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Thursday, October 24, 2013
Why Does BBM For Android Have a Ton of Horribly Fake Reviews?
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Grazers and pollinators shape plant evolution
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 21-Oct-2013
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ShareContact: Jon Ågren
jon.agren@ebc.uu.se
46-070-643-6364
Uppsala University
It has long been known that the characteristics of many plants with wide ranges can vary geographically, depending on differences in climate. But changes in grazing pressure and pollination can also affect the genetic composition of natural plant populations, according to a new study.
Researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University are presenting the new study this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
It is known that a prominent floral display increases attractiveness to pollinators, but also increases the risk of damage from grazing animals and seed-eating insects. To investigate how pollinators and grazing animals affect the characteristics of natural plant populations, these researchers studied bird's eye primrose populations in alvar grasslands on the Baltic island of land. Two distinct morphs of primrose occur there: a short morph that produces its flowers close to the ground and a tall morph that displays its flowers well above the ground. The tall morph is better at attracting pollinators, but, on the other hand, it is more frequently damaged by grazing animals and seed predators.
In field experiments the scientists have shown that grazing pressure and pollination intensity determine whether the short or the tall primrose morph reproduces more successfully. The difference in plant height has a genetic basis, and over time differences in reproductive success affect the genetic composition of plant populations. For a period of eight years, the researchers documented changes in the proportion of short plants in natural populations and field experiments. The results show that altered grazing pressure leads to rapid changes in the genetic composition of the primrose populations, specifically in the proportion of short plants.
The Agricultural Landscape of Southern land has been a World Heritage Site since 2000. The grazing pressure on the alvar grasslands of land has increased dramatically in the last fifteen years as a result of measures taken to keep the landscape open.
- The study shows that grazing pressure impacts not only which plants dominate but also the genetic composition of the plant populations. These findings help us understand how differences in environmental conditions influence the evolution of genetic differentiation among plant populations, says Professor Jon gren at the Evolutionary Biology Centre.
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 21-Oct-2013
[
]
ShareContact: Jon Ågren
jon.agren@ebc.uu.se
46-070-643-6364
Uppsala University
It has long been known that the characteristics of many plants with wide ranges can vary geographically, depending on differences in climate. But changes in grazing pressure and pollination can also affect the genetic composition of natural plant populations, according to a new study.
Researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University are presenting the new study this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
It is known that a prominent floral display increases attractiveness to pollinators, but also increases the risk of damage from grazing animals and seed-eating insects. To investigate how pollinators and grazing animals affect the characteristics of natural plant populations, these researchers studied bird's eye primrose populations in alvar grasslands on the Baltic island of land. Two distinct morphs of primrose occur there: a short morph that produces its flowers close to the ground and a tall morph that displays its flowers well above the ground. The tall morph is better at attracting pollinators, but, on the other hand, it is more frequently damaged by grazing animals and seed predators.
In field experiments the scientists have shown that grazing pressure and pollination intensity determine whether the short or the tall primrose morph reproduces more successfully. The difference in plant height has a genetic basis, and over time differences in reproductive success affect the genetic composition of plant populations. For a period of eight years, the researchers documented changes in the proportion of short plants in natural populations and field experiments. The results show that altered grazing pressure leads to rapid changes in the genetic composition of the primrose populations, specifically in the proportion of short plants.
The Agricultural Landscape of Southern land has been a World Heritage Site since 2000. The grazing pressure on the alvar grasslands of land has increased dramatically in the last fifteen years as a result of measures taken to keep the landscape open.
- The study shows that grazing pressure impacts not only which plants dominate but also the genetic composition of the plant populations. These findings help us understand how differences in environmental conditions influence the evolution of genetic differentiation among plant populations, says Professor Jon gren at the Evolutionary Biology Centre.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/uu-gap102113.php
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NASA's Aqua satellite sees Typhoon Francisco approaching Japan
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 22-Oct-2013
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ShareContact: Rob Gutro
robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Typhoon Francisco was already spreading fringe clouds over southern Japan when NASA's Aqua satellite flew overhead and captured a picture of the storm from space.
On Oct. 22 at 04:30 UTC/12:30 a.m. EDT, NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning visible image of Typhoon Francisco approaching Japan that showed a large storm with a tightly wound center and small eye. Bands of thunderstorms wrapped into the center from the northern and southern quadrants of the storm as Francisco moved toward Japan. The image was created by the NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
On Oct. 22 at 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT, Typhoon Francisco had maximum sustained winds near 75 knots/86.1 mph/138.9 kph. It was centered about 350 nautical miles east-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, near 23.2 north and 133.1 east. The strongest winds, typhoon-force extend 40 nautical miles/46 miles/74 km from the center, or 80 nautical miles/92 miles/148 km in diameter. Tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 130 nautical miles/149.6 miles/ 240.8 km from the center, making the storm over 260 miles in diameter.
Francisco was moving to the northwest at 7 knots/8 mph/12.9 kph, but is expected to turn to the northeast in the next day or two. As Francisco heads toward Japan, the storm is stirring up very rough seas with wave heights topping 30 feet, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On Oct. 22, Japan's southern islands were all under advisory status for high waves and/or gale force winds.
Francisco continues to slowly weaken and is expected to become extra-tropical after passing southern Japan in the next couple of days.
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Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 22-Oct-2013
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ShareContact: Rob Gutro
robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Typhoon Francisco was already spreading fringe clouds over southern Japan when NASA's Aqua satellite flew overhead and captured a picture of the storm from space.
On Oct. 22 at 04:30 UTC/12:30 a.m. EDT, NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning visible image of Typhoon Francisco approaching Japan that showed a large storm with a tightly wound center and small eye. Bands of thunderstorms wrapped into the center from the northern and southern quadrants of the storm as Francisco moved toward Japan. The image was created by the NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
On Oct. 22 at 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT, Typhoon Francisco had maximum sustained winds near 75 knots/86.1 mph/138.9 kph. It was centered about 350 nautical miles east-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, near 23.2 north and 133.1 east. The strongest winds, typhoon-force extend 40 nautical miles/46 miles/74 km from the center, or 80 nautical miles/92 miles/148 km in diameter. Tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 130 nautical miles/149.6 miles/ 240.8 km from the center, making the storm over 260 miles in diameter.
Francisco was moving to the northwest at 7 knots/8 mph/12.9 kph, but is expected to turn to the northeast in the next day or two. As Francisco heads toward Japan, the storm is stirring up very rough seas with wave heights topping 30 feet, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On Oct. 22, Japan's southern islands were all under advisory status for high waves and/or gale force winds.
Francisco continues to slowly weaken and is expected to become extra-tropical after passing southern Japan in the next couple of days.
###
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/nsfc-nas102213.php
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Two Blond Children Taken From Roma Families In Ireland Are Returned
A newspaper vendor wears a vest displaying front page of The Herald on Wednesday in Dublin. Irish authorities were waiting for DNA test results in relation to a girl removed by Gardai from a Roma family in Dublin, days after a similar case in Greece. The test showed the girl was the biological daughter of the Roma family.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
A newspaper vendor wears a vest displaying front page of The Herald on Wednesday in Dublin. Irish authorities were waiting for DNA test results in relation to a girl removed by Gardai from a Roma family in Dublin, days after a similar case in Greece. The test showed the girl was the biological daughter of the Roma family.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Over the past week, two children have been taken from Roma families in Ireland. Authorities said they suspected the blonde-haired and blue-eyed children may have been abducted because they did not look like their parents.
Today, we get news that after a DNA test and other proof was presented to authorities, the boy and the girl are back with their biological parents.
Meanwhile, the Justice Minister Alan Shatter called for a report about how this happened.
"We must all be particularly conscious of the regrettable distress that arose for the two families and their children," Shatter said, according to the Irish Times. "Quite clearly no fault of any nature attaches to the two families concerned for the events which took place."
Shatter, however, said authorities acted "in good faith."
Ireland's Independent reports that girl's family's lawyer told reporters that they were "absolutely delighted" to have their child back.
"Our clients would like those who hear this statement, and particularly those who are parents themselves, to consider how they would feel if one of their children was taken away in similar circumstances for similar reasons," Waheed Mudah said. "They hope that no other family has to go through the experience that they have just suffered."
Of course, this comes after a highly publicized case in Greece, in which a Roma couple was charged with abducting a blond girl. The media pounced on the story, making it of international importance. The two adults, Christos Salis, 39, and his wife, Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 41, said they adopted the girl from a Roma woman in Bulgaria.
As Britain's Independent reports, the case surfaced old attitudes about the nomadic people. Romas in the camp where the Greek girl lived told the paper that on TV, they are called Romas, but on the street, they are called gypsies, as people spit and walk away.
Human Rights groups in Europe have said that the case in Greece could be used by racists to exploit the Romas. The Guardian reports:
"Dezideriu Gergely told RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme: 'The concern related to these cases is that if these cases are not discussed from all angles possible, there's this, if I can say, trap to fall into, basically labelling the whole community for being responsible for something which needs to be looked at from an individual point of view and responsibility point of view.'
Aisling Twomey, a spokeswoman for the Dublin-based Roma and Irish Traveller rights group, said: 'This specific case could be used as a means to target the Roma community when the reality is that they are one of the most marginalised communities, not just in Ireland, but worldwide."
According to the BBC, Gergely went on to say something that should perhaps be obvious, but these two cases prove it isn't: Not all Romas have a dark complexion.
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T-Mobile to offer free data service for tablets
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — T-Mobile will give owners of iPads and other tablet computers free data service for life as part of an effort to broaden its customer base beyond phones.
The free service would be limited to 200 megabytes of high-speed data per month —enough to upload about 800 Instagram photos or listen to more than three hours of streaming music, the company said.
T-Mobile US Inc. said the free service comes with no obligations, but the company expects people will want to buy plans for additional data once they grow accustomed to having it.
People typically buy tablet computers that access the Internet using Wi-Fi only. Models with 4G LTE cellular access typically cost $100 to $130 more, but T-Mobile marketing chief Mike Sievert said many people are reluctant to purchase cellular-enabled tablets for fear they would be stuck with monthly data service costs.
By guaranteeing free data service, he said, T-Mobile is hoping to encourage people to buy LTE tablets.
The latest offer, announced Wednesday, comes as the company tries to shatter longstanding industry practices and brand itself as the Un-Carrier.
In March, the company dropped conventional two-year service contracts in favor of selling phones with installment plans. In July, it introduced a program that lets people upgrade phones more frequently — up to twice a year. This month, the company eliminated data and texting fees in more than 100 countries and capped charges for international voice calls.
There are signs the efforts are working. In the April-June quarter, T-Mobile gained long-term, good-credit customers for the first time in at least two and a half years. T-Mobile added a net 688,000 such customers in the quarter, compared with a loss of 557,000 in the same period a year earlier.
The net increase includes 3,000, or less than 0.5 percent, for non-phone service such as tablets. T-Mobile officials believe there's room for further growth.
All tablet computers, including Apple's iPad, Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, are eligible for the offer as long as they work on T-Mobile's network. Sievert said most tablets do.
The new iPads announced Tuesday are universal models, meaning they will work on various LTE networks around the world. Previously, Apple sold separate models compatible with a subset of networks.
Tablet owners will need to buy a SIM card that costs about $10.
T-Mobile said it will sell iPads under installment plans, but people who buy tablets elsewhere will qualify as well.
The free access is limited to the United States.
For $10 a month, T-Mobile phone customers can buy an additional 500 megabytes of high-speed data in the U.S. and unlimited data at slower speeds. That plan also comes with unlimited data at the slower speeds in more than 100 countries. Non-phone customers can pay $20 a month for the same plan. There's no contract, so people can sign up for a month at a time. There are also daily and weekly options.
At rival AT&T, monthly plans start at $15 for 250 megabytes. The company recently introduced $5 day passes, which it says is ideal for travelers looking for an alternative to Wi-Fi hotspots. That's good for 250 megabytes. AT&T also has a new $25 plan offering 1 gigabyte over a three-month period.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-10-23-T-Mobile-Free%20Tablet%20Data/id-47705f7ee9034f35a3f373a30778f757Tags: penn state national coffee day jimmy kimmel courtney stodden usc football
Mixed bag when US exam scores compared globally
WASHINGTON (AP) — So how do U.S. eighth-graders do in math and science when compared to their peers around the globe? Turns out it matters which state they live in, according to a study being released Thursday.
Massachusetts was the top performing state, but it still lagged behind some Asian countries in terms of its students' overall score on exams and the number of high achievers.
Mississippi, Alabama and the District of Columbia students scored below the international average on both exams, meaning their scores were on par with Kazakhstan and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
West Virginia, Oklahoma and Tennessee students scored below the international average in math.
Jack Buckley, commissioner of the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, which released the study, called the results a "good-news, bad-news scenario" that probably will bolster both those who say the U.S. is doing fine in global competitiveness as well as those on the other side.
Overall, a majority of states performed above the international average in both subjects.
"Our states really are scattered across the performance levels," Buckley said in a conference call with reporters.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement that the study provides "powerful confirmation that demography need not be destiny when it comes to school performance — state policies matter too."
The study compared every state, the District of Columbia and Defense Department schools against 38 countries and nine additional subnational education systems. Some countries, including China, India, France and Germany, did not participate.
Researchers took eighth-grade test results in math and science from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to predict performance on the international comparative study test known as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Nine states participated directly in TIMSS.
NAEP includes the scores of students tested with accommodations; TIMSS does not. Buckley said statistical modeling was used to account for that difference.
South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan were the top scorers in math followed by Massachusetts, Vermont, Minnesota, New Jersey and New Hampshire.
In science, Massachusetts was behind the top scorer, Singapore. Taiwan was next, followed by Vermont. The top 10 also included South Korea and Japan — and New Hampshire, North Dakota, Maine and Minnesota.
Mark Schneider, vice president at the American Institutes for Research and a former commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics, said one of the most disturbing results from the study is the low numbers of "advanced" achievers in the United States compared with other countries.
Even in high-scoring Massachusetts, where 19 percent of students reached the "advanced benchmark" in math and 24 reached it in science, there were fewer higher achievers than in some other countries. About half the students in Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore reached the high benchmark in math and 40 percent of students in Singapore did so.
On the other end, for example, Alabama had a lower percent of "advanced" achievers in math than Romania and Turkey — two countries it overall scored higher than.
"In a world in which we need the best, it's pretty clear many states are empty on the best," Schneider said.
Tom Loveless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said one thing that's hidden in the results of this study is that even in high-achieving states, there are low performers who need to be brought up from the bottom.
"If we as Americans want to get all of our kids achieving at the highest level, in terms of worldwide academic achievement, we have a lot of work and it's not just the low scoring states where it's obvious," Loveless said.
The scores were ranked on a scale of 1,000.
In math, the average state scores ranged from 561 for Massachusetts to 466 for Alabama.
In science, the average state scores ranged from 567 for Massachusetts to 453 for the District of Columbia.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-23-States-Global%20Education%20Rankings/id-4554e91f7ea04d6f8724beaab13b000cCategory: furlough Wrecking Ball Harry Styles Duck Dynasty amc
George Clooney's 'Monuments Men' pushed to 2014
This film image released by Columbia Pictures shows Matt Damon, left, and George Clooney in "The Monuments Men." A spokesman for Sony Pictures said Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, that the film will now be released in the first quarter of next year, instead of its planned release date of Dec. 18. “Monuments Men,” which Clooney directed, co-wrote and stars in, had been expected to be a top Oscar contender. (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Claudette Barius)
This film image released by Columbia Pictures shows Matt Damon, left, and George Clooney in "The Monuments Men." A spokesman for Sony Pictures said Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, that the film will now be released in the first quarter of next year, instead of its planned release date of Dec. 18. “Monuments Men,” which Clooney directed, co-wrote and stars in, had been expected to be a top Oscar contender. (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Claudette Barius)
NEW YORK (AP) — George Clooney's World War II drama "The Monuments Men" is being pushed to 2014 and out of the fall awards season.
The movie will now be released in the first quarter of next year, instead of its planned release date of Dec. 18, a spokesman for Sony Pictures said Wednesday. "Monuments Men," which Clooney directed, co-wrote and stars in, had been expected to be among the top Oscar contenders.
The film could still compete for awards next year, but the early-in-the-year positioning suggests Sony doesn't expect it to. Movies released early in the year — much less sought-after territory than the lucrative holiday movie-going season — rarely garner any awards interest.
Sony said the film is being delayed so Clooney can finish the film's extensive visual effects.
"The Monuments Men," which also stars Matt Damon and Bill Murray, is about a World War II platoon whose mission is to rescue artworks from the Nazis. Based on a true story, the film is adapted from Robert Edsel's book "The Monuments Men: Allie Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History."
Reportedly made for $65 million, Clooney has conceived of "The Monuments Men" as a popular period drama tinged with comedy in the mold of "The Great Escape." While an early 2014 release takes the film out of the awards hunt, it could find more room at a less crowded box office.
"The Monuments Men" is only the latest film to shift out of the fall movie-going season. Previously pushed into 2014 were "Foxcatcher," ''Grace of Monaco" and "The Immigrant."
The Los Angeles Times first reported the release date change.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-10-23-US-Film-Monuments-Men/id-7c19e0c3d0d8435d82fbb705264799f0Related Topics: Paula Patton Brad Culpepper abigail breslin Manny Diaz Jose Iglesias
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