Molecular mechanism links temperature with sex determination in some fish species

ScienceDaily (Dec. 29, 2011) ? A study led by the CSIC's Institute of Marine Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), has found the epigenetic mechanism that links temperature and gonadal sex in fish. High temperature increases DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter in female.

The environmental temperature has effects on sex determination. There are species, such as the Atlantic silverside fish, whose sex determination depends mainly on temperature. And there are other species whose sex determination is written within its DNA but still temperature can override this genetic 'instruction'.

Previous studies with the European sea bass, a fish whose sex determination depends on a combination of genetic and environmental factors, had shown that starting with a normal sex ratio population -equal proportions of male and females, it was possible to obtain an all-male group just through an increase in water temperature during a critical period of early development.

The most intriguing observation was that effects of temperature were maximum at a moment when gonads were not differentiated nor had they even started to form. Why was this happening, what makes temperature override the genetic component and so early was, until now, a long-standing puzzle.

Now, a research lead by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has found out the answer. The team, lead by Francesc Piferrer, a CSIC professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, in Barcelona, describes the mechanism which is induced by increased temperatures and triggers aromatase gene silencing.

Aromatase is an enzyme that transforms androgens into estrogens, which are essential for the development of ovaries in all non-mammalian vertebrates. If there is no aromatase there are no estrogens, and without estrogens the development of ovaries is not possible. The research, that has been realized with the contribution of the Center for Genomic Regulation, in Barcelona, is being published this week in PLos Genetics.

Early effects

In the experiment, scientists exposed two groups of European seabass larvae at different temperatures, normal and high temperature, during their first weeks of life.

Results show that high temperature increases the DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter (cyp19a), which, in turn drives its silencing as its transcriptional activation is inhibited. In the group exposed to high temperature there were genetic females that were only partially affected and yet developed as females. However, there were other genetic females with the highest level of DNA methylation that therefore developed as males because aromatase was fully inhibited.

This is the first time that an epigenetic mechanism linking an environmental factor to a cellular mechanism related to the sexual determination has been described in any animal. Previously, only a similar mechanism had been described in some plants.

As researcher Francesc Piferrer points out, 'animals are affected very soon, before differences between females and males become visible in histological samples, which happens on the 150th day of life, and even before the gonads start to form, which happens on the 35th day of life'.

This work explains why a few degrees of temperature rise masculinize these animals, something relevant in a context of global change.

It also explains why many fishes raised on farms are males, since farmers raise larvae in warmer waters in order to accelerate their growth. Piferrer adds that 'sex determination by temperature is very common in reptiles. It will be interesting to see if a similar mechanism to the one described exists in this group of vertebrates'.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Centre for Genomic Regulation.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Navarro-Mart?n L, Vi?as J, Ribas L, D?az N, Guti?rrez A, Di Croce L. DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase (cyp19a) promoter is involved in temperature-dependent sex ratio shifts in the European sea bass. PLoS Genetics, Dec 29 2011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.10021002447

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/OMHSVOV8iCI/111229203027.htm

kentucky basketball heather locklear bob costas krzyzewski childish gambino sandusky interview with bob costas sandusky interview with bob costas

Surveys shows China manufacturing slowing further

BEIJING (AP) ? China's manufacturing slowed in December for a second month due to weak global demand amid U.S. and European economic woes, a survey released Friday showed.

The latest HSBC Purchasing Managers Index added to growing signs of strain on China's manufacturers and exporters. They have been battered by a plunge in global demand and lending curbs that have driven thousands of entrepreneurs into bankruptcy, wiping out jobs and raising the specter of unrest.

The index for December stood at 48.7 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 indicate a contraction in activity. It said companies reported a drop in foreign orders due to sluggish global demand.

"Weakening external demand is starting to bite," said HSBC economist Hongbin Qu in a statement with the survey.

The latest data will add to pressure on Beijing to ease spending and lending controls to stabilize growth and spur job creation, Qu said.

"Hard landings should be avoided so long as easing measures filter through in the coming months," he said.

China's export growth declined in November for a third month, falling to 13.8 percent from the 15.9 percent the previous month.

The slump in global demand has battered export-driven southern coastal regions, where thousands of small companies have been driven out of business and the survivors have laid off tens of thousands of workers.

Smaller private companies were hard hit by bank lending curbs imposed to cool inflation and a boom in housing prices. The government has promised to have state banks lend more to help struggling entrepreneurs but says most of its curbs will remain in place.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-29-AS-China-Manufacturing/id-7ace6e2e37a84559beba1a3067ce642e

pepper spraying cop pepper spraying cop somaya reece padma lakshmi juelz santana juelz santana greg halman

Idaho teen loses cancer fight after delivering son (AP)

POCATELLO, Idaho ? Jenni Lake gave birth to a baby boy the month before her 18th birthday, though she was not destined to become just another teenage mother.

That much, she knew.

While being admitted to the hospital, she pulled her nurse down to her at bed level and whispered into her ear. The nurse would later repeat the girl's words to comfort her family, as their worst fears were realized a day after Jenni's baby was born.

"She told the nurse, `I'm done, I did what I was supposed to. My baby is going to get here safe,'" said Diana Phillips, Jenni's mother.

In photographs, the baby's ruddy cheeks and healthy weight offer a stark contrast to the frail girl who gave birth to him. She holds the newborn tightly, kissing the top of his head. Jenni, at 5 feet and 4 inches tall, weighed only 108 pounds at the full term of her pregnancy.

A day after the Nov. 9 birth, Phillips learned that her daughter's decision to forgo treatment for tumors on her brain and spine so she could carry the baby would have fatal repercussions. The cancer had marked too much territory. Nothing could be done, Phillips said.

It was only 12 days past the birth ? half spent in the hospital and the other half at home ? before Jenni was gone.

Even so, her family and friends insist her legacy is not one centered in tragedy, but rather in sacrifice.

This month, her family gathered at their ranch style home in Pocatello, where a Christmas tree in the living room was adorned with ornaments picked out just for Jenni, including one in bright lime green, her favorite color. She had passed away in a bedroom down the hall.

Recalling Jenni's infectious laugh and a rebellious streak, her mother held the baby close, nuzzling his head, and said, "I want him to know everything about her, and what she did."

___

The migraines started last year, when Jenni was a 16-year-old sophomore at Pocatello High School. She was taken to the family doctor, and an MRI scan found a small mass measuring about two centimeters wide on the right side of her brain.

She was sent to a hospital in Salt Lake City, some 150 miles south of Pocatello, and another scan there showed the mass was bigger than previously thought.

Jenni had a biopsy Oct. 15, 2010, and five days later was diagnosed with stage three astrocytoma, a type of brain tumor. With three tumors on her brain and three on her spine, Jenni was told her case was rare because the cancer had spread from her brain to another part of her body with no symptoms.

Her parents, who are divorced, remember they were brought into a room at the hospital and sat down at a long table as doctors discussed her chances of survival.

"Jenni just flat out asked them if she was going to die," said her father, Mike Lake, 43, a truck driver who lives in Rexburg, north of Pocatello.

The answer wasn't good. With treatment, the teen was told she had a 30 percent chance to make it two years, Lake said. While he was heartbroken, Lake marveled at how strong she seemed in that moment. "She didn't break down and cry or anything," he said.

But her mom recalled Jenni did have a weak moment that day.

"When they told her that she might not be able to have kids, she got upset," said Phillips, 39.

Jenni started aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, while also posting videos on a YouTube site titled "Jenni's Journey," where she hoped to share her story with updates every other day. She managed to upload only three videos, though, as her treatments left her tired and weak.

On her second video, posted Nov. 20, 2010, Jenni appears distraught while a family friend records her having lunch with her mom.

"Last night, like, I was just lying in bed and I was thinking about everything that was going on and it just like, it just hit me, like everything, and I don't know, it made me cry," Jenni says on the video.

Her mom is shown burying her face in her hands. "Do you know how hard it is to be a mom and know that she's sick and there's nothing you can do," she says, before collapsing into tears.

Jenni persists: "It's hard. It's like, I don't know how long this is going to last and I just want it to go away ... I feel like this is holding me back from so much ..."

By March of this year, the tumors had started to shrink, the family said.

In a picture taken at her prom in early May, Jenni is wearing a dark blue strapless dress and gives the camera a small smile. There's a silver headband in her hair, which is less than an inch long. Chemotherapy took her shoulder-length blond tresses.

Her boyfriend, Nathan Wittman, wearing a black dress shirt and pants, is cradling her from behind.

___

Jenni started dating Nathan a couple of weeks before she received her diagnosis. Their adolescent relationship withstood the very adult test posed by cancer, the treatments that left her barely able to walk from her living room to her bedroom, and the gossip at school.

"The rumors started flying around, like Nathan was only with her because she had cancer," said Jenni's older sister, Ashlee Lake, 20, who tried to squelch the mean-spirited chatter even as the young couple ignored it.

They were hopeful, and dreamed of someday opening a restaurant or a gallery.

Jenni had been working as an apprentice in a local tattoo shop. "She was like our little sister," said the owner, Kass Chacon. But in May, Jenni's visits to the shop grew less frequent.

She had been throwing up a lot and had sharp stomach pains. She went to the emergency room early one morning with her boyfriend and when she returned home, her family members woke up to the sound of crying. "We could hear Jenni just bawling in her room," said her sister, Kaisee, 19.

She had learned that she was pregnant, and an ultrasound would show the fetus was 10 weeks old.

Jenni's journey was no longer her own.

From the start of treatment, she was told that she might never have children, her mother said, that the radiation and chemotherapy could essentially make her sterile.

"We were told that she couldn't get pregnant, so we didn't worry about it," said Nathan, 19.

Jenni, the third of her parents' eight children, had always wanted to be a mom. She had already determined to keep the baby when she went to see her oncologist, Dr. David Ririe, in Pocatello two days after she found out she was pregnant.

"He told us that if she's pregnant, she can't continue the treatments," Phillips said. "So she would either have to terminate the pregnancy and continue the treatments, or stop the treatments, knowing that it could continue to grow again."

Dr. Ririe would not discuss Jenni's care, citing privacy laws, but said, generally, in cases in which a cancer patient is pregnant, oncologists will consider both the risks and benefits of continuing with treatment, such as chemotherapy.

"There are times during pregnancy in some situations, breast cancer being the classic example, where the benefits of chemotherapy may outweigh the risk to mother and baby," Ririe said. "There are other times where the risk outweighs the benefits."

There was no discussion about which path Jenni would choose. Her parents didn't think of it as a clear life or death decision, and Jenni may not have, either. They believed that since the tumors had already started to shrink earlier, she had a strong chance of carrying the baby and then returning to treatment after he was born.

"I guess we were just hoping that after she had the baby, she could go back on the chemotherapy and get better," her mother said.

___

Jenni and Nathan named the baby Chad Michael, after their dads. Nathan has legal custody of the child, who is primarily cared for by Nathan's mother, Alexia Wittman, 51.

"Nathan will raise him," she said. She brings the baby to Jenni's house to visit her family whenever they ask.

Jenni didn't show regret for her decision, not in the final weeks of her pregnancy as she grew weaker, and not when she started to lose her vision as the cancer took its course, her family said.

Jenni's last words were about her son as he was placed beside her a final time, her father said. As she felt for the baby, she said: "I can kind of see him."

___

Jenni's Journey: www.facebook.com/jennis.journey

Jenni's YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/jennisjourney

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_re_us/us_jenni_s_journey

tim hightower waldorf school rick santorum lakers matt barnes knicks

Packers make 30,000 more shares of stock available

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) ? The Green Bay Packers have sold nearly 250,000 shares of stock in the team and will offer 30,000 more shares.

Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy says support for the sale has been "outstanding." The NFL's only publicly owned team is selling shares for $250 each, with a $25 handling fee, which means the team has raised about $62 million. Proceeds will go toward a $143 million expansion of Lambeau Field.

The team put the shares on sale on Dec. 6 at packers.com. Buyers can call themselves NFL owners, though the stock value will not go up and there are no dividends.

Stockholders do get voting rights. And they can attend annual meetings, where they can meet Packers executives and tour the Packers Hall of Fame.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-27-Packers-Stock%20Sale/id-07b221f3e52b48318cfb60e9d691f09c

shooting at virginia tech blagojevich rod blagojevich rod blagojevich harry morgan john lennon death john lennon death

Nudie bars welcome oil workers to ND boom town

Monday 26th December, 2011

Nudie bars welcome oil workers to ND boom town ??

---

?????Monday 26th December, 2011??Source: Pioneer Press ??

WILLISTON, N.D. - In the oil boom town of Williston, the city's welcome mat includes a pair of strip clubs adjacent to the Amtrak train depot. Most cities work to enhance their entry points as a matter of public pride and to market the communities to potential businesses. But first impressions matter little in Williston, where the economy is explo...

Breaking News Monday 26th December, 2011

Our network flyer service provides a medium for putting your important news into a flyer on the web. Whether it be a new product launch, announcing a community event, promoting a Web site, or advertising your business, then our Network Flyers service is for you. Click here for more details

Source: http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?rid=202152263&cat=87ffa9be03ec6aff

war horse k cups best buy we bought a zoo we bought a zoo ipad accessories derrick rose

Video: Money in Motion: Buy Euro, Sell Dollar

Sharing perspective on tactical trades, with Willie Williams, Societe Generale director of institutional derivative sales.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45797657/

st louis cardinals josh hamilton beavis and butthead cardinals jennifer nicole lee jennifer nicole lee chris harris

Hackers target global analysis company (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179392282?client_source=feed&format=rss

dina manzo dina manzo once upon a time once upon a time sharia law sharia law demarco murray

Anti-Putin protests draw tens of thousands (AP)

MOSCOW ? Tens of thousands of Russians jammed a Moscow avenue Saturday to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, in the largest show of public outrage since the protests 20 years ago that brought down the Soviet Union. Gone was the political apathy of recent years as many shouted "We are the Power!"

The demonstration, bigger and better organized than a similar one two weeks ago, and smaller rallies across the country encouraged opposition leaders hoping to sustain a broad protest movement ignited by a fraud-tainted parliamentary election on Dec. 4.

The enthusiasm also cheered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who closed down the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991.

"I'm happy that I have lived to see the people waking up. This raises big hopes," the 80-year-old Gorbachev said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

He urged Putin to follow his example and give up power peacefully. If Putin stepped down now, he would be remembered for the positive things he did, Gorbachev said. The former Soviet leader, who has grown increasingly critical of Putin, has little influence in Russia today.

But the protesters have no central leader and no candidate capable of posing a serious challenge to Putin, who intends to return to the presidency in a March vote. In a fair election, the veteran Communist Party leader would pose the strongest threat, and he has joined the Kremlin in disparaging the protests.

Even at Saturday's rally, some of the speakers were jeered by the crowd. The various liberal, nationalist and leftist groups that took part appear united only by their desire to see "Russia without Putin," a popular chant.

Putin, who gave no public response to the protest Saturday, initially derided the demonstrators as paid agents of the West. He also said sarcastically that he thought the white ribbons they wore as an emblem were condoms. Putin has since come to take their protests more seriously, and in an effort to stem the anger he has offered a set of reforms to allow more political competition in future elections.

Kremlin-controlled television covered Saturday's rally, but gave no air time to Putin's harshest critics.

Estimates of the number of demonstrators ranged from the police figure of 30,000 to 120,000 offered by the organizers. Demonstrators packed much of a broad avenue, which has room for nearly 100,000 people, about 2.5 kilometers (some 1.5 miles) from the Kremlin, as the temperature dipped well below freezing.

A stage at the end of the avenue featured banners reading "Russia will be free" and "This election Is a farce." Heavy police cordons encircled the participants, who stood within metal barriers, and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Alexei Navalny, a corruption-fighting lawyer and popular blogger, electrified the crowd when he took the stage. He soon had the protesters chanting "We are the power!"

Navalny spent 15 days in jail for leading a protest on Dec. 5 that unexpectedly drew more than 5,000 people and set off the chain of demonstrations.

Putin's United Russia party lost 25 percent of its seats in the election, but hung onto a majority in parliament through what independent observers said was widespread fraud. United Russia, seen as representing a corrupt bureaucracy, has become known as the party of crooks and thieves, a phrase coined by Navalny.

"We have enough people here to take the Kremlin," Navalny shouted to the crowd. "But we are peaceful people and we won't do that ? yet. But if these crooks and thieves keep cheating us, we will take what is ours."

Protest leaders expressed skepticism about Putin's promised political reforms.

"We don't trust him," opposition leader Boris Nemtsov told the rally, urging protesters to gather again after the long New Year's holidays to make sure the proposed changes are put into law.

He and other speakers called on the demonstrators to go to the polls in March to unseat Putin. "A thief must not sit in the Kremlin," Nemtsov said.

The protest leaders said they would keep up their push for a rerun of the parliamentary vote and punishment for election officials accused of fraud, while stressing the need to prevent fraud in the March presidential election.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among those who sought to give the protesters a sense of empowerment.

"There are so many of us here, and they (the government) are few," Kasparov said from the stage. "They are huddled up in fear behind police cordons."

The crowd was largely young, but included a sizable number of middle-aged and elderly people, some of whom limped slowly to the site on walkers and canes.

"We want to back those who are fighting for our rights," said 16-year-old Darya Andryukhina, who said she had also attended the previous rally.

"People have come here because they want respect," said Tamara Voronina, 54, who said she was proud that her three sons also had joined the protest.

Putin's comment about protesters wearing condoms only further infuriated them and inspired some creative responses. One protester Saturday held a picture montage of Putin with his head wrapped in a condom like a grandmother's headscarf. Many inflated condoms along with balloons.

The protests reflect a growing weariness with Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and remained in charge after moving into the prime minister's seat in 2008. Brazen fraud in the parliamentary vote unexpectedly energized the middle class, which for years had been politically apathetic.

"No one has done more to bring so many people here than Putin, who managed to insult the whole country," said Viktor Shenderovich, a columnist and satirical writer.

Two rallies in St. Petersburg on Saturday drew a total of 4,000 people.

"I'm here because I'm tired of the government's lies," said Dmitry Dervenev, 47, a designer. "The prime minister insulted me personally when he said that people came to the rallies because they were paid by the U.S. State Department. I'm here because I'm a citizen of my country."

Putin accused the United States of encouraging and funding the protests to weaken Russia.

Putin's former finance minister surprised the protesters by saying the current parliament should approve the proposed electoral changes and then step down to allow new parliamentary elections to be held. Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, warned that the wave of protests could lead to violence and called for establishing a dialogue between the opposition and the government.

"Otherwise we will lose the chance for peaceful transformation," Kudrin said.

Kudrin also joined calls for the ouster of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov.

Putin has promised to liberalize registration rules for opposition parties and restore the direct election of governors he abolished in 2004. Putin's stand-in as president, Dmitry Medvedev, spelled out those and other proposed changes in Thursday's state-of-the nation address.

Gorbachev, however, said the government appears confused.

"They don't know what to do," he said. "They are making attempts to get out of the trap they drove themselves into."

____

Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva and Jim Heintz contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_protests

next iron chef meryl streep aquamarine iraq war iraq war jimmy fallon jimmy fallon

Photo: canada day 2010

-SEARCH BY CATEGORY- (11026)

-SEARCH BY DATE- (6491)

-PHOTO CONTEST- (0)

Options

?View Cart ?Login

Hover View: Flash View:

Featured Photographers

Milt Duquette

BrentLewandoski

Russell Wonnenberg

ChrisMcHale

DMacDougall

KatrinaSimpson

DebbieHolick

Justin Costea

Prairie Post

Sheena Slobodian

More Photographers

Sign up for a monthly subscription and get 10 downloads for Only $180.00 /month! Signup Now

Sign up for a one year subscription and get 100 downloads for Only $950.00 /year! Signup Now

Create an account to use special features like lightbox, email to a friend, and much more! Signup Now

Sell Your Photos! Photographers can now sell their photos thru our site. Signup Now

Home -SEARCH BY CATEGORY- NEWS - Events 2010 Canada Day 2010 Newest Photos ? Most Popular Photos

Click on the "Add To Cart" link to add this photo to your cart or click on a keyword to find similar photos. Sorry this photo is currently not active.

Source: http://sabphotostore.com/details.php?gid=108&pid=1751

monday night football bonjovi bonjovi kim jong un antonio brown james harrison james harrison

Rodgers wraps up MVP honors

AP

Eighteen games remain in the 2011 NFL season: Bears-Packers tonight, Falcons-Saints tomorrow and 16 games on New Year?s Day. Here?s a rundown of how each team still in contention can have its playoff position affected by the results of those 18 games:

Patriots: Clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating Buffalo or by having both the Ravens and Steelers lose.

Ravens: Clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye with a win or a Steelers loss. Clinch home-field advantage with a win and a Patriots loss.

Steelers: Clinch the AFC North with a win and a Ravens loss. Clinch home-field advantage with a win, a Ravens loss and a Patriots loss.

Texans: Locked into the AFC No. 3 seed. Week 17 is meaningless to Houston, and the Texans may rest many of their key players.

Broncos: Clinch the AFC West and the No. 4 seed by beating the Chiefs, or a Raiders loss.

Raiders: Clinch the AFC West and the No. 4 seed by beating the Chargers and a Broncos loss. If the Broncos win, the Raiders can still get a wild card if they win and the Bengals lose, plus either the Titans lose or the Jets win.

Bengals: Clinch a playoff spot and the No. 6 seed if they win, or if the Jets lose and either the Raiders or Broncos lose.

Jets: Get the No. 6 seed if they win and the Bengals and Titans and either the Raiders or Broncos lose.

Titans: Get the No. 6 seed if they win and the Bengals lose, plus either the Jets win and the Broncos or Raiders lose, or the Jets lose and the Broncos and Raiders both win.

Packers: Clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs if they beat either the Bears tonight or the Lions next week, or if the 49ers lose next week.

49ers: Clinch a first-round bye with a win next week or the Saints losing either on Monday night or next week. The 49ers can still get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win and the Packers lose to both the Bears and the Lions.

Saints: Clinch the NFC South if they win either of their two remaining games, and they could even clinch the NFC South if they lose both of their remaining games, if the Falcons lose in Week 17. The Saints can?t get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they can get a first-round bye if they win both their remaining games and the 49ers lose next week.

Cowboys/Giants: Next Sunday night?s game is essentially a playoff game: The Cowboys-Giants winner wins the NFC East and is the No. 4 seed, while the loser?s season is over. If the game ends in a tie, the Giants win the division.

Falcons: The Falcons can clinch a playoff spot tonight by the Packers beating the Bears. They need just one more win or one more Chicago loss to get to the playoffs. They could still win the NFC South, but only if they beat the Saints Monday night and win next week, plus the Saints lose next week.

Lions: Detroit is an NFC wild card. Whether they?re the No. 5 or No. 6 seed depends on the results of their own game with the Packers and the Falcons? remaining games.

Bears: Chicago can still make the playoffs, but only if they win both their remaining games and the Falcons lose both their remaining games.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/25/the-nfc-playoffs-will-go-through-lambeau/related

linda perry world aids day amber rose kristin cavallari horse slaughter horse slaughter world aids day 2011

Roomy in Coach!! ? London, United Kingdom

? London, England, United Kingdom
Sunday, December 18, 2011

Everything went smoothly on our flight to London! The plane was small which surprised me, with only six seats in a row. Best of all, we had aisle seats with no one sitting in the middle! So for coach there was a lot of room and the seats we actually comfortable! It was a fairly uneventful day, just grabbed the Hoppa bus to the airport hotel after we landed.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/Kvo9Is3mDyA/tpod.html

lsu football lsu football miguel cotto vs antonio margarito terminator salvation terminator salvation rockefeller center baylor

thurrott: Xbox 360 Fall 2011 Dashboard Update, Part 3: Beacons, Cloud Storage, Windows Phone Integration http://t.co/iYo9eCOv

• Passer la navigation
• Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
• Passer cette ?tape
• Connexion

• Connexion
• Rejoignez Twitter !

Xbox 360 Fall 2011 Dashboard Update, Part 3: Beacons, Cloud Storage, Windows Phone Integration bit.ly/uz0b3W Il y a environ 1 heure via twitterfeed Retweeted by 2 people

thurrott

Paul Thurrott

Pied de page

• ? 2011 Twitter
• ? propos de nous
• Contact
• Blog
• Statut
• Ressources
• API
• Entreprises
• Aide
• Offres d'emploi
• Conditions
• Confidentialit?

Source: http://twitter.com/thurrott/statuses/149965787912863744

jeremy london jeremy london butterball turkey fryer butterball turkey fryer yale harvard dan henderson oregon ducks

Rocky Jay Vipond, 63, Uvalde, Texas

Rocky was born on November 30, 1948 and passed away on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

Rocky was a resident of Uvalde, Texas at the time of his passing.

He is survived by his wife Susan.

Family visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM on Thursday, December 22, 2011 at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary. Graveside services will be held on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 9:45 AM at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to University Health System Foundation, 903 W. Martin, MS-1-2, San Antonio, TX 78207 or Pennys From Heaven Foundation, 13423 Blanco Rd., Suite 218, San Antonio, TX 78216.

Source: http://kens5.tributes.com/show/Rocky-Jay-Vipond-92976976

colton harris moore hurd hurd christopher hitchens ron paul 2012 extremely loud and incredibly close zynga stock

FAA issues rules to prevent tired airline pilots

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, announcing a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilots scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity to rest before they enter the cockpit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, announcing a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilots scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity to rest before they enter the cockpit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, left, with Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Michael Huerta, speak to reporters during a news conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, announcing a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilots scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity to rest before they enter the cockpit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, left, with Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Michael Huerta, speak to reporters during a news conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, announcing a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilots scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity to rest before they enter the cockpit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Rules aimed at preventing airline pilots from flying while dangerously fatigued were issued Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration, a move safety advocates have been urging for more than two decades.

The rules update current pilot work schedule regulations, which largely date back to the 1960s, to reflect studies on how much time pilots need for rest and an understanding of how travel through time zones and the human body clock's response to light and darkness can affect performance.

Carriers have two years to adapt to the new rules. The FAA estimated the cost to industry at $297 million over 10 years, a fraction of the $2 billion a year that an airline trade association had estimated a draft proposal released by FAA over a year ago would cost.

The airline industry had opposed the draft rule as too costly for the safety benefits it would achieve. But FAA officials made substantial changes to the final rule to lower the cost. Several expensive reporting and training requirements were eliminated.

The new rules come nearly three years after the deadly crash of a regional airliner flown by two exhausted pilots. Family members of the 50 people killed in the accident near Buffalo, N.Y., have lobbied relentlessly for more stringent regulations.

The rules should be named in honor of those families who pushed successfully for action, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at a news conference. "This is a big deal," LaHood said. "This is as far as our government has ever gone" to protect the traveling public from pilot fatigue.

The rules would limit the maximum number of hours a pilot can be scheduled to be on duty ? including wait time before flights and administrative duties ? to between nine and 14 hours. The total depends upon the time of day pilots begin their first flight and the number of time zones crossed.

The maximum amount of time pilots can be scheduled to fly is limited to eight or nine hours, and pilots would get a minimum of 10 hours to rest between duty periods, a two-hour increase over the old rules. Pilots flying overnight would be allowed fewer hours than pilots flying during the day.

But cargo carriers ? who do much of their flying overnight when people naturally crave sleep ? are exempted from the new rules. The FAA said forcing cargo carriers to reduce the number of hours their pilots can fly would be too costly compared to the safety benefits.

Imposing the rules on cargo airlines like Federal Express or United Parcel Service would have added another $214 million to the cost, FAA officials said.

The exemption for cargo carriers runs counter to the FAA's goal of "one level of safety" across the aviation industry. Pilots unions were critical of the exemption, pointing out that cargo pilots suffer from fatigue the same as pilots for passenger-carrying airlines. And, while cargo planes aren't carrying passengers, the risk to the public on the ground from an air crash is just as great.

"To potentially allow fatigued cargo pilots to share the same skies with properly rested passenger pilots creates an unnecessary threat to public safety. We can do better," said Robert Travis, president of the Independent Pilots Association, which represents UPS pilots.

LaHood said he plans to invite top officials from cargo airlines to meet with him next month so that he can urge them to voluntarily follow the new rules.

The charter airlines that transport nearly 90 percent of U.S. troops around the world had also lobbied heavily for an exemption to the new rules, saying military missions could be jeopardized. But FAA officials rejected those pleas.

The rules will prevent about one and a half accidents a year and an average of six deaths a year, FAA officials said. They will also improve pilots' health, officials said.

Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for the Airlines for America trade association, said the group is reviewing new rule. "As we have said previously, we support changes to the rule that are science-based and that will improve safety," she wrote in an email.

Researchers say fatigue, much like alcohol, can impair a pilot's performance by slowing reflexes and eroding judgment. The National Transportation Safety Board has been campaigning for two decades for an overhaul of pilot work schedule rules. An effort by the FAA in the late 1990s to develop new rules stalled when pilot unions and airlines were unable to find common ground.

That effort was revived after the February 2009 crash Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo. Neither pilot appeared to have slept in a bed the previous night. The flight's captain had logged onto a computer in the middle of the night from an airport crew lounge where sleeping was discouraged. The first officer had commuted overnight from Seattle to Newark, N.J., much of the time sitting in a cockpit jumpseat. They could be heard yawning on the ill-fated flight's cockpit voice recorder.

However, by a 2-1 vote the NTSB decided not to cite fatigue as a contributing factor to the crash. The board agreed that the captain's incorrect responses to a stall warning caused the accident, and that other pilot errors contributed to the crash. But investigators said it wasn't possible to determine whether those errors were the result of fatigue.

But LaHood and former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt vowed to put strong fatigue rules in place.

"We made a promise to the traveling public that we would do everything possible to make sure pilots are rested when they get in the cockpit. This new rule raises the safety bar to prevent fatigue," LaHood said.

The families of victims killed in the crash won congressional passage of a law requiring the FAA to issue new rules by Aug. 1 of this year, but the White House Office of Management and Budget delayed release of the rules.

Susan Bourque, who lost a sister in the Flight 3407 crash, said she was particularly pleased that the rule will require pilots to sign a statement before each flight stating that they are rested and fit for duty.

Scheduling wasn't an issue in the accident. But if the pilots had been required to sign a similar statement it might have caused them to think twice about making the flight, said Bourque, of East Aurora, N.Y.

"It's a pretty good day," Bourque said. "I'm very happy that we can look forward to more rested pilots for passengers."

Safety advocates also applauded the new rules.

The changes replace "rules that were dangerously obsolete and completely ineffective," said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Va. "The rule applies fatigue science in a way that makes sense."

__

Online:

Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-21-US-Tired-Pilots/id-d67aee07875a4cfa88b48522fd09d0e1

december 21 2012 mayan calendar tcu xfactor prime rib frankincense mega millions

FSU RB Thomas ineligible for Champs Sports Bowl

We do not have this account number in our system.
Please try again or call customer service at 1-888-285-4211.

We?ve detected that more than 5 accounts are associated with this paid subscription. If you believe this is an error, please call customer service at 1-888-285-4211.

Account number:

Find your account number on your invoice or call customer service at 1-888-285-4211.

Drop all beginning zeros and include the "IS." e.g., IS00012345 becomes IS12345.

This combination of phone number and house number does not match our records. Please try again or call customer service at 1-888-285-4211.

We?ve detected that more than 5 accounts are associated with this paid subscription. If you believe this is an error, please call customer service at 1-888-285-4211.

Phone number:

Format: 123-456-7890

House number:

Example: Enter 1234 if delivery address is 1234 Main Street.

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20111221/FSU03/111221004/1103/RSS18

denver broncos patriots lance ball lance ball kansas city chiefs drew brees drew brees

Iraq war veterans serving in Obama White House (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Iraq war veterans at the White House:

___

Name: Tanya Bradsher

Military experience: Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army; served in Iraq from 2008 to 2009.

White House position: Spokeswoman, National Security Council

On the war's end: "I want to see (Iraq) succeed. You could see the skeleton of what was there ... I would love to see that vision realized again and just to see a vibrant country."

___

Name: Matt Flavin

Military experience: U.S. Navy intelligence officer; served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.

White House position: Director of veterans and wounded warrior policy.

On the war's end: "Based on the extent of our sacrifice as a nation, I want a peaceful, stable democratic government in Iraq that is an ally of the United States. I think we've earned that."

___

Name: Steve Miska

Military experience: Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army; served three tours in Iraq between 2004 and 2009.

White House position: Director of Iraq.

On the war's end: "Knowing that the war is coming to an end was really just a sense of relief for me in a huge way. And it is very personal. Not only do we know many of the people who are currently serving there on the U.S. side, but we know many of the Iraqis that we served with."

___

Name: Darienne Page

Military experience: Army sergeant; served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.

White House position: Assistant director of the Office of Public Engagement, focusing on veterans and wounded warriors.

On the war's end: "To watch deployments year after year, always seeing my friends go and my family members stationed over there, and now to be in an administration bringing the war to a responsible end, it's a great feeling."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_white_house_iraq_veterans_glance

weather denver ambition dorothy rodham rick hendrick plane crash marco rubio marco rubio no shave november

CPU Wars and c-Jump: the nerdiest card and board games ever

Board games and card games are kind of dorky to begin with. And there are plenty of titles out there that hold a special place in the heart of the nerd (just ask one about Settlers of Catan). But, there is a line, a line which even the nerdiest amongst us might not care to cross. For example, c-Jump -- a board game that teaches the basics of programming. Some of the spaces you'll land on in the course of your journey down the mountain include "goto jump;" and "switch (x) {". Then there's CPU Wars, for the three people out there that think Magic: The Gathering is too mainstream. In this card battle game you pit CPUs from throughout history against each other and attempt to collect all your adversary's processors. You can order c-Jump through ThinkGeek for $25 and pledge cash to CPU Wars over at Kickstarter. You'll find a video of the card game after the break.

Continue reading CPU Wars and c-Jump: the nerdiest card and board games ever

CPU Wars and c-Jump: the nerdiest card and board games ever originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  CPU Wars (Kickstarter), c-Jump (ThinkGeek)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RqpvMD0bOfc/

tiki barber minnesota vikings packers vs vikings packers vs vikings randall cobb packers score google x

Star and Pocket Legends ring in the holiday with new content, level cap

For all of you mobile-MMOers out there, take notice: Spacetime Studios is spreading holiday cheer to their gaming base by unveiling a slew of new content for this time of year. Depending on which game you play will determine what content you see, and Spacetime says it best:

Star Legends

• Biggest update yet
• Level cap raise to 41
• Solve the mystery of the missing Governor of Volaria
• The Galactic Welfare Society is under attack from The Screwj. Can players save the holiday season for aliens and humans alike?
• All new items, levels and adventures including a Bonus Capture-the-Flag map

Pocket Legends

• Seasonal Quests and battle areas
• New holiday-only loot
• Brand new content and surprises for players

With this much new content, we might as well say Christmas came early this year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/agcY8NnLr8A/story01.htm

china aircraft carrier barbara walters most fascinating person 2011 unclaimed money blake griffin clippers golden globe nominations los angeles clippers