According to the slightly dubious Apple site Digitimes, Apple has cut its orders of panel displays for the iPad by 50%. Apparently, LG ? maker of the displays for Apple?s tablet ? has stated that it has received a 40% decrease in orders from Apple, with the possibility of dropping a further 50% very soon.
Exactly why Apple would do this wasn?t mentioned, but Digitimes did give us this information:
?Apple has reportedly decided to cut shipments for its 9.7-inch iPad products in the first quarter to as low as six million units, down from Apple?s originally estimated 12-15 million units, due to increasing popularity among consumers for the iPad mini, said the sources.?
If I were you, I?d take this news with a handful of salt, especially since the quality of Digitimes? rumors isn?t the most reliable out there. Plus, given the fact that the 128GB iPad has just this week been announced, it would seem pretty darn moronic for Apple to cut display orders for the tablet by such a great amount.
Avallone says their sophisticated City Messenger bags are for men, but I don’t see why women wouldn’t like them, too. ?These bags are certainly not the distressed leather bags often marketed for men. ?They are made of Italian Nappa leather with cow suede accents and silver-colored metal hardware. ?The bag measures 13.5″ X 10″ X [...]
Reconcilable differences: Study uncovers the common ground of scientific oppositesPublic release date: 30-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Morgan Kelly mgnkelly@princeton.edu 609-258-5729 Princeton University
Searching for common elements in seemingly incompatible scientific theories may lead to the discovery of new ones that revolutionize our understanding of the world.
Such is the idea behind a mathematical framework Princeton University researchers developed that strips away the differences between scientific laws and theories to reveal how the ideas are compatible. In a recent report in the journal Physical Review Letters, the authors explain how the mathematical model finds common ground between the famously at-odds physics equations that govern classical and quantum mechanics.
In their paper, the researchers attempt to reconcile classical and quantum mechanics. Simply put, classical mechanics based on the ideas of English scientist Isaac Newton describes the ordered laws of motion for large objects and systems. Quantum mechanics relates more to the chaotic motion and activity of microscopic particles.
[The story can be seen at http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S35/94/19I59. For more information, contact Princeton science writer Morgan Kelly.]
Lead author Denys Bondar, a postdoctoral research associate in Princeton's Department of Chemistry, explained that the Princeton framework called operational dynamic modeling is intended to streamline the development of novel theories, a typically painstaking process that can be for naught if the end result does not agree with experimental data. The framework unpacks and mathematically tests the basic algebra of a theory against that of observed data. If they reconcile, the newborn theory might be valid, Bondar said.
"We have a new theoretical tool that we can use to look at old problems and try to solve new problems," Bondar said. He worked with second author Renan Cabrera, a Princeton postdoctoral research associate in chemistry; senior researcher Herschel Rabitz, Princeton's Charles Phelps Smyth '16 *17 Professor of Chemistry; Robert Lompay, a physics graduate student at Uzhgorod National University in Ukraine; and Misha Ivanov, a physics professor at Imperial College London.
The Princeton model builds on theorems that Austrian physicist Paul Ehrenfest developed in the 20th century to illustrate the similarities between classical and quantum mechanics. Putting these theorems into action, Bondar and his colleagues pared the differences between these branches of physics down to a single mathematical consideration: to commute or not to commute. This Shakespearean-sounding crossroads relates to whether the result relies on the order of the experimental measurements.
If the same conclusion can be drawn regardless of how the measurements are arranged, the theory is commutative. If the result depends on a specific sequence, it is non-commutative. At this point, any novel theory can be characterized as classical or quantum, Bondar said. If the theory is commutative it is classical; if not, it has quantum elements.
"Scientists are taught from the time they are students that classical and quantum mechanics can never be reconciled," Bondar said. "But now we have one equation for classical and quantum mechanics. We can make the transition from classical to quantum mechanics in a smooth and straightforward way."
The benefit of the model, Cabrera said, is that experimental systems can be constructed more in accordance with particular mechanics as they are being developed. In addition, it can reveal if and how a novel theory relates to classical or quantum mechanics in a way that might not have been considered initially, he said.
"This model allows us to experience mathematically classical or quantum theories in a more similar way than before and find common ground only differentiated by the ability to commute or not commute," Cabrera said.
Robert Gilmore, a physics professor at Drexel University, said that the Princeton framework is a unique and well-designed initial step toward bringing classical and quantum mechanics under the same theoretical roof. Gilmore is familiar with the work, but had no role in it.
The researchers "provide the smoothest possible transition from quantum mechanics to classical mechanics," Gilmore said. "Their vision is that it is possible to formulate physical theory in such a way that both classical mechanics and quantum mechanics play by the same rules. In order to do this, they upend one of the classical early results of quantum mechanics: the Ehrenfest theorems."
Though the model is simple its experimental basis is the position and velocity of a single electron it could be matured to describe more complicated physical phenomena, Gilmore said.
"In order to deepen our understanding of quantum mechanics, this theory must be extended in several directions," he said. "This paper seems to provide one footing for a larger foundation that will be needed to build a more comprehensive theory including both classical and quantum mechanics."
###
The paper, "Operational Dynamic Modeling Transcending Quantum and Classical Mechanics," was published in Physical Review Letters. It was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Research Office.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Reconcilable differences: Study uncovers the common ground of scientific oppositesPublic release date: 30-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Morgan Kelly mgnkelly@princeton.edu 609-258-5729 Princeton University
Searching for common elements in seemingly incompatible scientific theories may lead to the discovery of new ones that revolutionize our understanding of the world.
Such is the idea behind a mathematical framework Princeton University researchers developed that strips away the differences between scientific laws and theories to reveal how the ideas are compatible. In a recent report in the journal Physical Review Letters, the authors explain how the mathematical model finds common ground between the famously at-odds physics equations that govern classical and quantum mechanics.
In their paper, the researchers attempt to reconcile classical and quantum mechanics. Simply put, classical mechanics based on the ideas of English scientist Isaac Newton describes the ordered laws of motion for large objects and systems. Quantum mechanics relates more to the chaotic motion and activity of microscopic particles.
[The story can be seen at http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S35/94/19I59. For more information, contact Princeton science writer Morgan Kelly.]
Lead author Denys Bondar, a postdoctoral research associate in Princeton's Department of Chemistry, explained that the Princeton framework called operational dynamic modeling is intended to streamline the development of novel theories, a typically painstaking process that can be for naught if the end result does not agree with experimental data. The framework unpacks and mathematically tests the basic algebra of a theory against that of observed data. If they reconcile, the newborn theory might be valid, Bondar said.
"We have a new theoretical tool that we can use to look at old problems and try to solve new problems," Bondar said. He worked with second author Renan Cabrera, a Princeton postdoctoral research associate in chemistry; senior researcher Herschel Rabitz, Princeton's Charles Phelps Smyth '16 *17 Professor of Chemistry; Robert Lompay, a physics graduate student at Uzhgorod National University in Ukraine; and Misha Ivanov, a physics professor at Imperial College London.
The Princeton model builds on theorems that Austrian physicist Paul Ehrenfest developed in the 20th century to illustrate the similarities between classical and quantum mechanics. Putting these theorems into action, Bondar and his colleagues pared the differences between these branches of physics down to a single mathematical consideration: to commute or not to commute. This Shakespearean-sounding crossroads relates to whether the result relies on the order of the experimental measurements.
If the same conclusion can be drawn regardless of how the measurements are arranged, the theory is commutative. If the result depends on a specific sequence, it is non-commutative. At this point, any novel theory can be characterized as classical or quantum, Bondar said. If the theory is commutative it is classical; if not, it has quantum elements.
"Scientists are taught from the time they are students that classical and quantum mechanics can never be reconciled," Bondar said. "But now we have one equation for classical and quantum mechanics. We can make the transition from classical to quantum mechanics in a smooth and straightforward way."
The benefit of the model, Cabrera said, is that experimental systems can be constructed more in accordance with particular mechanics as they are being developed. In addition, it can reveal if and how a novel theory relates to classical or quantum mechanics in a way that might not have been considered initially, he said.
"This model allows us to experience mathematically classical or quantum theories in a more similar way than before and find common ground only differentiated by the ability to commute or not commute," Cabrera said.
Robert Gilmore, a physics professor at Drexel University, said that the Princeton framework is a unique and well-designed initial step toward bringing classical and quantum mechanics under the same theoretical roof. Gilmore is familiar with the work, but had no role in it.
The researchers "provide the smoothest possible transition from quantum mechanics to classical mechanics," Gilmore said. "Their vision is that it is possible to formulate physical theory in such a way that both classical mechanics and quantum mechanics play by the same rules. In order to do this, they upend one of the classical early results of quantum mechanics: the Ehrenfest theorems."
Though the model is simple its experimental basis is the position and velocity of a single electron it could be matured to describe more complicated physical phenomena, Gilmore said.
"In order to deepen our understanding of quantum mechanics, this theory must be extended in several directions," he said. "This paper seems to provide one footing for a larger foundation that will be needed to build a more comprehensive theory including both classical and quantum mechanics."
###
The paper, "Operational Dynamic Modeling Transcending Quantum and Classical Mechanics," was published in Physical Review Letters. It was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Research Office.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Fitted furniture is a terrible investment, unless you are entirely certain that you won?t be selling the home at any time in the future. While it is stylish and adds storage space, it costs a lot and you can?t take it along if you move.
TIP! Putting in another bathroom will add a great deal of value to your home. It is easy to understand that an additional bathroom is handy, particularly when each bathroom is on a different floor of the home.
If you enjoy doing things on your own, you may want to explore the world of home improvement. The following article shares tips for any do-it-yourselfer when it comes to home improvement.
In terms of renovating your roof, use white tiles or other similarly-hued materials. Light colors tend to reflect the rays of the sun while darker colors will absorb the heat and cause higher energy usage. This can save you quite a bit on your power bill.
If you live near woods or fields, you might want to protect your property with a good fence. The fences will prevent wild animals from entering your property.
When planting trees and shrubs, do not plant them too close to your house. Leaks and cracks can be caused if roots dig through the foundation of your home. If they are too close, move them away. Most trees can be transplanted to somewhere else in the yard without much effort.
A signed contract for your home improvement project should ideally include both your signature and that of the contractor. If you have the time and the funds available, have the contract legally reviewed. The contract should include warranty information, work to be completed, total costs and when the work will be finished.
TIP! Use wallpaper if you don?t like the way paneling looks. Wallpapering your home is a very simple and inexpensive way to add a new look to any room.
Add a ceiling fan to your home. A ceiling fan can be installed quickly and inexpensively. Keep your room cool with out air-conditioning and cool it more efficiently when the air-conditioning is on with a ceiling fan and save yourself some money.
Switch to a floor lamp to free up space on your nightstand or end table. The floor lamps can be moved to different areas of the room because they are free standing. Find a lamp that has a design that fits your personality.
TIP! You can make your home more appealing by painting your garage door. The harsh heat of summer and the icy cold of winter both take a toll on the look of any garage door.
A new mailbox can help add instant curb appeal to your home. You will notice that your mailbox makes your house look more up-to-date, which gives it curb appeal. Follow all city regulations when installing the new mailbox. You could finish this project in a few hours at most.
Invest in a snake for your drains. It will not be necessary for you to purchase drain cleaners so frequently in the future. Drain snakes aren?t for people who are inexperienced, so you might need a plumber to show you how it is used for the first time. Make sure the snake is the correct size, or you may damage your pipes when you use it.
TIP! Use aluminum foil to cover electrical outlets prior to painting. It is much easier to use foil, rather than tape, and it protects your covers from the mess.
Taping the trim is essential during painting projects. Paint can drip and run, no matter how carefully you paint. Tape the trim to keep the paint off. Once the paint reaches the trim, you?ll have to paint over it.
Balance the blades on your ceiling fan. Strive to improve the amount of noise in your home. A ceiling fan can use balance help when it is noisy and wobbling. Tightening all the screws on the fan?s moving parts, such as those connecting the blades with the arms and the arms to the motor housing, can curtail annoying noises and correct wobbles. Give your fan blades a thorough cleaning while you adjust the fan?s balance.
TIP! Don?t make improvements that are impractical. For instance, having an uncovered deck in Arizona or a sun room that has no ventilation in Michigan would be nonsensical renovations that will have potential buyers questioning your house upkeep decisions.
When improving your house, take the neighborhood?s character into consideration. If your home is the only Victorian in an neighborhood of saltbox cottages, it will look out of place. A remodel that will blend to the houses in the neighborhood will have a better chance to sell when it is time to move on.
It is amazing what a difference crown molding can make on your walls! Crown molding introduces a little visual interest to an otherwise plain wall and can significantly improve the appearance of a whole room. Not only is crown molding affordable, but it?s also easy to put in.
TIP! Employ colors that are analogus in places you rest. Analogous means the colors are harmonious on the color wheel, one next to the other, like violet to blue and red to orange.
Any payment schedule that you set up with a home improvement contractor should be based on work completion rather than certain time periods. This gives you the power to remove the contractor from the project if the work is not up to par to what you want without them requesting money due to incomplete projects.
Always be safe. For example, hardhats protect you in the event of an accident. This can ensure your safety and health while you work.
TIP! When you imagine your completed outdoor home improvement project, ask yourself if the changes you?re making will look out of place in the neighborhood. If it will stand out from the rest, are you willing to irritate your neighbors by following through? Aesthetically pleasing changes are more desirable than abnormal ones.
A room can receive a great face-lift simply from a coat of paint. Take a look at the different paint chips at your local home improvement store. There are thousands of beautiful, exciting and elegant colors to choose from. If you do not enjoy your new paint, redo it!
Implement a safety strategy by discussing escape routes with your family. If you have a fire or earthquake, your natural inclination is going to be to panic. Determining a safe path to exit the home can help ensure that everyone remains safe. These simple improvements can increase your homes value, as well as help protect your family.
TIP! Motion detectors should be installed near the entrance to your home. This lowers your electricity costs by automatically switching off the outdoor lights when no one needs them.
One fantastic way to improve the function and value of your house is to install a filter system for your tap water. This is actually a simple improvement you can in a few hours. Units can be placed under the sink to filter the water.
To maintain hot water while traveling through pipes during the winter, you should insulate all plumbing. To insulate your plumbing, pick up some weatherizing tape and use it on your pipes. The tape plugs into your home?s electrical supply and keep the pipes above the freezing point.
TIP! Try to prepare and plan for your home improvement project. If you are painting rooms in your home, you should always cover the furniture before you begin painting.
If your living room is carpeted, do not leave the drapes open at all times. Your carpets can become bleached by being exposed to too much sunlight, and your hardwood floors can fade. Using furniture to block the sun?s damaging rays or only opening the drapes when the sun?s light is less intense can help to preserve your carpet.
You can use old shoe boxes to add additional storage space. Use any wallpaper you have left, or any fabric, to cover the boxes with. This can be a great way to add some drama to your rooms, as well as a nice storage solution.
TIP! Confirm that a contractor is insured by calling their insurance company before using their services. It?s not uncommon for some contracting companies to flash outdated insurance paperwork at customers in the hopes that customers won?t notice the company is no longer insured.
A fence installed around your back yard, or even a section of your yard can serve several purposes. This will prevent your loved ones from getting into contact with stray or wild animals. It can also help contain your own dog. There are many fencing designs that can help improve your home.
You can increase your home?s value by putting in a reliable water filtration system. That is a simple project which can be completed in just a few hours. One especially good choice is a system that can be positioned under your sink in the kitchen to filter all your water.
Your real estate agent can give you great advice as to what home improvement projects to take on, if you want to add value to your home. They know what people are looking for and what helps sell a house.
Be sure to add personal touches, but don?t go so far as to make your place ?that? house. For example, it is undesirable to have odd additions such as a widow?s walk on your home unless this is typical of your neighborhood. Having the home look too unusual will make it much more difficult to sell.
If you plan on doing more than one project, think carefully about their order. Start with your cabinets if you?re redoing your floor and cabinets. Starting with the cabinets will ensure that you?re not damaging an already replaced floor with falling debris. Make a detailed plan prior to beginning any improvement, and you?ll save yourself some headaches.
Are you tired of your bedroom furniture? Try sanding and refinishing your bedroom set. You can save a lot of money by refinishing the furniture you already have. The new stain can be just about any color you want.
Taking the tips and advice you have learned here, you will be able to work more efficiently at creating the home you?ve always dreamed of. Before long, you will be completing projects faster than ever before and attempting more difficult tasks that are sure to make your home more functional, beautiful, and more organized.
Posts related to Home Improvement Tips That Can Work For Everybody
Customs officials in Singapore have uncovered a shipment of 1.8 tonnes of ivory, with a value of around $2.5m (?1.6m).
It is the biggest ivory haul in the country in more than a decade.
The consignment, marked as being waste paper, had come from Africa and was reportedly passing through Singapore.
Elephant poaching has been on the rise because of demand from Asia, where ivory is used for ornaments and in traditional medicine.
An estimated 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa in 2011.
Gerald Neo, executive manager of the Quarantine & Inspection Department of Singapore's Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), said in a statement that the haul was found after a tip-off.
A total of 1,099 pieces of raw tusk were found in 65 sacks, he said.
The statement did not say where the shipment had been heading after Singapore, but said that customs officials were investigating the case with local and international agencies.
The trading of ivory is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which Singapore is a signatory.
In 2002, six tonnes of ivory were seized in Singapore, made up of 532 tusks and tens of thousands of smaller pieces. It was traced to Kenya where it was eventually returned.
Drones could help human workers safeguard the 4 million miles of U.S. highways crisscrossing the country. The flying robots could inspect bridges and roads, survey lands with laser mapping, and even alert officials to traffic jams or accidents.
One such project focused on studying the use of drones recently received $74,984 from the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Researchers plan to spend the next year figuring out how drones could help workers as they go about inspecting and maintaining the safety of public roads and highways.
"Drones could keep workers safer because they won't be going into traffic or hanging off a bridge," said Javier Irizarry, director of the CONECTech Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "It would help with physical limitations of the human when doing this kind of work."
Georgia represents one of several states considering how civilian drones could do some jobs for? transportation departments, the police and firefighters. The state is also competing to become one of several flight-test regions for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ? a step in the FAA's plan to open up U.S. civilian airspace to drones by 2015.
Drones of all sizes and shapes could help safeguard state roads and bridges, Irizarry said. Small drones with cameras might take off vertically from the back of a truck to help inspect a bridge. [Video: RoboBees Design Poses Intriguing Engineering Challenges]
The larger, aircraft-size Reaper or Global Hawk drones could spend hours surveying traffic conditions or carry light detection and ranging (LIDAR) equipment that can map terrain with millions of laser pulses. That could potentially replace the expensive use of manned helicopters doing the same job.
Irizarry gave the example of the spherical drones that mapped a huge alien base in the 2012 science fiction film "Prometheus" as an analogy for how today's larger drones could aid in above-ground laser mapping. He has also enlisted the help of Eric Johnson, an aerospace engineer at Georgia Tech, to figure out the best role for drones.
"We're going to look at the different divisions that [DOT] has and see how they do things like surveying, safety monitoring or using traffic cameras," Irizarry told TechNewsDaily. "Maybe they could be using drone technology for a similar purpose."
But the human factor also matters. Georgia Tech researchers will spend the next year studying the best control schemes or interfaces for human workers to deploy drones ? probably regular video displays rather than more futuristic augmented-reality goggles or technology, Irizarry said. They'll also consider how to retrain human workers if drones end up taking over some jobs.
You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter @jeremyhsu. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reuters Market Eye - Shares in Idea Cellular Ltd shares fall as much as 2.6 percent after the mobile phone carrier posted weaker-than-expected October-December net profit.
Morgan Stanley says it could lower EBITDA estimates for Idea in fiscal 2013 by around 4 percent.
The investment bank adds Bharti Airtel Ltd could also miss EBITDA estimates for the October-December quarter.
Shares in Idea Cellular were down 1.32 percent at 1:49 p.m., while Bharti Airtel shares fell 1.6 percent.
Apple has released an updated for its Apple TV that unlocks some long-awaited features.
The big new feature is the previously-rumored Bluetooth keyboard support, which should make it much easier to log into Hulu and search for things on Netflix.
Other than that, users will get an improved iTunes in the Cloud service, and a feature called Up Next, which lets you build a queue of music to play on the fly.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.
The deal, to be announced at a news conference Monday, also covers border security, non-citizen or "guest" workers and employer verification of immigration status.
Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.
President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting comprehensive immigration legislation and will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.
Passage of legislation by the full Democratic-controlled Senate is far from assured, but the tallest hurdle could come in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans who've shown little interest in immigration reform.
Still, with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the GOP say this time will be different.
"What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle ? including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle ? that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
"I think the time is right," McCain said.
Besides McCain, the senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn't get enough GOP support.
The group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform."
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:
?Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on visas.
?Reforming the legal immigration system, including awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, math, technology or engineering from an American university.
?Creating an effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants in the future, including requiring prospective workers to verify legal status and identity through a non-forgeable electronic system.
?Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.
The principles being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide agreement in identifying problems with the current immigration system. The most difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.
In order to satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.
Even then, those here illegally would have to pass background checks and pay fines and taxes in order to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow them to live and work here ? but not qualify for federal benefits ? before being able to apply for permanent residency, a critical step toward citizenship. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.
That could be a highly cumbersome process, but how to make it more workable is being left to future negotiations. The senators envision a more streamlined process toward citizenship for immigrants brought here as children, and for agricultural workers.
The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that the framework agreed on by the senators could provide important protections for illegal immigrants who are exploited by employers and live in "constant fear" over their immigration status.
But the ACLU took issue with the proposal to require employers to use an electronic employment-verification system, calling it "a thinly disguised national ID requirement" that would undermine employees' privacy and lead to discrimination against those "who look or sound 'foreign.'"
The debate will play out at the start of Obama's second term, as he aims to spend the political capital afforded him by his re-election victory on an issue that has eluded past presidents and stymied him during his first term despite his promises to the Latino community to act.
"As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support," a White House spokesman, Clark Stevens, said in a statement. "At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved."
For Republicans, the November elections were a stark schooling on the importance of Latino voters, who voted for Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent, helping ensure Obama's victory. That led some Republican leaders to conclude that supporting immigration reform with a path to citizenship has become a political imperative.
SugarCRM is an open source customer relationship management software meant for all kinds of businesses. SugarCRM takes care of all requirements. SugarCRM has easy to user browser based interfaces that can be easily customized to meet the requirements of individual organizations. Being an open source off the shelf application, a wide variety of plug-ins and module are available, which can be integrated with the basic SugarCRM development to enhance its functionality.
They can be easily integrated with the Sugar Open Source and Professional editions enabling them to be upgraded to the Sugar Enterprise edition. Sugar Customer Relationship Management can be used across various platforms, as its operating system neutral. So be it Linux, Windows, Mac or UNIX, you will be able to run your application easily.
Integrating SugarCRM for any customer centric business is very easy. PHP web developers create easy and web-based solutions, which are intuitive in nature. You will require no prior knowledge or experience to use it for your business. Since there is a free version of it, you will incur no cost on the application. The only cost is for customization and support. The free version of this CRM is powerful and can be used by small and medium businesses.
Why to use SugarCRM?
Manage and assign leads to sales team and the best thing is that you can now track the return on investment of your marketing campaigns.
Sugar offers Smartphone and tablet access that is hassle-free so you can continue to work away from the office. Check out SugarCRM mobile options.
Sugar Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook: archive emails to Sugar and sync calendar, contacts and tasks.
The pre-installed InsideView module gives you the most up to date information on customers and prospects
Also, additional Social CRM integrations can easily be built using Sugar Studio, Sugar Cloud Connectors and Module Builder.
Sales people in your organization can track and share contacts and opportunities, manage and up sell into existing accounts, forecast revenue, monitor performance through dashboards, manage quotes and contracts, work offline through Sugar mobile and collaborate through integration with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and other groupware applications.
Create, execute and track campaigns across multiple channels. Develops compelling email marketing programs and capture leads directly into your CRM system with web-to-lead forms.
It is very aptly said that acquiring new customers is much more expensive than selling to existing ones. With this remarkable software companies can cases will quickly and effectively. The Sugar customer support centralise customer service requests across channels to allow companies to manage inbound emails, diagnose bugs, share knowledge, and resolve customer issues.
Moreover, enterprises subscribing to Sugar Enterprise or Sugar Ultimate can defray customer support costs with the included Customer Self-Service Portal.
Openeshore is a leading php web development company in India providing the best sugarCRM development services. We are providing experts of sugarCRM developers at welcome rates.
FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2013 file photo, officials inspect an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 which made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport in Takamatsu, western Japan. The joint U.S. and Japanese investigation into the plane's battery problems has shifted from the battery-maker to the manufacturer of a monitoring system Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE
FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2013 file photo, officials inspect an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 which made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport in Takamatsu, western Japan. The joint U.S. and Japanese investigation into the plane's battery problems has shifted from the battery-maker to the manufacturer of a monitoring system Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE
TOKYO (AP) ? The joint U.S. and Japanese investigation into the Boeing 787's battery problems has shifted from the battery-maker to the manufacturer of a monitoring system.
Japan transport ministry official Shigeru Takano said Monday the probe into battery-maker GS Yuasa was over for now as no evidence was found it was the source of the problems.
Ministry officials said they will inspect Kanto Aircraft Instrument Co. on Monday as part of the ongoing investigation. It makes a system that monitors voltage, charging and temperature of the lithium-ion batteries.
All 50 of the Boeing 787s in use around the world are grounded after one of the jets operated by All Nippon Airways made an emergency landing in Japan earlier this month when its main battery overheated. Earlier in January, a battery in a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire while parked at Boston's Logan International Airport.
GS Yuasa shares jumped on the news it is no longer being investigated, gaining nearly 5 percent in Tokyo trading. The issue had plunged 12 percent after the battery problems surfaced in Japan.
Ministry officials stopped short of saying that Kanto's monitoring system was under any special scrutiny, saying it was part of an ongoing investigation.
"We are looking into affiliated parts makers," Takano said. "We are looking into possibilities."
Kyoto-based GS Yuasa declined to comment, noting that the investigation was still underway.
Hideaki Kobayashi, spokesman for Kanto Aircraft, based in Fujisawa, southwest of Tokyo, declined comment. He said it was too early to tell whether its system was behind the problems.
Last week, U.S. federal investigators said the JAL battery that caught fire showed evidence of short-circuiting and a chemical reaction known as "thermal runaway," in which an increase in temperature causes progressively hotter temperatures. It's not clear to investigators which came first, the short-circuiting or the thermal runaway.
Deliveries of the jet dubbed the Dreamliner were three years behind schedule because of manufacturing delays. Much of the aircraft is made by outside manufacturers, many of them major Japanese companies who make about 35 percent of the plane.
It is the first jet to make wide use of lithium-ion batteries, the kind usually found in laptops and other gadgets. They are prone to overheating and require additional systems to avoid fires.
Investigators have been looking at the remnants of the ANA flight's charred battery, but it is unclear whether the battery or a related part was behind its overheating. Investigators have said the ANA battery and the JAL battery did not receive excess voltage.
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways was the "launch customer" for the 787, and has been forced to cancel services ? 643 domestic flights through Feb. 12, affecting 69,000 passengers, and 195 international flights through Feb. 18, affecting 13,620 passengers.
Japan Airlines, which has fewer 787s than ANA, has deployed other aircraft in its fleet, minimizing its flight cancellations.
Boeing, which competes against Airbus of France, has halted 787 deliveries. Boeing has orders for more than 800 of the Dreamliner planes.
The 787 is the first airliner made mostly from lightweight composite materials that boost fuel efficiency. It also relies on electronic systems rather than hydraulic or mechanical systems to a greater degree than any other airliner.
Analysts say customers won't come back to the 787 unless its safety is solidly assured.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama
Rishi Dhir, foreground, had a simple goal when he started Elephant Stone as a vehicle for his songwriting: ?I wanted to see if I had anything to say.? Now joined by keyboardist Stephen (the Venk) Venkatarangam, guitarist Gabriel Lambert and drummer Miles Dupire, the project has become a true unit, he says.
Photograph by: Dario Ayala , The Gazette
MONTREAL - Turning points often come when you least expect them. Rishi Dhir encountered one in November.
The frontman, bassist, sitar player and songwriter behind Elephant Stone was sitting with the sound man for the Black Angels in Melbourne, Australia, the first stop of the touring Harvest Festival. The two were watching Beck perform his anthemic classic Loser.
Dhir was on the road with the Black Angels, with whom he sometimes collaborates, and was not playing with his regular band. As Beck delighted the crowd with his biggest hit, Dhir turned to his companion and said, ?This needs sitar.? But instead of letting the thought subside as a passing one, he made a declaration. ?By Sydney, I?m going to be playing sitar with Beck,? Dhir said.
Sydney was only a week away.
A friend in another band, which had once supported Beck, hooked Dhir up with Beck?s tour manager and an introduction was arranged the next day. After a five-minute conversation, Dhir remembered, Beck said: ?OK, see you on stage.?
Even without a rehearsal, the Sydney performance of Loser, with sitar, went like a charm. When his set was over, Beck asked Dhir whether he could play again the next night ? the festival closer ? in Brisbane. This time, however, it would be a different selection: Soldier Jane. Dhir, who was unfamiliar with the song, learned it that night.
?That experience showed me anything is possible,? Dhir said during a recent interview at the Gazette offices. ?I?m just this guy from Montreal, and all of a sudden I?m on stage with Beck in Australia.?
More than once during our conversation, Dhir, a friendly man with an easy laugh, referred to this new-found positivity as a self-fulfilling prophecy. ?If I say it?s not going to happen, it?s not going to happen. If I believe something will happen, there?s a better chance of it happening. It?s part of how I?m approaching Elephant Stone: Maybe we can,? he said.
These thoughts are what have pushed Dhir, 35, to kick it up a notch with a band that he started slowly, almost reluctantly, as a vehicle for his songwriting, after he left the High Dials in 2006.
?I wanted to see if I had anything to say,? he recalled of the group?s inception. ?Being a musician can be a very shallow, hollow existence to some people. That?s what it became for me. I didn?t feel like I was giving anything to the world. I wasn?t being true to myself.?
At that point, Dhir was keener on settling down and having a family than getting back on the road with a new band. But positive reaction to Elephant Stone?s 2009 debut, The Seven Seas, and the album?s subsequent Polaris Music Prize nomination changed things.
The addition of guitarist Gabriel Lambert in 2010 made the project even more of a bona fide unit, Dhir said. ?I felt I had someone to bounce ideas off. It wasn?t just me anymore,? he said. ?Others believed in this music and we were willing to pay our dues. And pay our dues we have. We?ve done a lot in the past two years.?
With keyboard player Stephen (the Venk) Venkatarangam and drummer Miles Dupire, the band has finally become a true unit, Dhir said.
A stellar self-titled sophomore disc will be available Feb. 5, and Dhir and band have engaged a team to turn up the heat on the new release: the label and management combo of Hidden Pony and Upper Management will, in conjunction with booking agent High Road Touring, help get the word out and put the band in the right venues.
With Dhir on the road promoting the new album for much of this year, another person facing the new challenge will be his wife, Kirsty. The two have been a couple for 16 years and they have two children: Meera, 3, and 1-year-old Ishaan. ?It?s not easy, the life I?ve chosen,? Dhir said. ?Kirsty?s really supportive, but it?s hard.?
The group?s delicate musical balancing act, which happily celebrates vintage and contemporary psychedelic rock while keeping an eye on opportunities to incorporate Indian instrumentation and Eastern drones, can be traced not only to the moment Dhir heard pioneering fusion tracks like the Beatles? Norwegian Wood and the Rolling Stones? Paint It, Black, but farther back ? to his childhood.
?With Indian people, music is a given,? Dhir said. Both his parents are from Punjab, and immigrated to Canada in 1969. His mother, Asha, is a great singer, he said, and he remembers her and his father, Ashok, recreating musical scenes from Bollywood movies at family functions and parties.
?What always ends up happening is, the dholki (hand drum) comes out, and all the women get together and start playing it, and they?re always singing old Bollywood songs,? Dhir said. ?I was always exposed to that, and Indian classical music is so deeply entwined with it. I guess my parents gave me, inadvertently, the Eastern, Bollywood Hindustani training and my brother gave me the rock ?n? roll training.?
Dhir?s brother, Anurag, four years older, exposed his willing 8-year-old sibling to the Beatles, the Doors and, most significantly, the Who. Tommy, Dhir said, was the album that struck the most mind-expanding chord with him.
?For the longest time, the Who was my group,? he said.
His affection for punk-era Who disciples like the Jam, post-pop rockers like Teenage Fanclub and Britpop revivalists like Blur, when he was in his early 20s, led Dhir back to the Small Faces, pre-Tommy Who and Motown.
For a time, he even went through a purist phase, acknowledging only the Who?s early, mod-era output. In 2000, he had fully bought into the mod esthetic and even purchased a 1976 Lambretta scooter, he said. ?I?ve been rebuilding it since I bought it,? he said, laughing. ?I rode it once. Maybe when I?m retired, I?ll be like an old mod.?
Dhir said he still thinks about both the psychedelic pioneers and their progeny when he approaches songwriting. His group, after all, is named after a 1988 song by the Stone Roses (although there is also a nod in there to Ganesha, the Hindu god of new beginnings, with his elephant head).
Drawing from a four-decade thread of pop, rock and psychedelia that also includes the Pixies and Soundgarden, Dhir said he finds himself equally comfortable with a jangly hook and a one-chord assault. ?It all gets shaken in the bag,? he said. ?I try to make records like my record collection.?
Contemporary psychedelic bands like Tame Impala, Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors have adopted the same approach and put the genre back on the radar. Maybe this is, as Dhir suggested, the perfect time for Elephant Stone to realize that self-fulfilling prophecy.
Elephant Stone?s self-titled second album will be released on Feb. 5. The group performs Feb. 15 at 9:30 p.m. at Divan Orange, 4234 St. Laurent Blvd., with First You Get the Sugar. Tickets cost $10, available in advance at indiemontreal.ca/elephant-stone-w-guests.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Lionel Messi scored four goals to become the youngest player to pass the 200-mark in the Spanish league and set a La Liga record with goals in 11 consecutive games, leading Barcelona to a 5-1 rout of Osasuna on Sunday night.
With his 22nd hat trick for Barcelona and fifth game of four goals or more, Messi increased his La Liga total to 202 goals in 235 games. The 25-year-old became the eighth player to reach 200, joining Telmo Zarra (251), Hugo Sanchez (234), Raul Gonzalez (228), Alfredo di Stefano (227), Cesar Rodriguez (223), Quini (219) and Pahino (210). Zarra had been the youngest to reach 200, achieving the feat when he was 29.
Messi has 44 goals this season, including 33 in La Liga. He has scored in his last 16 starts overall and in a record 11 consecutive La Liga games, breaking the old mark of 10 he tied last season. Mariano Martin (1942-43 to 1943-44) and Brazil's Ronaldo (1996-97) also scored in 10 straight matches, both for Barcelona.
Barcelona hosts Real Madrid on Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
"We went out there and took care of business like always," Messi said. "It was important to put the game away because it isn't easy when everyone is talking so much about the `clasico'."
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 20th career hat trick in an 11-minute span to lead defending champion Real Madrid over Getafe 4-0. Ronaldo has 302 goals over 499 club games in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon (2002-03), Manchester United (2003-09) and Real Madrid (since 2009).
Barcelona (19-1-1) reopened an 11-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid (15-3-2), which lost 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao. Real Madrid (13-4-4) trails Barcelona by 15 points.
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LONDON (AP) - Liverpool and Tottenham lost to lower-league opponents in the FA Cup on Sunday, joining a lengthy list of Premier League teams to exit in the fourth round of soccer's oldest knockout competition.
Oldham, in 19th place in the third tier, stunned visiting Liverpool 3-2. Despite a goal from American Clint Dempsey, Spurs lost 2-1 at Leeds, which is 11th in the second-tier League Championship.
Chelsea was spared a similar fate when Fernando Torres scored in the 83rd minute for a 2-2 tie at third-tier Brentford, forcing a replay.
The FA Cup is famous for upsets. On Saturday, Luton defeated Norwich 1-0 to become the first non-league club in 24 years to beat a top-tier opponent.
Fourth-tier Bradford set the tone this season by reaching the League Cup final after knocking out both Arsenal and Aston Villa.
"You have to take it on the chin, but there has been plenty of warnings throughout the weekend," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "If your application is not right, you can get found out."
Both Liverpool and Tottenham fielded weakened lineups but they still contained plenty of millionaire players.
"I am left speechless by the result," said Oldham forward Matt Smith, who scored twice for a team that is 55 places lower than Liverpool in England's soccer pyramid. "We went out there wanting to battle together."
Oldham made its name in the early 1990s when the club reached two FA Cup semifinals (1990 and `94) and a League Cup final ('90), where it lost to Nottingham Forest.
Smith's third-minute goal was offset by Luis Suarez's in the 17th, but Oldham went ahead 3-1 when Smith scored in the fourth minute of first-half injury time and Reece Wabara got a goal in the 48th. Joe Allen's 80th-minute goal for Liverpool made the final minutes tense.
Tottenham, which is fourth in the Premier League, fell behind 2-0 when Luke Varney scored in the 15th and Ross McCormack in the 50th, Dempsey, playing at forward, headed in Gareth Bale's cross in the 58th for his eighth goal of the season.
The fifth round next month features Millwall at Luton, Reading at Manchester United, Leeds at Manchester City, Blackburn at Arsenal, Everton at Oldham, Barnsley at MK Dons, Chelsea or Brentford at Middlesbrough and Wigan at Huddersfield or Leicester.
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ROME (AP) - Edinson Cavani scored the go-ahead goal in the 85th minute, and Napoli won 2-1 at Parama to close within three points of Serie A leader Juventus.
Marek Hamsik scored in the 20th minute but Parma tied it in the 74th on an own goal by Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro, playing his first game since a suspension for match-fixing was overturned. Cannavaro and defender Gianluca Grava were given six-month bans by the Italian soccer federation's disciplinary committee on Dec. 18, but the penalties were lifted Jan. 17 following an appeal to the federation's internal court.
Defender champion Juventus (15-3-4) has 49 points while Napoli (14-4-4), seeking its first title since Diego Maradona led it to the 1990 championship, has 46. Parma lost at home for the first time this season.
AC Milan (11-7-4) moved into fifth place with a 1-0 win at Atalanta on a 29th-minute goal by Stephen El Shaarawy, his 15th league goal this season.
Fourth-place Inter Milan (12-6-4), which is nine points back, was held to a 2-2 tie by visiting Torino.Christian Chivu gave Inter the lead in fifth with a free kick but left in the 28th with an apparent injury. Goals by Riccardo Meggiorini in the 23rd and 52nd minutes put Torino ahead. but Esteban Cambiasso tied the score for Inter when he redirecting a cross from 39-year-old captain Javier Zanetti in the 67th.
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BERLIN (AP) - Mario Mandzukic scored a goal and set up another as Bayern Munich beat Stuttgart 2-0 to open an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga.
Mandzukic scored in the 50th minute, when he intercepted a backpass from defender Christian Molinaro and rounded goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, then cossed for Thomas Mueller's goal on a counterattack in the 72nd.
Bayern (15-1-3) has 48 points. Leverkusen (11-4-4) has 37 after Saturday's 0-0 tie at Freiburg.
Hamburg defeated Werder Bremen 3-2 in the Bundesliga's 98th northern derby to end a three-game losing streak in games against its rival.
---
PARIS (AP) - Paris Saint-Germain regained the French league lead, getting an own goal by Aurelien Chedjou in the 68th minute for a 1-0 win against visiting Lille.
Goalkeeper Steeve Elana palmed away a cross, and the ball bounced off Chedjou's chest into the goal.
PSG (13-3-6) leads on goal difference over Lyon (13-3-6), both three points ahead of Marseille (13-6-3).
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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PST: Jurgen Klinsmann's seemingly harsh motivational tactics appear designed to make national team members, like Mix Diskerud, ask themselves, "Where will you take it from here?"
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan authorities on Sunday finished evacuating inmates from a prison where 61 were reported killed in one of the deadliest prison clashes in the nation's history.
Penitentiary Service Minister Iris Varela said in a message on Twitter that the evacuation of Uribana prison in the city of Barquisimeto was completed on Sunday morning. Inmates were loaded aboard buses and driven to other prisons.
WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW.
Varela posted photos of inmates filing out led by authorities, and said that what will come next for the prison is "now the reconstruction!"
Two days after the violence, government officials had yet to provide an official death toll from the fierce gunbattles, which pitted armed inmates against National Guard troops.
Dr. Ruy Medina, director of Central Hospital in the city, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the death toll had risen to 61, while about 120 were wounded in the violence.
Medina said that nearly all of the injuries were from gunshots and that 45 of the estimated 120 people who were wounded remained hospitalized.
Relatives wept outside the prison during the violence, and cried at the morgue as they waited to identify bodies.
The riot was the latest in a series of deadly clashes in Venezuela's overcrowded and often anarchical prisons, where inmates typically obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards. Critics called it proof that the government is failing to get a grip on a worsening national crisis in its penitentiaries.
The gunbattles seized attention amid uncertainty about President Hugo Chavez's future, while he remained in Cuba recovering and undergoing treatment more than six weeks after his latest cancer surgery.
Government officials pledged a thorough investigation, while some critics said there should have been ways for the authorities to prevent such bloodshed.
The riot was the deadliest in nearly two decades. In January 1994, more than 100 inmates died in the country's bloodiest prison violence on record when a riot and fire set by inmates tore through a prison in the western city of Maracaibo. In 1992, about 60 inmates were killed in a riot in a Caracas prison.
Varela said that the violence erupted on Friday when groups of inmates attacked National Guard troops who were attempting to carry out an inspection. She said the government decided to send troops to search the prison after reports of clashes between groups of inmates during the past two days.
"No one doubts that inspections are necessary procedures to guarantee prison conditions in line with international standards, but they can't be carried out with the warlike attitude as (authorities) have done it," said Humberto Prado, an activist who leads the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, a watchdog group.
"It's clear that the inspection wasn't coordinated or put into practice as it should have been. It was evidently a disproportionate use of force," Prado said.
In 2011, when Chavez had been in office for 12 years, he created a Cabinet ministry to focus on prisons and appointed Varela to lead it. The president made that decision following a deadly, weekslong armed uprising at the prisons El Rodeo I and El Rodeo II outside Caracas.
Chavez at the time acknowledged that his government's previous initiatives to improve the prisons hadn't worked, and he pledged changes including building new prisons, improving conditions and speeding trials. Since then, Chavez has approved funds to repair and renovate prisons. But opponents and activists say the government hasn't made real progress at penitentiaries where hundreds continue to die each year.
Venezuela has 33 prisons built to hold about 12,000 inmates. Officials have said the prisons' population is currently about 47,000.
___
Associated Press writers Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Colombia, and Jorge Rueda in Caracas contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A long-delayed $50.5 billion aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy cleared the Senate on Monday, three months after the storm destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in coastal New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The package, approved 62-36 in the Democratic-controlled Senate, now goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. Added to flood insurance legislation passed by Congress earlier this month, it brings Sandy aid appropriations to $60.2 billion.
All the opposing lawmakers were Republicans. But nine Republicans joined Democrats in voting yes to narrowly cross the 60-vote threshold required for passage.
The Senate also defeated a Republican amendment that sought to offset the Sandy aid with cuts to discretionary spending spread over the next nine years.
The vote was delayed last week as Senate leaders wrangled over new rules aimed at limiting procedural roadblocks known as filibusters.
Sandy's victims "have been waiting for three months for their federal government to step up and help them rebuild their lives and rebuild their livelihoods," said Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. "They have been waiting and waiting."
The package will provide $10 billion to repair public transport infrastructure, $5.3 billion to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund and $16 billion in Community Development Block Grant funding - money to be used by municipalities largely to rebuild homes and businesses.
"This bill meets the current needs of the recovery efforts," Mikulski said.
CAUGHT IN BUDGET DEBATE
The Sandy aid package became ensnared in a bitter partisan battle over deficit reduction. Many Republicans saw it as an opportunity to take a stand against a big spending increase after being forced to swallow tax hikes on the wealthy as part of the New Year's deal to avert the "fiscal cliff."
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah tried to rein in the Sandy package by seeking to offset the costs with a 0.5-percentage-point reduction in annual discretionary spending.
He said senators owed it to Americans to consider how the disaster spending might impair U.S. ability to fund other programs such as defense or healthcare.
"We have to stop and consider the fact that we are more than $16 trillion in debt and we're adding to that debt at a rate of more than $1 trillion every single year," Lee said.
His amendment was defeated 62-35 in another party-line split.
Conservative groups, including the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation, had urged senators to vote against the package without any offsets, saying it was filled with "pork."
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the $50.5 billion package on January 15 - largely with Democratic votes - after shaving off about $160 million and preventing any funds from being diverted to disasters in other states.
House Speaker John Boehner enraged East Coast politicians on January 1 by canceling a previously scheduled vote on Sandy emergency funds. The storm wiped out many New Jersey and New York shore communities and flooded lower Manhattan transit tunnels on October 29.
Since then, Congress has approved $9.7 billion to shore up the National Flood Insurance program to allow it to continue paying the Sandy-related claims of homeowners who bought flood insurance.
The $60.2 billion in aid is short of the $82 billion initially requested by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The legislative delays marked a stark contrast with the congressional response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated Gulf Coast communities and flooded New Orleans in 2005.
Within 10 days of that storm, Congress had approved $62.3 billion in aid. Subsequent measures brought total taxpayer funds to rebuild the region to more than $100 billion.
(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Xavier Briand)
Last Wednesday (my birthday, of all days) the gaming industry decided to fill my kitchen with morsel after morsel of meaty news tidbits. I try my best to cover it all right here.
Every weekend, join GamerNode Senior Editor Jason Fanelli (with videographer Matt Boyle behind the camera) as he runs down the top gaming news stories from the previous week. Game announcements, developer quotes, major events: we?ll have it all. This is a one-stop shop of news sure to feed your hunger for what?s happening in gaming.
This week, THQ is torn apart at the seams, Nintendo rocks our world directly once again, and two games will soon be available in the good ol? USA. Check out this week?s Grill right now!
?
Clip in the third story is from ?South Park? and is the property of Parker-Stone Studios and Comedy Central, not me. I just thought it fit.
TAGS: Capcom,Deep Silver,Evolve,GamerNode,hitman hd,hot off the grill,Metro,Namco Bandai,ni no kuni: wrath of the white witch,Nintendo,Operation Rainfall,Pandora's Tower,project x zone,Relic Entertainment,Resident Evil Revelations,Sega,shin megami tensei x fire emblem,skulls of the shogun,South Park: The Stick of Truth,Take Two Interactive,the legend of zelda wind waker HD,THQ,Ubisoft,volition entertainment,Wii U,WWE
New research reveals a potential way for how parents' experiences could be passed to their offspring's genes. The research was published today, 25 January, in the journalScience.
Epigenetics is a system that turns our genes on and off. The process works by chemical tags, known as epigenetic marks, attaching to DNA and telling a cell to either use or ignore a particular gene.
The most common epigenetic mark is a methyl group. When these groups fasten to DNA through a process called methylation they block the attachment of proteins which normally turn the genes on. As a result, the gene is turned off.
Scientists have witnessed epigenetic inheritance, the observation that offspring may inherit altered traits due to their parents' past experiences. For example, historical incidences of famine have resulted in health effects on the children and grandchildren of individuals who had restricted diets, possibly because of inheritance of altered epigenetic marks caused by a restricted diet.
However, it is thought that between each generation the epigenetic marks are erased in cells called primordial gene cells (PGC), the precursors to sperm and eggs. This 'reprogramming' allows all genes to be read afresh for each new person - leaving scientists to question how epigenetic inheritance could occur.
The new Cambridge study initially discovered how the DNA methylation marks are erased in PGCs, a question that has been under intense investigation over the past 10 years. The methylation marks are converted to hydroxymethylation which is then progressively diluted out as the cells divide. This process turns out to be remarkably efficient and seems to reset the genes for each new generation. Understanding the mechanism of epigenetic resetting could be exploited to deal with adult diseases linked with an accumulation of aberrant epigenetic marks, such as cancers, or in 'rejuvenating' aged cells.
However, the researchers, who were funded by the Wellcome Trust, also found that some rare methylation can 'escape' the reprogramming process and can thus be passed on to offspring ? revealing how epigenetic inheritance could occur. This is important because aberrant methylation could accumulate at genes during a lifetime in response to environmental factors, such as chemical exposure or nutrition, and can cause abnormal use of genes, leading to disease. If these marks are then inherited by offspring, their genes could also be affected.
Dr Jamie Hackett from the University of Cambridge, who led the research, said: "Our research demonstrates how genes could retain some memory of their past experiences, revealing that one of the big barriers to the theory of epigenetic inheritance - that epigenetic information is erased between generations - should be reassessed."
"It seems that while the precursors to sperm and eggs are very effective in erasing most methylation marks, they are fallible and at a low frequency may allow some epigenetic information to be transmitted to subsequent generations. The inheritance of differential epigenetic information could potentially contribute to altered traits or disease susceptibility in offspring and future descendants."
"However, it is not yet clear what consequences, if any, epigenetic inheritance might have in humans. Further studies should give us a clearer understanding of the extent to which heritable traits can be derived from epigenetic inheritance, and not just from genes. That could have profound consequences for future generations."
Professor Azim Surani from the University of Cambridge, principal investigator of the research, said: "The new study has the potential to be exploited in two distinct ways. First, the work could provide information on how to erase aberrant epigenetic marks that may underlie some diseases in adults. Second, the study provides opportunities to address whether germ cells can acquire new epigenetic marks through environmental or dietary influences on parents that may evade erasure and be transmitted to subsequent generations, with potentially undesirable consequences."
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University of Cambridge: http://www.cam.ac.uk
Thanks to University of Cambridge for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The smallest of gains gave the Standard & Poor's 500 its seventh straight winning day on Thursday, but the index failed to hold above the 1,500 line, restrained by Apple's worst day in more than four years.
Apple Inc slid 12.4 percent to $450.50 a day after it posted revenue that missed Wall Street's forecast as iPhone sales were poorer than expected.
The sharp drop wiped out nearly $60 billion in Apple's market capitalization to less than $423 billion, leaving the company vulnerable to losing its status as the most valuable U.S. company to second-place ExxonMobil, at $416.5 billion.
The S&P 500, however, managed to hit its longest winning streak since October 2006.
"The market has sent the message it is no longer driven by the whims of Apple," said Ken Polcari, director of the NYSE floor division at O'Neil Securities in New York.
The S&P 500 briefly traded above 1,500 for the first time since December 12, 2007, but failed to hold above it, indicating that momentum is waning and a pullback is in the charts.
"If the market had a little bit more excitement to it, momentum players would have jumped after it broke through 1,500. Investors know the market is a little bit ahead of itself," Polcari said.
Economic data helped buoy equities as U.S. factory activity grew the most in nearly two years in January and new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a five-year low last week, giving surprisingly strong signals on the economy's pulse.
At the same time, Chinese manufacturing grew this month at the fastest pace in about two years, while data suggesting German growth picked up boosted hopes for a euro-zone recovery.
"PMI in Asia, Europe, and obviously, here in the United States, is moving in the right direction, and that's stuff people should be excited about," Polcari said.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 46 points or 0.33 percent, to 13,825.33 at the close. The S&P 500 <.spx> inched up just 0.01 of a point, or 0 percent, to finish at 1,494.82. The Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> dropped 23.29 points or 0.74 percent, to end at 3,130.38, with most of that loss on Apple's slide.
The broader Russell 2000 index <.rut> also hit a milestone as it closed above 900 points for the first time.
Video streaming service Netflix Inc surprised Wall Street with a quarterly profit after it added nearly 4 million customers in the United States and abroad. Netflix shares surged 42.2 percent to $146.86, its biggest percentage jump ever.
Earnings have helped drive the stock market's recent rally. Thomson Reuters data through early Thursday showed that of the 133 S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings so far, 66.9 percent have exceeded expectations - above the 65 percent average over the past four quarters.
About 6.8 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average during January 2012 of about 6.93 billion shares.
Roughly five issues rose for every four that fell on both the NYSE and Nasdaq.
According to the slightly dubious Apple site Digitimes, Apple has cut its orders of panel displays for the iPad by 50%. Apparently, LG ? maker of the displays for Apple?s tablet ? has stated that it has received a 40% decrease in orders from Apple, with the possibility of dropping a further 50% very soon.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
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Apple has released an updated for its Apple TV that unlocks some long-awaited features.