Save Yourself The Hassle And Get Your Software, Online ...

In this technological age there are myriad kinds of software and web applications that are out there on the market and online for individuals and businesses to download. When your business is ready to get online it is essential to download these web applications however, it?s equally vital to run web application testing and software performance testing. By doing this, it guarantees that your company is safe, secure, and is prepared for your company to be on the Internet and get the most out of your software programs.
Some things to do to get your company off the ground and online is by performing web application load testing, software security testing, and performance testing web applications. All of these tests are essential to conduct in the early phases of your company so that you can respond to work without needing to bother with software security and all your web applications will run as smoothly as possible.
When you do a web application load test, you are essentially ensuring that your business?s computer systems can handle multiple connections at once when working on various databases at the same time. This is vital due to the fact that possibilities are you will be doing a lot of work on numerous databases to get the most from your business?s on-line efforts. Databases could slow down your work efficient therefore, by carrying out a web application load test you can go about your day not having to bother with slow software and programs.
Due to the fact that we are living in a connected and online world where information is so readily available and simple to access, security is an downright necessity. Thankfully, a software testing company can help you with software security testing that highlights any dangers or potential threats that your company might run into in the future. Preventative measures must be taken with any and all risks that can occur with the security of your online business. If these hazards are not taken care of it can negatively impact your company and livelihood for that reason, do not take this softly. Take for instance, a doctor office that utilizes software that homes the information for thousands of their patients. If software security testing did not occur on all the workplace computer systems there?s an increased possibility that a hacker can infiltrate the software and get their hands on classified details such as physician records, and account and billing information. advertiser
To keep your business running effectively and successfully it is essential to carry out performance testing for web applications. Testing for web applications looks deep into the efficiency of the software to see why software is running slow and ways to make it run quickly and correctly. By preventing any bottlenecks that can decrease the workload you should never have issues with your software.
Generally, by contacting a software testing company, you will enhance your business from day one. These professionals will make sure that your software, protection, and web applications are taken care of. After that, your company will be ready to take on your work with ease.

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Source: http://www.damm-net.org/blog/2013/04/save-yourself-the-hassle-and-get-your-software-online-applications-and-program-security-tested/

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A breakthrough for Lebanese e-commerce? | Web-Release.info

Posted by admin in Events | 0 comments

The Lebanese blogosphere?lit?up?last week when PayPal announced at the ArabNet conference that it would begin offering services in the country later this year. A gaggle of online commentators welcomed the news, with responses ranging from excitement to mere relief. ?I can?t tell you how much this helps me,? one commenter said.

PayPal is the leading global service that manages online payments. It is owned by eBay, the world?s top online marketplace, and rose to prominence alongside the site. But it has branched out and is moving rapidly into mobile technology and other new trends.

Yet until now, those Lebanese wanting to buy goods or services via PayPal have been unable to, or have been forced to use foreign cards. The reason, the company says, was strategic ? Lebanon?s market was not ready before. Even now e-commerce is still in its infancy, with only 9 percent of Internet users active in it ? the vast majority for online banking rather than buying goods ? according to a new poll by Ipsos.

While PayPal?s arrival will make life easier for consumers, the real beneficiaries may be Lebanon?s businesses. ?We?re definitely excited,? said Mohammed Bakhash, project manager for?Mira-Cl?, a business consultancy that also builds websites for e-commerce companies. ?I know a lot of clients who are trying to get around the fact that PayPal isn?t available in Lebanon,? he says.

There are other services for online payments, but none stack up against PayPal, according to Bakhash. Currently, most e-commerce sites ?get around this issue by creating an account and having a virtual credit card,? he said, adding that some banks offer payment solutions as well, but they?re ?very complicated and they charge a lot.? PayPal, on the other hand, is simple, cheap and ubiquitous.

The timeline of the arrival is still unclear. Speaking to Executive, PayPal?s Business Development Manager for the MENA region, Francis Barel, said it will hopefully be before the end of the year, provided a launch in Egypt goes smoothly.??We have said we?re planning to come to Lebanon in 2013???so we?re hoping it will be by the end of the year, but it?s a long process.?

The online spin-off of Lebanon?s leading bookseller?Antoine?already uses PayPal, but only for customers with foreign bank accounts or credit cards. ?At first the [focus] of the site was to sell outside Lebanon,? says Cyril Hadji-Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Books Without Borders, which manages Antoine Online. But ?now the positioning has changed a bit?the growing market is Lebanese customers.? Currently, around sixty percent of Antoine Online?s sales are in Lebanon, he says.

Hadji-Thomas thinks PayPal?s security safeguards and ease of use mean it will be popular in the market. ?With PayPal you can link your identity and it?s secure. Most of the time people don?t want to fetch their credit card to pay? the whole process is easier,? he says.

He believes Antoine Online is uniquely positioned to take advantage of PayPal?s move into Lebanon as they have their own delivery service that is used to the chaos of Lebanon?s address system, while people can also pick up the product from in-store. This mix of physical infrastructure, combined with a lack of customs hassles, provides a competitive advantage over foreign e-commerce sites, he says. ?We think we have a better offer than Amazon in the country.?

The missing link

However, PayPal?s introduction will only be a game changer if it coincides with changes in the Lebanese attitude towards online shopping, where poor infrastructure and low levels of trust prevent people buying online. ?The main issue is having Lebanon get [used] to the e-commerce market as standard,? Hadji-Thomas says.

Part of the problem is that there is still no legal or regulatory framework for e-commerce in Lebanon. A draft law was shelved in 2010 after activists?complained?that it was so poorly written that it would have provided government bodies with sweeping powers over many aspects of online life.

Another?draft law?has been proposed to address these concerns and lay a basic framework for e-commerce regulation. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to talk to the press, said that if enacted, ?a lot of issues might be resolved, including logistics, security, payments, downloading, quality of software and protecting the rights of stakeholders.?

The law would also provide for transactions involving the government, the representative explains. For example, ?when [the government] automated registration of trademarks, we had to resort to LibanPost to make payments and transport the documents. If we had this transaction law, everything could have been done over the web,? he says.

But whether the government moves on e-commerce or not, the private sector will continue to advance the field. According to PayPal, the lack of proper regulation is a hindrance, but the markets?cannot?wait?for government action. As Barel said, ?I think [Lebanon] is quite ready.?

Source Executive Magazine

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Source: http://web-release.info/2013/03/30/a-breakthrough-for-lebanese-e-commerce/

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Lindsay Lohan Claims She Didn't Steal

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/lindsay-lohan-claims-she-didnt-steal/

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Snooki Gives Kim Kardashian Advice For Giving Birth In Style (VIDEO)

We wouldn't recommend taking advice from Snooki when it comes to, well, most things. But when the erstwhile "Jersey Shore" star decided to offer up some words of wisdom to Kim Kardashian, we were more than willing to eavesdrop -- out of sheer curiosity, of course.

Addressing the pregnant star in her capacity as Celebrity Baby Correspondent for Celebuzz (looks like she's found a second career?), Snooki dishes about "how to look glam during labor -- because it's a bitch."

"If your face isn't already made up when your water breaks," new mom Snooki says in the Celebuzz video, "you have plenty of time to do it in the hospital when you're waiting to dilate." Yippee! Just make sure to choose your color palette wisely, she says, seeing as hospital lighting and decor is totally drab.

The new mom also tells Kim to be prepared in case of emergencies: "Remember to keep an extra pair of eyelashes in your purse just in case your water breaks when you're not at home. Or just do like I did and bring a whole box."

And on the subject of jewelry: "Make sure you stay away from the big hoop earrings, because it can get caught in your extensions. But you can wear some nice diamond studs so you look really cute in your selfies."

Oh, how well she knows Kim.

Think we're making any of this up? Believe it, baby -- or just watch the Celebuzz video below and see for yourself.

WATCH:

See how Kim's gone glam since getting pregnant:

• March 17, Atlanta, Georgia

• March 16

• March 11, Los Angeles

• March 3, Paris

• February 27, Los Angeles

• February 22, Los Angeles

• February 16, Los Angeles

• February 14

• January 14, JFK Airport

• January 13, Calabasas

• January 6, Miami

  Hey, sexy lady.

• January 6, Calgary

• January 31, Las Vegas

  Proving that pregnancy doesn't mean ya can't go sheer.

• Kim Kardashian, December 14th

  Looking comfy (as far as Kardashian Klothes go) in a slouchy tee and skinny jeans

• December 6, Miami Heat game

  Going laid-back in a white button-down shirt and black pants. We like!

• December 2, Miami International Airport

  Another slouchy tee, this time with drawstring pants and a blazer.

• December 1, Bahrain

  Kate Middleton's jewel-toned shift, filtered through the Kardashian lens.

• November 29, Kuwait City

  A bodycon dress with cap toe stilettos. Not exactly the outfit that would invite the tabloids to start a bump watch, no?

• November 19, Miami

• November 11, Frankfurt

  A simple v-neck long-sleeve top and a mullet skirt. Business in the front, party in the back?

• November 10, London

  With sisters Kourtney and Khloe, wearing a simple black dress with a statement belt.

• November 9, London

  Only Kimmy K. can wear boob cutouts while pregnant.

• November 9, London

  Doing the jumpsuit thang.

• November 8, London

  With sister Kourtney (and Kourt's many polka dots), wearing liquid sequins.

• November 8, London

  Shine on, Kim.

• October 27, New York

  As a mermaid in rhinestones, pearls and layers of stretch fabric.

• October 22, New York

  Another vaguely Kate Middleton-esque dress (think: jewel tone, flowy) but also distinctly Kimye in its own way.

• Kanye West Makes Pregnancy Announcement at a Concert in Atlantic City

  Rapper Kanye West has announced he and his girlfriend, reality show star Kim Kardashian, are expecting their first child together. He stopped mid-performance at a concert in Atlantic City on Sunday to ask the crowd to make some noise for his baby mama, and then continued where he'd left off. The news has been confirmed by members of the Kardashian family both by Twitter and through US network E!, who host their reality television shows.

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.
--
Do you have a style story idea or tip? Email us at stylesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/snooki-kim-kardashian-advice_n_2986246.html

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Visit Lake Sammamish State Park on Saturday and park for free ...

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Home / Local News / Visit Lake Sammamish State Park on Saturday and park for free

Washington State Parks announces Saturday, March 30, is a ?free day? when visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass to visit a state park.

The March 30 free day commemorates State Parks? 100^th birthday month. The state park system was established March 19, 1913, when the Washington State Legislature established the State Board of Park Commissioners. Washington State Parks invites the public to celebrate the Centennial of the state park system all year, with events and activities in parks all over the state. Visit www.parks.wa.gov/events/ for details.

The State Parks and Recreation Commission selected most of its 2013 ?free days? in conjunction with the National Park Service?s free days. State Parks? free day schedule for 2013 is as follows:

????????? January 21 ? in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

????????? March 30 ? in honor of Washington State Parks? 100^th birthday month

????????? April 27 and 28 ? in cooperation with National Parks Week

????????? June 1 ? National Trails Day

????????? June 8 and 9 ? National Get Outdoors Day

????????? August 4 ? Peak season free day

????????? September 28 ? National Public Lands Day

????????? November 9 through 11 ? Veterans Day Weekend.

?

The ?free days? are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on state-managed recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 ?free days? when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The free days apply only at state parks; the Discover Pass is still required to access DFW and DNR lands.

Stay connected to your state parks by following Washington State Parks at www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateParks, www.twitter.com/WaStatePks and www.youtube.com/WashingtonStateParks. Share your favorite state park adventure on the State Parks blog site at www.AdventureAwaits.com.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. Washington State Parks turned 100 years old on March 19 and invites the public to join the celebration at events in parks all over the state, all year long. For more information, visit www.parks.wa.gov/events/.

Support state parks by purchasing your annual Discover Pass today, and enjoy a whole year of outdoor fun on Washington?s beautiful state-managed recreation lands. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.

Washington State Parks is on Twitter at WaStatePks_NEWS and YouTube at WashingtonStateParks.

Written by Staff ? Filed Under Local News?

Copyright ? 2013 by Issaquah Press Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Email editor@isspress.com.

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Source: http://www.issaquahpress.com/2013/03/29/visit-lake-sammamish-state-park-on-saturday-and-park-for-free/

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Stocks, euro rise after Cyprus banks reopen

By Ellen Freilich

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 stock index set a record closing high while the euro rose from a four-month low as banks in Cyprus reopened to relative calm on Thursday after the island's controversial bailout that taxed large depositors.

Stocks rose on Wall Street, the S&P closing at 1,569.19, surpassing the previous record high on October 9, 2007.

The market for riskier assets got a lift when the mass panic some feared would ensue when banks reopened in Cyprus after a forced closure lasting nearly two weeks did not occur. The banks opened with tight capital controls in place to keep depositors from withdrawing all their money.

"Banks had a fairly orderly opening in Cyprus and German consumer spending was positived," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. "That set the tone that allowed European markets to climb which set the stage for the S&P 500 to climb to a new high in intraday trading, despite the fact that much of the U.S. economic data that came out today was below consensus expectations."

The euro rebounded from a recent four-month low against the dollar as month- and quarter-end flows had investors covering bets against the euro. But the euro lost ground during the quarter and analysts saw Thursday's move up as tenuous.

Analysts worry the Cyprus crisis and political concerns in Italy could encourage anxious investors to sell euro zone assets and seek the safety of the U.S. dollar.

While investors "breathed a sigh of relief that the world didn't end when Cyprus reopened its banks, the concern is we are five years into the euro zone crisis and still lurching from crisis to crisis," said Patrick Chovanec, chief strategist at Silvercrest Asset Management Group in New York, which has $11.5 billion in assets under management. "These economies need to grow their way out of debt and the question is where will the growth come from?"

Cyprus's 10 billion euro rescue deal with its European partners at the weekend is the first euro zone bailout to impose losses on bank depositors and has raised the prospect of savers withdrawing money from banks.

The decision to include senior debt holders and large depositors in the Cyprus bailout could have a "lasting effect" on the way investors perceive weaker euro area banks, said Barclays analysts Rajiv Setia and Laurent Fransolet in a research note.

European Central Bank data showed that some customers began to take money out of their accounts in February on the possibility that depositors would take a haircut in a bailout deal. The relative calm as bank employees returned to work helped settle early market jitters.

The euro, which has dropped around 2.0 percent over the last couple of weeks, rose above $1.28 on Thursday, up from a four-month low against the U.S. dollar and a one-month low against the yen

TREASURIES PARADOX

Uncertainty has been amplified by an unexpected rise in German unemployment in March and the lack of a government in Italy following inconclusive elections. Germany's unemployment rise was countered by stronger retail sales and a surprise rebound in Italian business confidence.

European stock markets shrugged off early nerves though as the calm in Cyprus was reported. With benchmark stock indexes in London, Frankfurt and Paris all higher, the FTSEurofirst 300 rose 0.4 percent.

Most U.S. Treasuries and German government bonds - assets that investors turn to for safety - slipped.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were steady in late trade, yielding 1.85 percent. The Treasury's $29 billion sale of seven-year Treasury notes got a fairly weak reception.

"This is the end of the month," Krosby noted. "Although most of the window dressing has taken place, you probably had a bit of window dressing from portfolio managers and especially hedge funds today."

Typically, however, when stocks rise, Treasuries might beat a more decided retreat. Instead, they were only narrowly lower.

Some analysts are perplexed as to why the 10-year Treasury note price has fallen back in the face of the upward move in stocks, Krosby said.

"People wonder what the Treasury market sees that the equity market doesn't," she said. "With the S&P 500 stock index hitting new highs, you'd think the 10-year would match that confidence in the equity market by selling off. But it hasn't."

Treasuries stayed in negative territory after the U.S. government raised its reading on U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2012, while reporting a bigger-than-expected rise in weekly jobless claims in the latest week.

Gold slipped below $1,600 an ounce on Thursday, as banks reopened in Cyprus without panic, sapping demand for low-risk assets.

Gold hit a one-month high of $1,616.36 last week on concerns the $10 billion euro rescue deal for Cyprus, which will leave big depositors and private bondholders with huge losses, could become a template for future bank bailouts in the euro zone.

Gold slipped below $1,600 as banks reopened in Cyprus, priced at $1,596.31 an ounce by 1945 GMT. Spot prices were still set for a one percent gain in March, their first monthly rise in six months. U.S. gold futures dropped 0.64 percent to $1,596.00 an ounce.

U.S. crude futures hovered above $96 a barrel. NYMEX crude for May delivery was up 51 cents at $97.09 a barrel by 1950 GMT.

London Brent crude for May delivery rose 28 cents to $109.97 a barrel, but posted a loss of $1.09, or 0.9 percent, for the quarter.

(Additional reporting by Julie Haviv and Robert Gibbons in New York, Clara Denina in London; editing by Clive McKeef, Andre Grenon and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-ease-italy-cyprus-worries-003035311--finance.html

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Newtown school gunman fired 154 rounds in less than 5 minutes

By Mary Ellen Clark and Noreen O'Donnell

MERIDEN/NEWTOWN, Connecticut (Reuters) - The gunman who killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school fired 154 rounds in less than 5 minutes, selecting high capacity magazines from a home arsenal stocked with swords, knives and a cache of guns, officials said.

Investigators also found a newspaper clipping about a mass shooting in the home that Adam Lanza shared with his mother, along with a gun safe in his bedroom, receipts from shooting ranges and National Rifle Association certificates for both of them, according to court papers released on Thursday.

To carry out the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, Lanza used 30-round magazines at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, said Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy after the previously sealed searches of Lanza's car and home were made public.

"We now know that he left the lower capacity magazines at home," Malloy said in a statement. "This is exactly why we need to ban high capacity magazines and why we need to tighten our assault weapons ban."

As more details about the shooting came to light, President Barack Obama urged with U.S. lawmakers not to forget those shot to death in Newtown three months ago.

"The entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we've forgotten," said Obama, appearing at the White House with mothers of children who had been shot to death.

The December 14 rampage started at the Lanza family home, where authorities say the 20-year-old shot dead his mother, Nancy Lanza, and then drove to the school he once attended. Armed with an AR-15-type assault rifle and two handguns he killed the 20 children, six staff members and himself.

The pale yellow two-story suburban colonial house where Lanza lived is directly across the street from the home of Dylan Hockley, 6, who died in his teacher's arms in the massacre. The Hockley family has since moved to another part of town.

Searches of the house by police turned up a cache of guns, three samurai-style swords and boxes of bullets, along with items that could offer some clues on Adam Lanza's thinking.

Among them were a 2008 New York Times clipping on an Illinois school shooting and books on Asperger's syndrome and autism. Friends of the Lanza family had described Adam Lanza as having Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism.

For some in the tight-knit southern New England town, the release of the new details only inflamed emotional wounds.

"We struggle every day to stay on the path of recovery and every bit of information that becomes part of the public discourse holds a potential hurt for a family who has already suffered immeasurable harm," said Newtown First Selectman E. Patricia Llodra.

The attack, which Obama called the worst day of his presidency, reignited a fierce debate on gun violence and gun regulation in the United States. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to gun ownership.

The National Rifle Association called after the shooting for armed guards to patrol public schools, while gun-control advocates called for tighter restrictions on both the process to buy guns and the types of guns and ammunition clips that may be sold.

THE CACHE OF WEAPONS

The court papers said police searching the Lanza home found an Enfield bolt-action rifle, a Savage Mark II rifle, a revolver, three samurai-style swords with blades measuring up to 28 inches and a 6-foot, 10-inch wood-handled pole with a blade on one side and a spear on the other.

They also found a smashed computer hard drive and a gun safe in the room they believed to be Adam Lanza's bedroom; NRA certificates in the names of both Adam Lanza and his mother; and Nancy Lanza's body in her bed with a gunshot wound to her forehead and a rifle on the floor nearby.

FBI agents interviewed one or more people who described Lanza as "a shut-in and avid (video) gamer who plays Call of Duty amongst other games." It was noted that the Sandy Hook Elementary School was his "life."

Mayors Against Illegal Guns on Thursday released a TV ad featuring family members of the victims calling for tighter control of guns. Broadcast in Hartford, Connecticut, it was aimed to encourage a proposed Connecticut gun-control law.

"We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy," said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the group's co-chairman.

The investigation documents were released on the same day as hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, less than 3 miles from the school, over the NRA's opposition to new gun control laws. Newtown residents were enraged after receiving a slew of robo-calls on behalf of the NRA that were critical of gun control laws.

Caithlin De Marrais, a 40-year-old musician from Easton, Connecticut, who brought along her 7-month-old baby, carried a handmade sign proclaiming "Enough."

"I'm here to support Newtown and all the communities that have lost loved ones due to gun violence," she said.

The crowd also included those who oppose more gun control, among them Tahra Erickson, 33, who stood with her three-year-old son Zachary.

"I don't think it's the government's job to tell me how I can protect my son," she said.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Grant McCool and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/documents-sandy-hook-gunman-set-release-thursday-125123242.html

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Rhode Island city drops fine for allegedly foul-mouthed cockatoo

By Daniel Lovering

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Rhode Island city has dropped its case against a woman who was fined $15 for violating a noise ordinance after her pet cockatoo allegedly swore at her ex-husband's girlfriend, who lived with him next door, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

Warwick Municipal Court fined Lynne Taylor in September following a series of complaints from the neighbor over noise from the parrot and other offenses, said Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Peltier.

The bird allegedly used salty language to refer to the neighbor, but Peltier said the bird was merely saying "knock it off," and that the noise ordinance was unconstitutional because it was highly subjective and intended for cases of dog-barking.

Taylor's former husband had given her the bird before they divorced and he moved into a neighboring house, Peltier said. His girlfriend began complaining to police after she moved into the house and the dispute escalated over a period of months in 2011, the attorney added.

Taylor appealed the decision, and on Friday the City of Warwick dropped the case, he said.

"We were prepared to fight this right on through the Supreme Court, and Warwick decided they were not going to fight it," Peltier said.

Police told a local television station, WJAR, it was in the best interest of justice to drop the case instead of using city resources to enforce the fine. A Warwick police officer involved in the case was not available for comment.

The ordinance says any dog, animal or fowl that habitually barks, howls or makes noise and disturbs a neighbor may be deemed a public nuisance, according to Peltier.

(Editing by Scott Malone; Editing by David Gregorio)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rhode-island-city-drops-fine-allegedly-foul-mouthed-160315662.html

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Indians greet spring with colorful fashion

A Hindu devotee, face smeared with colored powder, leaves the Banke Bihari temple during Holi celebrations in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also ... more?A Hindu devotee, face smeared with colored powder, leaves the Banke Bihari temple during Holi celebrations in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) less?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/india-s-festival-of-colors-slideshow/

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Large robotic jellyfish could one day patrol oceans

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers have unveiled a life-like, autonomous robotic jellyfish the size and weight of a grown man, 5 foot 7 inches in length and weighing 170 pounds.

The prototype robot, nicknamed Cyro, is a larger model of a robotic jellyfish the same team -- headed by Shashank Priya of Blacksburg, Va., and professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech -- unveiled in 2012. The earlier robot, dubbed RoboJelly, is roughly the size of a man's hand, and typical of jellyfish found along beaches.

"A larger vehicle will allow for more payload, longer duration and longer range of operation," said Alex Villanueva of St-Jacques, New-Brunswick, Canada, and a doctoral student in mechanical engineering working under Priya. "Biological and engineering results show that larger vehicles have a lower cost of transport, which is a metric used to determine how much energy is spent for traveling."

Both robots are part of a multi-university, nationwide $5 million project funded by U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research. The goal is to place self-powering, autonomous machines in waters for the purposes of surveillance and monitoring the environment, in addition to other uses such as studying aquatic life, mapping ocean floors, and monitoring ocean currents.

Jellyfish are attractive candidates to mimic because of their ability to consume little energy owing to a lower metabolic rate than other marine species. Additionally, they appear in wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors, allowing for several designs. They also inhabit every major oceanic area of the world and are capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures in both fresh and salt waters. Most species are found in shallow coastal waters, but some have been found in depths 7,000 meters below sea level.

Partner universities in the project are Providence College in Rhode Island, the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Stanford University. Priya's team is building the jellyfish body models, integrating fluid mechanics and developing control systems.

Cyro is modeled and named after the jellyfish cyanea capillata, Latin for Llion's Manemain jellyfishJellyfish, with "Cyro" derived from "cyanea" and "robot." As with its predecessor, this robot is in the prototype stage, years away from use in waters. A new prototype model already is under construction at Virginia Tech's Durham Hall, where Priya's Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems is based.

"We hope to improve on this robot and reduce power consumption and improve swimming performance as well as better mimic the morphology of the natural jellyfish," Villanueva said, adding that the project also allows researchers such as himself to better understand aquatic creatures live. "Our hopes for Cyro's future is that it will help understand how the propulsion mechanism of such animal scales with size."

A stark difference exists between the larger and smaller robots. Cyro is powered by a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery, whereas the smaller models were tethered, Priya said. Experiments have also been conducted on powering jellyfish with hydrogen but there is still much research to be done in that area.

In both cases, the jellyfish must operate on their own for months or longer at a time as engineers likely won't be able to capture and repair the robots, or replace power sources. "Cyro showed its ability to swim autonomously while maintaining a similar physical appearance and kinematics as the natural species," Priya said, adding that the robot is simultaneously able to collect, store, analyze, and communicate sensory data. This autonomous operation in shallow water conditions is already a big step towards demonstrating the use of these creatures."

How does the robot swim? Its body consists of a rigid support structure with direct current electric motors which control the mechanical arms that are used in conjunction with an artificial mesoglea, or jelly-based pulp of the fish's body, creating hydrodynamic movement.

With no central nervous system, jellyfish instead use a diffused nerve net to control movement and can complete complex functions. A parallel study on a bio-inspired control system is in progress which will eventually replace the current simplified controller. As with the smaller models, Cyro's skin is composed of a thick layer of silicone, squishy in one's hand. It mimics the sleek jellyfish skin and is placed over a bowl-shaped device containing the electronic guts of the robot. When moving, the skin floats and moves with the robot, looking weirdly alive.

"It has been a great experience to finally realize the biomimetic and bio-inspired robotic vehicles," Priya said. "Nature has too many secrets and we were able to find some of them but many still remain. We hope to find a mechanism to continue on this journey and resolve the remaining puzzles."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University), via Newswise.

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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/technology/~3/kLqBg1DBw1g/130328124807.htm

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Speed of light may not be fixed, scientists suggest; Ephemeral vacuum particles induce speed-of-light fluctuations

Mar. 25, 2013 ? Two forthcoming European Physical Journal D papers challenge established wisdom about the nature of vacuum. In one paper, Marcel Urban from the University of Paris-Sud, located in Orsay, France and his colleagues identified a quantum level mechanism for interpreting vacuum as being filled with pairs of virtual particles with fluctuating energy values. As a result, the inherent characteristics of vacuum, like the speed of light, may not be a constant after all, but fluctuate.

Meanwhile, in another study, Gerd Leuchs and Luis L. S?nchez-Soto, from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen, Germany, suggest that physical constants, such as the speed of light and the so-called impedance of free space, are indications of the total number of elementary particles in nature.

Vacuum is one of the most intriguing concepts in physics. When observed at the quantum level, vacuum is not empty. It is filled with continuously appearing and disappearing particle pairs such as electron-positron or quark-antiquark pairs. These ephemeral particles are real particles, but their lifetimes are extremely short. In their study, Urban and colleagues established, for the first time, a detailed quantum mechanism that would explain the magnetisation and polarisation of the vacuum, referred to as vacuum permeability and permittivity, and the finite speed of light. This finding is relevant because it suggests the existence of a limited number of ephemeral particles per unit volume in a vacuum.

As a result, there is a theoretical possibility that the speed of light is not fixed, as conventional physics has assumed. But it could fluctuate at a level independent of the energy of each light quantum, or photon, and greater than fluctuations induced by quantum level gravity. The speed of light would be dependent on variations in the vacuum properties of space or time. The fluctuations of the photon propagation time are estimated to be on the order of 50 attoseconds per square meter of crossed vacuum, which might be testable with the help of new ultra-fast lasers.Leuchs and Sanchez-Soto, on the other hand, modelled virtual charged particle pairs as electric dipoles responsible for the polarisation of the vacuum.

They found that a specific property of vacuum called the impedance, which is crucial to determining the speed of light, depends only on the sum of the square of the electric charges of particles but not on their masses. If their idea is correct, the value of the speed of light combined with the value of vacuum impedance gives an indication of the total number of charged elementary particles existing in nature. Experimental results support this hypothesis.

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Journal References:

1. Marcel Urban, Fran?ois Couchot, Xavier Sarazin, Arache Djannati-Atai. The quantum vacuum as the origin of the speed of light. The European Physical Journal D, 2013; 67 (3) DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2013-30578-7
2. Gerd Leuchs, Luis L. S?nchez-Soto. A sum rule for charged elementary particles. The European Physical Journal D, 2013; 67 (3) DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2013-30577-8

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/OKTioXXFUZ8/130325111154.htm

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Recreation at Duncan lakes impacted by drought ? Local News ...

DUNCAN ? Recreational use of the Duncan lakes is greatly diminishing as a result of drought conditions.

?I think the drought has had a significant impact on recreation at the lakes,? Scott Vaughn, Public Works director, said. And if significant rainfall doesn?t soon occur, the recreational activity will be further affected.

As things begin to warm up in the area, traffic at the lakes usually picks up. Vaughn isn?t sure there will be much more traffic, except on holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The impact of the drought has been reoccurring for about two years. Vaughn said rain is the only way to alleviate the drought impact at the four Duncan lakes.

Last year, no swimming was allowed at Clear Creek Lake because of blue-green algae, which was a direct result of the drought.

This year, boating may one of several recreational activities to be impacted by the drought, especially at Clear Creek Lake. Vaughn said that lake has been impacted by the drought more than the other lakes.

?It could be problematic for boating at the lake,? Vaughn said. It may still be possible for people to use boats at Duncan, Fuqua and Humphreys lakes, but Clear Creek Lake is the most popular lake for water skiing. Clear Creek Lake is the biggest concern when it comes to lake recreation, since it is down, Vaughn said.

Despite the drought impact on the lakes, Spring Break turned out to have an influx in campers. Vaughn said there are certain times when an increase in lake activity will increase. Spring Break is one instance, and spring and summer holidays marks others.

Vaughn said the lakes will probably be used less this year because of the drought. He hopes Duncan receives some precipitation to work toward filling the lakes.

It takes three days of rain to begin refilling lakes. The first day wets the ground. The second day fills creeks and ponds. The third day begins refilling the lakes.

?We need to just keep praying for rain,? Vaughn said.

Source: http://duncanbanner.com/local/x620883207/Recreation-at-Duncan-lakes-impacted-by-drought

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Need Some Help With Email Marketing? Try These Solutions ...

Author: Mishel Roserberg | Total views: 140 Comments: 0
Word Count: 758 Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2013 9:34 AM

If you want an expanded network but don't know how to achieve it, read this article. Lots of people struggle in determining how they can add on people on their email listing. Therefore, utilize the advice presented in the below article in order to determine how you can do this, so that you can achieve the popularity you've been craving.

If you request that your subscribers inform you of their birth date, send them a celebration email on their birthday. Design your email automation to send these out to every subscriber. If you can, include a coupon or discount and remember to keep a friendly tone in your message to make them feel more appreciated by the company.

Preheader material can be quite beneficial, as it helps you to instantly grab your reader's attention. Email marketers call the first few words of the email's body a "preheader." Email providers such as Gmail put this section of text right after the subject of the message, and therefore it is easy attract the attention of your reader.

Always proofread every email before sending it out. This may seem obvious, but it is easy to get caught up in the informality of emailing. It's just email, right? You might want to reconsider. An email marketing program is a critical part of your overall marketing strategy, and mistakes like ugly emails or emails that aren't proofread can have wide-ranging impact on your business.

Use your subject header to attract your customers' attention. Pique their interest with an intriguing header. Get your recipients interested in what you have to say, so they will open your message. Empty, routine or "spammy" subject lines cause people to delete emails without bothering to open them.

Do not send email to anyone who has not given you permission to do so. Businesses that are taken seriously do not send out mass mailings via email. It may even cost you clients and customers because they may not appreciate it.

Educate yourself about email marketing using whatever tools necessary. Books on the subject may be available in libraries and online. You may also be able to find local seminars or workshops to attend; pay attention to the classifieds and bulletin boards.

Consider the general weekly schedules of your readers and the purpose of your newsletter when deciding which day of the week is the best to send out your mailings. As you might expect, business-related newsletter do best if mailed during the work week, such as on Wednesday or Thursday. However, if your newsletter concerns family or leisure information, interested people would rather read it on the weekend.

Get your customer's name when they sign up for your email marketing list. Having their name to reference makes any further communication you have with them more personal and more likely to catch their attention. Your emails will stand out from other bulk emails by helping recipients feel less anonymous.

Do not send emails that were unsolicited. People who receive your unsolicited marketing messages may report them as spam. This is not only harmful to your reputation, but it can actually cause your ISP to block you or your email service provider to suspend your account.

Think about adding an endorsement when sending out follow-up emails to customers. You could let them know at the bottom of the email that there are benefits they can receive at that time. At the end, you can let them know that they can click on an included link to place an order.

Ensure that your title is very solid. Be aware that the first thing any subscriber sees is that subject title, so make it clever and completely unforgettable. That way they will be interested enough to click through. Doing this is winning half your battle, and it's likely that they'll continue reading.

Having a visible link where the person can unsubscribe is a bright idea. Avoid not having an unsubscribe link or burying it within your email to the point where it is hard to find. You never want your readers to feel as if they don't have a choice in receiving your emails.

Businesses use email marketing to attract customers for less money than other marketing campaigns. Because of this, there is no reason to not give it a shot. Utilize the above tips to start seeing great results in your marketing campaign.

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Related to: affiliate marketing - online marketing - article marketing

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1: Understanding Online Business Success

Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.

by: Mike Christie on: Sat, 29 Sep 2012

2: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself

Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.

by: Michel Maling on: Sat, 29 Sep 2012

3: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website

Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.

by: WJaegel on: Tue, 18 Dec 2007

4: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics

Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."

by: Steve Shaw on: Sat, 23 Apr 2011

5: The Best Way To Optimise Your Website SEO For Google Panda

If you want your SEO to work you now need to concentrate on appeasing Google Panda, and to do this you need to know what Google Panda's spiders/bots will be looking for. Find out here how to search engine optimise your website for the latest Google Panda algorithm, and achieve the success you deserve.

by: K Damian Qualter on: Mon, 26 Mar 2012

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/need-some-help-with-email-marketing-try-these-solutions.htm

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US businessman gets 15 years in Dubai fraud case

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? A Dubai court has convicted an American businessman for fraud and sentenced him to 15 years' imprisonment after a nearly five-year legal battle that included a hunger strike and a failed attempt to flee.

The case against Lebanese-born Zack Shahin also brought diplomatic tensions between the United Arab Emirates and the Unites States, which backed Shahin's demand for a trial after years in detention.

Washington did not immediately comment on Monday's sentencing, which also includes fines totaling more than $7.8 million for Shahin and three others.

The Dubai criminal court found Shahin guilty of taking nearly $5.5 million in bribes as head of Dubai-based Deyaar Development. He denied wrongdoing.

Shahin staged a hunger strike before being granted bail in July 2012. He escaped to Yemen, but was returned to Dubai.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-businessman-gets-15-years-dubai-fraud-case-101723142.html

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James Franco: What hasn't he done?

James Franco is starring in two popular movies currently in theaters ('Oz the Great and Powerful' and 'Spring Breakers'), but those achievements are just the latest on a very long resume. How many items would Franco have checked off if he had a bucket list?

By Saba Hamedy / March 25, 2013

James Franco is currently starring in the movie 'Spring Breakers.'

Michael Muller/A24 Films/AP

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Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that actor James Franco has gotten involved with... well, pretty much everything. As Joshua Mohr wrote in a New York Times article in 2010, Franco?s ?ambition over the past few years has manifested almost as performance art.?

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This past weekend, the movie "Spring Breakers," starring Franco and Disney stars like Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, made its debut in theaters nationwide. The movie, along with the Disney film "Oz the Great and Powerful," which was released earlier this month, has thrust Franco back into the limelight again, as Hollywood?s Renaissance man. Check out this rendition of what might be on Franco?s bucket list if he created one ? and how much he's already completed.

?Get a degree

For Franco, this actually means get multiple degrees from multiple universities all at the same time, from Yale University to Columbia University. In 2012, a former professor of his alleged that he was fired from New York University because he gave the actor a D grade, according to Time magazine. In 2009, Franco was caught on camera sleeping in a Columbia class. His response? According to Gawker, he said, ?It was this extra thing, it was 10 at night, it wasn?t a class.? ?

?Use degree(s) to teach college-level courses

Perhaps Franco really believes in the saying ?knowledge is power? because he decided to not only obtain these degrees but also use the degrees to teach. A University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student who recently took Franco?s screenplay/creative writing workshop told LA Weekly that Franco ?definitely cares a lot about teaching and it?s not just something he?s just doing.? The student also said Franco holds office hours and ?gives five or 10 minutes of feedback every week? to each student.

?Guest-star in a soap opera

On ?General Hospital,? Franco plays a character named Franco, an artist who also happens to be a serial killer. In 2010, the actor told ?Good Morning America? he decided to play in the soap opera because ?it?s a different form of entertainment that I have ever worked in.?

?Write a book

?Many of the stories end in nihilistic violences and gratuitous gore, which, let?s admit, can be entertaining... yet many of these tales have no emotional payoffs,? wrote Mohr in his New York Times review of Franco?s book ?Palo Alto? in 2010.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6ewWZ-gLwH8/James-Franco-What-hasn-t-he-done

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Israeli retaliatory missile slams Syrian military post

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In interview, Sandusky speaks of Paterno, witness

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Jerry Sandusky said in interview excerpts broadcast Monday that a key witness against him misinterpreted him showering with a young boy in Penn State football team facilities more than a decade ago.

Sandusky told documentary filmmaker John Ziegler, in recordings played on NBC's "Today" show, that he does not understand how Mike McQueary concluded "that sex was going on" when he witnessed Sandusky showering with a boy in 2001.

"That would have been the last thing I would have thought about," Sandusky said during what Ziegler described as 3? hours of interviews. "I would have thought maybe fooling around or something like that."

McQueary, a graduate assistant in 2001, testified at trial that he heard "skin-on-skin smacking sound" and had no doubt he was witnessing anal sex.

The boy, identified as Victim 2 in court records, was not a witness at trial. A team of civil lawyers has said they are representing Victim 2 and posted online audio recordings of voicemails purportedly from Sandusky and left for the boy.

Sandusky also told Ziegler he was not sure whether head coach Joe Paterno, who was fired after Sandusky's November 2011 arrest, would have let him keep coaching if he suspected Sandusky was a pedophile. Sandusky was investigated by university police for a separate shower incident in 1998, but remained one of Paterno's top assistants through 1999.

"If he absolutely thought I was, I'd say no," Sandusky said. "If he had a suspicion, I don't know the answer to that."

Ziegler is working on a defense of Paterno. Wick Sollers, a Paterno family lawyer, said in a statement released Sunday that Sandusky had an opportunity to testify at trial but "chose not to do so."

Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after being convicted last year of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. He maintains his innocence and is pursuing appeals.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/interview-sandusky-speaks-paterno-witness-120242280--spt.html

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Abou Zeid confirmed dead: France got Al Qaeda leader (+video)

Abou Zeid confirmed dead: France now says DNA tests confirmed that Abou Zeid, one of al Qaeda's most feared commanders in Africa, was the identity of the man killed by a French-led offensive in Mali.

By Lionel Laurent and Elizabeth Pineau,?Reuters / March 23, 2013

French soldiers patrol in northern Mali. France's Presidential office on Saturday March 23, 2013 said that DNA testing has shown that Al Qaeda-linked North African warlord Abou Zeid was killed in combat with French troops in Mali in February.

(AP Photo/Arnaud Roine/ECPAD, file)

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France confirmed "with certainty" on Saturday that Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, one of al Qaeda's most feared commanders in Africa, had been killed in Mali last month in a French-led offensive.

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The death of Abou Zeid, who raised millions of dollars kidnapping Western hostages, marks a heavy blow to al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM and to Islamist rebels battling French-led forces in northern Mali's Adrar des Ifoghas mountains.

The death of the ruthless commander - the trusted lieutenant of AQIM's elusive leader Abdelmalek Droukdel - was a major victory in France's nine-week-old campaign to drive al Qaeda-linked Islamists from Mali's desert north.

It raises questions, however, about the fate of several French hostages believed to be held by Abou Zeid's branch of AQIM.

"The president of the French Republic confirms with certainty the death of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid after an offensive by the French army in the Adrar des Ifoghas," the Elysee presidential palace said.

Previously France had said only that Abou Zeid was "probably" dead. Chad, whose troops are fighting alongside French forces in the Adrar des Ifoghas, announced in early March that the Algerian smuggler-turned-Islamist had been killed.

France had been awaiting the results of DNA testing - which finally confirmed Zeid's identity - before making an official announcement, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

French forces launched a ground and air campaign in Mali on Jan. 11, warning that the Islamist enclave in northern Mali controlled by AQIM and its allies presented a threat to international security.

The Islamists had hijacked a Tuareg rebellion which had driven Mali's demoralised army from the northern two-thirds of the landlocked country in April last year.

While the French-led offensive has pushed Islamists out of northern towns and remote mountain bases, militants have hit back with several suicide bombings in government-held areas.

A spokesman for AQIM said earlier this week it had beheaded a French hostage in retaliation for Paris' intervention, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported - a worrying development for France and its 14 hostages held in West Africa.

Abou Zeid is believed to have killed British hostage Edwin Dyer in 2009 and 78-year-old Frenchman Michel Germaneau in 2010.
Confirmation of his death will turn attention to the fate of fellow al Qaeda commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was also reported dead by Chad.

Saturday's statement made no mention of Belmokhtar, the mastermind of a mass hostage-taking in January at the In Amenas gas plant in the Algerian desert in which around 60 people were killed.

Edouard Guillaud, the head of France's joint chiefs of staff, said this month he was "extremely cautious" about reports of Belmokhtar's death, noting that some militant websites had said the al Qaeda commander, nicknamed 'the uncatchable', was still at large.

(Reporting by Lionel Laurent and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Stephen Powell)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Q3JE7N8zgG4/Abou-Zeid-confirmed-dead-France-got-Al-Qaeda-leader-video

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PFT: Giants offer Cruz $7 million-plus per year

Getty Images

The Buccaneers struggled last year on defense, especially in the secondary.? And, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times explains it, coach Greg Schiano takes that personally.

Schiano got his NFL start as the defensive backs coach in Chicago, but in his first year as a head coach Schiano?s team nearly set the league record for passing yards allowed in a season.? Included in that total were 69 completions of at least 20 yards and 11 of more than 50.

?The big pass plays, those are killers,? Schiano said, via Stroud.? ?They not only affect the game, but they affect the momentum of the game.? When you?re at home, it sucks the life out of your crowd, and when you?re on the road, it ignites the crowd.

?Some of the changes we made are the result of people not doing things exactly how we wanted them done. We did make a staff change,? Schiano said, regarding the departure of defensive backs coach Ron Cooper.? ?I?m not going to duck that. . . .? It?s even more frustrating for me because that?s supposed to be your area of expertise.?

The Buccaneers have added safety Dashon Goldson via free agency, and they continue to be in the hunt for Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.? Goldson and Mark Barron have similar styles, and that?s fine with Schiano.

?It doesn?t matter to me,? Schiano said. ?We?re actually an interchangeable safety defense.? So there?s not really a cover guy and a box guy.?

The ultimate cover guy ? Revis ? would pump up the secondary considerably.? And it could make the Buccaneers major players in the NFC South.? Even if, in the end, the Bucs don?t have a spot in the lineup for future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/23/report-giants-offer-cruz-more-than-7-million-per-year/related/

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Rev. Susan Russell: Standing for Marriage Equality: Holy Work in Holy Week

I am a parish priest in a church with 4000 members. Between 7:30 a.m. on Palm Sunday and 1:00 p.m. on Easter Day we will have 27 services in what is not only the most holy but also the most scheduled week of the Christian calendar. And that was before the Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments on the two marriage equality cases -- Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor -- during Holy Week.

I'll admit my first reaction to the announcement that the arguments had been scheduled for March 26 & 27 was an incredulous "Seriously?" And yet as the clock has ticked down to Holy Week, it has become clear to me that the preparation happening for the work in the halls of justice is just as holy as the preparation happening in the halls of worship. I have come to see a profound synchronicity between a core value I hold as an American -- "liberty and justice for all" -- and a core value I hold as a Christian -- "love your neighbor as yourself." And I have been deeply gratified by the number of people of faith standing up and speaking out for equality -- not in spite of their faith but because of it.

At my church, All Saints Church in Pasadena, we are proud to have been in the forefront of the struggle for marriage equality in the State of California just as we have been in the forefront of LGBT equality in the Episcopal Church. From the first parish blessing of a same-sex couple in 1992 to the "No on 8" campaign in 2008 to the letters, petitions, rallies, phone calls and prayers vigils in the five years since we have been committed to the work of marriage equality. That commitment led to our decision to decline to solemnize any civil marriages until we could solemnize all civil marriages because, in the words of the resolution passed unanimously by our vestry (or board of directors:)

Our active participation in the discriminatory system of civil marriage is inconsistent with Jesus' call to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.

And so for us -- for me -- the work for equality is holy work. It is work deeply rooted in the ancient call of the prophets to do justice and in the example of Jesus to stand with and advocate for those on the margins: to make manifest the power of God's inclusive love.

Now make no mistake about it -- there continue to be people of deep faith across this country who come to a different conclusion than I do -- than my church does -- about what God blesses and what Jesus thinks about marriage. Happily for them the First Amendment protects their right to believe whatever they choose to about what God blesses or doesn't bless, intends or doesn't intend. Even more happily, it also protects the rest of us from anyone from confusing their theology with our democracy.

For example, the First Amendment guarantees that a Roman Catholic priest can believe that God doesn't bless marriage after divorce and an Orthodox rabbi can believe that God doesn't intend an interfaith marriage and no one can insist that they solemnize a marriage outside those beliefs. So it is with same-sex marriages. And so it will be when the Supreme Court does the right thing and ends discrimination against the civil marriage of same-sex couples -- and All Saints Church in Pasadena can get back to offering equal blessing and equal civil protection to all couples coming to us for holy matrimony.

As so this Holy Week we look ahead with a hopeful spirit -- not only to Easter but to the Supreme Court oral arguments on Hollingsworth v Perry and United States v Windsor. We await their decision coming in the weeks ahead deeply aware of the critically important role voices of faith have had in changing hearts and minds of so many in the powerful shift in public opinion on marriage equality. And we remain committed to stand, united for marriage, until justice does indeed roll down like waters -- and righteousness like an ever flowing stream!

?

Follow Rev. Susan Russell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/revsusanrussell

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-susan-russell/standing-for-marriage-equ_b_2940954.html

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Burgher Recreation Club v Sri Lanka Army Sports Club 318/6 *

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Premier League Tournament, Group A: Burgher Recreation Club v Sri Lanka Army Sports Club at Colombo (Burgher), Mar 22-24, 2013 Tweet

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When a gene is worth two: Same gene fulfills different biological roles in plants

Mar. 22, 2013 ? The notion that each gene can only codify for a single protein has been challenged for some years. Yet, the functional outcomes that may result from genes encoding more than one protein are still largely unknown. Now, in a study published in the latest issue of The Plant Cell journal, a group of scientists led by Paula Duque at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci?ncia (IGC, Portugal) discovered a gene -- ZIFL1 -- that has the particularity of producing two different proteins with completely distinct locations and functions in the plant. The researchers observed that in the root ZIFL1 codifies a protein that is important for the transport of auxin, a hormone essential for the correct growth and development of the plant. However, in the leaves the same gene originates a protein that promotes tolerance to drought. The gene presented in this study is one of the few identified to produce two proteins with such different biological roles.

ZIFL1 belongs to a family of transporter genes known to be present in all classes of organisms, but the functional role of most of its members remains unknown. What is known is that these transporter genes encode proteins that are integrated into cell membranes and act by allowing the passage of small molecules across them. By undergoing genetic and cell biology studies in the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana, Paula Duque's team was able to study the role of the ZIFL1 gene. What surprised the scientists was that mutant plants unable to produce the ZIFL1 transporter presented specific defects in different organs and functions. On one hand, their roots exhibited problems of growth, ramification and orientation when compared to normal plants.

These observations suggested that the ZIFL1 gene was involved in the transport of the auxin hormone, which plays an important role in the development of the root. But the researchers also found out that the mutant plants had problems in tolerating drought. They realized that the leaf pores that regulate transpiration -- the stomata -- were more open in the mutants than in normal plants, resulting in the loss of higher quantities of water. This suggested a role for ZIFL1 in the closure of stomata and in the control of water loss by the plant, which can be critical under drought conditions.

Intrigued by these observations, the researchers investigated whether the ZIFL1 gene could be originating two proteins that would act differently in distinct tissues. Alternative splicing is a key mechanism allowing the same gene to produce multiple proteins. When genes are activated to give rise to proteins, they first originate an intermediate molecule of RNA that can be processed differently, with some parts being removed. This cut and paste process may originate different RNA molecules that can then be converted into different proteins. Estelle Remy, investigator at Duque's laboratory and first author of this work, observed that in the case of the ZIFL1 gene, alternative splicing originates two RNA molecules that differ in just two chemical residues. However, this small difference has a huge impact on the proteins that are generated, with one of them being shortened by 67 amino acids. In collaboration with Isabel S?-Correia's group? at Instituto Superior T?cnico, the researchers then tested the activity of the two proteins in yeast cells and found that both transport potassium ions.

Having different size but similar transport activity, Estelle looked for the reason why these two proteins had such distinct biological functions. Surprisingly, she observed that root tissues only present the longer form of the protein, whereas the shorter protein can only be found in the leaves. Furthermore, the location of these two proteins also differs inside the cells of the root and leaves, being integrated into different cell membranes. According to Estelle, "the fact that we cannot find both proteins being expressed either in roots or leaves suggests that these tissues may have specific factors that somehow influence the splicing of the ZIFL1 RNA into the form that confers the biological role necessary for that tissue."

Says Paula Duque, "To our knowledge, there are not many known cases of proteins with such different biological functions being codified by the same gene. What is most fascinating is how the inclusion or removal of just two chemical residues in the RNA molecule results in the production of two proteins that play essential roles either in hormone transport or in tolerance to drought."

Alternative splicing is a crucial mechanism to generate protein diversity. In humans, about 20,000 to 25,000 genes codify proteins. However, recent studies indicate that over 90% of these genes undergo alternative splicing, with scientists estimating that there may be up to 500,000 or more different proteins in the human body.

This study was carried out at the IGC in collaboration with the research groups of Isabel S?-Correia (Biological Sciences Research Group, IBB/CEBQ, Instituto Superior T?cnico, Portugal) and Ji?? Friml (VIB/Ghent University, Belgium and Institute of Science and Technology, Austria). It was funded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia (Portugal).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci?ncia (IGC).

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

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Journal Reference:

1. E. Remy, T. R. Cabrito, P. Baster, R. A. Batista, M. C. Teixeira, J. Friml, I. Sa-Correia, P. Duque. A Major Facilitator Superfamily Transporter Plays a Dual Role in Polar Auxin Transport and Drought Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 2013; DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.110353

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/~3/-K3qwiHxFkk/130322154124.htm

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