Extinction May Not Be Forever

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De-extinction. What if plants and animal species wiped out of existence could be brought back? That's the novel notion springing from recent advances in synthetic biology. The idea is simple. Find samples, like the mummified passenger pigeon discovered recently in a museum desk drawer, and collect its DNA. Compare said DNA to that of its closest living relatives to see what specific genes make a passenger pigeon unique. Then splice those crucial genes into the living relative's DNA strands to produce a genetic copy of the extinct animal. Resurrection. The restoration potential is not limited to plants and animals that we have just recently eliminated. We could also potentially bring back species like woolly mammoths or saber-tooth cats. Not dinosaurs though, since DNA has a half-life of just 521 years or so. Of course, successfully bringing back the mammoth might also require restoration of its habitat, so it has a home to roam. But even without the reappearance of charismatic megafauna, such techniques will find uses from agriculture to injecting a bit more genetic diversity into dwindling populations of endangered species. The biggest contribution of the new biotechnology may not be de-extinction, but preventing extinction in the first place. Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/extinction-may-not-forever-130008094.html

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6 Ways to use Google Trends for Your Business

I recently started playing around with a fairly new tool from Google that opens up quite a few possibilities from a business perspective for both small businesses and nonprofits. Google Trends has officially been around since late last year, but they?ve added some nice features along the way.

In short, Google Trends allows you to search for any word, term, or phrase, to see how it stacks up in terms of search volume on the web, both in relation to its own history, and to other terms. The key is to understand that you are not seeing how many individuals have searched for the particular term, but instead a graph of the popularity of the search term over time.

Once I started messing around with Google Trends, I found it hard to stop. It was quite addictive, plugging in media terms, random terms, names of businesses and friends, and the like, and then comparing them to one another. It?s quite cool.

So here are six ways you can use Google Trends:

1) Keyword Research ? One of the most important aspects of SEO and the entire search process is the keyword. Keywords are what your customers are using to find you online via search engines. With Google Trends you can see how popular various keywords are, along with suggestions for similar keywords. You can use this information as you optimize your online properties and create SEO friendly content for your blog. Tip: Don?t use this alone. Use your results here in tandem with the keyword tools you can find elsewhere, including in your Google analytics and Webmaster Tools.

2) Brand and Industry Monitoring ? While it may not work for every business due to low volume of searches, this is a great way to see if folks are searching for you or your competitors. You can also search for terms related to your industry to see what people are talking about. Here?s a comparison between Coke (blue) and Pepsi (red):

3) Sentiment analysis ? This one is a bit trickier, but we need to remember that a high search volume doesn?t always mean good things. Sometimes a high search volume might be related to negative news. For instance, this chart for Tiger Woods has a huge spike at the end of 2009. The height of his popularity? Not exactly. ?That?s the time stories about his numerous affairs were hitting the news.

Google helps out by attaching letters to the graph that you can hover over to see what news story was happening at any given moment that might be related to a particular spike.

4) Trend research ? If you know what to look for, you can search to see what is trending, both in general and specific to your industry. You can see if there is a lot of buzz surrounding any particular trend that might help you in your marketing. For instance, if you?re looking to jump on the latest viral video trend, this comparison of the Harlem Shake (red) with Gangnam Style (blue) might give you some hints.

Also, as you search for things over time, you?ll see seasonal trends. Obvious results here, but this chart shows the seasonal ebb and flow (and?comparative?popularity) between baseball (blue) and football (red), of course factoring in that some (or many) of those searches for football will be weighted with searches for college football, or even soccer. Comparing MLB to NFL will yield slightly different results. This is a great way to do historical research on trends, as well.

5) Content Ideas ? As you search, you might find various trends or related terms that trigger ideas in your mind for content ideas, either for blogging, or for platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Remember, unique, relevant content is perhaps the best form of SEO. I?ve gotten a few ideas while playing around, but you?ll just have to wait for those?

6) Just plain fun ? I admit it, I got sucked in. You can spend a lot of time just playing around with different searches and seeing if you can identify certain patterns. You can actually make a game out of it. Since it?s the start of baseball season, here?s a view of the Braves (blue) vs. the Phillies (red) over time. See if you can pick out the year that the Phillies won the World Series.

Go ahead. Pick any two or three terms of your choosing and see what you find. See if you find any interesting and fun trends.

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While the chart defaults to showing you 2004 to the present, you can narrow that down to pretty much any date range to get a picture of what you?re looking for. Plus there are lots of other tools and settings to further refine your searches. You can also check out hot trends/searches, as well as isolate by region of the world, type of search, and categories of search, as well as see rising trends. Lots of possibilities!

So try it out, and have some fun. How have you used Google Trends? What other possibilities do you see?

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Tagged as: blog, blogging, Google, Google Trends, Keywords, search engine optimization

Source: http://inklingmedia.net/2013/04/01/6-ways-to-use-google-trends-for-your-business/

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Mali: 3rd day of fighting extremists in Timbuktu

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? Shooting continued for a third day in the Malian city of Timbuktu, as the army went house to house searching for the Islamic extremists who infiltrated the town over the weekend.

Capt. Samba Coulibaly, spokesman for the Malian military in Timbuktu, said the jihadists had taken cover behind the military camp in the town center and in the alleyways next to the 14th century Dinjareyber mosque, a UNESCO Wold Heritage site. He said a total of 11 jihadists had been killed since the attack started late Saturday night.

The French Defense Ministry said in a statement that Mirage and Rafalle jets flew over the city to hunt down the fighters, who attempted to flee in the northwest direction. One French soldier was injured during the fighting, the statement said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mali-3rd-day-fighting-extremists-timbuktu-145836912.html

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Police: Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat

Thomas Coex / AFP - Getty Images

French police stand guard near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on March 30, 2013. The Eiffel Tower was evacuated after an anonymous phone call announced an attack, said a police source. The perimeter of the monument was secured and about 1,400 people were evacuated shortly before 9 p.m.

By Nancy Ing and Becky Bratu, NBC News

Police evacuated about 1,400 tourists and staffers at the Eiffel Tower for two hours after an anonymous individual called in a bomb threat Saturday, but people were later allowed to return.

French media reported police had lifted the security alert around 10 p.m. local time, saying the threat appeared to be a hoax. The public was allowed to return once investigators completed the search for suspicious devices.

The call received at 7 p.m. local time warned of a possible attack at 9:30 p.m. local time.

Investigators used sniffer dogs to search the Eiffel Tower for any explosive devices.

French police have received similar calls in the past and have always evacuated the famous tourist attraction as a precaution. The tower was evacuated at least once last year and twice in 2011, according to The Associated Press.

News website Le Parisien reported that police said the threat was called in from a telephone booth in a Paris suburb.

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Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a2b3f97/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C30A0C175317210Epolice0Eeiffel0Etower0Eevacuated0Eafter0Ebomb0Ethreat0Dlite/story01.htm

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APNewsBreak: Gas trade group seeks fracking probe

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) ? A formal complaint filed with New York's lobbying board asks it to investigate whether Artists Against Fracking, a group that includes Yoko Ono and other A-List celebrities, is violating the state's lobbying law, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press.

The Independent Oil & Gas Association, an industry group that supports gas drilling, filed the complaint Tuesday with the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics.

The complaint is based on an AP story that found that Artists Against Fracking and its members, including Ono, her son Sean Lennon, actors Mark Ruffalo and Robert De Niro and others, aren't registered as lobbyists and therefore didn't disclose their spending in opposition to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to remove gas from underground deposits.

"The public has been unable to learn how much money is being spent on this effort, what it is being spent on, and who is funding the effort," said Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York. "I understand the power of celebrity that this organization has brought to the public discussion over natural gas development, but I do not understand why this organization is not being required to follow the state's lobbying law."

The group confirmed it filed the complaint but didn't comment further.

Artists Against Fracking, formed by Ono and Lennon, says its activities are protected as free speech. The group was created last year amid the Cuomo administration's review to determine whether to allow hydraulic fracturing to remove gas from vast underground shale formations in southern and central New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues his review as public opinion has shifted from initial support based on the promise of jobs and tax revenue from drilling in economically depressed upstate New York to mixed feelings because of concerns over potential environmental and health effects.

Seven months after Artists Against Fracking was formed, the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute on March 20 found that New York voters were for the first time opposed to fracking, 46 percent to 39 percent.

"There's no doubt the celebrities had an effect," Quinnipiac pollster Maurice Carroll said. "As far as I can tell, they made all the difference."

A spokesman for Artists Against Fracking said the group and its individual members don't have to register as lobbyists.

"As private citizens, Yoko and Sean are not required to register as lobbyists when they use their own money to express an opinion and there's also no lobbying requirement when you are engaged in a public comment period by a state agency," spokesman David Fenton said.

"If the situation changes then, of course, Artists Against Fracking will consider registering," Fenton said. "Up to now, there has been no violation because they are entitled to do this as private citizens with their own money."

On its website, the group implores readers: "Tell Governor Cuomo: Don't Frack New York." Celebrities supporting the group have led rallies and performed in the song "Don't Frack My Mother," also carried on the Internet.

Ethics commission spokesman John Milgrim didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. By law, the commission doesn't confirm or deny pending investigations.

New York's former lobbying regulator, attorney David Grandeau, said he believed the group and the supporting artists, including musicians Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga and actress Anne Hathaway, should be registered and required to disclose details on their efforts to spur public opposition to gas drilling.

"When you are advocating for the passage or defeat of legislation or proposed legislation and spend more than $5,000, you are required to register," Grandeau said Friday. "Just because you are a celebrity doesn't mean that lobbing laws don't apply to you. Your celebrity status does not protect you in Albany."

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and developer Donald Trump are among the high-profile figures who clashed with the commission when Grandeau was regulator. The biggest penalty for failure to follow the lobbying law resulted in a $250,000 fine against Trump and others over casinos in 2000.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-gas-trade-group-seeks-fracking-probe-172054771.html

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Source: Business, labor get deal on worker program

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Big business and labor have resolved a dispute over a low-skilled worker program that threatened to hold up agreement on a sweeping immigration bill, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The deal was struck in a phone call late Friday night with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, U.S. Chamber of Commerce head Tom Donohue, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who's been mediating the dispute.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement, said the deal resolves disagreements over wages for the new workers and which industries would be included. That had led talks to break down a week ago.

The deal must still be signed off on by the seven other senators working with Schumer to negotiate a bipartisan immigration bill ? but that's expected to happen. The agreement between business and labor removes the biggest hurdle to completion of the immigration bill to secure the border, crack down on employers, improve legal immigration and create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already here.

The bipartisan senate group is expected to introduce the bill the week of April 8 after Congress returns from a two-week recess.

The AFL-CIO and the Chamber had been fighting over wages for tens of thousands of low-skilled workers who would be brought in under the new program to fill jobs in construction, hotels and resorts, nursing homes and restaurants, and other industries.

On Friday, officials from both sides said there was basic agreement on the wage issue, and Schumer said a final deal on the worker dispute was very close.

"We're feeling very optimistic on immigration: Aspiring Americans will receive the road map to citizenship they deserve and we can modernize 'future flow' without reducing wages for any local workers, regardless of what papers they carry," AFL-CIO spokesman Jeff Hauser said in a statement earlier this week. "Future flow" refers to future arrivals of legal immigrants.

Under the emerging agreement between business and labor, a new "W'' visa program would bring tens of thousands of lower-skilled workers a year to the country. The program would be capped at 200,000 a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate, depending on unemployment rates, job openings, employer demand and data collected by a new federal bureau pushed by the labor movement as an objective monitor of the market.

The workers would be able to change jobs and could seek permanent residency. Under current temporary worker programs, personnel can't move from employer to employer and have no path to permanent U.S. residence and citizenship. And currently there's no good way for employers to bring many low-skilled workers to the U.S. An existing visa program for low-wage nonagricultural workers is capped at 66,000 per year and is supposed to apply only to seasonal or temporary jobs.

The Chamber of Commerce said workers would earn actual wages paid to American workers or the prevailing wages for the industry they're working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department determines prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so that it varies from city to city.

The low-skilled worker issue had loomed for weeks as perhaps the toughest matter to settle in monthslong closed-door talks on immigration among the senators, including Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida. The issue helped sink the last major attempt at immigration overhaul in 2007, when the legislation foundered on the Senate floor after an amendment was added to end a temporary worker program after five years, threatening a key priority of the business community.

The amendment passed by just one vote, 49-48. President Barack Obama, a senator at the time, joined in the narrow majority voting to end the program after five years.

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Follow Erica Werner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericawerner

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/source-business-labor-deal-worker-program-180402065--finance.html

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Did you hear something? Mice can cough, study finds

By Charles Choi, LiveScience

It may be as quiet as, well, a mouse, but mice apparently can cough, new research finds. The findings suggest the rodents could be used in research to fight coughing in humans.?

Rodents make ideal lab animals because they grow quickly, reproduce in large numbers and are small enough to house easily, allowing scientists to form experiments on them en masse. Mice are often used in research to develop new medicines for people ? for instance, mice grimace when in pain, just like humans, and experiments that analyze their faces could help test out new painkillers.?

It was a mystery as to whether mice can cough, since any such sounds would probably be barely audible at best. To help resolve this controversy, scientists at Guangzhou Medical College in China exposed 40 mice to fine mists of capsaicin, the molecule that makes chili peppers spicy. These mice were each placed in a machine known as a plethysmograph, a device that measures changes in body volume to detect when air moved in and out of the mice. The researchers also listened to mouse sounds with mini-microphones and watched the mice to monitor their body movements.?

The rodents made a variety of sounds while sniffing, tapping their teeth, scratching their noses and twitching their heads. Among these sounds, the scientists identified explosive noises that coincided with the abrupt head-tossing, abdominal jerking and opened mouths one would expect with coughs.

[ The 10 Most Mysterious Diseases ]?

When given cough suppressants such as codeine, mouse coughing dropped dramatically. Capsaicin given before the experiment also helped suppress coughing during the experiments, likely by desensitizing the mice's nerves.?

These findings suggest mice could be used in experiments looking for cough syrups and other medicines to fight coughing. Currently, guinea pigs are used for such tests, but they can be relatively expensive compared with smaller mice.?

Recently, scientists have found that mice can sing ultrasonic melodies and rats laugh when tickled. This research adds to behavior people might not think rodents are capable of, said behavioral neurobiologist Erich Jarvis at Duke University Medical Center, who did not take part in this coughing research.?

"It would be interesting to see if it's possible to get mice to voluntarily cough, and if so, what are the neural mechanisms in the brain for that," Jarvis told LiveScience. "If they can voluntarily cough, maybe the neural circuits for such coughing could be the precursors for their vocal communication circuits."?

The scientists detailed their findings online March 21 in the journal PLOS ONE.?

Follow us?@livescience, Facebook &?Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a2fdcca/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C310C17540A6790Edid0Eyou0Ehear0Esomething0Emice0Ecan0Ecough0Estudy0Efinds0Dlite/story01.htm

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