Scientists scan damaged audio discs, resurrect fresh beats

Digitizing your analog archives? Vinyl to CD / MP3 / iPod turntables might do well enough for your old 45s, but the folks at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory prefer to listen to their old beats by taking pictures of them. More specifically, restoration specialists are using a system called IRENE/3D to snap high resolution images of damaged media. The cracked discs -- often made of wax on brass or composition board -- are then repaired digitally, letting researchers play the digitized discs with an emulated stylus. So far, the team has recovered a handful of 125 year old recordings from a team in Alexander Graham Bell's Volta laboratory. The all digital system gives researchers a hands-off way to recover audio from relic recordings without running the risk of damaging them in the process -- and no, they probably won't let you use it to listen to that beat up copy of the White Album you've had in your closet since eighth grade. Hit the source link to hear what they've recovered.

Continue reading Scientists scan damaged audio discs, resurrect fresh beats

Scientists scan damaged audio discs, resurrect fresh beats originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/29/scientists-scan-damaged-audio-discs-resurrect-fresh-beats/

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ATM Gene Linked To Increased Pancreatic Cancer Risk

A study in Cancer Discovery says mutations in the ATM gene may increase the hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most morbid cancers, with less than 5 percent of those diagnosed with the disease surviving to five years. Approximately 10 percent of patients come from families with multiple cases of pancreatic cancer.

Using next-generation sequencing, including whole genome and whole exome analyses, they identified ATM gene mutations in two kindreds with familial pancreatic cancer. When those initial findings were examined in a large series for patients, ATM mutations were present in four of 166 subjects with pancreatic cancer but were absent in 190 spousal control subsets.?

Knowledge of the presence of the ATM gene could lead to better screening for pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death, but there are currently no recommended screening tests. Many doctors use endoscopy as a screening tool for pancreatic cancer, but researchers are still evaluating this technique in clinical trials.

"There was significant reason to believe this clustering was due to genetics, but we had not, to this point, been able to find the causative genes that explained the cluster of pancreatic cancer for a majority of these families," said lead author Alison Klein, Ph.D., associate professor of oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and director of the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry.

Source: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/atm_gene_linked_increased_pancreatic_cancer_risk-85808

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Debt, Lawsuits Complicate Potential St. Joseph Sale

When a star cardiologist at St. Joseph Medical Center was accused of performing hundreds of unnecessary medical procedures in 2009, it changed the course of the Towson hospital and now raises questions about its future.

St. Joseph plans to narrow its search for a new "strategic partner" in coming weeks, but analysts say it may not offer enough new paying patients and other immediate financial benefits to outweigh the liabilities ? including hundreds of lawsuits and declining revenue.

If other hospitals don't ally with or buy it, St. Joseph could close at least some of its operations, the analysts said.

The longer a deal takes, "the more the hospital loses volume and status, and that is not only lowering the sale price but making it more unlikely that anyone will be willing to buy it," said Gerard F. Anderson, director of the Center for Hospital Finance and Management in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"Hospitals want to buy viable, successful entities, and St. Joseph is not appearing to be that," he said.

Anderson said that across the country, for-profit hospital systems don't shy away from distressed hospitals because they can add new customers, increase negotiating power with insurers and possibly get a tax break if there is debt. But Maryland has a unique rate-setting system that could prevent a buyer from raising prices and quickly reversing the revenue slide.

According to state records, St. Joseph's patient net revenue fell from $361 million in fiscal 2009 to $299 million in fiscal 2011, which ended June 30. Patient admissions dropped from 35,486 to 26,942 over the same period. The hospital has also told state officials it was losing doctors.

Without a buyer, Anderson said, he would expect the hospital to shut its expensive inpatient facilities, including 263 beds, and operate only outpatient services such as doctors' offices and surgical centers.

The outcome rests on the needs of other hospitals and the community, agreed Joshua Nemzoff, president of Nemzoff & Co., a New Hope, Pa.-based hospital acquisitions consulting firm. He said other hospitals may want to enter the area or keep someone else out. Or they may want insured suburban patients to offset their urban uninsured.

The buyers could cut costs by combining administrative functions and reducing staff. They could maintain all the services, eliminate some, or even close the facility entirely and try to steer patients to their hospitals, though he thought the last option was unlikely.

They will likely require that St. Joseph's parent, Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit faith-based 72-hospital system, assumes all responsibility for the lawsuits that followed accusations of unnecessary stent procedures.

"They'll find someone who wants it, even if they have to give it away," said Nemzoff, adding that other large hospital systems have left markets this way. "They'll say, 'Here are the keys.' Then, the buyers will decide what to do with it."

The analysts noted that changing needs in the region will also influence what happens to St. Joseph. For example, in the 1980s hospitals began providing more services on an outpatient basis. That's what led Liberty Medical Center in 1999 to transfer inpatient services to its sister hospital, Bon Secours, three miles away.

Other hospitals have bought facilities and improved them, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, which acquired distressed Baltimore City Hospital in 1984 and turned it into Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. More recently it acquired Howard County General Hospital, a deal that allowed the community hospital to expand services and Johns Hopkins to gain suburban patients.

But Baltimore-area hospitals already have a lot of capacity, perhaps too much, according to some observers. An official assessment this year by the Maryland Health Care Commission shows Central Maryland had the most excess in the state, with physical capacity for 583 more impatient beds than those now licensed.

St. Joseph makes up about a quarter of Baltimore County's 1,112 beds, but there are more than 4,000 in the city.

Still, potential buyers could see advantages in St. Joseph. U.S. News and World Report ranked seven specialties as high-performing and ranked the hospital 11th overall in the Baltimore area.

The suitors include the University of Maryland Medical System, MedStar Health, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, LifeBridge Health and St. Agnes Hospital, according the hospitals and others with knowledge of the negotiations.

Robert A. Chrencik, president and chief executive of the University of Maryland Medical System's 12-hospital system, said the St. Joseph's financial situation was troubling but his system has the "medical horsepower" to turn it around. And Greater Baltimore Medical Center's president, John B. Chessare, wrote in a blog post that his hospital and St. Joseph already work well together.

For its part, a St. Joseph spokeswoman said the hospital "is well-positioned for a strategic relationship, and other providers are taking a close look at the opportunity to form a relationship with an established, geographically desirable health care organization like ours."

Vivienne Stearns-Elliott said St. Joseph officials are pleased with the "quality of the submissions received and the level of interest expressed." The hospital is expected to choose finalists in January.

If the hospital were to close fully or partially, it would have to notify several state agencies ? and state officials stress that has not happened. They would have oversight over everything from the way bond debt is repaid to how operations are wound down and where patients would go. State law also requires a closure plan to be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The state has helped some high-cost, underused hospitals close, including Liberty, Leland Memorial in Riverdale and Church Hospital in Baltimore, according to officials at the Health Services Cost Review Commission, which sets hospital rates. The closures save the state system money, said Stephen Ports, acting executive director of the commission.

The county-owned Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, overwhelmed by costs from uninsured patients but deemed necessary to the community, was bailed out by state and local officials in a deal that involves the University of Maryland system. (Nemzoff, the consultant, said it could have been sold if officials had not insisted on a hefty infusion of money while refusing to allow staff or services to be trimmed.)

There's been no review of the community's need for St. Joseph because it has taken no steps to close, said Ben Steffen, acting executive director of the Maryland Health Care Commission.

The cost review commission did credit St. Joseph $5.5 million earlier this year for administration, information technology and other costs. Other liabilities remain unresolved.

The hospital's troubles stem from allegations that medically unnecessary stents were placed by Dr. Mark Midei, who has since lost his license in Maryland. A kickback scheme uncovered during a federal investigation resulted in a $22 million settlement and repayment of funds for questionable procedures. The hospital also agreed to greater federal oversight.

And hundreds of patients are seeking millions in lawsuits against the doctor, St. Joseph and its parent.

One plaintiffs' lawyer noted that the hospital remains profitable despite a drop in revenue and holds $158 million in medical malpractice insurance, enough to cover the potential liability and insulate a buyer.

Andrew G. Slutkin said he is still negotiating with the hospital, and though "we're far apart," he expects the lawsuits to be resolved quickly to aid the sale process.

"St. Joe's has to say they made a mistake and they're fixing it," he said. "Then someone can come in and take over. Everyone moves on."

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Source: http://towson.patch.com/articles/debt-lawsuits-complicate-potential-st-joseph-sale

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Judge awards $17.8 million to family of military jet crash victims

Brian Panish is the Yoon family's lead counsel: "I think the judge was trying to send a message that family is important."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Don Yoon lost his wife, two infant daughters and mother-in-law in the crash
• The family had sought $56 million from the federal government
• The jet crash happened in December 2008

(CNN) -- A federal judge Wednesday ordered the government to pay more than $17 million to a family that lost four members when a U.S. Marine Corps jet crashed into a California house in 2008.

The family of Don Yoon -- who lost his wife, two young daughters, and mother-in-law -- said it believed it was a "thoughtful, fair, and reasoned decision" by the judge, said Brian Panish, lead counsel for the family.

Relatives had sought $56 million from the federal government, but in the end were awarded $17.8 million.

"I think the judge was trying to send a message that family is important," Panish said of the judgment ordered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller.

An F/A-18 Hornet headed to nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar crashed into the family's house in San Diego on December 8, 2008, after the pilot reported having trouble. The house and another unoccupied one next door were destroyed by the ensuing fire.

The pilot, who ejected safely at 400 feet, tried desperately to steer the plane away from danger and screamed in horror when he saw it had crashed into the house, military documents showed.

Killed in the crash were Yoon's daughter Rachel, who was almost 2 months old; his 15-month-old daughter Grace; his wife, Young Mi Moon; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, who had recently come to the United States from Korea to help take care of the children.

Wednesday's verdict came almost exactly seven years after Yoon married his late wife on Christmas Day 2004, said Panish.

Yoon has said he does not blame the pilot and has urged prayers for the pilot not to suffer.

Yoon still lives in San Diego, with his sister and brother-in-law, Panish said. He said Yoon has been "doing the best he can to get through every day, but it's very difficult for him to have such a tragic loss without warning."

In a statement read by Panish, Yoon said, "Our family is relieved that this part of the process is over, but no sum of money will ever make up for the loss of our loved ones. I still harbor no ill will towards the United States Marine Corps and the pilot that did all he could to prevent this tragedy."

Panish said family members who testified stayed strong and told the story of a loving family and how immeasurable they felt the losses were. He praised the judge for understanding those family relationships.

"The only way to know what someone lost is to know what they had, and he got what they had, and he could measure as best you can the tremendous loss they suffered," Panish said.

Some of those who testified at the trial spoke Korean and had to use an interpreter, Panish said.

He said he hopes the government will abide by the judge's ruling.

U.S. Justice Department attorney Bruce Ross told the judge that the family was entitled to "just and reasonable" damages, CNN San Diego affiliate KGTV reported.

The Marine Corps sacked four top officers of the fighter squadron and disciplined nine other Marines after an investigation showed deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by ground controllers and the pilot contributed to the crash.

The investigation found the jet's right engine experienced a string of emergencies that left it relying on the left engine, which had already given mechanics indications of a problem.

Though maintenance rules don't require immediate repairs for the problem, the squadron flew the jet 146 times before it eventually crashed because the left engine was starved for fuel.

The investigation criticized the pilot for not consulting a pocket checklist that outlined emergency procedures. And while controllers aboard the aircraft carrier that launched the jet urged the pilot to land at a nearby Navy airfield at North Island, squadron officers relied on "incorrect assumptions and inaccurate data" to guide him back to the plane's base at Miramar, the investigation found.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/28/us/california-military-crash/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

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Amazon, Apple Soar In Customer Satisfaction In 2011; Netflix Plummets

According to customer experience analytics company ForeSee, e-commerce giant Amazon once again topped consumer satisfaction in online retail after taking the top spot in 2010. However, Netflix, which had a dismal year, plummeted in customer satisfaction. For the past seven years, Netflix and Amazon have been competing for first place in Foresee's Index, but this is the first year where one of the e-retailers saw a massive dip in sentiment. Amazon climbed two points to score 88 on the study?s 100-point scale, which is the highest score from any retailer in 14 consecutive studies. Netflix?s well-publicized blunders, including price hikes last summer and the unsuccessful attempt to spin off the DVD rental business, caused its customer satisfaction to plummet by seven points and 8% to 79.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/elz62Bv-f24/

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Canada?s Harrington stays out of spotlight

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Syria pulls tanks from 'capital of the revolution'

BEIRUT?? After days of punishing assaults, Syria's army began withdrawing tanks from the restive city of Homs on Tuesday just as a team of Arab League observers was on its way to the central city, according to activists and an Arab official.

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Opposition activist Mohammed Saleh said the heavy bombardment of Homs stopped Tuesday morning and tanks were seen pulling out of the streets. Another Homs-based activist said he saw armored vehicles leaving early Tuesday on a highway leading to the city of Palmyra to the east. He asked that his name not be made public for fear of retribution.

For days, military forces had pounded Homs with artillery despite agreeing to an Arab League plan to stop the bloodshed. The Arab monitoring mission is meant to ensure the government complies with the deal to halt the nine-month crackdown on dissent.

Opponents of President Bashar Assad, however, doubt that the Arab League can budge the autocratic leader at the head of one of the Middle East's most repressive regimes.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters 20,000 protesters gathered in Homs early Tuesday ahead of the scheduled tour of the city by Arab League peace monitors.

Video: Thousands reported dead in Syria crackdown (on this page)

It said the activists were gathering in Khalidiya, one of the four parts of Homs where there has been heavy bloodshed as armed rebels fight security forces using tanks.

Elsewhere, several men from an "armed terrorist group" trying to cross from the Turkish border into Syria were shot dead, the state news agency said.

"Special forces were able to kill and wound several gunmen and seized some weapons, ammunitions, army uniforms, communication tools and fake identity cards," SANA said, but it did not give a specific casualty count.

SANA also reported that a "terrorist group" had attacked a gas pipeline near Homs but there were no further details immediately available.

Syria's top opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun called Sunday for the League to bring the U.N. Security Council into the effort . The U.N. says more than 5,000 people have been killed since March in the political violence.

In Cairo, an official at the Arab League's operations room said the Sudanese head of the mission to Syria, Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, was leading a team of at least 12 observers on their way to Homs Tuesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists, gave no further details.

'Yesterday was terrible'
The observers began their visit by meeting the governor of Homs, Syria's Dunia television channel said. According to opposition activists at least 34 people were killed in the city on Monday as tanks fired at targets among apartment blocks.

"Today is calm, unlike pervious days," Saleh said on Tuesday. "The shelling went on for days, but yesterday was terrible."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited reports from opposition activists in Homs saying at least 11 tanks had left a district they attacked on Monday, and that other tanks were being hidden.

Homs, Syria's third-largest city, has a population of 800,000 and is at the epicenter of the revolt against Assad, located about 100 miles north of the capital, Damascus. Many Syrians refer to Homs as the "capital of the revolution."

Video: Bloody crackdown continues in Syria (on this page)

Parts of Homs are defended by the Free Syrian Army, made up of defectors from the regular armed forces, who say they have tried to protect civilians.

The Arab League plan agreed to by Assad last week requires the government to remove its security forces and heavy weapons from city streets, start talks with opposition leaders and allow human rights workers and journalists into the country. Before Tuesday's redeployment of at least some tanks, there had been no sign that Assad was implementing any of the terms, much less letting up on his brutal crackdown.

Assad's opponents fear that the monitors ? who arrived in the country on Monday after weeks of negotiations with Arab states ? will be used as a cloak of respectability for a government that will hide the extent of violence.

'Guests of the government'
The teams will use government transport, according to Dabi. But that arrangement likely to fuel charges by the anti-Assad opposition that the monitoring mission will be impeded and hoodwinked from the outset.

Dr Mousab Azzawi, chief co-ordinator of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told msnbc.com: "We do not believe the monitors will be able to change anything.

"They are not free to see what they want, they cannot move anywhere without giving the government two hours' notice. They are essentially guests of the government they are supposed to be checking on."

Arab League delegates insist the mission will nevertheless maintain the "element of surprise" and be able to go wherever it chooses with no notice.

The monitoring mission launch marks the first international intervention on the ground in Syria since the start of the popular revolt inspired by Arab pro-democracy uprisings that have toppled several dictators this year.

Assad says he is fighting Islamist terrorism directed from abroad and that some 2,000 people have been killed, mainly soldiers and police.

The Associated Press, Reuters and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45794794/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Cubs add two right-handers to bolster bullpen (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Chicago Cubs bolstered their bullpen by signing right-handers Manny Corpas and Andy Sonnanstine to one-year contracts, the Major League Baseball team said on Monday.

Sonnanstine, who spent all or parts of the last five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, has a career record of 28-31 with one save and a 5.26 earned-run average.

His best season was in 2008 when he was 13-9 in 32 starts helping Tampa win the American League Championship.

Corpas, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010, has spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies posting a record of 12-16 with 34 saves and 51 holds in all or part of five Major League seasons.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Julian Linden)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/sp_nm/us_baseball_cubs_signings

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Schwarzenegger & Shriver Spend Christmas Together

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger reunited again for another family holiday this weekend to celebrate Christmas with their children.

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LG Fantasy Windows Phone Spotted with 4-inch IPS Display

LG fully embraced Google?s Android mobile platform. This is also reflected in its entire 2011 lineup of smartphones, which are mostly based on Android and less on Microsoft?s Windows Phone operating system.

?

Although the Korean handset maker only launched a few Windows Phone 7 devices last year, such as the LG Quantum and LG Optimus 7, it looks like the company is willing to give Microsoft?s mobile platform another try.

?

A certain ?LG Fantasy? has just been leaked along with two pictures and some of its specifications. Apparently, the Fantasy will be LG?s first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango smartphone and is expected to be announced in early 2012.

?

There are no details regarding its exact launch date yet, but it won?t come as a surprise to see this one being showcased at CES or MWC trade fairs, next year.

?

The smartphone made its appearance in Romania and was bought by an XDA forum member from a Romanian tester and developer who was willing to part with it.

?

According to him, the smartphone is very light and features an impressive 4-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen, which is very responsive and bright. There?s no reference whether or not the display is based on LG?s NOVA technology.

?

The LG Fantasy scored 85.7 on WPBench, which is very close to HTC Radar?s results. This is a clear indication of the fact that LG Fantasy is a second generation Windows Phone smartphone, which is equipped with a 1GHz single core processor.

?

The lucky person that managed to purchase the LG Fantasy also revealed that the device packs 8GB of internal memory. On the back, the phone sports a 5-megapixel camera, while on the front there?s a secondary 1.3-megapixel camera.

?

Rumor has it that the LG Fantasy will be launched in Q1 2012, but no exact release date has emerged yet.

Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/LG-Fantasy-Windows-Phone-Spotted-with-4-inch-IPS-Display-242879.shtml

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Engadget HD Podcast 280 - 12.27.2011

This is the last EHD podcast of the year and the last until we're on the ground at CES, so next week will be one of our rare misses -- we'll make it up to you, we promise. Until then, there's plenty of news to tide us over as LG, Sony and Samsung have all been busy with pre-CES teases of their latest technology. Also seeing a lot of action is the mobile remote apps segment, while newcomer RUWT?! has our attention, Roku, DirecTV, Western Digital, Logitech and Control4 all also had something to contribute. Verizon also has a new media server DVR replacement to talk about, while HBO Go has extended its reach to all major cable providers and the Super Bowl will be streaming online for the first time. We'll check in again from Vegas in a few days, until then press play and have a happy New Year!

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:16:57 - So, what'd you get?
00:20:17 - DirecTV HDUI is rolling out across the land, iPad app adds 12 more live streaming channels
00:22:28 - Verizon FiOS TV's new media server scheduled for late 2012
00:27:06 - It's not TV, it's HBO Go, and it's finally coming to Cablevision
00:29:15 - Super Bowl to be streamed online and to Verizon phones for the first time
00:35:00 - Boxee 1.5 nears release, will be final desktop version
00:36:45 - Roku brings v3.1 software update to first-gen boxes, Amazon Instant Video channel gets refaced
00:38:00 - WD TV Live, Live Hub get an official iOS remote app, Vudu streaming and more
00:40:45 - Logitech Harmony Link app gets customization-focused iPhone, Android update
00:41:30 - Control4 MyHome app takes up residence on Android while Android@Home is out of town
00:42:33 - Are You Watching This?! sports tracker for Android adds remote control for DirecTV, TiVo, Google TV
00:47:25 - Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012
00:48:57 - LG's Magic Remote enables voice control for its smart TVs
00:52:30 - LG's 55-inch 'world's largest' OLED HDTV panel is official, coming to CES 2012
00:54:13 - Sony sells its stake in Samsung LCD team-up for $939 million
00:55:15 - Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)
00:57:42 - Engadget Primed: ports, connectors and the future of your TV's backside
00:59:50 - Must See HDTV (December 26th - January 1st)

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Engadget HD Podcast 280 - 12.27.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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stuxnet420: #twitter @Dkrupski stuxnet is very well known, but the "spate of explosions" has been relatively kept out of media... http://t.co/yb5AOQ7d

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India resume first innings after lunch

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir resumed the Indian first innings after lunch against Australia on Day 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag resumed the Indian first innings after lunch on the second day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Scorecard

Gambhir and Sehwag took the Indian first innings to 6/0 at lunch.

Earlier, Zaheer Khan took four wickets and Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin scalped three each as India bowled out Australia for 333 runs in their first innings.

The last Australian wicket fell when Nathan Lyon was bowled round his legs by Ashwin.

Australia lost their ninth wicket when R Ashwin had Ben Hilfenhaus caught by Virat Kohli at long-on.

Zaheer Khan took his fourth wicket when he had Peter Siddle caught behind by MS Dhoni.

Siddle played well to score 41 runs but fell to Zaheer who was reversing the ball both ways.

Zaheer had Brad Haddin caught by Virender Sehwag at gully in the second over of the day.

Zaheer broke the stubborn 72-run stand between Haddin and Peter Siddle as Sehwag took a good low catch.

The day's play started with Haddin and Siddle resuming the Australian first innings.

Australia ended Day 1 at 277/6 after being 205/5 at one stage.

Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, both playing under the shadow of recent injuries and lay-offs, struggled with their line and length under an overcast sky on a moisture-laden pitch that aided lateral movement when the ball was pitched up.

The hosts opened with debutant Ed Cowan and the belligerent David Warner who were off to a steady start after skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and surprised many by choosing to bat first.

Cowan betrayed no nerves and displayed a fine defensive technique and the right temperament to succeed in Test cricket.

Warner made a sketchy 37 that included a breath-taking pull for six off Umesh Yadav and several airy-fairy shots. He was out off the first ball after a brief rain-induced stoppage at the stroke of the first hour of play when he top-edged a Yadav bouncer that ballooned up to Dhoni behind the stumps.

Shaun Marsh, who has usurped Ricky Ponting's No. 3 position, hardly did justice to the promotion when his intended off-drive off Yadav flew to point, where Virat Kohli held a low catch.

Ponting received a warm welcome from the fans and a hot one from Yadav. The Indian pacer tested the Aussie great with a well-directed bouncer. Ponting, who was late in reacting, was struck just above his elbow and on the grille of his helmet before he regained his bearings and managed to kick the ball away from close to his stumps.

The former Australian captain struggled right through his innings of 62 in the course of which he got beaten several times, overbalanced on a couple of occasions but hung in there to raise 113 runs for the third wicket with the dormant Cowan.

The duo made the Indian pacers pay for their lack of length in the post-lunch session that was delayed by around 40 minutes because of yet another spell of light rain. Just when frustration was creeping into the Indian ranks, Ponting departed much like he had started: a touch shakily. Yadav, having softened him up with a snorter that Ponting somehow managed to evade, got his next delivery to move away late and the batsman edged it to Laxman at second slip.

Clarke, who looked fluent in making a sparkling 31 with five crisply struck boundaries, added a further 46 runs in association with Cowan, but gifted Zaheer his wicket dragging a short ball on to his stumps.

Source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2Etd0Uyq4E1Uw/story01.htm

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Iranian woman to face death by stoning or hanging (AP)

TEHRAN, Iran ? Authorities in Iran said Sunday they are again moving ahead with plans to execute a woman sentenced to death by stoning on an adultery conviction in a case that sparked an international outcry, but are considering whether to carry out the punishment by hanging instead.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is already behind bars, serving a 10-year sentence on a separate conviction in the murder of her husband. Amid the international outrage her case generated, Iran in July 2010 suspended plans to carry out her death sentence on the adultery conviction.

On Sunday, a senior judiciary official said experts were studying whether the punishment of stoning could be changed to hanging.

"There is no haste. ... We are waiting to see whether we can carry out the execution of a person sentenced to stoning by hanging or not," said Malek Ajdar Sharifi, the head of justice department of East Azerbaijan province, where Ashtiani is jailed.

"As soon as the result (of the investigation) is obtained, we will carry out the sentence," he said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

The charge of a married woman having an illicit relationship requires a punishment of stoning, he said.

He said judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani ordered a halt to stoning in order to allow Islamic experts to investigate whether the punishment can be altered in Ashtiani's case.

Ashtiani was convicted of adultery in 2006 after the murder of her husband.

She was later convicted of being an accessory to her husband's murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_re_us/iran_stoning

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Afghanistan cabinet OKs oil deal with China?s CNPC (Reuters)

KABUL (Reuters) ? Afghanistan?s cabinet cleared the way for the war-torn state to sign a deal with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) for the development of oil blocks in the Amu Darya basin, the Afghan president?s office said on Monday.

The deal covering drilling and a refinery in the northern provinces of Sar-e Pul and Faryab will be the first international oil production agreement entered into by the Afghan government for several decades.

It marks the second major deal for China in Afghanistan after Metallurgical Corp of China signed a contract in 2008 to develop the huge Aynak copper mine south of Kabul, which is due to start producing by the end of 2014.

?The Afghan cabinet has ordered Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani to sign an oil exploration contract for Amu Darya with China National Petroleum Corporation,? the statement said.

Jawad Omar, a spokesman for the mines ministry, said the contract would be signed on Wednesday.

State-owned CNPC and joint venture partner Watan Group ? a diversified Afghan company ? will explore for oil in three fields in the basin ? Kashkari, Bazarkhami and Zamarudsay, which are estimated to hold around 87 million barrels of oil.

Under the contract, CNPC will agree to pay a 15 percent royalty on oil, a 20 percent corporate tax and give up to 70 percent of its profit from the project to the Afghan government.

The mines ministry said in October that the deal was likely to result in government revenues of $ 5 billion over the next 10 years.

Indian and Chinese bidders have been front-runners for deals to develop Afghanistan?s vast mineral deposits, which are valued at $ 3 trillion, worrying Western firms that have hesitated to invest in the country due to security concerns.

Experts have warned that mining projects in Afghanistan are likely targets for insurgents, that production and transport costs will be high and that sovereign risk is a serious concern.

But China and India, where demand for energy and industrial inputs is booming, are willing to take risks to secure supplies.

(Writing by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Jane Baird)

Yahoo! News: World ? China

You might also be interested in:

1. China?s CNPC says Iraqi oil field now onstream (AFP)
2. Afghanistan Says Help Needed to Deal With Foreign Threats
3. Analysis: China seeks profit, shuns politics, in Afghanistan (Reuters)
4. Roadside bomb kills 15 in southern Afghanistan (AP)
5. Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to implement transit trade accord (Reuters)

Source: http://libaw.com/christian-media-cross/china-2/afghanistan-cabinet-oks-oil-deal-with-chinas-cnpc-reuters/

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Rental Villas for a Destination Wedding in Jamaica

Rental Villas for a Destination Wedding in Jamaica

Published on Friday, 23 December 2011

Destination weddings require even more precise planning than weddings held in the couple's hometown. So many things can go wrong and it is more challenging to find people to fix little quirks here and there in unfamiliar surroundings. Often, by carefully choosing the wedding's location, the couple can almost certainly avoid those quirks since rental villas that specifically cater to weddings will have their own event planners.
Golden Cove Villas, Ocho Rios
Golden Cove is a beautiful 11-acre complex. It boasts of 3 4-bedroom luxury rental villas that can each accommodate up to 8 guests. The estate sits right on the edge of the Carribean Sea, overlooking its own private cove. Each villa has its own gated compound, very private and peaceful, with its own beachfront! The holiday villas can be rented individually or all at the same time for special events like weddings and reunions. For weddings, the couple can invite their nearest and dearest and accommodate them all in style as a thank you gesture for sharing the most memorable event in their lives.Button Bay Beach Getaway, Treasure Beach
This grand holiday villa has 12 bedrooms! Almost like a tropical castle in its grandeur! It is a long way away on the South Coast of the island, but it is well worth the journey. It is this apparent seclusion from the maddening crowds that sets this property apart as a destination wedding venue. The wedding party can choose to stay exclusively here and still have enough wonderful memories to bring back home with them.
Silent Waters, Montego Bay
Silent Waters is amongst the most fabulous private holiday homes in the Caribbean, sitting on one of the highest points overlooking Montego Bay. It has 10 bedrooms and sleeps 22. This picturesque estate is all of 18 acres of lavish gardens, tranquil ponds and magnificent views, with a staff of 14. It is simply made for a destination wedding. There are 5 villa suites to house the wedding party guests. The owner's private villa will be for the newlyweds.
A wedding in Jamaica is somehow more magical and memorable. It is the top 2 most popular destination wedding location in the world. It's impressive portfolio of fabulous rental villas are a testament to this distinction.

Vacation Homes Around the World

Source: http://www.vacationhomes.net/category/holiday-homes/rental-villas-for-a-destination-wedding-in-jamaica-.html

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Proposal to Integrate Undocumented Immigrants in California

? Community Advisory: ADC Alarmed by Increase in Reported Complaints | Main | Representing Noncitizens in Civil Litigation 01/27/2012 ?

December 23, 2011

Proposal to Integrate Undocumented Immigrants in California

Here's an interesting integration idea outlined by the Mexican American Political Alliance:

The California Opportunity and Prosperity Act (COPA)
Help Restore California's Economy through Integrating Qualified Immigrants

Introduction
After fifteen years of bipartisan failure in D.C. to fix our broken immigration laws, it is time for California to lead the U.S. by example by enacting by ballot initiative a new law that gives qualified unauthorized residents who pay state income taxes the option to enter a program whose participants may gain relief from federal enforcement and whose labor may be decriminalized.

COPA Benefits to California's Budget and Society It is estimated that COPA could generate as many as a million new taxpayers1 who could contribute an estimated $325 millions of dollars annually in general revenue to California that will be used to fund desperately needed police and fire services, etc.

Summary
COPA does this by enacting a five year pilot, self-financed program in which participants gain entrance by meeting certain thresholds.

The participants are undocumented California residents who pay state income tax with a federal Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN); and can meet the following thresholds:

1. Have no felony convictions and are not suspected terrorists;

2. Know or are learning English;

3. Pay processing fee and provide a photo;

4. Are not public charges;

5. Have lived in California since before January 1, 2008;

COPA participants must continue to use a federal Individual Tax Identification Number to continue paying income taxes and pay annual renewal fee to remain in the program.

COPA directs California's Governor to petition the President and other federal agencies to: Provide relief and or exemptions from federal immigration enforcement actions against COPA members and their families; and decriminalize employment of COPA members.

Background
Conceptually, COPA is based upon successful elements of the bipartisan Immigration and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) signed by then-President Ronald Reagan. IRCA's most successful element or "General Legalization" program's eligibility criteria is replicated in the thresholds used for eligibility in COPA. COPA is enacted within the confines of the California Constitution, state and local law.

COPA follows successful efforts in California to enable qualified undocumented students to access private and state financial aid (AB130/AB131), and to end abusive police towing of vehicles owned by undocumented persons (AB353).

COPA continues the proud California tradition of trailblazing innovative US public policy as it has in the area of women's suffrage, environmental protection, and access to cannabis for medical uses.

1 According to a UCLA NAID Center research report by Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda and Marshall Fitz published in April 2011 with the Center for American Progress entitled "Revitalizing the Golden State What Legalization Over Deportation Could Mean to California and Los Angeles County", the undocumented population in California was estimated by the 2006-2008 American Community Survey (US Census Bureau) to be 2,700,000, of which 1.85 million were estimated to be employed in the work force, generating over 157 billion in Gross State Product of California. It is also estimated that there are an additional 500, 00 undocumented residents who are either under 18 or are family members of employed individuals.

Since net immigration flow have declined since the beginning of the crisis in 2007 to California and the U.S., it conservatively estimated that at least 75 to 85% of the estimated 2.6 million undocumented in California today could qualify under the terms of COPA.

Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who supports COPA?

COPA has a growing list of supporters. It was proposed by John Cruz of Orange County, a Republican and former Secretary of Appointments for Governor Schwarzenegger, and the Honorable Felipe Fuentes, a Democratic Assemblyman from the San Fernando Valley. COPA is also supported by members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus including Chairman Tony Mendoza, Asm. Ben Hueso, Asm. Manuel P?rez, Asm. Gil Cedillo, Sen. Ron Calder?n, and Sen. Kevin De Le?n.

In addition, COPA has the endorsement of Confederaci?n de Federaciones Mexicanas (COFEM), Latino/Latina Roundtable of Pomona and San Gabriel Valleys (LRT), Community Union (CU), Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), Hermandad Mexicana Latinoam?rica (HML), Anahuak Youth Sports Association (AYSA), William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI), Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), and the Latino Voters League (LVL).

2. What makes you think that COPA has a chance to succeed in California?

COPA's concept is very popular with the voters of all stripes according to our polls and focus groups, testing at more than 60% support. This includes Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

California public opinion is leading the US towards reconciliation with immigrants. Californians have dealt with this issue for two decades are increasingly reaching a consensus for fair and humane treatment of immigrants.

3. How much revenue can COPA raise for California's General Fund?

Given the thresholds in COPA, 75% of California's undocumented population would be eligible to apply for status.

Implementing COPA could generate $325 million dollars in annual general fund revenue for California's state government as the new taxpayers come into the system.

4. What does COPA do?

COPA forms a five year pilot project that encourages certain immigrants to pay state income tax and potentially allows those who do to gain relief from federal enforcement and decriminalizes members' employment. Moreover it would pay for itself and allow immigrants to contribute to California's economy with their taxes and labor.

It would also lift the burden of illegality off COPA employers' shoulders as well as diminish the cheap labor pool.

It would help reset the national debate on federal immigration policy by showing that an inclusive rather than punitive policy framework is both more humane and effective.

Continue.

5. Who can join COPA?

Undocumented California residents who pay state income tax with a federal Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)); and can meet the following thresholds:

1. Have no felony convictions and are not suspected terrorists;

2. Know or are learning English;

3. Pay processing fee and provide a photo;

4. Are not public charges;

5. Have lived in California since before January 1, 2008;

6. Isn't immigration reform a federal responsibility?

Yes. COPA doesn't deal with US borders, legalization, visas or US Citizenship. Those powers belong to the federal government. COPA simply says that persons duly qualified as Californians that meet the above requirements should have relief from federal enforcement and have their work decriminalized.

7. Shouldn't we wait for Congress or the President to act on immigration reform?

We have waited for fifteen years. We had been writing letters, marching and visiting our representatives in Washington, DC. And 2010's elections show that "immigration reform" will be log-jammed for at least another 4-6 years. Approving COPA will provide relief and fairness to qualified unauthorized immigrants in California now until federal reform is enacted at some point in the future.

Moreover COPA provides a political and policy response to SB1070 in Arizona which turbocharged an already existing anti-immigrant wave across the country, in essence overwhelming the immigrant rights movement. Approving COPA will prod Washington to enact a national reform program sooner than later.

8. Won't COPA be struck down in the courts?

Not at all. COPA leaves federal immigration prerogatives in place with regard to citizenship, entering/leaving the country, and border control. Any other conflicts with federal law can be handled by exemptions for California gained through engagement between Governor Brown and the White House.

One good example of COPA's legal theory is that of Medical Marijuana. According to federal law, consumption of marijuana is illegal. Yet 15 states have enacted laws permitting conditional medicinal consumption, and have withstood court challenge as well as Federal/Congressional scrutiny/intervention. As a result millions of Americans are now conditionally consuming medical marijuana in the fifteen states where it has been legislatively approved. States rights are real in the U.S. and have to be invoked in the cause of commonsense treatment of immigrants!

Want to learn more, Read the COPA initiative, and see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)? Visit our webpage

at: http://www.caopportunity.com

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December 23, 2011 | Permalink

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Senator Risch selects Idaho nominees for U.S. Military Academics

(Updated 3:38 p.m.) - Dozens of young men and women made the nomination list for the United States Military Academics for the 2012 school year. The released list, featuring selections by Senator Jim Risch, covers all four academies: Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy.

This is just the first step of the selection process. Names marked in bold are North Idaho nominees.

U.S. Air Force Academy

• Joseph Cardona III, Boise
• Anthony deVera, Meridian
• John French, Meridian
• Kaylee Kostka, Heyburn
• Adrianna Lutu, Boise
• Kevin Miller, Idaho Falls
• Zachary Morrow, Roswell
• Jonathon Riggers, Nezperce
• Nathaniel Rupp, Boise
• Ronald Weimar, Payette

U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Army)

• Adam Armour, Idaho Falls
• Reid Boorman, Bonners Ferry
• Layne Harper, Blackfoot
• Joel ?Parker? Heisey, Coeur d?Alene
• Colby Hyde, Eagle
• Zachary LaBenne, Hayden
• Parker Matthews, Rathdrum
• Bryan Perry, Rigby
• David Trompke, Eagle
• Kristine Westergard, Boise

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

• Brennen Connolly, Meridian
• Andrew Fletcher, Boise
• Alex Foster, Ammon
• Zane Hardin, McCall
• Mason Menges, Nampa
• Konnor-Lawrence Moden, Boise
• Levi Sliwoski, Boise
• Eric Whitman, Priest River
• Kevin Wilmot, Jerome
• Rebecca Winzer, Coeur d?Alene

U.S. Naval Academy

• Nicholas Arnold, Boise
• Hallie Bonnicksen, Kellogg
• Andrew Brackebush, Silverton
• Joseph Dlugosch, Eagle
• Gaylen Edmo, Pocatello
• John Foulger, Chubbuck
• John ?Gil? Givens, Post Falls
• Kylie Johnson, Coeur d?Alene
• Skyler Means, Boise
• Jonathon Riggers, Nezperce

Note: A reader pointed out that there was no nomination list for Coast Guard. After speaking with Senator Risch's Office in Washington D.C., they said that the Coast Guard academy does not need nominations.

Source: http://postfallsrathdrum.kxly.com/news/people/68823-senator-risch-selects-idaho-nominees-us-military-academics

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Google+ Brand Pages Invade Search Results

This isn't exactly "new", it's been like this for a week or more but when you search for popular brands in Google's search results, if they have Google+ Brand pages - the search results for that brand will add the Google+ information.

The added details include:

• Link to the Google+ Brand page
• Most recent Google+ post
• Most recent Google+ photo

Here is a picture of a search for [Macy's]:

A WebmasterWorld thread is waiting for Google Product Search and +Brand pages to be combined where searches for products return not just product images but Google+ data from the merchant/brand.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Source: http://feeds.seroundtable.com/~r/SearchEngineRoundtable1/~3/NaEPdjj8x3c/google-plus-brand-results-14490.html

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Cricket Fight Club: Winning Increases Aggression

It?s better than an ant farm. It?s more exciting than a flea circus. Welcome to Cricket Fight Club. The first rule of Cricket Fight Club is: you do not talk about Cricket Fight Club. The second rule of Cricket Fight Club is: you do not talk about Cricket Fight Club.

In aggressive conflicts between individuals of the same species throughout the animal kingdom, losers become less aggressive while winners become more aggressive. In turn, winners become more likely to win subsequent fights, even against new opponents.

Why does this occur? One recent line of evidence (based on research in fish and mice) suggests that social conflicts result in an increase in testosterone levels, which in turn results in competitive behavior and aggression. The problem with this hypothesis is that the winner effect has been observed in both invertebrates as well as in vertebrates, which have very different physiological systems. Something other than testosterone might be responsible for the winner effect.

In order to investigate the source of the heightened aggression that results from the winner effect, researchers Jan Rillich and Paul Anthony Stevenson staged ?tournaments? of cricket fights, using Mediterranean field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus). They set up a series of fights, with rest periods between fights that lasted either five minutes or twenty minutes.

The general pattern went something like this: first, two fight-inexperienced, weight-matched adult male crickets were allowed to fight. The winners from those fights were matched for a second round of fighting, and the round two winners participated in a third round. In addition to measuring how long each fight lasted (in seconds), the researchers measured how aggressive the encounters were, using the a scale from zero (avoidance) to six (full-contact wrestling).

When the inter-fight interval was limited to five minutes, they found that round three fights lasted longer (11 seconds) than round two fights (8 seconds), which were longer than round one fights (6 seconds). In addition, round three fights escalated to higher aggression levels, on average, than round one and two fights.

What was particularly interesting, however, was that these effects disappeared when the inter-fight interval was extended to twenty minutes. In other words, the ?winner effect? did not hold when there was a longer time to wait between fights.

And not only that. while round three fights were not significantly different from round one and two fights for crickets within the twenty minutes condition, there was a significant difference between conditions: round three fights in the twenty minute condition were significantly shorter and less aggressive than round three fights in the five minute condition.

At this point, you might ask whether the observed effects were possibly the result of fighting, per se, and not the result of winning those fights. The researchers wondered the same thing, so they conducted two more experiments. In the first, tournaments were conducted such that the crickets would fight, but the fights were broken up before there was a clear winner. In other words, it was fighting-without-winning. In the second, tournaments were conducted which paired fight-inexperienced crickets with previous losers, since the losers were more likely to retreat, and forfeit the match. In other words, it was winning-without-fighting. When comparing the results, the researchers discovered that winning-without-fighting maintained the previously observed winner effect, while fighting-without-winning did not (more specifically, though it did result in longer fight duration, there was not an increase in aggressiveness). This means that it the winning of a fight that is critical to the winner effect, not simply aggressive behavior. Aggression did not beget aggression in the absence of a win.

Now that they had established that the winner effect only holds when there is a short inter-fight interval, and that the winner effect is the result of winning rather than fighting itself, the next step was to determine its physiological basis. They staged another round of tournaments, all including the five minute rest period between fights. This time, however, they treated the crickets with one of four types of neurochemicals (or a placebo, for the control group), each of which was known to block certain types of receptors in the nervous systems of insects.

The control group, as expected, displayed the same winner effect that was seen in the first experiment. In addition, three of the four neurochemicals with which the crickets were dosed had no effect on cricket aggression. For all three treatments, the winner effect was maintained. The fourth neurochemical epinastine, which blocks the effects of octopamine did have an effect: not only was the winner effect abolished, but when comparing the round three fights with the control group?s round three fights, they were less aggressive and shorter in duration.

Taken together, these results show two important things.

First, that the increased aggressiveness seen after winning earlier fights is transient: the winner effect is seen when fights are separated by five minute rest periods, but not for twenty minute intervals.

Second, these experiments show that the winner effect is driven by a neurochemical called octopamine, which is the invertebrate version of norepinephrine, and part of the adrenaline system.

This leaves just one question: why did these researchers choose to study aggression in crickets in the first place? Simply put, concepts such as reward and motivation can be extremely complicated. The researchers argue, therefore, if we wish to understand ?how concepts such as reward and motivation can be encoded in the nervous system,? it makes sense to use a ?presumably non-conscious animal.?

There is, after all, a long history of investigating complex mental processes in simple nervous systems. For example, much of what we know about the molecular basis of memory comes from the study of the sea slug, Aplysia californica.

To that end, insects seem to be ideal critters for studying this sort of reward-associated hyper-aggression.

Reference:
Rillich, J., & Stevenson, P. (2011). Winning Fights Induces Hyperaggression via the Action of the Biogenic Amine Octopamine in Crickets PLoS ONE, 6 (12) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028891

Cricket photo via: Flickr/kevincollins123

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6c275421e53cbe75db5b2c1e1b1cfdc2

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