony-4k-prototypes/

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    Yen still in focus, U.S. earnings seen aiding Asian shares

    By Chikako Mogi

    TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen fell to new multi-year lows on Tuesday, pressured by the Bank of Japan's aggressive reflationary campaign, while Asian equities looked for support from a solid start to the U.S. quarterly earnings season.

    The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> was up 0.1 percent in early trade.

    Australian shares <.axjo> were 0.2 percent higher while South Korean shares <.ks11> opened nearly flat, pressured by tensions in the Korean peninsula.

    North Korea suspended its sole remaining major project with the South on Monday, the Kaesong industrial park, amid speculation that it will take some sort of provocative action - another nuclear weapons test or missile launch - in what has become one of the most serious crises on the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

    Alcoa Inc , the largest U.S. aluminum producer, reported an increase in quarterly profit on Monday, easing concerns about corporate results in the first three months of 2013.

    Earnings forecasts have been scaled back heading into the first-quarter reports, with S&P 500 company earnings seen up just 1.6 percent from a year ago, according to Thomson Reuters data, down from a 4.3 percent forecast in January.

    Japan's Nikkei stock average <.n225> opened up 0.9 percent, after jumping as much as 3.1 percent to its highest since August 2008 earlier on Monday. <.t/>

    Early in Asia on Tuesday, the dollar hit its highest since May 2009 of 99.65 yen while the euro climbed as far as 129.72 yen, its highest since January 2010. The Aussie dollar soared to 103.78 yen, the highest since July 2008.

    Traders expect the dollar to trade at 100 yen, as soon as this week, as the effects of the BOJ's latest move continue to spread globally.

    "Markets are increasingly focused on the notion that larger JGB purchases at longer maturities by the BOJ could push Japanese domestic long-term investors elsewhere," said Vassili Serebriakov, strategist at BNP Paribas.

    The BOJ conducted its first government bond buying operation on Monday since announcing monetary stimulus on an unprecedented scale last week, saying it will buy 1.2 trillion yen of Japanese government bonds.

    A sharp decline in Japanese government bond yields across the curve has stirred speculation Japanese investors will turn to higher-yielding assets in a global scale, pushing sovereign bond yields lower in the United States and the euro zone.

    Concerns over the euro zone were heightened when Portugal's constitutional court rejected some of the austerity measures introduced as a condition of the country's bailout, but a jump in euro zone bond yields were contained by sharp falls in yields of Spain and Italy due to demand for higher-yielding euro zone bonds from Asia after the BOJ plan.

    "The global market reaction to the BOJ stimulus has been more positive for duration in fixed income than equities so far," said Barclays Capital in a research. "We think markets are not giving the BOJ enough credit for its support. We continue to favor equities."

    U.S. crude futures were up 0.1 percent to $93.46 a barrel.

    (Additional reporting by Ian Chua in Sydney; Editing by Eric Meijer)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yen-still-focus-u-earnings-seen-aiding-asian-001647531--finance.html

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    Weekend results: Gegard Mousasi, Matt Mitrione, Ross Pearson pick up wins

    Perhaps the last-minute opponent change was exactly what Gegard Mousasi needed. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion made his debut on Saturday and pulled out a decision over Ilir Latifi, a late replacement after Alexander Gustafsson was not cleared for the fight because of a cut. Mousasi pulled out the unanimous decision win, but shared afterwards that he was dealing with a knee injury.

    "I don't want to talk a lot about my injury, but I can tell that this injury, I'm pretty sure 95 percent wouldn't fight, from other fighters," Mousasi said in the postfight press conference.

    "You know, I stepped up, I didn't cancel the show, you know, I don't know, we go from here, you know."

    In other action, Ross Pearson notched a second-round TKO over Ryan Couture. Matt Mitrione stopped his losing streak with a 19-second KO of Philip de Fries. Brad Pickett won a split decision over Mike Easton in a bout that won Fight of the Night honors. Diego Brandao submitted Pablo Garza in the third round with an arm-triangle choke.

    Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/weekend-results-gegard-mousasi-matt-mitrione-ross-pearson-134443218--mma.html

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    Monday, April 8, 2013

    Dem, GOP senators work on background check deal

    FILE ? In this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo faces of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims are seen behind Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D? Calif., as she speaks about the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 during the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress returns Monday, April 8, 2013, from a two-week spring recess with gun control and immigration high on the Senate's agenda. Senators could start debating Democratic-written gun legislation before week's end. But leaders also might decide to give negotiators more time to seek a deal on expanding background checks for firearms buyers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    FILE ? In this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo faces of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims are seen behind Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D? Calif., as she speaks about the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 during the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress returns Monday, April 8, 2013, from a two-week spring recess with gun control and immigration high on the Senate's agenda. Senators could start debating Democratic-written gun legislation before week's end. But leaders also might decide to give negotiators more time to seek a deal on expanding background checks for firearms buyers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    FILE - In this March 14, 2013 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Gun control legislation the Senate debates next month will include an expansion of federal background checks for firearms buyers, Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday, March 21, 2013, in a victory for advocates of gun restrictions. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

    FILE- In this Jan. 30, 2013, file photo Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., talks about gun legislation during the committee's hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress returns from a two-week spring recess Monday, April 8, 2013, with gun control and immigration high on the Senate's agenda. Senators could start debating Democratic-written gun legislation before week's end, but leaders may decide to give negotiators more time to seek a deal on expanding background checks for firearms buyers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

    (AP) ? Two influential senators, one from each party, are working on an agreement that could expand background checks on firearms sales to include gun shows and online transactions, Senate aides said Sunday.

    If completed, the effort could represent a major breakthrough in the effort by President Barack Obama and his allies to restrict guns following last December's massacre of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn.

    Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., could nail down an accord early this week, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private talks. With the Senate returning Monday from a two-week recess, the chamber's debate on gun control legislation could begin as soon as Tuesday, though it might be delayed if the lawmakers need more time to complete a deal, the aides said.

    The potential deal, which aides cautioned still might change, would exempt transactions between relatives and temporary transfers for hunters and sportsmen, they said.

    Manchin is a moderate who touts an A rating from the National Rifle Association, which has opposed Obama's gun control drive. Toomey has solid conservative credentials and was elected to the Senate two years ago with tea party support from his Democratic-leaning state.

    A united front by the two lawmakers would make it easier for gun control advocates to attract support from moderate Democrats who have been wary of supporting the effort and from Republicans who have largely opposed it so far.

    With conservative Republicans threatening a filibuster, Democrats will need 60 of the chamber's 100 votes to prevail. There are 53 Democrats and two Democratic-leaning independents in the Senate.

    Federal background checks are currently required only for transactions handled by the roughly 55,000 federally licensed firearms dealers; private sales such as gun-show or online purchases are exempt. The system is designed to keep guns from criminals, people with serious mental problems, and some others.

    After 20 first-graders and six elementary school staffers were killed at Newtown, Obama proposed applying the requirement to virtually all firearms sales. Gun control advocates consider expanded background checks to be the most effective step lawmakers could take to curb gun violence.

    Also high on Congress' agenda is immigration, where a decisive moment is approaching.

    Bipartisan groups in the House and Senate are expected to present legislation as early as this week aimed at securing the U.S. border, fixing legal immigration and granting legal status to millions who are in the United States without authorization. That will open months of debate on the politically combustible issue, with votes by the Senate Judiciary Committee expected later this month.

    The House returns Tuesday and initially plans to consider a bill preventing the National Labor Relations Board from issuing rules until a dispute over administration appointees is resolved.

    Lawmakers will also devote time to the 2014 budget that Obama plans to release Wednesday. It calls for new tax increases, which Republicans oppose, and smaller annual increases in Social Security and other government benefit programs, over the objections of many of the president's fellow Democrats.

    On Monday, Obama travels to Connecticut to again make the case for gun legislation, with a speech at the University of Hartford.

    "He's been working with both sides to try to get the strongest bill we can that has enforceable background checks," White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

    Other Obama gun control priorities include banning assault weapons and ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds. Both bans are expected to be offered as amendments when Senate debate begins, but the assault weapons ban seems sure to be defeated and the high-capacity magazine prohibition also faces difficult odds.

    For weeks, Manchin has been part of an effort to craft a background check compromise, along with Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill. Schumer focused his efforts on conservative Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., but those talks sputtered over Schumer's insistence on ? and Coburn's opposition to ? requiring that records be kept of private gun sales.

    "I'm still hopeful that what I call the sweet spot ? background checks ? can succeed," Schumer said Sunday. "We're working hard there."

    Proponents say background checks and records ? which are currently retained by gun dealers, not the government ? are the best way to ensure that would-be gun-buyers' histories are researched. Opponents say the system is a step toward government files on gun owners and say criminals routinely skirt the checks anyway.

    Asked about the potential compromise, Manchin spokesman Jonathan Kott said, "My boss continues to talk to all of his colleagues."

    Toomey spokeswoman E.R. Anderson said she could provide no information.

    Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., urged fellow Republicans to allow debate to go forward without a filibuster, even as he declined to express support for a background check bill.

    "The purpose of the United States Senate is to debate and to vote and to let the people know where we stand," McCain said, appearing alongside Schumer on CBS' "Face the Nation."

    With or without an agreement, the Senate gun legislation would toughen federal laws against illegal firearms sales, including against straw purchasers, those who buy firearms for criminals or others barred from owning them. The legislation also would provide $40 million a year, a modest increase from current levels of $30 million, for a federal program that helps schools take safety measures such as reinforcing classroom doors.

    In addition, the gun bill contains language by Schumer expand background checks to cover nearly all gun transactions, with narrow exceptions that include sales involving immediate relatives. Even without a bipartisan deal, Schumer is expected to expand the exemptions to more relatives, people with permits to carry concealed weapons and others.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-07-Congress%20Returns/id-8884d73f7044473daf4feb3caded6df5

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