Calling an initial compensation offer ?insulting,? an attorney representing Costa Concordia passengers announced Tuesday details of a $460 million civil lawsuit against the owner of the wrecked cruise ship, The Guardian reports.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/46210759#46210759
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MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers studying the link between diabetes and a hormone that affects your so-called "body clock" have identified a genetic mutation in the receptor for the hormone, melatonin, that may to boost the risk of the disease.
The finding could help improve assessment of a person's diabetes risk and could also lead to the development of personalized treatments, according to the study published in the Jan. 29 online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.
The research team from Imperial College London found that people who have rare genetic mutations in the receptor for melatonin have a greatly increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Melatonin controls the body's sleep-wake cycle. A previous study found that people with common variations in the gene for the melatonin receptor MT2 have a slightly increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
This new study discovered that having any of four rare mutations of the MT2 is associated with a six times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Melatonin controls the release of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Mutations in the MT2 gene may disrupt the connection between the body clock and insulin release, resulting in abnormal control of blood sugar, the researchers explained.
For their study, the investigators examined the MT2 gene in more than 7,000 people. They identified 40 variants associated with type 2 diabetes, four of which are very rare and make the receptor incapable of responding to melatonin. The effect of these four variants was then confirmed in an additional group of nearly 12,000 people.
"Blood sugar control is one of the many processes regulated by the body's biological clock. This study adds to our understanding of how the gene that carries the blueprint for a key component in the clock can influence people's risk of diabetes," study leader Philippe Froguel, from the School of Public Health, said in an Imperial College London news release.
"We found very rare variants of the MT2 gene that have a much larger effect than more common variants discovered before. Although each mutation is rare, they are common in the sense that everyone has a lot of very rare mutations in their DNA. Cataloging these mutations will enable us to much more accurately assess a person's risk of disease based on their genetics," Froguel added.
While the study found a link between the mutation and diabetes risk, it did not find a cause-and-effect relationship.
More information
The American Diabetes Association offers an overview of diabetes prevention.
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The future is mobile, says the former Apple executive, who had seen his role reduced after Hewlett-Packard killed off his webOS for the handheld Palm. Rubinstein is taking a break.?
Jon Rubinstein, the former Apple executive who spearheaded engineering for the iPod, and then proceeded to revitalize Palm, has officially left Hewlett-Packard, the company confirmed today.
Skip to next paragraphThe news isn?t entirely unexpected. Rubinstein was reportedly a no-show at HP since former CEO Leo Apotheker?killed off the company?s WebOS devices. Even before that his role at HP was reduced with a change to a vague ?SVP of innovation? title.
An HP spokesperson?told All Things Digital, which first reported the news about Rubinstein?s departure, that ?Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well.? Rubinstein confirmed that he only agreed to stick around HP for 12 to 24 months after it acquired Palm, in?an interview with The Verge.
Speaking to the Verge?s Joshua Topolsky, Rubinstein deftly avoided chatting about where Palm went wrong or complaining about Apotheker?s treatment of webOS:
We built an amazing OS in webOS. It?s very advanced, it?s where things are going. But we ran out of runway, and we ended up at HP and HP wasn?t in good enough shape on its own to be able to support the effort. I had four CEOs! Mark acquired us, Les Jackson took over as the interim CEO, then Leo, and now Meg.
Now Rubinstein, seemingly going full circle, is taking a much-deserved break in Mexico, where the Palm folks initially tapped him to help save the company in 2007. He admitted that he?s still carrying a tiny webOS-powered Veer, and that he hopes to get back into the mobile world in some fashion.
?I think the future is mobile,? Rubinstein told the Verge. ?Obviously there?s going to be stuff that comes post mobile, there?ll be a next wave. It could very well be home integration, but mobile?s going to continue to be really important. But I have no idea what I?m going to do next. I haven?t spent a minute thinking about it.?
See also:
Jack Dorsey, Ron Conway to attend The Crunchies?Awards?
Silicon Valley and Colorado companies ? Do you sizzle??(Reminder)
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6d_lsLoPFiA/Rubinstein-who-revitalized-Palm-leaves-HP
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia makes a forehand return to Rafael Nadal of Spain during their men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia makes a forehand return to Rafael Nadal of Spain during their men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Rafael Nadal of Spain makes a forehand return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves to Rafael Nadal of Spain during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)
Rafael Nadal of Spain makes a backhand return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Novak Djokovic wore down Rafael Nadal in the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of professional tennis, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 after 5 hours, 53 minutes to claim his third Australian Open title.
Djokovic wrapped it up at 1:37 a.m. local time on Monday, becoming the fifth man since the Open Era began in 1968 to win three straight Grand Slam finals.
The 24-year-old Djokovic tore off his shirt in celebration after the riveting final. He went to his support camp and repeatedly thumped the side of the arena in front of them in delight and relief.
Nadal leaned on the net, while Djokovic sat on his haunches before the trophy presentation. Eventually, an official brought them chairs and a bottle of water each.
"We made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn't be two winners," Djokovic said.
Djokovic maintained his mastery of Nadal, who has lost seven straight finals against the Serb since March last year. The Spainiard became the first man in the Open Era to lose three straight major finals. He lost in four sets to Djokovic at last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Having reduced Roger Federer to tears when he won the title over five sets in 2009, Nadal maintained his composure during the on-court speeches ? and even managed a joke.
"Good morning, everybody," Nadal said, earning laughs and loud applause from the crowd. "Congratulations to Novak and his team. They deserve it. They are doing something fantastic, so congratulations."
After coming back from 5-3 down to win the fourth-set tiebreaker, Nadal was up a break at 4-2 in the fifth set against Djokovic, who seemed to be tiring.
But the No. 1-ranked Djokovic, who needed almost five hours to win his semifinal against Andy Murray, somehow responded. He broke for a 6-5 lead and saved a break point before finally claiming the win.
The previous longest major singles final was Mats Wilander's win over Ivan Lendl at the U.S. Open in 1988, which lasted 4 hours, 54 minutes.
The longest Australian Open final also involved Wilander in 1988, when the Swede beat Pat Cash. Sunday's match was also the longest in the tournament's history.
A tense, error-strewn opening set offered no indication of the high drama to follow. In hot, humid conditions, both players struggled for consistency.
After an exchange of breaks, Nadal took it after 80 minutes ? two minutes short of the entire women's final the previous day.
Nadal had only lost one match of his previous 134 in Grand Slams after winning the first set, but he found his serve coming under increasing pressure as the match wore on.
As if to demonstrate the pervading tension of the occasion, Djokovic double-faulted at break point down while serving for the second set at 5-3 before Nadal returned the favor by double-faulting in the next game to give the Serb the second set.
By the time Djokovic took a 3-1 lead in the third set, Nadal's shoulders were visibly slumping and he was talking to himself more often, unable to stop his opponent from peppering the baseline with his returns to take control of the points.
At 5-2, his uncle and coach Toni Nadal moved to the front row of the players' box to try to get some positive messages to his nephew.
It didn't work. Nadal lost his serve again ? at love.
But in the fourth set, Nadal dug in, drawing on his renowned fighting spirit, and the match really came alive when he recovered from 0-40 down in the eighth game with two spectacular winners, two unreturnable serves and an ace.
Then came a rain shower and a brief delay for the roof to close, robbing Nadal of his momentum.
He regained it the tiebreaker, though, reeling off four straight points from 5-3 down, taking the match into a decider when Djokovic's forehand dropped wide.
The tennis, almost unbelievably, seemed to improve in the fifth set as the match ticked past five hours.
At 4-4, Djokovic looped a backhand long after a 31-shot rally ? the longest of the match ? and then collapsed with his arms and legs spread wide.
He struggled to pick himself and his racket up, but he broke two games later when Nadal, finally showing signs of fatigue, netted a backhand.
Still, Nadal wasn't quite done. Djokovic had to save a break point with a cross-court backhand, crossing himself as he limped back to the baseline, before finally claiming victory with his 57th winner of the match.
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LIMA, Peru?? A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital Saturday, killing 27 people and critically injuring five as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.
The "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts was unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept inside "like prisoners," Health Minister Alberto Tejada told The Associated Press.
Authorities said 26 people died at the scene, and prosecutors spokesman Raul Sanchez said Saturday night that one of six men hospitalized in critical condition died later.
Peru's fire chief, Antonio Zavala, said most of the victims died of asphyxiation. All the victims appeared to be male.
The local police chief, Clever Zegarra, said the cause of the 9 a.m. fire was under investigation.
"There has been talk of the burning of an object, of a mattress, but also of a fight that resulted in a fire. All of this is speculation," he told the AP. "I've been here at the scene from morning to evening but for the moment the exact cause of the fire is not known."
One resident of the center on a narrow dead-end street in Lima's teeming San Juan de Lurigancho district said he was eating breakfast on the second floor of the center when he saw flames coming from the first floor, where the blaze apparently began.
Gianfranco Huerta told local RPP news radio station that he leaped from a window to safety.
"The doors were locked; there was no way to get out," he told the station.
AP journalists at scene said all the windows of the building they were able to see were barred. Journalists were not allowed inside as police cordoned off the block. By early afternoon, all the dead had been removed from the center.
Most of the bodies seen by reporters were shirtless, their faces blackened. Many were also shoeless.
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"This rehabilitation center wasn't authorized. It was a house that they had taken over ... for patients with addictions and they had the habit of leaving people locked up with no medical supervision," Tejada, the health minister, said.
Authorities said they did not know how many people were inside the center at the time of the fire. They said they were looking for the center's owners and staff, some of whom apparently fled the scene.
The local police chief, Zegarra, identified the owner as Raul Garcia.
'Dantesque proportions'
Zoila Chea, an aunt of one victim, said families paid Garcia $37 to treat an addicted relative and $15 a week thereafter.
She said that neighbors had constantly complained about the center and that it had been closed twice by authorities.
Chea, 45, said relatives were prohibited from seeing interned patients during the first three months of treatment, which she added consisted mainly of reading the Bible.
Her nephew, Luis Chea, was at the center for a month, she said.
Zavala, the national fire chief, said the blaze was of "Dantesque proportions." Firefighters had to punch a hole through a wall with an adjoining building to help people trapped inside the rehabilitation center.
"We've had to use electric saws to cut through the metal bars of the doors to be able to work," Zavala said.
Relatives of residents of the center gathered near the building weeping and seeking word of their loved ones. As the day wore on, nearby sidewalks filled with relatives mourning and trying to console one another.
One of them was Maria Benitez, aunt of 18-year-old Carlos Benitez, who she said was being treated at the center.
"I want to know if he is OK or not," she told ATV television.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46174608/ns/world_news-americas/
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TAMPA, Fla. -- The conventional wisdom for much of the fall was that February would be a very difficult month for any of Mitt Romney's challengers. That was until Newt Gingrich won South Carolina.
Gingrich's Palmetto State romp over Romney, followed by the initial polls in Florida showing the former House Speaker from Georgia surging ahead of the former Massachusetts governor here, recast the entire nomination fight.
Suddenly, an alternate universe presented itself as a real possibility. With its dearth of contests except for a few caucus states, February looked like it could be a turbulent month of pressure on Romney if the last big mark on the calendar was a big fat "L" in his column for the Sunshine state.
Sure, Romney would probably still do well in the first week of February even if Gingrich won Florida. Romney and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) are far ahead of Gingrich and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in organizing for the four caucuses in Maine, Nevada, Minnesota and Colorado. But Gingrich's momentum would likely be so strong that it would overshadow any meager wins for Romney in the caucus states, preserving the former speaker's status as the frontrunner.
And Romney would have had to fight the notion that he was incapable of winning over Republican voters for nearly three weeks until Michigan and Arizona held their primaries on Feb. 28.
Over the past week, however, as Romney has outperformed Gingrich at two debates and as he and outside groups have outspent Gingrich on the TV airwaves, he has moved back ahead of Gingrich in the polls, and now looks set to win Florida's 50 delegates on Tuesday. The conventional wisdom is back: February will be a winter of discontent for Gingrich, not Romney.
"If Newt had won Florida then he might have been able to become the frontrunner, but that's not what's happened," Charlie Black, a veteran Republican political consultant and a Washington lobbyist, told The Huffington Post. "Romney's going to win it and have great momentum going into a friendly calendar."
Gingrich has pointed to Gallup's national tracking poll, which on Friday showed him leading Romney 32 percent to 24 percent among Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters. But as quickly as polling numbers have moved up and down in the states where Romney and Gingrich are fighting hand to hand, the national polling numbers have been seen as a lagging indicator instead of a leading one.
"I think you will see Newt lose his national lead soon, and [he] has no place in the short term to recover momentum," said Matthew Dowd, a political strategist who worked for former President George W. Bush.
Four states will hold caucuses in early February: Nevada on Feb. 4, Colorado and Minnesota on Feb. 7, and Maine's Republicans for a week with results to announced on Feb. 11.
Dowd pointed out that there are no debates until Feb. 22, depriving Gingrich of his best opportunity to score big points.
"He has a tough few weeks ahead of him. He needed to win Florida to keep things going through this hard period," Dowd said.
Gingrich was defiant on Saturday, vowing to stay in the race until the summer and to campaign "state by state."
"I will go all the way to the convention," Gingrich said.
But at some point, if Gingrich loses Florida, money will talk, and it will tell Gingrich he should drop out. Of course, he might not listen, just like he did not listen to those who said he was finished last summer when all of his top advisers quit his campaign.
It's also not clear how long Gingrich will continue receiving financial support, indirectly, from Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Adelson and his wife have now contributed $10 million to a super PAC supporting Gingrich, which has allowed Gingrich to stay somewhat competitive on TV with Romney.
Before Adelson gave his initial $5 million to Winning Our Future, there were reports that he was preparing to give $20 million to Gingrich's cause. That did not materialize, but that number could represent the ultimate ceiling of his contributions. Yet at some point, Adelson may decide not to throw good money after bad. And he could also come under significant pressure from others in the Republican party to stop giving to Gingrich if it looks like his friend is just staying in the race to make life difficult for Romney.
On Saturday, Romney supporters authorized by the campaign to speak on behalf of the candidate -- known in the political world as "surrogates" -- began to frame the Gingrich campaign as running out of steam already.
"If you look here, there's almost nobody at this," said Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), a Romney endorser, who attended Gingrich's Hispanic Town Hall event in Orlando and gestured around at the lackluster attendance. "This is -- there's almost no one here."
Mack said an attempt by Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond to engage him in a debate on Saturday morning at a Gingrich event in Port St. Lucie -- which was captured on video -- was a sign that the Gingrich campaign is "desperate."
"At first he tries to act like a reporter, like he's asking questions, with a recorder. Of course we all know who he is. So we know he's not a reporter. But then he just shouts over you, bullies you, those types of things. That's fine. I think it just shows the erratic nature of the campaign and how unhinged they are," Mack told HuffPost's Amanda Terkel. "You can just tell this is a campaign in decline."
Most observers expect Gingrich and Santorum to stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday on March 6.
But among the 11 contests on Super Tuesday, only Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee are contests that tilt in Gingrich's favor, Black said. Gingrich is not even on the ballot in Virginia, one of the biggest primaries that day.
The volatility of this GOP primary -- driven by the search among conservatives for an alternative to Romney -- means things could take another turn in Gingrich's favor, or Santorum's, at any moment.
But if the current trend continues and Romney wins Florida and then goes on to dominate February and Super Tuesday, the roots of Gingrich's demise will trace back to his failure to land a punch on Romney at the debates this past week on Monday and Thursday.
If that's the case, Gingrich's end will defy what many expected: instead of committing some outsized gaffe and exiting the race with a bang, he will have missed his moment and instead gone out with a whimper.
Amanda Terkel contributed reporting from Orlando.
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Participants in a parade to honor Iraq War veterans make their way along a downtown street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Louis. Thousands turned out to watch the first big welcome home parade in the U.S. since the last troops left Iraq in December. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Participants in a parade to honor Iraq War veterans make their way along a downtown street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Louis. Thousands turned out to watch the first big welcome home parade in the U.S. since the last troops left Iraq in December. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Stephanie King holds a picture of her uncle, Col. Stephen Scott who was killed in Iraq in 2008, as she prepares to participate in a parade to honor Iraq War veterans Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Louis. Thousands turned out to watch the first big welcome home parade in the U.S. since the last troops left Iraq in December. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Marine Sgt. Alex Renner, 22, right, from Red Bud, Ill. shakes hands with well wishers during a parade to welcome home Iraq war veterans along Market Street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 in St. Louis.(AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
George Fernau, left, from Florissant, Mo., gives a hug to Iraq war vet Bobby Lisek, from Clever, Mo., as he marches along Market Street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 in St. Louis. Lisek, a former sergeant in the Army, was wounded in a IED attack in Baghdad on September 11, 2004. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
A parade to honor Iraq war veterans makes its way west on Market Street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 in St. Louis.(AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Looking around at the tens of thousands of people waving American flags and cheering, Army Maj. Rich Radford was moved that so many braved a cold January wind Saturday in St. Louis to honor people like him: Iraq War veterans.
The parade, borne out of a simple conversation between two St. Louis friends a month ago, was the nation's first big welcome-home for veterans of the war since the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq in December.
"It's not necessarily overdue, it's just the right thing," said Radford, a 23-year Army veteran who walked in the parade alongside his 8-year-old daughter, Aimee, and 12-year-old son, Warren.
Radford was among about 600 veterans, many dressed in camouflage, who walked along downtown streets lined with rows of people clapping and holding signs with messages including "Welcome Home" and "Thanks to our Service Men and Women." Some of the war-tested troops wiped away tears as they acknowledged the support from a crowd that organizers estimated reached 100,000 people.
Fire trucks with aerial ladders hoisted huge American flags in three different places along the route, with politicians, marching bands ? even the Budweiser Clydesdales ? joining in. But the large crowd was clearly there to salute men and women in the military, and people cheered wildly as groups of veterans walked by.
That was the hope of organizers Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum. Neither man has served in the military but came up with the idea after noticing there had been little fanfare for returning Iraq War veterans aside from gatherings at airports and military bases. No ticker-tape parades or large public celebrations.
Appelbaum, an attorney, and Schneider, a school district technical coordinator, decided something needed to be done. So they sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. The grassroots effort resulted in a huge turnout despite raising only about $35,000 and limited marketing.
That marketing included using a photo of Radford being welcomed home from his second tour in Iraq by his then-6-year-old daughter. The girl had reached up, grabbed his hand and said, "I missed you, daddy." Radford's sister caught the moment with her cellphone camera, and the image graced T-shirts and posters for the parade.
Veterans came from around the country, and more than 100 entries ? including marching bands, motorcycle groups and military units ? signed up ahead of the event, Appelbaum said.
Schneider said he was amazed how everyone, from city officials to military organizations to the media, embraced the parade.
"It was an idea that nobody said no to," he said. "America was ready for this."
All that effort by her hometown was especially touching for Gayla Gibson, a 38-year-old Air Force master sergeant who said she spent four months in Iraq ? seeing "amputations, broken bones, severe burns from IEDs" ? as a medical technician in 2003.
"I think it's great when people come out to support those who gave their lives and put their lives on the line for this country," Gibson said.
With 91,000 troops still fighting in Afghanistan, many Iraq veterans could be redeployed ? suggesting to some that it's premature to celebrate their homecoming. In New York, for example, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said there would be no city parade for Iraq War veterans in the foreseeable future because of objections voiced by military officials.
But in St. Louis, there was clearly a mood to thank the troops with something big, even among those opposed to the war.
"Most of us were not in favor of the war in Iraq, but the soldiers who fought did the right thing and we support them," said 72-year-old Susan Cunningham, who attended the parade with the Missouri Progressive Action Group. "I'm glad the war is over and I'm glad they're home."
Don Lange, 60, of nearby Sullivan, held his granddaughter along the parade route. His daughter was a military interrogator in Iraq.
"This is something everyplace should do," Lange said as he watched the parade.
Several veterans of the Vietnam War turned out to show support for the younger troops. Among them was Don Jackson, 63, of Edwardsville, Ill., who said he was thrilled to see the parade honoring Iraq War veterans like his son, Kevin, who joined him at the parade. The 33-year-old Air Force staff sergeant said he'd lost track of how many times he had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a flying mechanic.
"I hope this snowballs," he said of the parade. "I hope it goes all across the country. I only wish my friends who I served with were here to see this."
Looking at all the people around him in camouflage, 29-year-old veteran Matt Wood said he felt honored. He served a year in Iraq with the Illinois National Guard.
"It's extremely humbling, it's amazing, to be part of something like this with all of these people who served their country with such honor," he said.
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DAKAR, Senegal ? An Associated Press reporter saw police tussle with international pop star Youssou Ndour, who was pushed back by police when he tried to enter a police station where a leading opposition figure is being detained.
Ndour had come on Saturday to the Criminal Investigation Division as part of a large crowd of opposition supporters who wanted to show their solidarity with Alioune Tine, a well-known human rights activist who is being questioned by police.
Tine was the organizer of a demonstration Friday that turned violent following the decision of Senegal's constitutional court to allow the country's leader to run for a third term. The legal body approved President Abdoulaye Wade's third term bid, even though critics say the constitution allows a maximum of two.
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DETROIT ? The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has launched a webcast player that will allow music lovers to enjoy an upcoming performance of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 and other concerts online for free in the comfort of their homes.
People in about 40 countries are expected to view Saturday's high-definition "Live from Orchestra Hall" webcast, and the orchestra expects its webcast series to surpass 30,000 views with this weekend's episode.
The orchestra said the webcast player will make online viewers feel as if they are sitting in Detroit's Orchestra Hall.
The Symphony said it is the only U.S. orchestra to offer a free series of webcasts, which are made possible through contributions from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ford Motor Co. Fund.
The new viewing environment mimics the interior of Orchestra Hall, giving audiences across the world the same view as local music lovers.
The webcast player also features dimming controls so that viewers at home can control their own version of the house lights.
Audience members now will be able to view a full schedule of upcoming webcasts and add them their online calendars. Viewers also can tweet directly from the webcast player page and follow the feed in the same browser window, allowing audience members to interact with fellow concertgoers while watching the concert at the same time.
The piece being played at any moment will be highlighted on a live repertoire tracker, and live program notes will post below the viewing window with trivia about the piece and the artists.
The "Live From Orchestra Hall" series is one of three new digital initiatives the DSO is introducing this season. Also new to the orchestra's digital repertoire are DSO To Go, a free mobile app, and the Symphony's first downloadable, digital album produced in-house.
___
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Detroit Symphony Orchestra: http://www.dso.org/
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COMMENTARY | It may be a sign of desperation that President Barack Obama would like to be seen adopting a "try anything" approach to energy production. His re-election may depend on it. But according to USA Today, no one is buying it.
Supporters of oil drilling have slammed Obama's proposals to open up more areas to oil and natural gas production as a smokescreen. On the other hand, environmentalists are alarmed that Obama has even mentioned oil and natural gas production as options.
Obama is still reeling from his rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, scandals like Solyndra, and just recently the bankruptcy of an administration backed electric car battery-maker, reported by the Hill newspaper. His green energy approach has been a failure.
Why is Obama suddenly in favor, at least rhetorically, of drilling for oil and natural gas. Has he adopted Sarah Palin's ideas expressed by "drill, baby, drill?" Perhaps, but as Hot Air reports, an element of Obama's new policy will financially benefit none other than George Soros, a major Obama campaign contributor and a financier of a number of liberal causes.
Despite the taint of crony capitalism, Obama may have stumbled on a salient fact that has escaped him and his central planning advisers hitherto. One of the reasons for the continuing economic malaise that grips the United States has been Obama's continued restrictions on oil and natural gas production. Wind and solar energy may or may not pan out some day, but right now cars run on gasoline, not solar panels or wind mills.
One suspects that Obama being a born again oil and natural gas drilling enthusiast is an election year ploy, designed as a short term stimulus to his reelection chances and - perhaps - the economy. If he were to be reelected, one should expect a return to restrictions on oil and natural gas production accompanied by more subsidies to more politically correct means of obtaining energy.
Still, the fact that Obama feels the need to seem to have relented on hydrocarbon fuels is a good start. It should prove an incentive for congressional Republicans, not to mention the presidential candidates, to push even further.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Screen Actors Guild national board of directors has voted to approve a plan to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
In a statement, SAG says the board voted 87 percent to 13 percent Friday for the proposed merger at its meeting in Los Angeles.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists' board is scheduled to meet Saturday for a vote on the package. If approved, a referendum will be sent out for a vote by members of both unions in the coming weeks.
The merger plan comes after two years of negotiations between the groups to join forces in a bid to gain more leverage in contract negotiations.
The TV and radio artists' group supported a merger with SAG in 1998 and 2003 only to see those efforts fail.
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CAMBRIDGE, Md. ? President Barack Obama rallied House Democrats for an election-year fight, urging them to work with Republicans if they show some willingness to put politics aside but telling the rank and file to call them out if they stand in the way.
Addressing Democrats on the final day of their three-day annual retreat, Obama outlined the political stakes over the next few months as congressional Democrats try to push his agenda in the face of Republican opposition, the GOP choses its nominee and signs of recovery in a fragile economy go a long way to determining his re-election chances and the party's fate.
Obama said Democrats should seize the opportunity "whenever there is a possibility that the other side is putting some politics aside for just a nanosecond in order to get something done for the American people, we've got to be right there ready to meet them," the president told the sometimes raucous crowd.
However, "where they obstruct, where they're unwilling to act, where they're more interested in party than they are in country, more interested in the next election than the next generation, then we've got to call them out on it," the president said. "We've got to push. We can't wait; we can't be held back."
Coming off a three-day tour to promote his State of the Union message, Obama promised a "robust debate about whose vision is more promising" when Republicans choose their nominee.
On a day when reports showed the economy picking up late in 2011 but still considered "fragile" by the White House, Obama told Democrats wondering about their re-election prospects: "It's going to be a tough election because a lot of people are still hurting out there and a lot of people have lost faith generally about the capacity of Washington to get anything done."
House Republicans, who held their retreat in Baltimore last week, have repeatedly said the election will be a referendum on Obama's policies, especially his handling of the economy.
The president acknowledged that Democrats have embraced parts of his agenda when it was politically difficult and in some cases costly. The party took a drubbing in the midterm elections, losing control of the House and seeing their ranks diminished in the Senate.
And despite some past clashes with House Democrats over his willingness to compromise with Republicans, Obama was warmly received and was introduced as "our champion" by Rep. John Larson of Connecticut.
The president returned the warmth with a vote of confidence that Democrats would win back the House in November, making a nod to their leader as "soon-to-be once-again Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi."
"I believe in you guys. You guys have had my back through some very tough times," said the president, who received a small gift ? a DVD of House Democrats singing Rev. Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."
Last week, at a fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in New York, Obama stood on the stage and crooned a line from the Green classic.
Democrats were upbeat at their three-day session, energized by Obama's State of the Union address and its populist themes as well as recent polls showing more Americans say the country is on the right track and approve of Obama's handling of the economy. Divisions in the Republican ranks that were on full display last year in the fight over extending the payroll tax cut and the bitter battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination also lifted Democratic spirits.
But the relationship with the White House hasn't always been cordial. Vice President Joe Biden, who addressed the Democrats prior to Obama's speech, described some of the rough patches.
He noted that several members in the room were mad at him in December 2010 after Obama negotiated an extension of President George W. Bush's tax cuts over the objections of some House Democrats. Last year, frustrated Democrats complained the Obama gave away too much in negotiating a spending bill and an agreement to raise the government's borrowing authority.
Biden said Pelosi told him at the last conference to "get tough. Enough is enough." He said the "message was heard. The message was heard. And I think we've delivered."
The vice president was more pointed in his political remarks than Obama and called out some Republicans by name. He said the American people will reject GOP unwillingness to compromise and its blatant determination to make Obama a one-term president.
Of the presidential candidates, Biden said Romney's criticism of the auto bailout and a host of positions stated by rival Newt Gingrich on government intervention will create a clear contrast for voters.
"These guys are helping us by saying what they believe," Biden said.
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WASHINGTON ? Fewer people bought new homes in December. The decline made 2011 the worst year for new -homes sales on records dating back nearly half a century.
The Commerce Department said Thursday new-home sales fell 2.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 307,000. The pace is less than half the 700,000 that economists say must be sold in a healthy economy.
About 302,000 new homes were sold last year. That's less than the 323,000 sold in 2010, making last year's sales the worst on records dating back to 1963. And it coincides with a report last week that said 2011 was the weakest year for single-family home construction on record.
The median sales prices for new homes dropped in December to $210,300. Builders continued to slash price to stay competitive in the depressed market.
Still, sales of new homes rose in the final quarter of 2011, supporting other signs of a slow turnaround that began at the end of the year.
Sales of previously occupied homes rose in December for a third straight month. Mortgage rates have never been lower. Homebuilders are slightly more hopeful because more people are saying they might consider buying this year. And home construction picked up in the final quarter of last year.
"Although this decline was unexpected, it does not change the story that housing has likely bottomed," said Jennifer H. Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, said easier lending requirements, historically low mortgage rates and improved hiring all point to consistent, albeit slow, rises in sales in the coming months.
"A sustained rise in new home sales is imminent," he said. "Homebuilders say so too, and they should know."
Hiring is critical to a housing rebound. The unemployment rate fell in December to its lowest level in nearly three years after the sixth straight month of solid job growth.
Economists caution that housing is a long way from fully recovering. Builders have stopped working on many projects because it's been hard for them to get financing or to compete with cheaper resale homes. For many Americans, buying a home remains too big a risk more than four years after the housing bubble burst.
Though new-home sales represent less than 10 percent of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
A key reason for the dismal 2011 sales is that builders must compete with foreclosures and short sales ? when lenders accept less for a house than what is owed on the mortgage
Builders ended 2011 with a third straight year of dismal home construction and the worst on record for single-family home building. But in a hopeful sign, single-family home construction, which makes up 70 percent of the market, increased in each of the last three months.
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January 26, 2012, 5:11 pm
Many university graduates don?t measure up to the expectations of business leaders who hire them, according to the results of a survey released today. The online survey asked 500 American business leaders to evaluate the quality of their work force, specifically employees hired out of college or graduate school with no prior work experience. The respondents, echoing a similar survey released last fall, said that although graduates have some of the skills needed for an entry-level job, they are more well versed in technology than in directly applicable skills like solving problems and communicating. Some respondents blamed institutions of higher education for not adequately preparing students with the practical skills needed to succeed in the business world.
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Getty ImagesRoy Oswalt doesn't have a team yet this offseason, with spring training approaching.
OPINION
By Tony DeMarco
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 9:58 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2012
|
And that likely means Frank McCourt is going to get at least $1.5 billion for the team he ran into the ground ? which doesn't seem right, but it will be the biggest-ever price tag for an MLB franchise.
Even at that number, the Dodgers could turn out to be a bargain, with an expected mega-dollars television rights deal along the lines of the one Angels owner Arte Moreno recently landed.
McCourt has until April 1 to pick a successor ? subject to the ultimate approval of MLB, with mediation possible in case of a dispute ? but it could come sooner. But certainly by the first week of the regular season, we're going to know who will head what should be one of the great sports-franchise turnarounds. In the very near future, MLB should have its West Coast version of the Yankees or Red Sox.
That could leave Oswalt to chose between the Rangers, Cardinals, Reds, or even the Tigers. The problem is that neither of Oswalt's top two choices ? Texas and St. Louis ? has a big need for another starter.
The Rangers can line up six quality starters without Oswalt: Yu Darvish, Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando. And the defending world champions will get Adam Wainwright back to top the 2012 rotation that includes Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook, with top prospect Shelby Miller in the wings.
Cespedes is listed at 26, and at a solid 5-10 and around 190 pounds, with power and capable of playing center field, reminds you of former Dodgers outfielder Raul Mondesi.
The list of reported suitors reportedly includes the White Sox, Orioles, Marlins, Indians, and Cubs. There could be immediate opportunities in left field with the White Sox and Orioles, and the Indians need a right-handed-hitting complement to their three projected left-handed hitting outfield starters.
The Marlins have the geographic edge, but not an apparent immediate opening unless they turn Emilio Bonafacio into a super-utility player rather than a regular center fielder ? not a bad idea, come to think of it.
But the Cubs are the most-intriguing possibility, especially since they haven't made a major financial move in a restructuring that so far, has resulted in this plus-minus roster churning:
Gone: Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Pena, Sean Marshall, Andrew Cashner, Tyler Colvin, D.J. LeMahieu.
Arrived: Anthony Rizzo, Paul Maholm, Chris Volstad, David DeJesus, Ian Stewart, Travis Wood.
They've cleared a lot of money, gotten younger and more left-handed, and built a little pitching depth, and Cespedes would give them another potential middle-of-the-order type they desperately need.Here's one projected Cubs lineup as the roster stands now: SS Starlin Castro, 2B Darwin Barney, CF Marlon Byrd, LF Alfonso Soriano, 1B Rizzo/Bryan LaHair, C Geovany Soto, 3B Ian Stewart, RF David DeJesus. Obviously, there's a huge void in the middle.
There's no better fit for him than where he's at, and given his addiction history, comfort level has to be a major factor in his decision-making. But just as with Fielder and Albert Pujols, there are obvious misgivings about a very-long-term deal for Hamilton, who will turn 31 in May.
Since playing 156 games in 2008, Hamilton's season totals have been 89, 133 and 121. Those last three numbers will be discounted some if Hamilton can log 150-plus games in 2012. But another injury-interrupted season will only add to durability questions.
But if Hamilton puts up another MVP-type season similar to Fielder's 2011, then you know somebody ? and all it takes is one ? will go way past the range of conventional wisdom in terms of contract length and money. And that's not likely to be the Rangers ? even though they can afford Hamilton as their new television deal kicks in.
The situation dictates a short-term/big money extension ? three or four years in the $25-million per season range.
If he'll take a dramatically reduced salary, there's a chance he could return to the Yankees to platoon at DH with Andruw Jones. The A's are another reunion possibility, but it's likely Damon will add AL team No. 7 to his resume.
Seattle desperately needs offense of any kind, has money to spend, and currently has right-handed-hitting Trayvon Robinson penciled in as the regular left-fielder. And Minnesota's projected starting outfield is Ben Revere, Denard Span and Josh Willingham, so there certainly are at-bats to be had there.
? 2012 NBC Sports.com? Reprintsadvertisement
More newsGetty Images??DeMarco: Just because Prince? Fielder finally signed, that doesn't mean the offseason is out of storylines. Here's what has to be sorted out before spring training starts in three weeks.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46156759/ns/sports-baseball/
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A seemingly minor decision for Windows 8 in the post-developer preview versions has shown an about-face by Microsoft in its approach to design. During new demos on Thursday to TechRadar, Windows 8 communications lead Chris Flores explained that users wouldn't be allowed to change the background of the main Metro screen to their own photo. Scaling was an issue, but Microsoft had also decided that the home screen tiles would cover it up too much, defeating the point of a custom image.
In its place, Microsoft is offering a mix of basic styles with color themes, each of which has a coordinating set of hues for the trim. The login screen will still allow a custom photo, much like Windows Phone.
The reduced choice is unusual for Microsoft and shows the emphases on consistent style, visibility, and usability in the new OS. Apple has often been criticized for not allowing much customization of Mac OS X, but it like Microsoft today has argued that preserving the look and consistency of the interface is more important.
Along with the customization aspects, Microsoft has been at work improving the interface for its public beta in late February. Windows 8 now has more controls for mouse users in the Metro interface to flick through home screens or running apps. The charm bar, where the Start button and other common controls are available on touch devices, also now has a subtler effect where it won't deploy fully if the user's input suggests they'd tapped the very edge of the screen by accident.
Windows 8 is expected to ship in the second half of the year and will use the stylized Metro interface as the default Start screen for most users, whether or not their PCs support touch.
Source: http://feeds.electronista.com/click.phdo?i=24e7b014a94dcbb9115a5a5c2117106e
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Scientists at USC have uncovered evidence that even when hydrothermal sea vents go dormant and their blistering warmth turns to frigid cold, life goes on.
Or rather, it is replaced.
A team led by USC microbiologist Katrina Edwards found that the microbes that thrive on hot fluid methane and sulfur spewed by active hydrothermal vents are supplanted, once the vents go cold, by microbes that feed on the solid iron and sulfur that make up the vents themselves.
These findings ? based on samples collected for Edwards by US Navy deep sea submersible Alvin (famed for its exploration of the Titanic in 1986) ? provide a rare example of ecological succession in microbes.
The findings were published today in mBio in an article authored by Edwards, USC graduate researcher Jason Sylvan, and Brandy Toner of the University of Minnesota.
Ecological succession is the biological phenomenon whereby one form of life takes the place of another as conditions in an area change ? a phenomenon well-documented in plants and animals.
For example, after a forest fire, different species of trees replace the older ones that had stood for decades.
Scientists have long known that active vents provided the heat and nutrients necessary to maintain microbes. But dormant vents ? lacking a flow of hot, nutrient-rich water ? were thought to be devoid of life.
Hydrothermal vents are formed on the ocean floor with the motion of tectonic plates. Where the sea floor becomes thin, the hot magma below the surface creates a fissure that spews geothermally heated water ? reaching temperatures of more than 400? C.
After a (geologically) brief time of actively venting into the ocean, the same sea floor spreading that brought them into being shuffles them away from the hotspot. The vents grow cold and dormant.
"Hydrothermal vents are really ephemeral in nature," said Edwards, professor of biological sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Microbial communities on sea floor vents have been studied since the vents themselves were first discovered in the late 1970s. Until recently, little attention had been paid to them once they stopped venting, though.
Sylvan said he would like to take samples on vents of various ages to catalogue exactly how the succession from one population of microbes to the next occurs.
Edwards, who recently returned from a two-month expedition to collect samples of microbes deep below the ocean floor, said that the next step will be to see if the ecological succession is mirrored in microbes that exist beneath the surface of the rock.
"The next thing is to go subterranean," she said.
###
University of Southern California: http://www.usc.edu
Thanks to University of Southern California for this article.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117043/Life_discovered_on_dead_hydrothermal_vents
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ShoeBox, the mobile app that lets you scan old photos and post them online, is today announcing Facebook Timeline integration. Using the newly released version of the ShoeBox iOS application, users will be able to scan photographs of family and friends using their smartphone, tag users by name, and then share those photos to Facebook. But here's the really cool part: ShoeBox is one of the first Timeline-integrated apps that's letting you post photos into the past. By that, I mean you can edit the date on your photo, and it will post to the correct place on your Facebook Timeline. Nifty!Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GLe1Rc2p_n8/
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Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
Share ] Contact: James Maslanik
James.Maslanik@colorado.edu
303-492-8974
University of Colorado at Boulder
A national research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder is embarking on a two-year, multi-pronged effort to better understand the impacts of environmental factors associated with the continuing decline of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.
The team will use tools ranging from unmanned aircraft and satellites to ocean buoys in order to understand the characteristics and changes in Arctic sea ice, which was at 1.67 million square miles during September 2011, more than 1 million square miles below the 1979-2000 monthly average sea ice extent for September -- an area larger than Texas and California combined. Critical ocean regions north of the Alaskan coast, like the Beaufort Sea and the Canada Basin, have experienced record warming and decreased sea ice extent unprecedented in human memory, said CU-Boulder Research Professor James Maslanik, who is leading the research effort.
The team will be targeting the Beaufort Sea, considered a "marginal ice zone" where old and thick multiyear sea ice has failed to survive during the summer melt season in recent years, said Maslanik of CU-Boulder's Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research in CU's engineering college. Such marginal ice zones are characterized by extensive ice loss and a strong "ice-albedo" feedback.
"Sea ice is lost when the darker ocean absorbs more sunlight in the form of heat in the summers, resulting in potentially thinner sea ice that re-forms the following winter," Maslanik said. "This positive feedback between heat absorption by the ocean and accelerated melting becomes reinforcing in itself." Marginal ice zones also are characterized by significant human and marine mammal activity, he said.
There was a record loss of sea ice cover over the Arctic in 2007, he said. "In some areas of the Arctic Ocean the multiyear ice rebounded, but in the Beaufort Sea we did not see that kind of multiyear ice persistence like we used to see," said Maslanik, who also is a research professor in the aerospace engineering sciences department.
"The biggest question is whether places like the Beaufort Sea and adjacent Canada Basin have passed a 'tipping point' and now are essentially sub-Arctic zones where ice disappears each summer," he said. Such ice loss could be causing fundamental changes in ocean conditions, including earlier annual blooms of phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms that drive the marine food web.
The vast majority of climate scientists believe shrinking Arctic sea ice in recent decades is due to rising temperatures primarily caused by human activities that pump huge amounts of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The new $3 million study led by Maslanik, "The Marginal Ice Zone Observations and Processes EXperiment," or MIZOPEX, is being funded by NASA.
The team will undertake extensive airborne surface mapping using a variety of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, comparing the results with data collected by a fleet of satellites from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Japanese space agency. Unlike satellites, small, unmanned aircraft can fly below the clouds, observe the same location continuously for hours and make more precise measurements of sea ice composition and sea surface temperatures. Maslanik and his CU-Boulder team previously used unmanned aircraft to assess ice conditions both in the Arctic and in Antarctica.
The MIZOPEX arsenal also will include floating buoys that measure ocean temperatures. CU-Boulder engineering faculty members Scott Palo and Dale Lawrence and their graduate students are converting miniaturized versions of dropsondes -- standard weather reconnaissance devices designed to be dropped from aircraft and capture data as they fall toward Earth -- into the buoys that will be deployed by the UAS.
The modified dropsondes, which were developed at CU-Boulder for use in Antarctica, will be combined with CU-designed miniature unmanned aircraft that will land on the ocean near sea ice floes. Such floes are critical to several species of Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, walruses and seals.
The buoys and unmanned craft will collect sea surface and subsurface temperatures to about a meter deep, while the overflying unmanned planes and satellites measure temperatures at the surface, Maslanik said. "We want to know if the warming is just at the ocean surface or if there is additional heat getting into the mixed layers of the upper ocean, either from absorbed sunlight or from ocean currents, that could be contributing to sea ice melt."
The team plans to gather information over 24-hour cycles to determine how the ocean and ice are reacting to atmospheric changes. "Understanding what's happening in the water is critical to forecasting what will happen to ice in the near term, as well as in the decades to come," said MIZOPEX team scientist Betsy Weatherhead of CU-Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
"We've never had the data before," Weatherhead said. "With this new instrumentation, we'll be able to ask questions and test theories about the drivers of ice melt."
The MIZOPEX effort involves CU-Boulder, NASA, Fort Hays State University in Kansas, Brigham Young University, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, NOAA, the University of Washington and Columbia University. Ball Aerospace Systems Group of Boulder also is collaborating on the project.
Other MIZOPEX project scientists from CU include Brian Argrow, Sandra Castro, Ian Crocker, William Emery, Eric Frew and Mark Tschudi. Argrow directs the CU-headquartered Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles, a university-government-industry partnership for the development and application of unmanned vehicle systems.
###
For more information on MIZOPEX visit http://ccar.colorado.edu/mizopex/index.html.
For more information on CU-Boulder's Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles visit http://recuv.colorado.edu/.
Contact:
James Maslanik, 303-492-8974
James.Maslanik@colorado.edu
Betsy Weatherhead, 303-497-6653
Betsy.Weatherhead@noaa.gov
Jim Scott, CU media relations, 303-492-3114
Jim.Scott@colorado.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 25-Jan-2012 Share ] Contact: James Maslanik
James.Maslanik@colorado.edu
303-492-8974
University of Colorado at Boulder
A national research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder is embarking on a two-year, multi-pronged effort to better understand the impacts of environmental factors associated with the continuing decline of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.
The team will use tools ranging from unmanned aircraft and satellites to ocean buoys in order to understand the characteristics and changes in Arctic sea ice, which was at 1.67 million square miles during September 2011, more than 1 million square miles below the 1979-2000 monthly average sea ice extent for September -- an area larger than Texas and California combined. Critical ocean regions north of the Alaskan coast, like the Beaufort Sea and the Canada Basin, have experienced record warming and decreased sea ice extent unprecedented in human memory, said CU-Boulder Research Professor James Maslanik, who is leading the research effort.
The team will be targeting the Beaufort Sea, considered a "marginal ice zone" where old and thick multiyear sea ice has failed to survive during the summer melt season in recent years, said Maslanik of CU-Boulder's Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research in CU's engineering college. Such marginal ice zones are characterized by extensive ice loss and a strong "ice-albedo" feedback.
"Sea ice is lost when the darker ocean absorbs more sunlight in the form of heat in the summers, resulting in potentially thinner sea ice that re-forms the following winter," Maslanik said. "This positive feedback between heat absorption by the ocean and accelerated melting becomes reinforcing in itself." Marginal ice zones also are characterized by significant human and marine mammal activity, he said.
There was a record loss of sea ice cover over the Arctic in 2007, he said. "In some areas of the Arctic Ocean the multiyear ice rebounded, but in the Beaufort Sea we did not see that kind of multiyear ice persistence like we used to see," said Maslanik, who also is a research professor in the aerospace engineering sciences department.
"The biggest question is whether places like the Beaufort Sea and adjacent Canada Basin have passed a 'tipping point' and now are essentially sub-Arctic zones where ice disappears each summer," he said. Such ice loss could be causing fundamental changes in ocean conditions, including earlier annual blooms of phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms that drive the marine food web.
The vast majority of climate scientists believe shrinking Arctic sea ice in recent decades is due to rising temperatures primarily caused by human activities that pump huge amounts of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The new $3 million study led by Maslanik, "The Marginal Ice Zone Observations and Processes EXperiment," or MIZOPEX, is being funded by NASA.
The team will undertake extensive airborne surface mapping using a variety of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, comparing the results with data collected by a fleet of satellites from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Japanese space agency. Unlike satellites, small, unmanned aircraft can fly below the clouds, observe the same location continuously for hours and make more precise measurements of sea ice composition and sea surface temperatures. Maslanik and his CU-Boulder team previously used unmanned aircraft to assess ice conditions both in the Arctic and in Antarctica.
The MIZOPEX arsenal also will include floating buoys that measure ocean temperatures. CU-Boulder engineering faculty members Scott Palo and Dale Lawrence and their graduate students are converting miniaturized versions of dropsondes -- standard weather reconnaissance devices designed to be dropped from aircraft and capture data as they fall toward Earth -- into the buoys that will be deployed by the UAS.
The modified dropsondes, which were developed at CU-Boulder for use in Antarctica, will be combined with CU-designed miniature unmanned aircraft that will land on the ocean near sea ice floes. Such floes are critical to several species of Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, walruses and seals.
The buoys and unmanned craft will collect sea surface and subsurface temperatures to about a meter deep, while the overflying unmanned planes and satellites measure temperatures at the surface, Maslanik said. "We want to know if the warming is just at the ocean surface or if there is additional heat getting into the mixed layers of the upper ocean, either from absorbed sunlight or from ocean currents, that could be contributing to sea ice melt."
The team plans to gather information over 24-hour cycles to determine how the ocean and ice are reacting to atmospheric changes. "Understanding what's happening in the water is critical to forecasting what will happen to ice in the near term, as well as in the decades to come," said MIZOPEX team scientist Betsy Weatherhead of CU-Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
"We've never had the data before," Weatherhead said. "With this new instrumentation, we'll be able to ask questions and test theories about the drivers of ice melt."
The MIZOPEX effort involves CU-Boulder, NASA, Fort Hays State University in Kansas, Brigham Young University, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, NOAA, the University of Washington and Columbia University. Ball Aerospace Systems Group of Boulder also is collaborating on the project.
Other MIZOPEX project scientists from CU include Brian Argrow, Sandra Castro, Ian Crocker, William Emery, Eric Frew and Mark Tschudi. Argrow directs the CU-headquartered Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles, a university-government-industry partnership for the development and application of unmanned vehicle systems.
###
For more information on MIZOPEX visit http://ccar.colorado.edu/mizopex/index.html.
For more information on CU-Boulder's Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles visit http://recuv.colorado.edu/.
Contact:
James Maslanik, 303-492-8974
James.Maslanik@colorado.edu
Betsy Weatherhead, 303-497-6653
Betsy.Weatherhead@noaa.gov
Jim Scott, CU media relations, 303-492-3114
Jim.Scott@colorado.edu
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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/uoca-ctt012512.php
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