Sunday, March 3, 2013

Maritime enterprise: Evolving from the digital dark ages - SatellitePro ...

Jim Dodez, VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning

Communications capabilities are more important to the financial success of a maritime enterprise than communications costs and the challenge for vessel owners is to select the best solution to optimise connectivity ROI, say Jim Dodez, VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning, and Rick Driscoll, VP of Products and Services, Mobile Broadband Group, KVH Industries Inc.

?Modern networked enterprises are unconstrained by physical and geographic separation, and why should the maritime industry be any different? The challenge lies in choosing the service offering the best ROI and not compromising on capabilities to minimise communications costs?

The digital revolution in commercial maritime markets is hindered by high communications costs, say Jim Dodez, VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning, KVH and Rick Driscoll, VP of Products and Services, Mobile Broadband Group, authors of a presentation by KVH industries Inc., on the benefits of maritime satcom for the enterprise.

?The economics of the internet fall apart when you?re paying USD 10 to USD 20 per Mb. Fortunately, competition is driving costs down. Maritime VSAT services are on an average less costly than legacy L-band service and communications costs are typically less that 0.3% of the total operating costs of a vessel, ? affirm the authors.

Maritime VSAT services are on an average less costly than legacy L-band service and communications costs are typically less that 0.3% of the total operating costs of a vessel

The growing need for connectivity, say Dodez and Driscoll, is undeniable and enhanced connectivity will create a ?ripple effect of productivity and efficiency through an enterprise?.

?The challenge is meeting the growing need for connectivity across the current maritime sector. The indisputable fact is that broadband connectivity provides maritime businesses with a competitive weapon to reduce costs, enhance revenues, and drive profitability.?

While new maritime regulations are being enacted that will create new requirements for onboard IT capabilities, Dodez and Driscoll believe that a communications system designed only to meet a company?s prior year requirements will be inadequate the day it is installed.

?The new maritime digital revolution should aim to empower an organisation with enhanced connectivity. Modern networked enterprises are unconstrained by physical and geographic separation, and why should the maritime industry be any different? The challenge lies in choosing the service offering the best ROI and not compromising on capabilities to minimise communications costs.?

Rick Driscoll, VP of Products and Services, Mobile Broadband Group, KVH

Information logistics ? managing your IT&C resources

The authors believe that the high cost and slow speed of legacy L-band connectivity has resulted in fragmented, inefficient operations at many maritime organisations. The answer lies in being proactive with regard to information technology and communications (IT&C) management and deploying advanced satellite services offer bandwidth management tools to enhance the enterprise?s overall network performance.

?Modern maritime VSAT services reduce cost of connectivity while providing the critical capabilities enterprises will need to remain competitive. Like any other valuable onboard resource, bandwidth needs to be managed and optimised. Proactive IT&C management will keep costs under control while assuring high quality connectivity for mission critical applications.?

Optimising voyage planning

Enhanced navigation data empowers the captain to make better decisions, say Dodez and Driscoll.

?Connectivity provides real-time access to weather, currents, and sea condition data. In addition, being connected allows for interactive collaboration with shore-based route planning specialists. This would help towards better planning in terms of working through route congestion and improving accuracy of port scheduling.?

Underlining the advances made in satcom technology, the authors state that connectivity optimises overall vessel performance.

?New sensor technology enables improved monitoring of hull, propeller, bunker consumption, and engine performance. Moreover, data can be transmitted onshore for expert analysis of the performance of not just the captain, but that of the vessel and the fleet?

?New sensor technology enables improved monitoring of hull, propeller, bunker consumption, and engine performance. Moreover, data can be transmitted onshore for expert analysis of the performance of not just the captain, but that of the vessel and the fleet.?

Compliance with regulations

Significantly, connectivity helps vessel owners to comply with regulations.

?For instance, the electronic documentation submission to speed arrivals/departures such as the Electronic Notice of Arrival and Departure (eNOA/D) submissions for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and electronic submission of documentation for cargo, vessels, and/or crew. In addition, improved voyage planning owing to better data connectivity will help vessels comply with the new MARPOL Annex IV regulations regarding sewage disposal, among other requirements by the international convention for prevention of pollution from ships.?

The authors add: ?Better data enables reliable voyage planning thus helping to avoid faster than necessary voyaging followed by loitering to wait for scheduled port time or cargo availability. Slow voyaging offers a significant opportunity to save valuable bunker fuel. While fuel consumption is primarily a function of vessel size and speed, on a typical container-ship, fuel consumption above 14 knots increases exponentially with increased speed.?

Controlling vessel manning costs

Connectivity, say Dodez and Driscoll, reduces turnover by improving crew morale.

?Connectivity allows crew members to stay in touch with family, friends, and their lives ashore. Lower turnover saves on recruiting and training costs. Connectivity helps vessel owners meet the regulatory requirements for MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention 2006). Enhanced communications can be provided through affordable VoIP calling, email, and access to social networks and entertainment and access to news can be provided via internet caf? service.?

Connectivity helps vessel owners meet the regulatory requirements for MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention 2006)

Connectivity helps reduce training costs required by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) of 2010.

The authors clarify: ?Distance learning and web-based curriculum allows any course to be delivered in any language to any vessel at any time. In addition, vessel owners can seamlessly enhance security with the use of biometrics to verify crew member identity, remote testing for drug/alcohol use and with the electronic submission and verification of crew member certifications.?

Connectivity enables remote office integration with the onboard ERP and HR systems with contemporary satcom technology allowing for dedicated isolated networks for operations and crew.

?With the ability to design efficient synchronised databases and cloud-based applications, and move onboard administrative tasks to less costly and centralised shoreside personnel, connectivity helps eliminate redundant data entry,? say the authors. They add, ?Onboard logistics planning improves with vessels directly ordering parts and supplies and coordinating delivery at the next port.

?Onboard logistics planning improves with vessels directly ordering parts and supplies and coordinating delivery at the next port?

Lastly, in line with upcoming regulations, the need to physically deliver and load CDs will give way to the efficient, virtual delivery of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) chart updates.?

?Reduce maintenance and repair cost

Dodez and Driscoll reiterate that connectivity on vessels, among other benefits, enables onshore support to remotely monitor onboard equipment.

?Critical tasks such as tracking maintenance schedules and diagnosing signs of equipment failure through condition-based monitoring/alarms are enabled. Connectivity facilitates early repair to avoid catastrophic failures, cutting costs and down time. In addition, the cost of maintaining bulky paper systems in multiple locations is reduced with electronic access to e-documentation (such as Shipdex, a maritime standard protocol for production and exchange of electronic data between equipment makers and ship owners) thus providing faster and easier electronic access to specific data.?

?The cost of maintaining bulky paper systems in multiple locations is reduced with electronic access to e-documentation (such as Shipdex, a maritime standard protocol for production and exchange of electronic data between equipment makers and ship owners) thus providing faster and easier electronic access to specific data?

Moreover, remote access to onboard PCs and other IT equipment allows for remote updates and repairs including software and virus protection updates. Lastly, onboard connectivity ensures enhanced security on vessels. The authors explain: ?Better monitoring and management through remote surveillance/ CCTV will result in reduced insurance costs and minimise expenses around security breaches. Vessel safety is enhanced through ongoing virtual consultation between security managers and vessel captains for route planning and liaison with maritime security organisations for latest threat information. Better crew healthy is ensured through video conferencing consultation with shoreside doctors to treat injuries or medical problems.?

Going beyond connectivity and its obvious advantages, Dodez and Driscoll believe that connectivity can be a key differentiator for fleet owners by offering better visibility to customers.

?Vessel tracking and reporting with real-time updates helps customers manage their supply chain and keep track of their shipments. Fleet owners can emphasise their MARPOL compliance efforts thus offering customers ?green? shipping as part of their ?green? supply chain.?

Overall, Dodez and Driscoll believe that every significant operating cost can be reduced by improved connectivity and that communications capabilities are more important to the financial success of a maritime enterprise than communications costs.

Excerpts from the Satcom 101 Webinar Series by KVH Industries, Inc

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Source: http://www.satelliteprome.com/opinion/maritime-enterprise-evolving-from-the-digital-dark-ages/

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Saturday, March 2, 2013

Spending cut debate casts pall over Obama's second-term agenda

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Just hours after across-the-board spending cuts officially took effect, President Barack Obama pressed Congress on Saturday to work with him on a compromise to halt a fiscal crisis that threatens the economy and his broader domestic policy agenda.

The failure by Obama and Republicans to agree to halt the $85 billion 'sequester' cuts virtually guaranteed that fiscal issues would remain center stage in Washington for weeks, crowding out Obama's proposals to reform immigration, tighten gun laws and raise the minimum wage.

The economic effects of the spending cuts may take time to kick in, but political blowback has already begun and is hitting Obama as well as congressional Republicans.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Friday showed neither Republicans on one side nor Obama and his fellow Democrats escaping blame.

Obama's approval rating dropped to 47 percent in a Gallup poll on Friday, down from 51 percent in the previous three-day period measured.

While most polls show voters blame Republicans primarily for the fiscal mess, Obama could see himself associated with the worst effects of sequestration like the looming furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

He signed an order on Friday night that started putting the cuts into effect.

In his weekly radio address, Obama appealed for Republicans to work with Democrats on a deal, saying Americans were weary of seeing Washington "careen from one manufactured crisis to another."

But he offered no new ideas to resolve the recurring fiscal fights, and there was no immediate sign of any negotiations.

"There's a caucus of common sense (in Congress)," Obama said in his address. "And I'm going to keep reaching out to them to fix this for good."

At the heart of Washington's persistent fiscal showdowns is disagreement over how to slash the budget deficit and the $16 trillion national debt, bloated over the years by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and government stimulus for the ailing economy.

The Democratic president wants to close the fiscal gap with spending cuts and tax hikes - what he calls a "balanced approach." But Republicans do not want to concede again on taxes after doing so in negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" at the New Year.

As Obama and his aides have done for weeks, the president in offered a litany of hardships he said would flow from the forced spending cuts.

"Beginning this week, businesses that work with the military will have to lay folks off. Communities near military bases will take a serious blow. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who serve their country - Border Patrol agents, FBI agents, civilians who work for the Defense Department - will see their wages cut and their hours reduced," he said.

'IT'S CALLED LEADERSHIP'

Critics said Obama should have held meaningful talks with congressional leaders long before Friday's last-minute meeting at the White House, which failed to prevent the automatic cuts written into law during a previous budget crisis in 2011.

"The president should call the senior representatives of the parties together to Camp David - or any place with a table, chairs, and no TV cameras - for serious negotiations on replacing the sequester with firm, enforceable beginnings of a comprehensive long-term debt stabilization agreement," said former Republican Senator Pete Domenici and fiscal expert Alice Rivlin.

The budget veterans, who lead the Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force, called on Obama and congressional Republican leaders to "be willing to tell those on the polar extremes of their parties that a central majority consensus will govern. It's called leadership."

After months of silence on political issues, Obama's Republican opponent in last November's election resurfaced to take a swipe at the Democrat's handling of the sequestration mess.

"No one can think that that's been a success for the president," Mitt Romney said in an interview to air on "Fox News Sunday."

The former Massachusetts governor accused Obama of "flying around the country and berating Republicans and blaming and pointing," instead of striking a budget deal.

Twenty-eight percent of Americans blame Republicans for the lack of a deal to halt sequestration, while 22 percent hold either Obama or the Democrats in Congress responsible, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. Thirty-seven percent blame them all.

The budget standstill has overshadowed Obama's aggressive set of policy goals ranging from boosting pre-school education to fighting climate change and reforming America's immigration system.

Obama vowed in a news conference on Friday that the fiscal troubles would not prevent him from advocating for those proposals.

"I think there are other areas where we can make progress even with the sequester unresolved. I will continue to push for those initiatives," he said.

(Editing by Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-lurches-budget-crisis-spending-cuts-imminent-005547865--business.html

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4 Work From Home Business Ideas For You To Consider | Content ...

Author: Betty Carroll | Total views: 102 Comments: 0
Word Count: 684 Date:

Among all the business ideas that are floating around, the following are a few that you should start considering:

Blogging Online Surveys Data Entry Writing

Blogging

To make a living from blogging is not that difficult if you do it right. You have to create a blog on a topic, hopefully, that of interest to you. The more interesting content you put into your blog, the more traffic you will get because those interesting content will engage your visitors and they will keep coming back to look for more information. The way you can monetise your blog is to place ads link within it and they clicked on those links you get paid by the ads network. One of the most popular one is Google Adsense.

The type of income you can generate from a blog varies from blog to blog. It all depends on the quality of the traffic that hit your blog. Some visitors to your blog has tendency to click on the ads link whereas others are shy away from it but as a blog owner you cannot really predict what the visitor to your site will do. But, given a big sample of visitors, you can sometimes draw a conclusion of an approximate figures of how much you can earn.

Online Surveys

At one stage, online surveys was very popular, there are a lot of people doing it. Nowadays, there are not as popular but still can make a decent income if you sign up with the right company that hand out the surveys.

Here are some tips to get started: Be sure to check that the online surveys website that you are registering is legit. Some of the website is scam and they will use your email address for sending scam emails.

Free stuff. You get a lot of free stuff from these companies that you do survey with. To earn some income, you should consider selling them. Having multiple email addresses is a great idea because you will be getting lots of surveys and you can easily categorise them. Never ever give your personal sensitive information as you would not know what they might use your personal info for.

Data Entry

Another alternative is data entry jobs. These type of online jobs are normally not paid very well. You can find these type of data entry jobs from websites like Graiglist. Maybe, this is a good one start with and then at the same time look for other online jobs. The only requirement from you is to provide the time and commitment to get the job done as requested.

Writing

Writing books is other work from home business ideas that you can try. One of the famous people that try to find their fortune by writing is J.K Rowling, the author of Harry Potter. Maybe you should follow her footsteps? Try write a topic that you are familiar with, it can be any topic: gardening, cooking, mechanics or other do-it-yourselves books. Now, there are some easy ways to get money from writing as a stay at home business: you can self publish it with Amazon or other online book retailer.

Affiliate Marketing

Well, there is no short of ways to make extra cash online. It all depends on what is best for you and with the time you have got. One thing I don't like about these of online business is that you actually putting in the hours and you get paid what you put in. Therefore, you can only earn so much per day. On the other hand, you can think of creating a more passive income business using the affiliate marketing model. In affiliate marketing, you basically sell other people's product online. You make commission after the product is sold. The best way to approach this is to set up websites and promote the product from your website. We call these sites Money Sites.

For more information about make money online working from home. Another article that I'm sure you'll like is this Money Sites review here.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button -- HTML code --

1: Understanding Online Business Success

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/4-work-from-home-business-ideas-for-you-to-consider.htm

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ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ Top science news, featured on ScienceDaily's home page.en-usFri, 01 Mar 2013 01:42:06 ESTFri, 01 Mar 2013 01:42:06 EST60ScienceDaily: Top Science Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.New dinosaur species: First fossil evidence shows small crocs fed on baby dinosaurshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228171504.htm A paleontologist and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228171504.htmHistoric datasets reveal effects of climate change and habitat loss on plant-pollinator networkshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155624.htm Two biologists at Washington University in St. Louis were delighted to discover a meticulous dataset on a plant-pollinator network recorded by Illinois naturalist Charles Robertson between 1884 and 1916. Re-collecting part of Robertson's network, they learned that although the network has compensated for some losses, battered by climate change and habitat loss it is now weaker and less resilient than in Robertson's time.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155624.htmLoss of wild insects hurts crops around the worldhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155622.htm Researchers studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild insects, primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in many agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155622.htmNASA's Van Allen Probes reveal a new radiation belt around Earthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155430.htm NASA's Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth, revealing the existence of unexpected structures and processes within these hazardous regions of space.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:54:54 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228155430.htmHow did early primordial cells evolve?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124138.htm New research on bacteria examines how primordial cells could have evolved without protein machinery or cell walls. While the vast majority of bacteria have cell walls, many bacteria can switch to a wall-free existence called the L-form state, which could mirror the structure of primordial cells. A new study reveals how bacteria in this L-form state divide and proliferate, shedding light on how the earliest forms of cellular life may have replicated.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124138.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmToxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex lifehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htm A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htmIcy cosmic start for amino acids and DNA ingredientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htm Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htmAntarctic scientists discover 18-kilogram meteoritehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htm An international team of scientists have discovered a meteorite with a mass of 18 kilograms embedded in the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest?such meteorite found in the region since 1988.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htmBirth of a giant Planet? Candidate protoplanet spotted inside its stellar wombhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htm Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. If confirmed, this discovery will greatly improve our understanding of how planets form and allow astronomers to test the current theories against an observable target.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htmPhysicists demonstrate the acceleration of electrons by a laser in a vacuumhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htm The acceleration of a free electron by a laser is a long-time goal of solid-state physicists. Physicists have established that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. This has never been done before at high energies and represents a significant breakthrough, and may have implications for fusion as a new energy source.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htmNovel wireless brain sensorhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htm In a significant advance for brain-computer interfaces, engineers have developed a novel wireless, broadband, rechargeable, fully implantable brain sensor that has performed well in animal models for more than a year.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htmBrain-to-brain interface allows transmission of tactile and motor information between ratshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htm Researchers have electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve simple behavioral puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart -- one in Durham, N.C., and one in Natal, Brazil.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htmRenewable energy: Nanotubes to channel osmotic powerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093509.htm The salinity difference between fresh water and salt water could be a source of renewable energy. However, power yields from existing techniques are not high enough to make them viable. A solution to this problem may now have been found. Researchers have discovered a new means of harnessing this energy: osmotic flow through boron nitride nanotubes generates huge electric currents, with 1,000 times the efficiency of any previous system.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093509.htmAtoms with quantum-memoryhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htm Order tends towards disorder. This is also true for quantum states. Measurements show that in quantum mechanics this transition can be quite different from what we experience in our daily lives.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:02:02 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htmNut-cracking monkeys use shapes to strategize their use of toolshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htm Bearded capuchin monkeys deliberately place palm nuts in a stable position on a surface before trying to crack them open, revealing their capacity to use tactile information to improve tool use.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htmEyes work without connection to brain: Ectopic eyes function without natural connection to brainhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htm For the first time, scientists have shown that transplanted eyes located far outside the head in a vertebrate animal model can confer vision without a direct neural connection to the brain. Biologists used a frog model to shed new light -- literally -- on one of the major questions in regenerative medicine and sensory augmentation research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htmReading the human genome: First step-by-step look at transcription initiationhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htm Researchers have achieved a major advance in understanding how genetic information is transcribed from DNA to RNA by providing the first step-by-step look at the biomolecular machinery that reads the human genome.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htmFeeding limbs and nervous system of one of Earth's earliest animals discoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htm Unique fossils literally 'lift the lid' on ancient creature's head to expose one of the earliest examples of food manipulating limbs in evolutionary history, dating from around 530 million years ago.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:44:44 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htmMan walks again after surgery to reverse muscle paralysishttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htm After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery to restore the use of his leg.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htmSongbirds? brains coordinate singing with intricate timinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htm As a bird sings, some neurons in its brain prepare to make the next sounds while others are synchronized with the current notes?a coordination of physical actions and brain activity that is needed to produce complex movements. The finding that may lead to new ways of understanding human speech production.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htmViruses can have immune systems: A pirate phage commandeers the immune system of bacteriahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htm A new study reports that a viral predator of the cholera bacteria has stolen the functional immune system of bacteria and is using it against its bacterial host. This provides the first evidence that this type of virus, the bacteriophage, can acquire an adaptive immune system. The study has implications for phage therapy, the use of phages to treat bacterial diseases.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htmNASA's NuSTAR helps solve riddle of black hole spinhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htm Two X-ray space observatories, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, have teamed up to measure definitively, for the first time, the spin rate of a black hole with a mass 2 million times that of our sun.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htmContaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPAhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmCryopreservation: A chance for highly endangered mammalshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htm Oocytes of lions, tigers and other cat species survive the preservation in liquid nitrogen. Scientists have now succeeded in carrying out cryopreservation of felid ovary cortex.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htmPessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier lifehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htm Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htmDiscovery on animal memory opens doors to research on memory impairment diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htm A new study offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal. The findings have fascinating implications, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, or disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD and depression.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htmNew fabrication technique could provide breakthrough for solar energy systemshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htm Scientists are using a novel fabrication process to create ultra-efficient solar energy rectennas capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htmNew Greek observatory sheds light on old starhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htm Continuing a tradition stretching back more than 25 centuries, astronomers have used the new 2.3-meter 'Aristarchos' telescope, sited at Helmos Observatory (2340m high) in the Pelοponnese Mountains in Greece, to determine the distance to and history of an enigmatic stellar system, discovering it to likely be a binary star cocooned within an exotic nebula.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htmToo much vitamin D during pregnancy can cause food allergies, research suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htm Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmLeatherback sea turtle could be extinct within 20 years at last stronghold in the Pacific Oceanhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htm An international team led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has documented a 78 percent decline in the number of nests of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at the turtle's last stronghold in the Pacific Ocean.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htmResearchers test holographic technique for restoring visionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htm Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htmEating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htm Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htmNon-brittle glass possible: In probing mysteries of glass, researchers find a key to toughnesshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htm Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htmConnecting the (quantum) dots: First viable high-speed quantum computer moves closerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htm Scientists have developed a new method that better preserves the units necessary to power lightning-fast electronics, known as qubits. Hole spins, rather than electron spins, can keep quantum bits in the same physical state up to 10 times longer than before, the report finds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htmCell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htm Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htmClever battery completes stretchable electronics package: Can stretch, twist and bend -- and return to normal shapehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm Researchers have demonstrated a stretchable lithium-ion battery -- a flexible device capable of powering their innovative stretchable electronics. The battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function -- even when stretched, folded, twisted and mounted on a human elbow. The battery enables true integration of electronics and power into a small, stretchable package that is wirelessly rechargeable.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htmInfrared digital holography allows firefighters to see through flames, image moving peoplehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htm Firefighters now have a new tool that could help save lives. A team of researchers have developed a new technique using digital holography that can "see" people through intense flames -- the first time a holographic recording of a live person has been achieved while the body is moving. The new technique allows imaging through both.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htmBlueprint for an artificial brain: Scientists experiment with memristors that imitate natural nerveshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htm Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Scientists are experimenting with memristors -- electronic microcomponents that imitate natural nerves.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htmUnlimited source of human kidney cells createdhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htm Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htmNewly observed properties of vacuums: Light particles illuminate the vacuumhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmMediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presentedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmHigher levels of several toxic metals found in children with autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmLiver stem cells grown in culture, transplanted with demonstrated therapeutic benefithttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htm For decades scientists around the world have attempted to regenerate primary liver cells known as hepatocytes because of their numerous biomedical applications, including hepatitis research, drug metabolism and toxicity studies, as well as transplantation for cirrhosis and other chronic liver conditions. But no lab in the world has been successful in identifying and growing liver stem cells in culture -- using any available technique -- until now.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htmWeather extremes provoked by trapping of giant waves in the atmospherehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htm The world has suffered from severe regional weather extremes in recent years, such as the heat wave in the United States in 2011. Behind these devastating individual events there is a common physical cause, propose scientists in a new study. It suggests that human-made climate change repeatedly disturbs the patterns of atmospheric flow around the globe's Northern hemisphere through a subtle resonance mechanism.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htmClues to climate cycles dug from South Pole snow pithttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htm Particles from the upper atmosphere trapped in a deep pile of Antarctic snow hold clear chemical traces of global meteorological events, climate scientists from France have found. Anomalies in oxygen found in sulfate particles coincide with several episodes of the world-wide disruption of weather known as El Nino and can be distinguished from similar signals left by the eruption of huge volcanoes, the team reports.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htmMaize in diets of people in coastal Peru dates to 5,000 years agohttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htm Scientists have concluded that during the Late Archaic, maize (corn) was a primary component in the diet of people living in the Norte Chico region of Peru, an area of remarkable cultural florescence in 3rd millennium B.C. Up until now, the prevailing theory was that marine resources, not agriculture and corn, provided the economic engine behind the development of civilization in the Andean region of Peru.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htmBPA may affect the developing brain by disrupting gene regulationhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htm Environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread chemical found in plastics and resins, may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system, according to a new study.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htmFuture evidence for extraterrestrial life might come from dying starshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htm Even dying stars could host planets with life -- and if such life exists, we might be able to detect it within the next decade. This encouraging result comes from a new theoretical study of Earth-like planets orbiting white dwarf stars. Researchers found that we could detect oxygen in the atmosphere of a white dwarf's planet much more easily than for an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htmMoments of spirituality can induce liberal attitudes, researchers findhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htm People become more politically liberal immediately after practising a spiritual exercise such as meditation, researchers have found.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htmNew maps depict potential worldwide coral bleaching by 2056http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htm New maps by scientists show how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs in the form of annual coral bleaching events under different emission scenarios. If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htmUltrasound reveals autism risk at birth, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htm Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htmMarch of the pathogens: Parasite metabolism can foretell disease ranges under climate changehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112508.htm Researchers developed a model that can help determine the future range of nearly any disease-causing parasite under climate change, even if little is known about the organism. Their method calculates how the projected temperature change for an area would alter the creature's metabolism and life cycle.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112508.htmMouse mothers induce parenting behaviors in fathers with ultra-sonic noiseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225102141.htm Researchers have demonstrated the existence of communicative signalling from female mice that induces male parental behavior.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225102141.htm'NanoVelcro' device to grab single cancer cells from blood: Improvement enables 'liquid biopsies' for metastatic melanomahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092252.htm Researchers have refined a method they previously developed for capturing and analyzing cancer cells that break away from patients' tumors and circulate in the blood. With the improvements to their device, which uses a Velcro-like nanoscale technology, they can now detect and isolate single cancer cells from patient blood samples for analysis.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092252.htmScientists develop a whole new way of harvesting energy from the sunhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142917.htm A new method of harvesting the sun's energy is emerging. Though still in its infancy, the research promises to convert sunlight into energy using a process based on metals that are more robust than many of the semiconductors used in conventional methods.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142917.htmQuantum algorithm breakthrough: Performs a true calculation for the first timehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142829.htm Scientists have demonstrated a quantum algorithm that performs a true calculation for the first time. Quantum algorithms could one day enable the design of new materials, pharmaceuticals or clean energy devices.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:28:28 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142829.htm

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/top_news/top_science.xml

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Friday, March 1, 2013

What lies beneath: NASA Antarctic sub goes subglacial

Mar. 1, 2013 ? When researcher Alberto Behar from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., joined an international Antarctic expedition last month on a trek to investigate a subglacial lake, he brought with him a unique instrument designed and funded by NASA to help the researchers study one of the last unexplored aquatic environments on Earth.

Called the Micro-Submersible Lake Exploration Device, the instrument was a small robotic sub about the size and shape of a baseball bat. Designed to expand the range of extreme environments accessible by humans while minimally disturbing the environment, the sub was equipped with hydrological chemical sensors and a high-resolution imaging system. The instruments and cameras characterize the geology, hydrology and chemical characteristics of the sub's surroundings. Behar supervised a team of students from Arizona State University, Tempe, in designing, developing, testing and operating the first-of-its-kind sub.

"This is the first instrument ever to explore a subglacial lake outside of a borehole," Behar said. "It's able to take us places that are inaccessible by any other instruments in existence."

The sub was deployed by the U.S. team of the international Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project. The project's objective was to access subglacial Lake Whillans, located more than 2,000 feet (610 meters) below sea level, deep within West Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf, nearly 700 miles (about 1,125 kilometers) from the U.S. McMurdo Station. The 20-square-mile (50-square-kilometer) lake is totally devoid of sunlight and has a temperature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 0.5 degrees Celsius). It is part of a vast Antarctic subglacial aquatic system that covers an area about the size of the continental United States.

The WISSARD team included researchers from eight U.S. universities and two collaborating international institutions. They used specialized tools to get clean samples of subglacial lake water and sediments, survey the lake floor with video and characterize the biological, chemical and physical properties of the lake and its surroundings. Their research is designed to gain insights into subglacial biology, climate history and modern ice sheet behavior.

The instrument consists of a "mothership" connected to a deployment device that houses the submarine. The sub is designed to operate at depths of up to three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometers) and within a range of 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) from the bottom of the borehole that was drilled through the ice to reach the lake. It transmits real-time high-resolution imagery, salinity, temperature and depth measurements to the surface via fiber-optic cables.

In a race against time and the elements to access the lake before the end of the current Antarctic field season, the WISSARD team spent three days in January drilling a 2,600-foot-deep (800-meters), 20-inch-wide (50-centimeters) borehole into the lake, which they reached on Jan. 28.

Like Alice down the rabbit hole, the sub was then sent down the borehole, where it was initially used to guide drilling operations. When the instrument finally reached the lake, the team used its imagery to survey the lake floor. The data enabled the team to verify that the rest of the project's instruments could be safely deployed into the lake. The WISSARD team was then able to proceed with its next phase: collecting lake water samples to search for microbial life.

And that search has apparently paid off. Earlier this month, the team reported that the lake water did indeed contain living bacteria, a discovery that might hold important implications for the search for life elsewhere in the universe.

To learn more about the expedition, watch this short video narrated by Behar: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/?id=1201 .

Core funding for WISSARD and the Micro-Submersible Lake Exploration Device was provided by the National Science Foundation-Office of Polar Programs. The sub was funded by NASA's Cryospheric Sciences and Astrobiology programs. Additional funds for WISSARD instrument development were provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

For more on WISSARD, visit: http://www.wissard.org . For more on Behar's previous robotic Antarctic research, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/antarctic-shrimp.html .

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/6QjM8WzSxhs/130301041051.htm

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Google clings to cash for acquisitions, says CFO

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google plans to cling to its bulging stash of cash to pay for potential acquisitions and other technology investments that might boost future profits, a top executive said Thursday.

Patrick Pichette, who oversees Google Inc.'s bank accounts as the company's chief financial officer, explained the company's rationale for hoarding $48 billion in cash during a technology conference hosted by Morgan Stanley.

"It serves the shareholder best to actually have that strategic ability to pounce" when there is the opportunity to make a major acquisition, Pichette said.

Although he didn't identify possible takeover candidates for the future, Pichette cited Google's $12.4 billion acquisition of cellphone maker Motorola Mobility last year as a prime example of why the company believes it needs to have lots of money at its disposal. Although Motorola has been a financial drag on the company so far, Google believes having it will ultimately will help it put its digital services on more smartphones and tablet computers.

The money-management policies of publicly traded companies are getting more attention as more firms hoard huge amounts of cash instead of introducing or increasing dividends to reward stockholders.

Apple Inc., the world's most valuable company and a Google rival, is currently under the most scrutiny because it holds $137 billion in cash. One of Apple's shareholders, hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital, is pressing Apple to create a new class of dividend-paying stock that would supplement the quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share that the company now pays. Apple CEO Tim Cook told shareholders Wednesday that the iPhone and iPad maker is in "very, very active discussions" about what to do with its money.

Google has never paid a dividend since the company went public in 2004. It hasn't yet faced intense pressure to distribute its cash, partly because its stock has delivered a nice return for long-term investors. The stock is currently hovering around $800, more than nine times its initial public offering price of $85.

Much of the company's success has flowed from the $11 billion Google has paid to buy 237 companies besides Motorola Mobility since its IPO. Some of them have been small deals, such as the ones that brought in the technology for its Android software for mobile devices and the technology for its online maps. Bigger acquisitions such as the $1.76 billion purchase of YouTube and the $2.3 billion purchase of DoubleClick have made Google more successful in Internet video and online advertising.

Google primarily bought Motorola for its portfolio of more than 17,000 patents. Its cellphone business has been slumping. Instead of helping Google boost its profit, Motorola has accumulated operating losses of $1.1 billion since the takeover was completed in May. Google has been trying to turn things around by laying off thousands of workers, shedding some operations and sharpening the focus on the development of the most promising products.

Pichette said the company is confident Motorola's cellphone business will eventually bounce back.

"These are not easy transitions," Pichette said of the Motorola acquisition. "We have great plans for Motorola. There is still really hard work to be completed at Motorola before we see tangible signs" of progress.

Like Apple and many other U.S. technology companies, Google is keeping most of its cash overseas to reduce its tax bill. Any money transferred, or "repatriated," would be subject higher U.S. tax rates. Although the $31.4 billion that Google holds in foreign countries can't be used to buy U.S. companies, Pichette said the company still has ample uses for the overseas money. Among other things, Google recently bought more offices in London for its operations in the U.K. and plans to invest in more data centers outside the U.S. to run its data centers.

Google's cash philosophy may change as circumstances dictate, Pichette said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-clings-cash-acquisitions-says-cfo-220639718--finance.html

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Super-majority tax law struck down in Washington state

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Washington state's Supreme Court made it easier for lawmakers to raise taxes on Thursday, striking down as unconstitutional a voter-approved law that required a two-thirds majority of the state legislature to approve such increases.

In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled against an initiative launched by conservative political activist Tim Eyman and twice approved by voters, most recently in November, to require a super-majority to raise taxes.

The court instead decided that half of the state's lawmakers, plus one, or a simple majority, could vote to increase taxes in the cash-strapped Pacific Northwest state, which collects no personal income tax.

"Our holding today is not a judgment on the wisdom of requiring a super-majority for the passage of tax legislation," the court ruled in its majority opinion. "Should the people and the legislature still wish to require a super majority vote for tax legislation, they must do so through constitutional amendment, not through legislation."

The ruling came as the state faces court-imposed mandates to fully fund basic K-12 public education, with a total of $4.5 billion needed by 2019, beginning with $1.4 billion from 2013 to 2015, according to the Washington State Budget & Policy Center.

Lawmakers are also grappling with a $1 billion deficit and transportation infrastructure problems.

The League of Education Voters, a plaintiff in the case, called the ruling a "huge win for kids and schools," and Democratic Governor Jay Inslee hailed the ruling as protection for the state's constitution.

"The supermajority requirement gave a legislative minority the power to squelch ideas even when those ideas had majority support," Inslee said in an emailed statement.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn also applauded the ruling for a "common sense" approach "to fully fund education and invest in our transportation system."

But Republican state Senator Pam Roach of Auburn warned the ruling could open "the floodgates of taxation."

A proposal for a permanent state constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds super-majority was expected to pass a committee in the Republican-dominated Senate later on Thursday, Roach said.

"We have a lot of pent-up tax bills from last session. We know what's in the offing. Those tax bills are likely to begin to pass, but probably not in this session," Roach told Reuters.

Eyman, who did not immediately return calls by Reuters, launched the initiatives to stay ahead of potential tax increases.

(Reporting by Laura L. Myers; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/super-majority-tax-law-struck-down-washington-state-013943800--sector.html

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