{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"7665147","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-398043595", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-398043595", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "7665147", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "7665147" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG?
If you were wondering what was next for webOS now that it's gone all open source on us, webOS Nation chimes in with word that Gram is working with LG to bring it to connected HDTVs. Several names from the HP / Gram team are dropped as being involved in the effort, which reportedly was under way even before HP revealed it would spin the project off as an independent. Of course, when we actually saw Open webOS 1.0 it was already stretching to fill the space of an HP TouchSmart computer screen (project architect Steve Winston specifically mentioned hotel kiosks as a possibility, a market LG is all over) so it makes sense that larger displays have been a target. With LG supposedly both looking to replace its existing NetCast smart TV platform and unhappy with Google TV based on its rate of adoption and Google's terms, engineers have been working to port the software to its dual-core L9 chipset. In the past LG has pursued voice and motion control, the aforementioned Google TV integration and even Plex support to make its smart TVs more appealing, and has founded the Smart TV Alliance for cross platform apps. We only have to wait until CES 2013 to see if webOS is next up to power its efforts, stay tuned.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD
Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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webOS Nation | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/25/open-webos-lg-connected-tv/
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Pending home sales rise modestly in September
Paul Sakuma / AP
The housing market is steadily healing after collapsing in 2006, supported by modest job gains, increased job security and record low mortgage rates.
By Reuters
Contracts to buy previously owned homes rose far less than expected in September, an industry group said on Thursday, but the data continued to point to an improving tone in the housing market.
The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in September, gained 0.3 percent to 99.5.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected signed contracts, which become sales after a month or two, to rise 2.1 percent after declining 2.6 percent in August.
"This means only minor movement is likely in near-term existing home sales, but with positive underlying market fundamentals they should continue on an uptrend in 2013," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.
The housing market is steadily healing after collapsing in 2006, supported by modest job gains, increased job security and record low mortgage rates. Pending home sales were up 14.5 percent in the 12 months to September.
Contracts were up in three of the country's four regions. They fell 5.8 percent in the Midwest to the lowest rate since January.
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Moderate drinking decreases number of new brain cells
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2012) ? Drinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. But a new Rutgers University study indicates that there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking -- a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.
In a study posted online and scheduled to be published in the journal Neuroscience on November 8, lead author Megan Anderson, a graduate student working with Tracey J. Shors, Professor II in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, reported that moderate to binge drinking -- drinking less during the week and more on the weekends -- significantly reduces the structural integrity of the adult brain.
"Moderate drinking can become binge drinking without the person realizing it," said Anderson."In the short term there may not be any noticeable motor skills or overall functioning problems, but in the long term this type of behavior could have an adverse effect on learning and memory."
Shors and Anderson worked with postdoctoral fellow Miriam Nokia from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland to model moderate to heavy drinking in humans using rodents that reached a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent -- the legal driving limit in the United States and many other countries -- and found that brain cell production was affected negatively.
The researchers discovered that at this level of intoxication in rats -- comparable to about 3-4 drinks for women and five drinks for men -- the number of nerve cells in the hippocampus of the brain were reduced by nearly 40 percent compared to those in the abstinent group of rodents. The hippocampus is a part of the brain where the new neurons are made and is also known to be necessary for some types of new learning.
This level of alcohol intake was not enough to impair the motor skills of either male or female rats or prevent them from associative learning in the short-term. Still, Anderson said, th
is substantial decrease in brain cell numbers over time could have profound effects on the structural plasticity of the adult brain because these new cells communicate with other neurons to regulate brain health.
"If this area of your brain was affected every day over many months and years, eventually you might not be able to learn how to get somewhere new or to learn something new about your life," said Anderson, a graduate fellow in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology. "It's something that you might not even be aware is occurring."
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men who drink 14 drinks a week and women who drink seven are considered at-risk drinkers. Although college students commonly binge drink, according to the institute, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involved adults age 26 and older.
"This research indicates that social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health than what is now believed by the general public," she said.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rutgers University. The original article was written by Robin Lally.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- M.L. Anderson, M.S. Nokia, K.P. Govindaraju, T.J. Shors. Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Neuroscience, 2012; 224: 202 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.018
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/~3/0fIxn3FWv74/121024164759.htm
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Raleigh Home Remodeling ? Remodeling Your Kitchen The Easy Way
Posted by :admin On : October 24, 2012
Before embarking on a home remodeling project, it is important that all plans are well-thought out to ensure success. For kitchen remodeling, floor plans need to be drawn out and that task involves figuring out where cabinets and appliances will placed. First of all, you would need decide on how you would like the kitchen to be used. Some homeowners prefer their kitchens to serve only one purpose and that is as a place to cook the food that will be served on the table. However, there are some that want their kitchens to also have an eating area. When planning out your Raleigh home remodeling project, make sure to decide on how you would want each room to be used so you can make arrangements accordingly. The next thing that you would need to decide on for your kitchen are the cabinets.
For this aspect, you need to assess the condition of your existing cabinets so you can gauge whether they need replacing or if a fresh coat of paint will do. If you want to replace your cabinets, make sure to choose high quality materials so you can be assured of their lifespan. Since you are already spending for your kitchen remodeling Raleigh project, make sure that it will be worth it by not compromising the quality of the materials just so you can save on costs. Lastly, hire a contractor that you can trust. Before deciding on which company to hire, conduct a background check and ask for recommendations from family and friends so you won?t get ripped off from labor costs.
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Genome analysis of pancreas tumors reveals new pathway
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tpesJd_uDNTn8NpR1KZPWnBNmam5LYdQqQXIJFvKm2vGrObi239doNWGhOYawT5fhb5W0XDSIgDRC0XIbFizReW6zvGb3s5PKIWbGt2xI=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 24-Oct-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Glenna Picton
picton@bcm.edu
713-798-4710
Baylor College of Medicine
HOUSTON -- (October 24, 2012) , said a Baylor College of Medicine physician-scientist who was part of the local team that took part in the international effort. A report appears online in the journal Nature.
"We now know every gene involved in pancreatic cancer," said Dr. William Fisher, professor of surgery and director of the Elkins Pancreas Center at BCM. "This study ushers in a whole new era of taking care of patients with pancreatic cancer. We will look back on this as a turning point in understanding and treating this disease."
The study follows a five-year collaboration between the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center, said Fisher.
The Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center was one of three sequencing centers worldwide that analyzed the genomes of pancreatic tumors and normal tissues taken from 142 patients with the disease. The BCM center, along with the Australian Pancreatic Center Genome Initiative and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Pancreatic Cancer Genome Study carried out detailed studies on 99 of the tumors, identifying 1982 mutations that resulted in a change to a protein and 1,628 significant copy number variations events in which the structure of the chromosomes themselves are changed, either deleting or duplicating genetic information.
The multi-institution, international consortium of researchers discovered mutations in genes involved in chromatin modification (changes that affect the way DNA is packaged inside the cell) and axon guidance (the process by which the axon a long threadlike project that carries impulses away from the neuron is guided to grow to its proper target).
"This is a category of genes not previously linked to pancreatic cancer," said Fisher. "We are poised to jump on this gene list and do some exciting things."
New information is much welcome in the field of pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth leading cause of cancer death with an overall five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent. The figures have not changed substantially in the past 50 years.
The study is the first to report findings from primary tumors in the disease. Previously only cell lines or tumors transplanted into mice had been used because the tumors are so small. "Therefore it required new techniques to sensitively identify mutations that were important to the development of cancer," said Dr. David Wheeler, associate professor in the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center who oversees the center's cancer projects. Wheeler and Fisher are also members of the NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at BCM.
Wheeler pointed out that large, multi-centered studies using well- annotated groups of patients with cancer are pivotal to studies such as this, which promise to guide the way toward developing new treatment strategies.
###
Other BCM people who took part include Marie-Claude Gingras, Nipun Kakkar, Fengmei Zhao, Yuan Qing Wu, Min Wang, Donna M. Muzny, Sally E. Hodges, Jennifer Drummond, Kyle Chang, Yi Han, Lora Lewis, Huyen Dinh and Christian Buhay, as well as Dr. Richard A. Gibbs, director of the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center.
Funding for this work came from; the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research of Australia; the Australian Cancer Research Foundation; the Queensland Government, the Cancer Council New South Wales; the Avner Nahmi Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation; the R.T. Hall Trust; the American Association of Cancer Research; Landon Foundation; the RACS; the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center National Human Genome Research Institute grant; the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas; The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 24-Oct-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Glenna Picton
picton@bcm.edu
713-798-4710
Baylor College of Medicine
HOUSTON -- (October 24, 2012) , said a Baylor College of Medicine physician-scientist who was part of the local team that took part in the international effort. A report appears online in the journal Nature.
"We now know every gene involved in pancreatic cancer," said Dr. William Fisher, professor of surgery and director of the Elkins Pancreas Center at BCM. "This study ushers in a whole new era of taking care of patients with pancreatic cancer. We will look back on this as a turning point in understanding and treating this disease."
The study follows a five-year collaboration between the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center, said Fisher.
The Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center was one of three sequencing centers worldwide that analyzed the genomes of pancreatic tumors and normal tissues taken from 142 patients with the disease. The BCM center, along with the Australian Pancreatic Center Genome Initiative and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Pancreatic Cancer Genome Study carried out detailed studies on 99 of the tumors, identifying 1982 mutations that resulted in a change to a protein and 1,628 significant copy number variations events in which the structure of the chromosomes themselves are changed, either deleting or duplicating genetic information.
The multi-institution, international consortium of researchers discovered mutations in genes involved in chromatin modification (changes that affect the way DNA is packaged inside the cell) and axon guidance (the process by which the axon a long threadlike project that carries impulses away from the neuron is guided to grow to its proper target).
"This is a category of genes not previously linked to pancreatic cancer," said Fisher. "We are poised to jump on this gene list and do some exciting things."
New information is much welcome in the field of pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth leading cause of cancer death with an overall five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent. The figures have not changed substantially in the past 50 years.
The study is the first to report findings from primary tumors in the disease. Previously only cell lines or tumors transplanted into mice had been used because the tumors are so small. "Therefore it required new techniques to sensitively identify mutations that were important to the development of cancer," said Dr. David Wheeler, associate professor in the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center who oversees the center's cancer projects. Wheeler and Fisher are also members of the NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at BCM.
Wheeler pointed out that large, multi-centered studies using well- annotated groups of patients with cancer are pivotal to studies such as this, which promise to guide the way toward developing new treatment strategies.
###
Other BCM people who took part include Marie-Claude Gingras, Nipun Kakkar, Fengmei Zhao, Yuan Qing Wu, Min Wang, Donna M. Muzny, Sally E. Hodges, Jennifer Drummond, Kyle Chang, Yi Han, Lora Lewis, Huyen Dinh and Christian Buhay, as well as Dr. Richard A. Gibbs, director of the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center.
Funding for this work came from; the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research of Australia; the Australian Cancer Research Foundation; the Queensland Government, the Cancer Council New South Wales; the Avner Nahmi Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation; the R.T. Hall Trust; the American Association of Cancer Research; Landon Foundation; the RACS; the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center National Human Genome Research Institute grant; the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas; The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/bcom-gao101812.php
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tips and Tricks for Watch 1080p Videos, Blu-ray, DVD movies on Galaxy Note 10.1
Tutorial for Beginners: How to watch Watch 1080p Videos, Blu-ray, DVD movies on Galaxy Note 10.1 for Windows or Mac users? Download a player? Use a Galaxy Note 10.1 Ultimate Video Converter? Or other more ideas? The following article will help you to solve this problem.
First, you can simply know the compatible formats of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. It supports playback a wider range of file formats than other similar tablets, such as Apple new iPad 3. The following presents the details of Galaxy Note 10.1 supported video and audio formats.
Due to format restrictions and copy protections, there are still lots of file types that Galaxy Note 10.1 can not handle, such as: the MTS, M2TS clips captured by an AVCHD camera, the TiVo recordings downloaded from a TiVo DVR, the protected .m2ts streams in a commercial Blu-ray movie, MKV (Galaxy Note 10.1 support MKV format, but it has bad compatibility with DTS audios), DVD VOB files, M4V files, Xvid AVI files and so on. Then what to do if your files are unacceptable by your Galaxy Note 10.1? At this time, You need a professional Galaxy Note 10.1 video converter to solve your problem. Here I recommend Galaxy Note 10.1 Ultimate Vidoe Converter?to meet your need.
Blu-Ray Video Converter Ultimate integrates a best Blu-ray Ripper, a DVD Ripper, and a Video Converter together for you to rip Blu-ray discs, standard DVDs and convert almost all kinds of videos to universal video and audio file types with super fast conversion speed and excellent image and sound quality. It can convert/rip/shrink/copy the latest releases of Blu-ray movies and rip Blu-ray and DVD with your specified audio/subs tracks. Meanwhile the videos look decent on my Galaxy Tablet as possible as original.
Supported OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Windows 7
Free Download the Ultimate Video Converter for Galaxy Note 10.1
Step 1. Install and run Galaxy Note 10.1 Uitimate Video Converter on your computer, load your various video files into it.
Step 2. Set audio track and subtitles for selected chapters.
If your sources are video files, please skip this step. You can select audio track and subtitle (if necessary) for blu-ray and DVD movie clips only. Click on the Audio box and select an audio track with desired language. Set subtitles in the same way. And you have to select subtitle and audio for each Title. There is a box of "Force Subtitles" too. When you set English as subtitle and check the box of "Force Subtitles", the subtitle appears only when languages other than English are spoken. For example, in the movie Avatar, I select English subtitle and set Force Subtitles, the subtitle appears only when the Navi language is spoken.
Step 3. Choose Galaxy Note 10.1 video format.
Hit "Format" icon, choose "Samsung > Samsung Galaxy Note(*.mp4)" as Galaxy Note 10.1 best video format.
Step 4. Click "Settings" icon to adjust video and audio parameters on "Profile Settings" panel. Then click "OK" to confirm your selection. The recommended video and audio settings for Galaxy Note 10.1 are listed as below.
Tips:
1. If you prefer to get a file with much clearer image quality and do not mind generating a relatively large file size, you can change the video bit rate higher to 2,500 ~ 4,000. In general, the higher bit rate, the bigger output file size.
2. If you would like to experience 1080p playback quality on your Note 10.1, you can set the video size (pix) at 1920*1080.
Step 5. You can click "
Step 6. Convert Blu-ray, DVD, Videos to Galaxy Note 10.1 compatible formats.
Hit "Convert" button to start. Galaxy Note 10.1 Ultimate Video Converter will finish 1080p Videos, Blu-ray, DVD movies to Galaxy Note 10.1 conversion at fast speed, especially when you enabling CUDA or AMD APP (ATI Stream) acceleration. (The Mac version does not support CUDA or AMD)
Note that CUDA/AMD is accessible only when there is an NVIDIA/AMD graphics card that supports GPU en-decoding acceleration installed on your computer. The CUDA/AMD button will be grayed out/ denied when the software fails to detect a satisfactory NVIDIA/AMD graphics card. The CUDA and AMD APP acceleration only work when creating H.264 encoded video files. Click to learn more about which graphics cards are supported: Pavtube software adds supports to NVIDIA CUDA and AMD APP to speed up the encoding process.
After converting, what you need to do is to transfer converted video file to Galaxy Note 10.1, and then you can play 1080p Videos, Blu-ray, DVD on Galaxy Note 10.1 anywhere. Thanks for reading!
Tip: If you are Mac users and want to watch HD videos as well as Blu-ray, DVD, videos and movies on Galaxy Note 10.1, you can get the best integrated Mac tool - Galaxy Note 10.1 iMedia Converter Mac.
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19 species of ferns named for Lady Gaga
Public release date: 23-Oct-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Karl Leif Bates
karl.bates@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University
DURHAM, N.C. -- Pop music megastar Lady Gaga is being honored with the name of a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas. A genus is a group of closely related species; in this case, 19 species of ferns will carry the name Gaga.
At one stage of its life, the new genus Gaga has somewhat fluid definitions of gender and bears a striking resemblance to one of Gaga's famous costumes. Members of the new genus also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA.
Two of the species in the Gaga genus are new to science: Gaga germanotta from Costa Rica is named to honor the family of the artist, who was born Stefani Germanotta. And a newly discovered Mexican species is being dubbed Gaga monstraparva (literally monster-little) in honor of Gaga's fans, whom she calls "little monsters."
"We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression," said study leader Kathleen Pryer, a Duke University biology professor and director of the Duke Herbarium. "And as we started to consider it, the ferns themselves gave us more reasons why it was a good choice."
For example, in her performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga wore a heart-shaped Armani Priv costume with giant shoulders that looked, to Pryer's trained eyes, exactly like the bisexual reproductive stage of the ferns, called a gametophyte. It was even the right shade of light green. The way the fern extends its new leaves in a clenched little ball also reminds Pryer of Gaga's claw-like "paws up" salute to her fans.
The clincher came when graduate student Fay-Wei Li scanned the DNA of the ferns being considered for the new genus. He found GAGA spelled out in the DNA base pairs as a signature that distinguishes this group of ferns from all others.
Celebrity species abound in science. There's a California lichen named for President Barack Obama and a meat-eating jungle plant named for actress Helen Mirren. In January, an Australian horse fly described by its discoverer as "bootylicious" was named for singer Beyonc.
But those are just individual species. This is an entire genus that so far includes 19 species of ferns.
Except for the two new species, germanotta and monstraparva, the rest of the Gaga ferns are species that are being reclassified by Pryer and her co-authors. They had previously been assigned to the genus Cheilanthes based on their outward appearance. But Li's painstaking analysis of DNA using more than 80 museum specimens and newly collected plants showed they're distinct and deserving of their own genus.
New tools for genetic analysis are reorganizing the family tree of ferns, said Pryer, who is currently president of the American Fern Society, and president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the scientists who name and categorize plant species.
Like most ferns, the Gaga group is "homosporous." They produce tiny spherical spores that drift to the ground and germinate into heart-shaped plants called gametophytes. These independent little organisms can be female, male or even bisexual, depending on growth conditions and what other kinds of gametophytes are around. When conditions are right, they exchange sperm between gametophytes, but when necessary they sometimes can also self-fertilize to produce a new fern.
"The biology of these ferns is exceptionally obscure and blurred by sexual crossing between species," Pryer said. "They have high numbers of chromosomes and asexuality that can lead to offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant."
Pryer freely admits that she and her lab are big Gaga fans. "We often listen to her music while we do our research. We think that her second album, 'Born this Way,' is enormously empowering, especially for disenfranchised people and communities like LGBT, ethnic groups, women -- and scientists who study odd ferns!" Pryer said.
"What a remarkable, unexpected, perfect tribute to name a genus of ferns for Lady Gaga," said Duke faculty member Cathy N. Davidson, who was involved in the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative that helped Lady Gaga to create the Born This Way Foundation, a national anti-bullying initiative. "Encouraging her fans and kids everywhere to be brave, bold, unique, creative and smart is what Lady Gaga is about," Davidson says. "It's rare that a celebrity so young gives back so much to society."
###
The research was funded in part by National Science Foundation, grant DEB-0717398.
CITATION: "Gaga, a New Fern Genus Segregated from Cheilanthes (Pteridaceae)," Fay-Wei Li, Kathleen M. Pryer and Michael D. Windham. Systematic Botany, Oct-Dec, 2012.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 23-Oct-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Karl Leif Bates
karl.bates@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University
DURHAM, N.C. -- Pop music megastar Lady Gaga is being honored with the name of a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas. A genus is a group of closely related species; in this case, 19 species of ferns will carry the name Gaga.
At one stage of its life, the new genus Gaga has somewhat fluid definitions of gender and bears a striking resemblance to one of Gaga's famous costumes. Members of the new genus also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA.
Two of the species in the Gaga genus are new to science: Gaga germanotta from Costa Rica is named to honor the family of the artist, who was born Stefani Germanotta. And a newly discovered Mexican species is being dubbed Gaga monstraparva (literally monster-little) in honor of Gaga's fans, whom she calls "little monsters."
"We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression," said study leader Kathleen Pryer, a Duke University biology professor and director of the Duke Herbarium. "And as we started to consider it, the ferns themselves gave us more reasons why it was a good choice."
For example, in her performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga wore a heart-shaped Armani Priv costume with giant shoulders that looked, to Pryer's trained eyes, exactly like the bisexual reproductive stage of the ferns, called a gametophyte. It was even the right shade of light green. The way the fern extends its new leaves in a clenched little ball also reminds Pryer of Gaga's claw-like "paws up" salute to her fans.
The clincher came when graduate student Fay-Wei Li scanned the DNA of the ferns being considered for the new genus. He found GAGA spelled out in the DNA base pairs as a signature that distinguishes this group of ferns from all others.
Celebrity species abound in science. There's a California lichen named for President Barack Obama and a meat-eating jungle plant named for actress Helen Mirren. In January, an Australian horse fly described by its discoverer as "bootylicious" was named for singer Beyonc.
But those are just individual species. This is an entire genus that so far includes 19 species of ferns.
Except for the two new species, germanotta and monstraparva, the rest of the Gaga ferns are species that are being reclassified by Pryer and her co-authors. They had previously been assigned to the genus Cheilanthes based on their outward appearance. But Li's painstaking analysis of DNA using more than 80 museum specimens and newly collected plants showed they're distinct and deserving of their own genus.
New tools for genetic analysis are reorganizing the family tree of ferns, said Pryer, who is currently president of the American Fern Society, and president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the scientists who name and categorize plant species.
Like most ferns, the Gaga group is "homosporous." They produce tiny spherical spores that drift to the ground and germinate into heart-shaped plants called gametophytes. These independent little organisms can be female, male or even bisexual, depending on growth conditions and what other kinds of gametophytes are around. When conditions are right, they exchange sperm between gametophytes, but when necessary they sometimes can also self-fertilize to produce a new fern.
"The biology of these ferns is exceptionally obscure and blurred by sexual crossing between species," Pryer said. "They have high numbers of chromosomes and asexuality that can lead to offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant."
Pryer freely admits that she and her lab are big Gaga fans. "We often listen to her music while we do our research. We think that her second album, 'Born this Way,' is enormously empowering, especially for disenfranchised people and communities like LGBT, ethnic groups, women -- and scientists who study odd ferns!" Pryer said.
"What a remarkable, unexpected, perfect tribute to name a genus of ferns for Lady Gaga," said Duke faculty member Cathy N. Davidson, who was involved in the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative that helped Lady Gaga to create the Born This Way Foundation, a national anti-bullying initiative. "Encouraging her fans and kids everywhere to be brave, bold, unique, creative and smart is what Lady Gaga is about," Davidson says. "It's rare that a celebrity so young gives back so much to society."
###
The research was funded in part by National Science Foundation, grant DEB-0717398.
CITATION: "Gaga, a New Fern Genus Segregated from Cheilanthes (Pteridaceae)," Fay-Wei Li, Kathleen M. Pryer and Michael D. Windham. Systematic Botany, Oct-Dec, 2012.
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Cycling officials strip Armstrong of Tour titles
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme addresses reporters at the headquarters of ASO, the owners of the race, in Issy Les Moulineaux , west of Paris, Monday Oct. 22, 2012. Prudhomme said Monday he no longer considers Lance Armstrong a seven-time winner of the world's most prestigious cycling race. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme addresses reporters at the headquarters of ASO, the owners of the race, in Issy Les Moulineaux , west of Paris, Monday Oct. 22, 2012. Prudhomme said Monday he no longer considers Lance Armstrong a seven-time winner of the world's most prestigious cycling race. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
FILE - This July 28, 2002 file photo shows Lance Armstrong, center, waving from the podium as he holds the winner's trophy, along with best sprinter Robbie McEwen, of Australia, right, and best climber Laurent Jalabert, of France, after the 20th and final stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Melun and Paris. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life by cycling's governing body Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, following a report from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that accused him of leading a massive doping program on his teams. UCI President Pat McQuaid announced that the federation accepted the USADA's report on Armstrong and would not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
FILE - This July 23, 2000 file photo shows Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong riding down the Champs Elysees with an American flag after the 21st and final stage of the cycling race in Paris, France, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life by cycling's governing body Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, following a report from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that accused him of leading a massive doping program on his teams. UCI President Pat McQuaid announced that the federation accepted the USADA's report on Armstrong and would not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)
FILE - This is a July 24, 2005, file photo showing overall leader Lance Armstrong, of Austin, Texas, surrounded by press photographers, signaling seven, for his seventh straight win in the Tour de France cycling race, prior to the start of the 21st and final stage of the race, between Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, and the French capital. UCI, the cycling governing body, agreed Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 to strip Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
Pat McQuaid, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale, UCI, informs about the position of the UCI regarding the decision from USADA in the case of Lance Armstrong, during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012. Cycling's governing body has agreed to strip Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life. McQuaid announced that the federation accepted the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's report on Armstrong and would not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (AP Photo/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi)
GENEVA (AP) ? Seven lines of blanks. From 1999 to 2005. There will be no Tour de France winner in the record book for those years.
Once the toast of the Champs-Elysees, Lance Armstrong was formally stripped of his seven Tour titles Monday and banned for life for doping.
As far as the Tour is concerned, his victories never happened. He was never on the top step of the podium. The winner's yellow jersey was never on his back.
The decision by the International Cycling Union marked an end to the saga that brought down the most decorated rider in Tour history and exposed widespread cheating in the sport.
"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," said Pat McQuaid, president of the governing body. "Make no mistake, it's a catastrophe for him, and he has to face up to that."
It's also devastating for Tour de France organizers, who have to carve seven gaping holes from the honor roll of the sport's biggest event and airbrush Armstrong's image from a sun-baked podium on the Champs-Elysees.
No more rides through Paris for the grim-faced cancer survivor bearing the American flag. No champagne. From the sport's perspective, it's all gone.
"We wish that there is no winner for this period," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said Monday in Paris. "For us, very clearly, the titles should remain blank. Effectively, we wish for these years to remain without winners."
Armstrong's fiercely defended reputation as a clean athlete was shattered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency two weeks ago, when it detailed evidence of drug use and trafficking by his Tour-winning teams. USADA released its report to show why it ordered Armstrong banned from competition back in August. Monday's judgment by the UCI was just the necessary next legal step to formalize the loss of his titles and expel him from the sport.
It will likely also trigger painful financial hits for Armstrong as race organizers and former sponsors line up to reclaim what are now viewed as his ill-gotten rewards, though the cyclist maintains he never doped.
Prudhomme wants Armstrong to pay back prize money from his seven wins, which the French cycling federation tallied at ?2.95 million ($3.85 million). Armstrong also once was awarded $7.5 million plus legal fees from Dallas-based SCA Promotions Inc., which tried to withhold paying a bonus for the rider's 2004 Tour victory after it alleged he doped to win.
The U.S. government could also get involved in a case brought by Floyd Landis, who was key to taking down his illustrious former teammate by turning whistleblower in 2010.
The losses pile up for a man who dedicated himself to victory, over other cyclists and the cancer that almost killed him in 1996.
Neither Armstrong nor his representatives had any comment about Monday's decision, but the rider was defiant in August when he chose not to fight USADA in one of the agency's arbitration hearings. He argued the process was rigged against him.
"I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours," Armstrong said then. "The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that."
The condemnation by McQuaid, cycling's most senior official, confirmed Armstrong's pariah status, after the UCI had backed him at times in trying to seize control of the doping investigation from USADA.
McQuaid announced that the UCI accepted the sanctions imposed by USADA and would not appeal them to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. His board will meet Friday to discuss going after Armstrong's 2000 Olympic bronze medal and the possibility of setting up a "Truth and Reconciliation" commission to air the sport's remaining secrets.
"WADA is encouraged that the UCI feels it can use this case as a catalyst to thoroughly clean up its sport and remove any remaining vestiges of the doping programs that have clearly damaged cycling over the last decade," World Anti-Doping Agency President John Fahey said in a release.
The International Olympic Committee said it would study the UCI's response and wait to receive its full decision before possibly taking away Armstrong's medal from the Sydney Games time trial.
"It is good to see that all parties involved in this case are working together to tackle this issue," the IOC said.
McQuaid said he was "sickened" by some of the evidence detailed by USADA in its 200-page report and hundreds of pages of supporting testimony and documents.
USADA said Armstrong was at the center of "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen" within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.
The American agency welcomed the decision by UCI.
"Today, the UCI made the right decision in the Lance Armstrong case," USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement, which called on cycling to continue to fight doping. "There are many more details of doping that are hidden, many more doping doctors, and corrupt team directors and the omerta has not yet been fully broken."
The USADA report said Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report included statements from 11 former teammates who testified against Armstrong, including that he pressured them to take banned drugs.
In all, 26 people ? including 15 riders ? testified to USADA that Armstrong and his teams used and trafficked banned substances and routinely used blood transfusions. Among the witnesses were loyal sidekick George Hincapie and admitted dopers Landis and Tyler Hamilton.
McQuaid singled out former teammate David Zabriskie, saying: "The story he told of how he was coerced and to some extent forced into doping is just mind-boggling."
Armstrong denies doping, saying he passed hundreds of drug tests, as many as 500. UCI conducted 218 tests and there were another 51 by USADA, although they are not the only drug-testing bodies.
"At the moment Lance Armstrong hasn't admitted to anything, yet all the evidence is there in this report that he doped," McQuaid said.
While drug use allegations have followed the 41-year-old Armstrong throughout much of his career, the USADA report has badly damaged his reputation. Longtime sponsors Nike, Trek Bicycles and Anheuser-Busch dropped him last week, and Armstrong also stepped down as chairman of Livestrong, the cancer awareness charity he founded 15 years ago after surviving testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.
After the UCI decision, another longtime Armstrong sponsor, Oakley sunglasses, cut ties with the rider.
Armstrong's astonishing return from life-threatening illness to the summit of cycling offered an inspirational story that transcended the sport. His downfall has ended "one of the most sordid chapters in sports history," USADA said in its report.
___
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed to this report.
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The Sunday Briefing, October 21, 2012 - Annoyed Army Forum
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The administrator has disabled public write access. "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." ~~Edward Abbey | ? | ||||
Have a blessed Sunday.
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The administrator has disabled public write access. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.An Example of Liberal "Logic" - Trees should be saved because they have souls, but an unborn child is just a blob of tissue. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with oil or grease, your nose will begin to itch & you'll have to pee. | ? | ||||
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| The administrator has disabled public write access. Those who can, do.Those who know, teach. The ignorant who can't, regulate. Child justifying shoplifting: "They're rich, they can afford it!" "To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give. Soapy Pete's Box | ? | ||||
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The administrator has disabled public write access. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.An Example of Liberal "Logic" - Trees should be saved because they have souls, but an unborn child is just a blob of tissue. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with oil or grease, your nose will begin to itch & you'll have to pee. | ? | ||||
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| The administrator has disabled public write access. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.An Example of Liberal "Logic" - Trees should be saved because they have souls, but an unborn child is just a blob of tissue. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with oil or grease, your nose will begin to itch & you'll have to pee. | ? | ||||
Source: http://www.annoyedman.com/home/6-the-briefing-room/22062-the-sunday-briefing-october-21-2012.html
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