Early rally evaporates as Italian gridlock looms

NEW YORK (AP) ? Early signs that Italy could be headed for political gridlock following closely followed elections popped an early stock market rally in the U.S. and Europe.

Markets had started the day higher Monday on hopes that center-left group was gaining in the polls.

Later news that the camp of former premier Silvio Berlusconi could clinch control of Italy's upper house of Parliament got investors worried that the country could backtrack on its economic reform program.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 65 points at 13,934 at midday, giving up an early gain of 81 points.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down seven at 1,508 and the Nasdaq was off six at 3,155.

Much of an early rally in European indexes also evaporated.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/early-rally-evaporates-italian-gridlock-looms-170258381--finance.html

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Watching molecules grow into microtubes

Feb. 22, 2013 ? Sometimes the best discoveries come by accident.

A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, headed by Srikanth Singamaneni, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering & materials science, unexpectedly found the mechanism by which tiny single molecules spontaneously grow into centimeter-long microtubes by leaving a dish for a different experiment in the refrigerator.

Once Singamaneni and his research team, including Abdennour Abbas, PhD, a former postdoctoral researcher at Washington University, Andrew Brimer, a senior undergraduate majoring in mechanical engineering, and Limei Tian, a fourth-year graduate student, saw that these molecules had become microtubes, they set out to find out how.

To do so, they spent about six months investigating the process at various length scales (nano to micro) using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques.

The results were published in the journal Small.

"What we showed was that we can actually watch the self-assembly of small molecules across multiple length scales, and for the first time, stitched these length scales to show the complete picture," Singamaneni says. "This hierarchical self-organization of molecular building blocks is unprecedented since it is initiated from a single molecular crystal and is driven by vesiclular dynamics in water."

Self-assembly, a process in which a disordered collection of components arrange themselves into an ordered structure, is of growing interest as a new paradigm in creating micro- and nanoscale structures and functional systems and subsystems. This novel approach of making nano- and microstructures and devices is expected to have numerous applications in electronics, optics and biomedical applications.

The team used small molecules p-aminothiophenol (p-ATP) or p-aminophenyl disulfide added to water with a small amount of ethanol. The molecules first assembled into nanovesicles then into microvesicles and eventually into centimeter-long microtubules. The vesicles stick onto the surface of the tube, walk along the surface and attach themselves, causing the tube to grow longer and wider. The entire process takes mere seconds, with the growth rate of 20 microns per second.

"While it was exciting to watch the self-assembly of these molecules, we are even more excited about the implications of the self-assembly of such small molecules," Singamaneni says. "This mechanism can be used to load the vesicles with the desired macromolecules, such as proteins, antibodies or antibiotics, for example, and build microtubes with a biological function."

Singamaneni says his research team collaborated with researchers in Singapore who are experts in molecular crystals, as well as with colleagues in the Department of Chemistry.

"We hope that once we can co-assemble some functional nanostructures along with these small molecules, then these molecular assemblies can have applications in biological sensors and chemical sensors," Singamaneni says.

Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Army Research Office and Army Research Laboratory.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis. The original article was written by Beth Miller.

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. Abdennour Abbas, Andrew Brimer, Limei Tian, D. Andr? d'Avignon, Abdulrahman Shahul Hameed, Jagadese J. Vittal, Srikanth Singamaneni. Vesicle-Mediated Growth of Tubular Branches and Centimeter-Long Microtubes from a Single Molecule. Small, 2012; DOI: 10.1002/smll.201202509

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/39eI02lWOtQ/130222120707.htm

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Matt Birk leaving the NFL on his own terms

Fifteen years later, Matt Birk still can remember what it felt like to walk into an NFL locker room for the first time.

Birk, a Minnesota-area kid, was a sixth-round pick by the Vikings out of Harvard. He was a longshot, and he knew it, about to rub shoulders with guys such as Cris Carter, Randall McDaniel and John Randle.

"I remember thinking, 'Maybe I should go in with a book and get their autographs before they cut me,'" Birk said Friday.

Turns out he had plenty of time.

On Friday, weeks after earning a Super Bowl championship ring with the Baltimore Ravens, Birk, 36, announced his retirement during an appearance at a Baltimore-area elementary school after 15 years, 210 games and 187 starts as an NFL center.

"You list the pros and cons," Birk said in a phone interview. "What is best for my family? Can I do it again? Do I want to do it again? I felt, in my heart, it was time. It couldn't have gotten any better, for me, to end it like this. Time to move on to something else."

Birk played in 14 seasons, missing the 2005 season because of a hip injury. He moved into the starting lineup in 2000 and played in every game for the next four seasons. Over his final seven seasons - the past four in Baltimore - Birk started every game. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times as a Viking, tying Mick Tingelhoff for most appearances by a Vikings center.

He was named All-Pro in 2000 by Pro Football Weekly and in 2003 by PFW and The Sporting News.

Playing for the team he grew up rooting for was a dream, Birk said; he still can remember the postgame tailgate parties his parents and neighbors would throw, drawing hundreds of people.

"Because you get to share that journey with the people who matter to you the most," he said. "You get to bring them along with you on the ride."

Still, after the 2008 season, Birk decided to trade Vikings purple for Ravens purple. Maybe Birk and Vikings coach Brad Childress didn't see eye-to-eye. But, more important to Birk, he just needed to get out of his comfort zone.

"From a professional standpoint, it was good for me," he said. "From a personal perspective, for growth? It's hard to have growth without change. Looking back, I'm glad as a family that we did it."

And now what? Birk isn't sure. For now, he's going to focus on his family. Birk and his wife, Adrianna, have six kids. Because of the uncertainties of NFL life, his kids all have been home-schooled. Birk, who has a home in the Twin Cities area, said he ultimately will return to Minnesota.

The good news is that Birk - who had two years remaining on his three-year, $8.525 million contract - is leaving the game on his own terms. And, he said, in good health.

"Take a step back and look at it," he said. "Fifteen years? Are you kidding me? A guy like me? God's been good to me. I don't know how else to say it."

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/22/3248944/matt-birk-leaving-the-nfl-on-his.html

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Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?

Feb. 22, 2013 ? Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.

These findings, based on an analysis of functional brain scans, were published in a study by neurophysiologist Wim Vanduffel (KU Leuven and Harvard Medical School) in collaboration with a team of Italian and American researchers.

Our ancestors evolutionarily split from those of rhesus monkeys about 25 million years ago. Since then, brain areas have been added, have disappeared or have changed in function. This raises the question, 'Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?'. Scientists have entertained the idea before but conclusive evidence was lacking. By combining different research methods, we now have a first piece of evidence that could prove that humans have unique cortical brain networks.

Professor Vanduffel explains: "We did functional brain scans in humans and rhesus monkeys at rest and while watching a movie to compare both the place and the function of cortical brain networks. Even at rest, the brain is very active. Different brain areas that are active simultaneously during rest form so-called 'resting state' networks. For the most part, these resting state networks in humans and monkeys are surprisingly similar, but we found two networks unique to humans and one unique network in the monkey."

"When watching a movie, the cortex processes an enormous amount of visual and auditory information. The human-specific resting state networks react to this stimulation in a totally different way than any part of the monkey brain. This means that they also have a different function than any of the resting state networks found in the monkey. In other words, brain structures that are unique in humans are anatomically absent in the monkey and there no other brain structures in the monkey that have an analogous function. Our unique brain areas are primarily located high at the back and at the front of the cortex and are probably related to specific human cognitive abilities, such as human-specific intelligence."

The study used fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans to visualise brain activity. fMRI scans map functional activity in the brain by detecting changes in blood flow. The oxygen content and the amount of blood in a given brain area vary according to a particular task, thus allowing activity to be tracked.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by KU Leuven, via AlphaGalileo.

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Journal Reference:

1. Dante Mantini, Maurizio Corbetta, Gian Luca Romani, Guy A. Orban, Wim Vanduffel. Evolutionary-Novel Functional Networks in the Human Brain? The Journal of Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1523/%u200BJNEUROSCI.4392-12.2013

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/~3/xHGCPbZI-WU/130222120753.htm

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Do the Orioles have a rivalry with Washington?

I read a lot of different columns and even fan message boards on a daily basis. In some aspects it helps me to write this column every day, but on a sheer personal level I enjoy baseball ?chatter.? I came across this thread?on a Washington Nationals? message board yesterday regarding whether or not the Baltimore Orioles and Washington are rivals. Interesting topic to say the least, especially in the hearts and minds of the people in the mid-Atlantic region.

Courtesy of The Baltimore Sun

First off, if you read through it predictably turns into an Oriole-bashing thread. However the question at hand is whether or not there?s a true ?rivalry.??I would submit that rivalries are formed on the field and/or by the players more so than they are by fans. Certainly the fans can go back-and-forth in bars and even on message boards or columns such as this one about what happens on the field, which adds fuel to the rivalry. However, has this series had any on-field moments that would elevate it to the level of ?rivalry?? It matters what you consider rivalry-worthy I guess:

• 2006 -?Washington wins the first ?Battle of the Beltways? by taking two-of-three in May at RFK Stadium. (The Orioles won two-of-three in the Baltimore leg of the series, however Washington took the first ever series between the two teams.)
• 2007 -?Washington unceremoniously sweeps the Orioles at Camden Yards.
• 2008 -?Washington?s Ronnie Belliard hits a walk-off home run in the final game of the series at Nationals Park off of George Sherrill, spitting at Sherrill as he goes into his home run trot.
• 2010 -?Washington?s Josh Willingham hits a walk off home run off of the Orioles? Cla Meredith, giving Washington a 2-1 series win in the DC leg of the series. One month later at Camden Yards, the Orioles overcame serveral deficets and came back to sweep Washington (taking the season series for a second consecutive year).
• Overall?- The two teams have played 42 regular season games against each other since 2006. Ironically (since most of the above-mentioned highlights are in Washington?s column), the Orioles hold the edge with 23 wins to only 19 for Washington.

Some of those weren?t really the type of highlights that would arouse animosity, however walk off homers are something that fans tend to remember. Aside from Belliard appearing to spit in Sherrill?s direction, there?s nothing there that would really fuel bitterness. I doubt that we?ll ever see hatred on the level of Boston/New York due to the fact that these teams met only six times a year from 2005-2012, and moving forward it?ll only be four times a year. Furthermore and more importantly, they don?t compete with each other in terms of standings.

I?m not sure that rivalry is the right term, but perhaps there is a certain competitiveness between the two sides given the geography involved. I wouldn?t compare it to that of the New York or Chicago franchises. Those teams actually play in the same city, and while you?d be hard pressed to argue that Baltimore and Washington aren?t in the same ?area,? they are two distinct cities. But I guarantee you that Baltimoreans? knuckles don?t drag on the ground like some Washingtonians want to believe, just as Washingtonians aren?t as whiney as Baltimoreans claim. Having said that, I would suggest that this ?rivalry? is a bit more ?on the map? than perhaps Tampa/Miami, Texas/Houston (although that one could heat up with Houston now being an AL city), or San Francisco/Oakland.

Fans in the Baltimore/Washington area can see every team in baseball within a one hour?s drive (give or take). Not a lot of places can say that. Both cities also are coming off of playoff years, which is another thing that most areas can?t claim. I would submit that fans on both sides should simply take the attitude that?we?ll root against you when we see you. Other than that, the two teams are mutally exclusive. (I?m not naive; I know the agreement between MASN and the two teams. However that has nothing to do with what happens on the field.) ?For the record, anyone that was at any of the six games between the two teams last season knows what a great atmosphere they had. I would submit that those games were the franchises? first tastes of big time baseball. The two teams will meet this year in Washington DC on May 27th (Memorial day) and 28th, and in Baltimore on May 29th and 30th.

Follow @DomenicVadala on twitter for all breaking Orioles' news, in-game updates, and analysis. You can also follow the Orioles by liking our Birds Watcher Facebook page.

Topics: Baltimore Orioles

Source: http://birdswatcher.com/2013/02/21/do-the-orioles-have-a-rivalry-with-washington/

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Procam International wins 'Award for Excellence in Sports' at The Indian Merchants Chamber's Fusion 2013

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Company Brief
Mumbai, February 21

Procam International, India?s leading sports and leisure Management Company, won the Award for Excellence in Sports at Indian Merchants Chamber?s Fusion 2013, in Mumbai. Procam International were awarded for promoting the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, India?s largest sports and social extravaganza, also counted among the top ten marathons of the world, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.

Organised under the auspices of IMC?s Entertainment Committee, chaired by Karan Johar, IMC Fusion 2013 was hosted by actor Kabir Bedi. The award was handed over by Mr. Niranjan Hiranandani Founder & MD. Hiranandani Constructions Pvt. Ltd and IMC President to Mr Vivek B Singh, Jt. MD Procam International and Mr Dilip Jayaram -CEO, Procam International.

Procam International?s vision over the years has laid a foundation of excellence by promoting innovative and sustainable sporting and leisure properties in the country. Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, over the years has carved its place over other contemporary developments in the ever-evolving and dynamic sector of sports. It has brought about a running revolution in the country and placed India on the global marathon calendar

Speaking about the award, Mr. Vivek Singh, Jt Managing Director, Procam International said, ?On behalf of the entire Procam International team, we are delighted to receive this award. It?s a new level of excitement to win this award as this year we have successfully completed the 10th anniversary of Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. It?s amazing to see so many people come together on the streets and run on a platform that promotes health & fitness, communal harmony and charity.?

Recently Procam International bagged ?Best Sports Event Management Company? honour at the prestigious 'Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry' Sports Awards (FICCI) in New Delhi.

For further information:

ZZEBRA SPORTS
Karishma Malhotra
Mobile: +919967527340

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Police: Hotel altercation sparked Vegas shooting

Police rope off the scene of a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Authorities say at least one person in a Range Rover shot at people in a Maserati that then crashed into a taxi cab. The taxi cab burst into flames, and the driver and passenger were killed. The male driver of the Maserati also died, and his passenger was shot. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun, Steve Marcus)

Police rope off the scene of a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Authorities say at least one person in a Range Rover shot at people in a Maserati that then crashed into a taxi cab. The taxi cab burst into flames, and the driver and passenger were killed. The male driver of the Maserati also died, and his passenger was shot. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun, Steve Marcus)

Police rope off the scene of a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Authorities say at least one person in a Range Rover shot at people in a Maserati that then crashed into a taxi cab. The taxi cab burst into flames, and the driver and passenger were killed. The male driver of the Maserati also died, and his passenger was shot. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun, Steve Marcus)

Metro Police investigate a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday morning, Feb. 21, 2013. Gunshots fired from a black Range Rover on the Las Vegas Strip that caused a Maserati to crash into a taxi, creating a fireball and killing three people as the SUV sped away. Initial reports had it as a gunfight between the luxury SUV and the high-end sports car. But investigators don't think anyone in the Maserati was shooting, said Sgt. John Sheahan. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus)

Police investigate the scene of a shooting between cars on the Las Vegas Strip early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in Las Vegas. Gunshots fired from a black Range Rover on the Strip early Thursday caused a Maserati to crash into a taxi, creating a fireball and killing three people as the SUV sped away. It's the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year. (AP Photo/KTNV)

Law enforcement personal investigate the scene of a mulit-vehicle accident on Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Road Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Authorities say a Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati at a stoplight, sending it crashing into a taxi that went up in flames, leaving three people dead and at least six injured. Police were checking with nearby businesses to see whether a previous altercation prompted the car-to-car attack (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? The Las Vegas Strip became a scene of deadly violence early Thursday when someone in a black Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati at a stoplight, sending it crashing into a taxi that burst into flames, leaving three people dead and at least six injured.

Police believe an altercation earlier at a hotel prompted the car-to-car attack in the heart of the Strip at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, the site of several major hotel-casinos, including Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Bally's.

"This doesn't happen where we come from, not on this scale," said Mark Thompson, who was visiting from Manchester, England, with his wife. "We get stabbings, and gang violence, but this is like something out of a movie. Like 'Die Hard' or something."

Police said they were contacting authorities in three neighboring states about the Range Rover Sport with tinted windows and paper dealer ads in place of license plates that fled the scene about 4:30 a.m.

In Southern California, the California Highway Patrol alerted officers in at least three counties to be on the lookout for the Range Rover with custom wheels, authorities said.

Police said the Maserati hit the taxi cab, which went up in flames, and the driver and passenger were killed. The male driver of the Maserati also died, and his passenger was shot.

Tourists staying in high-rise hotels around the scene found police tape blocking access to the area around the intersection. Closures were expected to last most of the day, snarling traffic in the tourist corridor.

Jeff Martin, 33, of Columbus, Ohio, said he was unable to cross the Strip several hours after the incident.

"When you're out at 4 a.m. nothing good's going to happen," he said.

Las Vegas Police Sgt. John Sheahan said the attack was not a rolling gun battle as previously described. The cars were stopped at a light when at least one person in the Range Rover opened fire. Several people were inside the vehicle.

Six other vehicles were involved in the crash that followed, including the taxi and Maserati. The taxi was affiliated with Desert Cab company, according to general manager Sandy Shaver. He declined to comment further.

The taxi might have been propane-powered.

The incident marked the latest violence on the Strip since the beginning of the year. Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage Feb. 6, and a tourist was stabbed Saturday in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, issued a statement reassuring people that much is being done to keep them safe.

"Recent incidents, while unfortunate, were isolated events," he said. "Las Vegas is among the safest travel destinations in the world and utilizes the most advanced technology and training to maintain a secure environment."

Las Vegas Police Officer Jose Hernandez acknowledged that the Strip has seen several violent incidents in recent weeks but said police have made arrests or identified suspects in each case.

"People don't have to worry," he said. "This is an unusual occurrence, as tragic as it may be."

Sheahan said police have video from traffic cameras at the intersection where the shooting occurred on Thursday.

"We have a lot of pieces to put together to establish a timeline as to why this confrontation occurred," Sheahan said.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Rindels and Hannah Dreier contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-21-US-Vegas-Gun-Battle/id-fbc0d4312af64ab4aabb7daed2768132

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