বৃহস্পতিবার, ২ মে, ২০১৩

Crude Inventories Surge To Record High As Energy Demand ...

A month ago we highlighted the somewhat stunning reality of the real economy via the EIA's detailed energy supply and demand data. The key takeaway was? that we hoped this did not represent the true state of the economy since the data was so dismal. Fast forward to today and the DOE just released a much higher than expected build in crude inventories that took the stuffed-channel of oil products to all-time highs. The 395.3 million barrels is higher than the previous record in July 1990. There appears to be a number of factors at play - none of which are positive. There is a surge in supply due to the incessant harvesting of shale oil (which could have its own problems as we noted here). Second, we suspect there is a degree of 'channel-stuffing' occurring - if we pump it, they will buy - as producers and transporters are desperate to keep active and show incremental business (despite fading railcar loadings). But perhaps most important, as EIA data has shown, there has been a collapse in end demand for crude products not seen since the 1990s. Today's surge in inventories appears to confirm demand remains subdued at best.

?

?

Chart: Bloomberg

Your rating: None Average: 4.9 (14 votes)

Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-01/crude-inventories-surge-record-high-energy-demand-collapses

yahoo.com/mail baylor april 9 albatross louis oosthuizen phil mickelson 10 year old gives birth

Lab maggots turn to cannibalism

Researcher Roshan Vijendravarma explains how this video showing fruit fly larvae eating a larger one could reveal some of the biology of cannibalism

Researchers studying the innocuous-seeming fruit fly have found that the insects have cannibalistic tendencies.

In "crowded laboratory conditions", the larvae, or maggots, will often pursue, attack and eat one another, footage reveals.

Scientists investigating the effects of malnourishment on the flies found that they were able to rear keener, more capable cannibals.

The findings are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

The team, from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, says that because the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is so well-studied, the observations pave the way to discovering the biological secrets of cannibalism.

This might sound like a macabre endeavour, but cannibalism is an important part of nature.

Continue reading the main story

Cannibalism in nature

Black lace-weaver spider mothers make the ultimate sacrifice for their spiderlings: See a mother spider allow her babies to devour her alive

Sexual cannibalism occurs in a number of arthropods, such as spiders. One sex, usually the female, kills and eats its partner during or after mating

Sometimes animal offspring eat each other to survive. Scientists found that tadpoles that cannibalised eggs of their own species grew up more successfully without the extra competition

Cannibalism in locusts may be the driving force behind the insects' mass migration. Researchers suggest they may combine into swarms because they are frightened of being eaten by each other

It can be a crucial source of nutrition - some crickets and locusts that migrate in vast swarms rely on eating each other to survive the journey.

And it occurs in many larger carnivores; many big cats for example will kill and eat the offspring of their rivals - eliminating the competition by eating it.

"For a long time, cannibalism has been known as a factor that contributes to evolutionary processes," says lead researcher Dr Roshan Vijendravarma.

"But it's risky: Pathogens [disease-causing organisms] are more likely to be transmitted from eating one of your own species or a closely related species."

What made this observation even more interesting for the scientists is that fruit flies are vegetarian.

"Presumably they're poorly equipped to hunt other animals, including their own species, so it's an evolutionary question as to why cannibalism still exists among non-carnivorous animals," he said.

Dr Vijendravarma's primary research was focused on the effects of malnourishment on the flies.

And although all fruit flies he studied would cannibalise one another to some degree, the flies he and his team reared - even generations after their relatives were food deprived - had a "greater propensity to cannibalise".

'Cow eating rabbit'

The gruesome larval attacks also appeared to be chemically co-ordinated; once a larva had injured its victim, others were attracted by the injury and joined the feeding frenzy.

The larvae used their mouth hooks - hooks with serrations, or teeth, on their surface.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

They are simple vegetarian insects that eat yeast and can be reared on porridge?

End Quote Prof Matthew Cobb University of Manchester

"The cannibal uses the mouth hooks to rasp across the victims' flesh and then rips it open," explained Dr Vijendravarma.

And a diet of fellow fruit fly actually made the larvae develop more effective flesh-eating mouthparts; larvae raised on a cannibalistic diet developed more of these tiny teeth of their mouth hooks.

Prof Matthew Cobb, a biologist from the University of Manchester, also studies fruit flies.

He explained that the flies had been a valuable tool, used for over a century - first to understand the basic laws of genetics, and more recently to reveal how animals develop from a single cell into a complex, functioning organism.

"They are simple vegetarian insects that eat yeast and can be reared on porridge," he said.

"This study shows that we still have to learn about them.

"Although the authors don't think this occurs very often in the wild, you only have to search on the internet for 'cow eating rabbit' to come up with a well-known image of a malnourished cow eating a dead rabbit in order to get vital nutrients.

"Even the hardiest of vegetarians may have to turn to meat-eating in harsh conditions, giving us an insight into how different feeding habits may have evolved in the past."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22345811#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

ny jets the situation tim tebow jets katy perry part of me video photoshop cs6 beta cate blanchett nfl news

Mechanism for how grapes reduce heart failure associated with hypertension identified

May 2, 2013 ? A new study appearing in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry demonstrates that grapes are able to reduce heart failure associated with chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) by increasing the activity of several genes responsible for antioxidant defense in the heart tissue. Grapes are a known natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols, which researchers believe to be responsible for the beneficial effects observed with grape consumption.

This study, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and conducted at the University of Michigan Health System, uncovered a novel way that grapes exert beneficial effects in the heart: influencing gene activities and metabolic pathways that improve the levels of glutathione, the most abundant cellular antioxidant in the heart.

An estimated 1 billion people worldwide have hypertension, which increases the risk of heart failure by 2 to 3-fold. Heart failure resulting from chronic hypertension can result in an enlarged heart muscle that becomes thick and rigid (fibrosis), and unable to fill with blood properly (diastolic dysfunction) or pump blood effectively. Oxidative stress is strongly correlated with heart failure, and deficiency of glutathione is regularly observed in both human and animal models of heart failure. Antioxidant-rich diets, containing lots of fruits and vegetables, consistently correlate with reduced hypertension.

In this study, conducted at the University of Michigan Health System, hypertensive, heart failure-prone rats were fed a grape-enriched diet for 18 weeks. The results reproduced earlier findings that grape consumption reduced the occurrence of heart muscle enlargement and fibrosis, and improved the diastolic function of the heart. Furthermore, the mechanism of action was uncovered: grape intake "turned on" antioxidant defense pathways, increasing the activity of related genes that boost production of glutathione.

"Our earlier studies showed that grapes could protect against the downward spiral of hypertensive heart failure, but just how that was accomplished -- the mechanism -- was not yet known," said lead investigator E. Mitchell Seymour, Ph.D. "The insights gained from our NIH study, including the ability of grapes to influence several genetic pathways related to antioxidant defense, provide further evidence that grapes work on multiple levels to deliver their beneficial effects."

Seymour noted that the next phase of the NIH study, which will continue into 2014, will allow his team to further define the mechanisms of grape action, and also look at the impact of whole grape intake compared to individual grape phytonutrients on hypertension-associated heart failure.

"Our hypothesis is that whole grapes will be superior to any individual grape component, in each of the areas being investigated," said Dr. Seymour. "The whole fruit contains hundreds of individual components, which we suspect likely work together to provide a synergistic beneficial effect."

The insights gained from this research will further the knowledge on grapes and heart health, but will also provide translational information on the value of dietary (whole foods) and dietary supplement approaches for prevention of heart disease stemming from chronic hypertension.

"The NIH grant is allowing the team at the University of Michigan Medical System to expand its work in this important area and further highlight the multi-faceted role of grapes in supporting heart health," said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. "This work will also provide key insights into the role of whole fruit versus individual components of a fruit, using grapes as the benchmark."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Michigan Health System, via Newswise.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. E. Mitchell Seymour, Maurice R. Bennink, Steven F. Bolling. Diet-relevant phytochemical intake affects the cardiac AhR and nrf2 transcriptome and reduces heart failure in hypertensive rats. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2013.01.008

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/jTOqoq7I0zw/130502120259.htm

Jessica Ennis Aliya Mustafina Kirk Urso London 2012 Javelin roger federer Olga Korbut Usain Bolt 2012 Olympics

Let Your Spouse Sleep And Stop Snoring With These Tips ...

May 2, 2013 author Health & Fitness

Snoring can be irritating not just to the sufferer, but to anyone who sleeps by them. Snorers and those who have to put up with them are lucky, though, because there are many different techniques that can be used to minimize, or completely solve, the problem. For a few good ideas to take care of your own snoring issues, simply read on.

Snorers may see a benefit from using a humidifier in the evening before bed. It puts moisture into the air, which helps your mucus membranes rehydrate and your airways to open up.

You should never rely on alcoholic beverages or sleeping medication to cut down on snoring. These chemicals calm your body and relax your muscles, causing your throat to collapse. Tension in these muscle groups contributes to snoring. Be extremely careful, as these substances can exacerbate sleep apnea, a dangerous sleeping disorder.

And for people who are still figuring out how do i stop snoring, you may want to do a search on internet and learn from credible medical websites like WebMD. Besides surfing the web, you can also borrow books from your local library to learn more about the topic.

Don?t sleep on your back to prevent snoring. If you can?t quite figure out a good way to not be a back sleeper, then try to attach a large object like a ball to the back portion of your pajamas. If you do happen to roll onto your back, the object will cause discomfort, which will cause you to change positions.

If you suffer from snoring eat a large breakfast and lunch. By eating a larger breakfast and lunch, you will be able to eat a light dinner without feeling hungry. Having less food in your stomach makes it easier to breath when you lay down and go to sleep.

Hypothyroidism has been linked to increased sleep apnea and snoring. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to determine your thyroid action. The resulting imbalance in hormones causes a number of effects, one of which is sleep disruption. A comprehensive thyroid panel can help determine if this is contributing to your snoring.

Consider wearing nasal strips. Although they may not look attractive, they do open up your nasal pathways, which enable you to breathe better. The adhesive strips lift open the nasal passages, and hold them in a position that allows air to flow more freely. They contain no medication and are safe to use.

If you suffer from allergies, avoid antihistamines before sleeping, if you snore. The sleepiness that antihistamines cause may relax airways, and cause you to snore during the night. If you have to take one, do so before bed.

Pregnant women must make a doctor?s appointment, immediately, if they start snoring. It is normal for a lot of pregnant women to begin snoring due to the extra weight they are carrying, however, it is important to ensure that the baby is not missing out on oxygen because of this. So, ensure you discuss this with your doctor at your earliest convenience so that you can put your mind at ease.

A tennis ball is a cheap, simple item that can help you with your snoring. All you have to do is use a safety pin to attach the tennis ball to the rear of your pajamas prior to bedtime. Whenever you feel the ball, it will prompt you to turn to the side, instead of sleeping on your back. It is proven that sleeping on your back increases snoring while sleeping in the side position decreases snoring.

Stay away from drugs that are illegal. Many drugs, legal and otherwise, increase the likelihood of snoring. Weed can affect you the same way legal prescription medications do; it relaxes you. Of course, painkillers provide this effect too. While awake, the sense of being relaxed may be appealing, but once you drift off, you will surely snore.

If a person carries excess weight, they tend to have fat around the neck, which can make them more likely to snore. With excess weight, there is an increase of fatty tissue in the windpipe area which can restrict breathing. If you are currently overweight, consider dropping a few pounds. In addition to looking and feeling more active, you will sleep snore-free as well.

Using sleeping pills is a real catch-22 if you have trouble with snoring. The pills make it easier to get to sleep, but they also encouraging snoring, making your sleep less restful. Sleeping pills work because they relax your muscles. The one that keeps your nasal passage wide open also sags, enabling the passages to be narrow. This will cause you to snore.

The times that you eat may need to be considered if snoring is currently an issue. It?s a good idea to eat a light dinner early in the evening. You should also steer clear of dairy products and other rich foods that can promote mucus accumulations. It also might be a good idea to add tea with some honey into your schedule before you sleep, as this can ease your throat.

Keep your BMI at it?s optimum level to reduce snoring. While being overweight doesn?t necessarily cause snoring, extra fat in the neck region can place additional pressure on the airways, which can cause snoring. If you have recently gained a few pounds and your snoring has worsened, lose the weight and you may reduce your snoring.

With any luck, the tips and techniques contained here will help you reduce or get rid of your snoring condition, ensuring that you and your partner get a good night?s sleep. Take this advice to heart, put it in a handy place, and you should see an improvement in your snoring fairly quickly.


Health, lifestyle, natural remedies, Sleep Apnea, sleep disorder,

Comments are currently closed.

Source: http://health.goodarticle.net/2013/05/02/let-your-spouse-sleep-and-stop-snoring-with-these-tips/

pittsburgh penguins jennie garth space needle nashville predators king arthur king arthur there will be blood

CSN: Cubs threaten move? |? Unveil Wrigley plans

Tom Ricketts finally played the card used by so many other owners in professional sports: Threatening to move.

While it still seems unthinkable that the Cubs would actually leave Wrigley Field, Ricketts opened up that possibility on Wednesday for the first time. As the $500 million renovation project moved into the public-approval phase, the chairman went all-in with the Jumbotron.

[RELATED: Proposed Cubs restoration plan]

?If we don?t have the ability to generate revenue in our own outfield, then we?ll have to take a look at moving,? Ricketts said. ?No question.?

Ricketts ? who associates have described as being too nice of a guy ? definitely sounded edgier, on point and more combative speaking with reporters after a City Club of Chicago event. The guests inside the downtown Maggiano?s banquet hall included Rosemont mayor Brad Stephens, who?s grabbed headlines by trying to lure the Cubs out to O?Hare International Airport. ?

Those kinds of ideas sounded like total non-starters ever since the Ricketts family finalized the $845 million purchase of the team ? as well as a stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago ? from Tribune Co. in October 2009 and made repeated pledges to stay at Clark and Addison.

?We are committed to trying to work this out,? Ricketts said. ?We?ve always said that we want to win in Wrigley Field. But we also need to generate the revenue that we need to continue to compete as a franchise. And having the ability to put the video board or signs in the outfield is very important to us. It?s a primary focus of what we do going forward.?

The Cubs project they could make $20 million more annually in advertising revenue without the signage restrictions. They are also locked into a contract with the rooftop buildings that runs through the end of the 2023 season. They envision a 6,000-square-foot Jumbotron rising beyond left field.

Beth Murphy ? the owner of Murphy?s Bleachers and spokesperson for the Wrigleyville Rooftops Association ? attended the breakfast and was still processing her first look at the renderings. A reporter asked if her group is still considering a lawsuit.

[MORE: Window closing if Cubs want to begin Wrigley renovation on time]

?I know you all want me to say that,? Murphy said. ?We have work to do with the Cubs. We haven?t had a seat at the table and we haven?t had legal representation.?

More than two weeks after announcing the ?framework? of an agreement with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Tom Tunney, the Cubs still have to address a variety of neighborhood concerns, from the number of night games, to the size of the video board, to how Sheffield and Waveland would be used for street fests.

Murphy was asked if she viewed moving as an empty threat: ?I don?t think it would be a wise business decision.?

?The reason the Cubs are such a tourist destination,? Murphy said, ?is because it?s a ballpark in a neighborhood. (It?s) an interesting place for tourists to come to ? I don?t think a new ballpark in a parking lot is interesting.?

As these talks drag out ? team executives made a splashy presentation with sketches at Cubs Convention in January ? the baseball operations department risks losing the upgrades promised by Opening Day 2014.

Ricketts confirmed that the new clubhouse, batting tunnels and training facilities depend on when the Cubs green light construction for the five consecutive offseasons it will take to complete the entire project.

?We?ll know the timetable better when we get to the end of this process,? Ricketts said. ?That will really help us decide when we can do what.?

Ricketts is playing hardball now, and that?s going to overshadow all the cool drawings of the Wrigley Field of the future.

?Keep it in context,? Ricketts said. ?The talk of moving is relative to being able to have our flexibility in the outfield. I think everything else is going forward.?

Source: http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/cubs-talk/ricketts-threatens-move-cubs-without-ok-wrigley-signage

ashley olsen new apple tv sun flare love hewitt new ipad solar flare joseph kony 2012

Feds bust New York sex trafficking ring

NEW YORK (AP) ? The young Mexican women were driven to rural New Jersey, U.S. authorities said, where their handlers used threats to make them have sex with 25 farmworkers a day. Or they were confined to dingy brothels in the New York City area that advertised their services with "chica cards," business cards passed out on street corners to attract customers. They were paid very little, or nothing at all.

Their ordeal was detailed in a criminal complaint charging 13 people with smuggling dozens into the United States and forcing them into prostitution. Some of the defendants were to appear Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan to face multiple counts including sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution.

The ring "lured their unsuspecting victims to the United States and then consigned them to a living hell," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

The investigation was among several aimed at "blockading the repugnant sex trafficking corridor" used to exploit victims from Tenancingo, Mexico, said James Hayes, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York.

Tenancingo, an impoverished town in Tlaxcala state, has long been a notorious haven for pimps who use a combination of threats, abuse and broken promises of marriage and jobs to put innocent victims, some only in their teens, on a path to sex slavery in Mexico City and in large cities in the United States.

Most victims eventually manage to escape, authorities say in court papers. But, they add, "without legal status in the United States, without family and friends for support, without employment opportunities and as a result of the trauma they suffered, victims sometimes return to prostitution."

In interviews with investigators, one unidentified woman described how when she refused to work at brothels located in apartments in Queens and suburban Yonkers, she and her child were locked out of their home on a cold winter night. She also told authorities that her pimps, believing she was pregnant, forced to take drugs intended to induce a miscarriage, and that she was beaten when she once tried to withhold some of her earnings.

Another woman recounted becoming romantically involved with a man who smuggled her into the United States, only to learn he made a living delivering prostitutes to New Jersey to have sex with farmworkers. She said he used threats to force her into the sex trade for two years before he was deported.

According to the complaint, the ring provided its victims with condoms and birth control pills while making them have sex with up to 30 men a day. The men paid $30 for 15 minutes. The women sometimes got a $15 cut but that usually went to the traffickers.

If convicted, some of the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The evidence includes wiretaps of customers and pimps haggling over prices, the complaint says.

"What girls do you have?" one customer asked.

"From Salvador and Mexico."

"How do they look?"

"They both look good."

The pimp quoted a price of $70.

"Can you do it for 60?"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-women-ny-nj-forced-sex-25-times-194301077.html

katy perry Rihanna Katy Perry Grammys 2013 taylor swift taylor swift Ed Sheeran Fun

OneNote update for Windows 8 and RT relives our childhood with finger drawing

OneNote update for Windows 8 and RT relives our childhood with finger drawing

Although Microsoft's OneNote is virtually tailor-made for pen input, we doubt most Windows fans would splurge on the likes of a Surface Pro just for the sake of a quick doodle or two. With the latest update to OneNote for Windows 8 and RT, they won't have to. The app refresh lets touchscreen PC users draw with their fingers using the same color and thickness options as their stylus-toting counterparts. The new input method won't be as precise as a pen, but it should do the job for simple diagrams or dusting off those kindergarten-era fingerpainting skills. Whether or not you're on a nostalgia kick, you can swing by the Windows Store today for the upgrade.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: OneNote Blog

Source: Windows Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/30/onenote-update-for-windows-8-adds-finger-drawing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

keystone pipeline purim acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm spanx