Video: Retail wars: Stores ready to compete for holiday spending

>>> nearly half of all holiday shoppers will make an online purchase this year. that poses a bit of a challenge for the traditional brick-and-mortar merchants. many big name retailers are upping the ante to ensure in-store traffic.

>> reporter: trick or treat , smell my feet, give me something good to -- shop for? forget the candy and costumes. it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

>> reporter: the season of giving is already here. yes, in october. brick-and-mortar retailers and their online competitors have their game plans set and are ready to lure you in right now. where are you going to do your holiday shopping, in a store or online ?

>> both.

>> in stores.

>> reporter: why?

>> because i like to look at the selection.

>> most of us look online .

>> consumers are a little bit more optimistic than a year ago. much more optimistic than a few years ago. we believe that online will continue to post double digit growth year over year.

>> reporter: for web giants like amazon.com with less overhead than the traditional retailers, low prices and free shipping keep the buyers at home shopping for gifts. another challenge for retailers, something called showrooming, where a customer will come into a store, see a physical item like this helicopter to see if it works, and then go online and buy it somewhere maybe a little bit cheaper. the good news for you to, combat showrooming, retailers like best buy , target, and walmart will all price match select online competitors this holiday season .

>> you've got someone in store. you don't want them to walk away and lose the sale.

>> places like macy's are taking another approach. just take a look at the classic " miracle on 34th street ."

>> the only important thing is to make the children happy, whether macy's or somebody else sells toy, doesn't make any difference.

>> reporter: so they're teaming up with somebody else.

>> we're offering hot toy rez er reservati reservation.

>> reporter: the top three tact tactics, combining social media and smart phones , exclusive brands, and exclusive events and activities only offered in the store. activities that will no doubt put the happy in the holidays for many consumers.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49578990/

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Weight Loss Refuge Makes the Quest of Fitness Fun and Relaxing

Reducing weight does not rank incredibly higher on most individuals?s listing of fun points to do. It calls to mind strenuous workout, unsavory food and also miserable deprival. But it doesn?t need to be that way. It is feasible to reduce weight all while unwinding as well as appreciating yourself. Consider our New Life Climbing Spa, found in Vermont and also you?ll check out weight loss in a whole new light.

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Source: http://answers.carecrunch.com/?p=190585&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weight-loss-refuge-makes-the-quest-of-fitness-fun-and-relaxing

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Hollywood tax incentives come under fire

AP file

Actor-director George Clooney, center, works on the Cincinnati set of his political thriller "Ides of March," which got a $1.2 million Ohio state tax credit.

By Jonathan Berr, NBC News contributor

Hollywood has enjoyed soaring tax incentives over the past decade as states vie with one another to attract the glamorous moviemaking industry. But now some state officials are beginning to rethink the costs of becoming part of Hollywood?s dream machine.

States offered nearly $1.3 billion in incentives to lure film and television productions in 2011, up from just $3 million in 2000, according to the Tax Foundation, which expects the figure to continue to rise this year. And it?s not just California and New York underwriting the industry: About 40 states now offer some form of? incentives, making them an integral part of the entertainment business.

?The beginners of this were Louisiana and Hawaii,? said Joseph Henchman of the Tax Foundation, in an interview.? ?They were successful at it.?

So successful, in fact, that states with healthy entertainment industries initiated credits to prevent productions from fleeing to lower-cost states. ?That?s when the money exploded,? Henchman said.

Henchman and other tax experts argue that Hollywood tax credits are not worth the money because the economic benefits created by these productions are fleeting.

"I think states are realizing that they are not worth the cost,? ?Cara Griffith of State Tax Notes said in an email. ?The reality is that most states have not seen a corresponding increase in jobs created or dollars of revenue brought into the state.??

Still, only a few states have been willing to give Hollywood a cold shoulder. The reasons are many.? For one thing, there is civic pride. Henchman notes it?s ?irritating? for people to see a film that is supposedly set in their town that was shot elsewhere. Not to mention the desire of politicians to bring some Hollywood glamour to their communities.

?Creating a great business climate is a great way to create jobs, but you don?t get to take photos with celebrities.? Henchman said.

Some states are less eager to roll out the red carpet for Hollywood.

Efforts in Hawaii to expand the credit last year failed to get approval from the legislature, according to Georja Skinner, a state official. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suspended the Garden State?s tax credit in 2010,? saying the cash-strapped state could no longer afford it. Arizona?s lapsed in 2010, and Iowa ended its program in 2009 after $26 million in state money was misused, resulting in criminal charges.

But the majority of states still offer incentives. California Gov. Jerry Brown? recently signed a two-year extension to the state?s film tax credit, and New York recently sweetened its incentives. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett saved his state?s incentive from the budget ax last year, and Georgia?s program also was? spared.

Industry officials say tax incentives can be a critical factor in deciding where to locate a production.

?It?s extremely important,? said Joseph Chianese, executive vice president at EP Financial Solutions at Entertainment Partners, ?I can?t believe that 40 states and 30 countries are doing it just to do it.?

Many states also reap other benefits from TV and movie shoots such as increased tourism, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, an industry trade group. Studios in New York, Connecticut, .New Mexico and Michigan have made significant investments their infrastructure and equipment because of the incentives, according to the MPAA.

California?s program is relatively modest in scope at $100 million, compared with the $400 million New York spends. And California?s is targeted at smaller productions, with big-budget movies, network television and premium cable programs ineligible.

Nonetheless, the program is hugely popular. The state got 176 applications for the credit on the first day to apply for the program last year, more than double what was received in 2010, according to a study by the Milken Institute. ?Other states have reaped benefits as well.

Pennsylvania officials estimate that $334 million was spent in film production across the state, creating 2,159 full-time jobs in its latest fiscal year. The state has $60 million in film tax credits budgeted for fiscal 2012-13, unchanged from the previous year.

Georgia estimated the economic impact of the entertainment industry at $3.1 billion in the state in the last fiscal year from 333 productions. The Peach State, where filmmaker Tyler Perry shoots most of his movies, had a record year in 2011.

There is no direct cost to taxpayers since the state?s incentive is a refundable tax credit, according to Lee Thomas, director of the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office. Henchman disputes this view arguing that the 30 percent credit is transferable and is being sold to entities that owe the state money. He estimates that the state?s annual film tax incentives cost $200 million.

More business news:

Forbes magazine is out with its list of some of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, and making the list this year is Ashton Kutcher, who beat out Charlie Sheen for the top spot. Hugh Laurie and Ray Romano made the list too. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.

?

Source: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/24/14623121-hollywood-tax-incentives-come-under-fire?lite

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Apple iMac (2012) hands-on!

Look out, world -- Apple just unleashed its latest iMac, and we agree that it might just be the biggest leap in the platform since we left Bondi Blue. It's hard to overstate just how phenomenal this machine looks in the flesh. It's also unbelievably thin -- we'd be impressed if it were simply a new Cinema Display, but the fact that a computer is in there really takes it over the top. At $1,299, you'll be hard-pressed to find a sexier all-in-one (assuming you don't need an inbuilt optical drive, of course). Have a look at the eye candy below; we'll be spending a fair amount of time with this guy in the weeks ahead.

Gallery: Apple iMac (2012) hands-on!

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

Apple iMac (2012) hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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16 detoxed, 11 ticketed: Burlington police, mayor respond to city-sanctioned DJ dance

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Councilman and former mayor Mike Woolston acknowledged Tuesday that he transferr...

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Colon purification is preventative health care - Health and fitness

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Caterpillar slashes forecast again, sees weaker economy

(Reuters) - Caterpillar Inc, the world's largest maker of tractors and excavators, slashed its 2012 forecast for the second time this year and warned the global economy was slowing faster than it had expected.

The caution sign was the latest in a string of comments from multinational manufacturers, including General Electric Co and Honeywell International Inc, that the economic recovery remains tenuous and tepid at best.

Caterpillar's retail dealers are selling off inventories, rather than buying new machines, forcing the company to idle some production at plants in Illinois, executives said on Monday.

"As we've moved through the year, we've seen continued economic weakening and uncertainty," Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman said in a statement.

Caterpillar does not expect the global economy to begin to improve until the second half of 2013, he added.

Shares rose 1.1 percent to $84.80 in Monday morning trading after sharp drops in premarket trading and a nearly 2 percent at the opening bell. Several Wall Street analysts said Caterpillar stock remained a good investment due to long-term infrastructure spending needs.

The company posted better-than-expected third-quarter profit on a rebound in U.S. sales of heavy equipment from a 30-year low. Europe and parts of Latin America remain tough regions for Caterpillar.

The weakening euro zone is the "most significant" risk to the company's 2013 outlook, executives said. China, though, appears to "to be on the edge of something of a recovery," Oberhelman said in an interview with CNBC.

Caterpillar's growth is closely linked to global macroeconomic trends, which are now trending "flat-to-down," said Longbow Research analyst Eli Lustgarten.

"They've been muddling through this kind of weak environment," he said of Caterpillar.

The company expects sales of mining equipment to slip in 2013 as falling metal and coal prices force companies to pull back on production. Sales of construction equipment should improve next year, especially in emerging markets.

And sales of power generators should be flat next year, Caterpillar executives said. The three areas each comprise roughly one-third of the company's sales.

For the third quarter, Caterpillar posted profit of $1.7 billion, or $2.54 per share, compared with $1.14 billion, or $1.71 per share, in the year-ago period.

Excluding one-time items, the company earned $2.26 per share. By that measure, analysts expected $2.22, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 5 percent to $16.45 billion. Analysts looked for $16.77 billion.

For 2012, the company now expects to earn $9 to $9.25 per share on sales of $66 billion. The company had previously looked for about $9.60 per share.

Analysts estimated 2012 profit of $9.40 per share on revenue of $67.64 billion.

It was the second time the 2012 forecast had been cut this year.

Caterpillar spooked markets at a major industry conference last month, when it looked three years into the future and slashed its earnings forecast for 2015. Oberhelman blamed an "anemic" economic outlook, especially in the mining sector.

The results come the week after Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar announced a wave of senior executive retirements, including two members of its leadership team.

(Reporting By Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/caterpillar-third-quarter-profit-jumps-50-percent-strong-114149596--sector.html

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You betcha: Fargo awaits TV version of hit movie

FARGO, N.D. (AP) ? Ask folks in Fargo what they first thought about the 1996 movie that made their city famous, and some will tell you they were not fans.

Some residents initially didn't appreciate the Coen brothers' dark humor or were offended by the extreme violence and depiction of Scandinavian culture. Not to mention those heavy accents on "you betcha" and "ya sure."

But the fame and cash it brought Fargo eventually brought the city around. Now, 16 years later, Fargo awaits the debut of a new cable television show by the same name, and many residents here are less apprehensive about how their hometown will be portrayed this time around. Just ask Kristin Rudrud.

"Anything the Coen brothers are going to be involved in is going to be brilliant," said Rudrud, 57, who played a supporting role in the movie and has a hankering to promote everything about her hometown. "And they love Fargo. They love this area. So it will be done in a very fun and loving way."

The Oscar-winning film starred Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of murders, and William H. Macy as a car salesman who hires two criminals, played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, to kidnap his wife. In one of the final scenes, Stormare feeds Buscemi's body into a wood chipper.

Though the movie made Fargo a household name for many across the country, it wasn't a sure bet when it premiered at the Fargo Theater in 1996. The theater was quiet inside and some moviegoers were offended, said Margie Bailly, who was executive director of the Fargo Theater at the time. Some residents even walked out.

"Those of us who were laughing were a little lonely," she said.

But locals later warmed up as the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and Fargo started to see the benefits from all the publicity. The theater hosted a free Oscar party with a polka band and Jell-O treats that Entertainment Weekly billed as one of the top soirees of the evening.

That event was publicized in several countries, and Fargo cashed in. Donations flowed for the theater's restoration, which dovetailed with plans to revitalize the city's downtown.

Sixteen years later, travelers looking to see the real Fargo still swing through, with many flocking to take a picture next to the iconic wood chipper, autographed on the chute by the Coen brothers and displayed at the city's main tourism center. Tourism staff hand out ear-flap hats to tourists and take pictures of them stuffing the leg of a mannequin into the Yard Shark.

"A good majority of people come in here just looking for the wood chipper," said Jayne Rieth, who works at the tourism center. She didn't like the movie on the big screen, but watched it at home recently so she could be better informed at work. And the tourism center and shops around town sell plenty of wood chipper T-shirts, shot glasses, koozies, mugs and ? of course ? ice scrapers.

City boosters hope the TV show, which will be produced by Minnesota-born filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen, will add to the notoriety. No timeline has been announced by the FX Network, and John Solberg, FX's senior vice president of public relations, did not return messages left by The Associated Press.

"I don't know how it can be a bad thing for us," said Charley Johnson, president and CEO of the city's convention and visitor's bureau. "People still talk about the movie all the time."

Larry Gauper, of Fargo, a retired health insurance executive, also thinks most people are looking forward to the TV show.

"There are some people who don't like us sort of being mocked or being made fun of, but I think most people really appreciate the attention Fargo gets," Gauper said.

But Fargo movie fan Marnie Piehl wonders if the city has changed too much ? thanks to population growth and a revitalized downtown with high-end restaurants and bars serving craft beer and organic vegetables ? that it no longer makes sense to situate the TV show here. McDormand's character would have left Fargo years ago, Piehl said.

"That may sound funny to someone from New York, but it just doesn't fit for me anymore," she said. "The North Dakota story is not the Marge Gunderson story anymore."

Though details about the plot and characters in the FX show are scant, that hasn't many stopped Fargo residents from speculating about it.

Mayor Dennis Walaker said his favorite character is the sheriff, and hopes McDormand gets a prominent role. And although Rudrud's character, Macy's wife, was killed off in the movie, she joked that there might be room for her in the adaptation.

"Well, I haven't been chopped up," she said. "There's always a possibility."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/betcha-fargo-awaits-tv-version-hit-movie-164712231.html

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Video: Libya could be a key issue in foreign policy debate

Fungal meningitis clues may predict who's sick

??Some 14,000 patients who received tainted pain shots tied to a growing outbreak of fungal meningitis soon could have better clues about whether they?re likely to get sick, health officials said. The outbreak has caused 297 infections and 23 deaths in 16 states.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49509476#49509476

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Microsoft Announces Heavily Discounted Office 365 University Edition For Students, $80 For 4 Years

Over 22 million students currently use Microsoft's Office 365 for Education online services, but today, the company is also announcing a new - and highly discounted - version of Office 365 for students whose schools don't use Office 365. Office 365 University will cost just $79.99 for a four-year subscription and will give students access to all the standard Office products, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/coALYYuJcvQ/

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Twist put focus on physical therapy [Video] - NashuaTelegraph.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The process planted a seed of interest, and before Holland knew it, he was studying physical therapy at the University of Lowell (now UMass- Lowell). That's where Holland and his wife, Michelle, met, and by 1992, they had opened their own ...

Source: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/sports/localsports/979624-457/twist-put-focus-on-physical-therapy.html

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Last trial under way at Yugoslav war crimes court

FILE - In this July 25, 2011 file photo Goran Hadzic is seen in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia( ICTY) during his initial appearance in The Hague, Netherlands. Twenty years after war in Croatia catapulted Hadzic from warehouse worker to rebel Serb president, he is in the dock in the final trial at the ICTY. Hadzic's trial, in its second day Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, underscores that international courts, often maligned for their failure to get suspects into custody, can bring to justice once-untouchable leaders accused of atrocities. Hadzic is defendant number 161, out of 161 indicted, to go on trial at the Yugoslav tribunal. (AP Photo/Jerry Lampen, Pool, File)

FILE - In this July 25, 2011 file photo Goran Hadzic is seen in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia( ICTY) during his initial appearance in The Hague, Netherlands. Twenty years after war in Croatia catapulted Hadzic from warehouse worker to rebel Serb president, he is in the dock in the final trial at the ICTY. Hadzic's trial, in its second day Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, underscores that international courts, often maligned for their failure to get suspects into custody, can bring to justice once-untouchable leaders accused of atrocities. Hadzic is defendant number 161, out of 161 indicted, to go on trial at the Yugoslav tribunal. (AP Photo/Jerry Lampen, Pool, File)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? Twenty years after war in Croatia catapulted Goran Hadzic from warehouse worker to rebel Serb president, he is in the dock in the final trial of the tribunal set up to prosecute war crimes committed during the bloody conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

His trial, in its second day Wednesday, underscores that international courts, often maligned for their failure to get suspects into custody, can bring to justice once-untouchable leaders accused of atrocities ? given time and support from the international community.

Hadzic, an ethnic Serb, was arrested last year in northern Serbia after more than seven years on the run and has pled not guilty to involvement in the murder of hundreds of Croats and expulsion of tens of thousands more from their homeland. He is the last of the 161 suspects indicted by the Yugoslav tribunal to go on trial.

Param-Preet Singh of Human Rights Watch said the Hadzic trial is "the beginning of the end" for the tribunal, which is aiming to close its doors as it completes its final trials in coming years.

The fact that it took 20 years to reach the court's last trial, "is a good reminder that justice takes time, but it does catch up with perpetrators once states are willing to back it up," Singh added.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia was the first war crimes court set up since the aftermath of World War II and helped lay the legal foundations for the permanent International Criminal Court.

The court has convicted 64 suspects, acquitted 13, sent 13 for trial in local courts and withdrawn indictments against 36, including 16 who died after being charged. Eighteen suspects are on trial and 17 are appealing their convictions.

The ICC, meanwhile, has issued 22 arrest warrants but only five suspects ? one of them while he appeals his conviction ? are in custody a decade after its establishment.

Spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic said Wednesday prosecutors plan to call 85 witnesses to testify against Hadzic and have been granted 175 hours to present their case.

As Hadzic's trial got under way Tuesday, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic began his defense case in a neighboring courtroom. Karadzic's wartime commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, is also on trial. All three men were arrested in Serbia after years as fugitives from international justice.

Analysts say international pressure on Belgrade, which was blocked from European Union membership until it arrested all fugitives indicted by the tribunal ? a policy known as conditionality ? was key in getting the likes of Karadzic and Mladic into custody.

"It just goes to show that conditionality can deliver results when states stand firm and maintain pressure. It's not rocket science," said Singh.

The tribunal's president, Theodor Meron, conceded at the United Nations this week that the court was "little more than an ideal" when it was set up in 1993, "an expression of the outrage of the international community at the atrocities that were being broadcast on television screens" from the bloody Balkan wars.

But Meron said that from its humble beginnings the court had helped forge a new global legal order for perpetrators of atrocities in which, "the question is not if but when and where they will be called to account."

In many cases, the "where" is hoped to be the International Criminal Court, currently housed in a telecom company's former headquarters on the eastern outskirts of The Hague.

Like the Yugoslav court, it has no police force and has to rely on national police forces to arrest suspects.

That is part of the reason the ICC is still waiting for some of its key suspects, including Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, to be detained and sent to The Hague for trial.

Singh said the Yugoslav tribunal's success should give the International Criminal Court hope it will eventually get its suspects.

"Sudan is going to be a longer process but these indictments can contribute to a marginalization of these actors which over the long term can ultimately lead to their arrest," she said.

Christophe Paulussen, a senior researcher into international humanitarian and criminal law at the Hague-based T.M.C. Asser Instituut, said he has a wanted poster from the Yugoslav tribunal showing 25 suspects still being hunted in 2000 that was updated in 2011 with the words "No fugitives."

"It is a clear sign that international justice, even though it is not perfect, is functioning," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-17-EU-War-Crimes-Balkans/id-e1dfc68e72c84e44a540348aad375ff8

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Pollenizer research should help seedless watermelon farmers

Public release date: 16-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University

Research from North Carolina State University on flower production and disease resistance in watermelon varieties should help bolster seedless watermelon harvests for farmers.

Seedless watermelons are more popular than seeded watermelons, making them a more profitable crop for farmers. But the flowers of seedless watermelon plants must be fertilized with pollen from the male flowers of seeded watermelon plants, because seedless plants do not produce genetically viable pollen.

This is a problem, because seeded watermelon plants take up space, nutrients and water that farmers would rather devote to seedless plants. Furthermore, farmers have to take steps to ensure that they don't mix up the seedless and seeded watermelons at harvest time and find a market for those less valuable seeded watermelons.

Over the past 10 years, farmers have increasingly turned to varieties of seeded watermelons that produce pollen to fertilize the seedless plants, but that also grow very small, inedible fruit that doesn't have to be harvested and doesn't take up much space in the field. These varieties are called "pollenizers" because they are grown solely to provide pollen for the seedless watermelons.

In this study, researchers from NC State and Purdue University set out to address three questions. First, they wanted to know which pollenizer varieties produce the most male flowers, since male flowers may serve as an indicator of pollen production.

Second, at what rate does each variety produce male flowers over the course of a growing season? This is important because farmers want to time their planting so that the female flowers of seedless watermelons are blooming at the same time as the male flowers of the pollenizers.

Third, they wanted to know which pollenizers are most resistant to a fungal infection of the roots called Fusarium wilt which can kill a plant. The more resistant a variety is to Fusarium wilt, the more likely it is that the plant will avoid becoming infected and go on to produce plenty of pollen.

The researchers found that three varieties of pollenizers produced the most male flowers over the course of a season: 'SP-1,' 'Sidekick' and '5WDL 6146.' Two 'Sidekick' and '5WDL 6146' also showed relatively low rates of infection when exposed to Fusarium.

The study found that several other varieties were even more resistant to Fusarium wilt, including 'Ace' and 'Pinnacle' but they produced fewer male flowers.

"All in all, this should help farmers make informed decisions about which pollenizers to plant with their seedless watermelons," says Dr. Chris Gunter, assistant professor of horticultural science at NC State and lead author of the paper. "A lot depends on the conditions in their fields, such as whether the fields have a history of Fusarium wilt."

###

The paper, "Staminate Flower Production and Fusarium Wilt Reaction of Diploid Cultivars used as Pollenizers for Triploid Watermelon," was co-authored by Dr. Daniel Egel of Purdue and is published in the October issue of HortTechnology.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 16-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University

Research from North Carolina State University on flower production and disease resistance in watermelon varieties should help bolster seedless watermelon harvests for farmers.

Seedless watermelons are more popular than seeded watermelons, making them a more profitable crop for farmers. But the flowers of seedless watermelon plants must be fertilized with pollen from the male flowers of seeded watermelon plants, because seedless plants do not produce genetically viable pollen.

This is a problem, because seeded watermelon plants take up space, nutrients and water that farmers would rather devote to seedless plants. Furthermore, farmers have to take steps to ensure that they don't mix up the seedless and seeded watermelons at harvest time and find a market for those less valuable seeded watermelons.

Over the past 10 years, farmers have increasingly turned to varieties of seeded watermelons that produce pollen to fertilize the seedless plants, but that also grow very small, inedible fruit that doesn't have to be harvested and doesn't take up much space in the field. These varieties are called "pollenizers" because they are grown solely to provide pollen for the seedless watermelons.

In this study, researchers from NC State and Purdue University set out to address three questions. First, they wanted to know which pollenizer varieties produce the most male flowers, since male flowers may serve as an indicator of pollen production.

Second, at what rate does each variety produce male flowers over the course of a growing season? This is important because farmers want to time their planting so that the female flowers of seedless watermelons are blooming at the same time as the male flowers of the pollenizers.

Third, they wanted to know which pollenizers are most resistant to a fungal infection of the roots called Fusarium wilt which can kill a plant. The more resistant a variety is to Fusarium wilt, the more likely it is that the plant will avoid becoming infected and go on to produce plenty of pollen.

The researchers found that three varieties of pollenizers produced the most male flowers over the course of a season: 'SP-1,' 'Sidekick' and '5WDL 6146.' Two 'Sidekick' and '5WDL 6146' also showed relatively low rates of infection when exposed to Fusarium.

The study found that several other varieties were even more resistant to Fusarium wilt, including 'Ace' and 'Pinnacle' but they produced fewer male flowers.

"All in all, this should help farmers make informed decisions about which pollenizers to plant with their seedless watermelons," says Dr. Chris Gunter, assistant professor of horticultural science at NC State and lead author of the paper. "A lot depends on the conditions in their fields, such as whether the fields have a history of Fusarium wilt."

###

The paper, "Staminate Flower Production and Fusarium Wilt Reaction of Diploid Cultivars used as Pollenizers for Triploid Watermelon," was co-authored by Dr. Daniel Egel of Purdue and is published in the October issue of HortTechnology.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/ncsu-prs101612.php

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Jeter breaks ankle in ALCS, out for postseason

Trainer Steve Donohue, second from left, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, second from right, help Derek Jeter off the field after he injured himself during Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York. New York Yankees' Robinson Cano, left, and Eric Chavez stood by. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Trainer Steve Donohue, second from left, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, second from right, help Derek Jeter off the field after he injured himself during Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York. New York Yankees' Robinson Cano, left, and Eric Chavez stood by. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter reacts after injuring himself in the 12th inning of Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers early Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya )

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter injures himself fielding a ball in the 12th inning of Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers early Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Trainer Steve Donohue, left, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, right, help Derek Jeter off the field after he injured himself during Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya )

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter reacts after injuring himself in the 12th inning of Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers early Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya )

NEW YORK (AP) ? Delirious only minutes earlier, fans at Yankee Stadium sat stunned in utter disbelief while they watched Derek Jeter being helped off the field, his left leg dangling.

Their worst fears were met, too. The durable captain broke his left ankle in the 12th inning of the AL championship series opener Saturday night and is out for the rest of the postseason.

"It's kind of crushing," outfielder Nick Swisher said.

Three innings after Raul Ibanez sent the 47,122 in Yankee Stadium into a frenzy with a tying two-run homer, the New York shortstop silenced the crowd when he went down and didn't get up after making a tumbling stop on Jhonny Peralta's grounder.

That feel-good moment was gone in a flash.

Jeter took four steps to his left for the sharp grounder, landing hard on his left foot, falling and wincing in pain as he flipped the ball toward second base. He then rolled onto his stomach, and a collective gasp was heard when the player who symbolizes championship baseball didn't get up.

Jeter remained on his side, rolling slightly, as trainer Steve Donahue and manager Joe Girardi checked him out. He was helped up, and he put an arm around Girardi and Donahue. They coaxed him off the field, with Jeter not moving his left leg as chants of "Derek Jeter!" rang out.

"You can see the disappointment in his face," Girardi said after the 6-4 loss.

A teammate on three World Series championship teams, Girardi wanted to carry Jeter off the field but he would have none of it ? not the player who has always been reluctant to sit and prides himself on playing through pain.

"He said, 'No, do not carry me.' That is the kind of guy he is," Girardi said.

Girardi said the injury won't jeopardize Jeter's career. But the recovery will be about three months.

Now if the Yankees are going to go deep in the postseason, they'll have to do it without the five-time World Series champion for the first time in 16 years.

Tigers outfielder Delmon Young found it difficult to watch one the game's greats leaving the field in the manner Jeter did.

"He is an idol for many baseball players," Young said.

Jeter has been a constant in the Yankees' lineup since he was Rookie of the Year in 1996. In fact, the 2000 World Series MVP has played in all 157 of New York's postseason games since then.

That's over now.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate his toughness and his grit," Girardi said. "It's, to me, a great example for everyone. And I am not just talking about athletes, I am just talking about everyone that goes through struggles in life or goes through pain in life."

Already missing career saves leader Mariano Rivera from those five championship teams since early May because he tore a ligament in his knee shagging flyballs, the Yankees will activate Eduardo Nunez before Game 2 of the series Sunday. Jayson Nix is expected to start at shortstop.

"It's a tough loss, but it's not going to be something that we're going to, you know, let it derail us," general manager Brian Cashman said. "But it's tough to lose, obviously, any important player, and Derek's obviously been as important as anybody. But now he's been taken out, so Nix has got to go in there and we've got a lot of confidence in Nix."

Jeter was the designated hitter in Game 4 of the AL division series after fouling a ball off the same foot the previous night and had to come out after the eighth inning. It was the first time he didn't start a playoff game at shortstop, as Nix got the nod in his place.

"I saw him flip the ball to Robbie (Cano), and you figure he's going to get back up," Swisher said. "When he didn't was when I knew something was wrong and you know he wanted to get up and get off the field as quickly as he possibly could."

Written off as an aging star after slumping in 2010, Jeter struggled to adapt to a no-stride swing in '11 before going on the disabled list for only the fifth time in his 17 full seasons in the big leagues with a calf injury. He returned revitalized, getting his 3,000th hit and finishing strong.

This year, Jeter had a remarkable season for a 38-year-old, batting .316 with a league-leading 216 hits. He carried that over to the postseason, hitting .364 against the Orioles.

Earlier Saturday, Jeter became the first player in baseball history to reach 200 hits in the postseason with a single in the second off Doug Fister. He was left stranded, though, a common problem for the Yankees these playoffs.

With Alex Rodriguez benched, and Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Swisher in playoff funks, Jeter was one of the few constants ? getting help from late-game guru Ibanez ? in the Yankees' lineup.

"You've got to come back," Ibanez said. "He's obviously a great player and a huge part of the team and a captain. But, at the same time, you try to move forward, fight and come back, and the guys will have to step up."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-14-ALCS-Yankees-Jeter%20Injured/id-e7b89620d4e643fe82fe20ac642feb93

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make money online: Internet Billion Dollars Review - What is Internet ...

It has been noticed with huge amount of attention that the internet world is rapidly moving towards a very advanced stage. Even a billion dollars can be made through the internet. To earn a million dollars through the internet is quite and rather easy now. This piece of writing will tell the readers regarding the book of Eric Trejo named by Internet Billion Dollars that has captured the attention of the individuals. The release date of this book is 20th October, 2012 which is somewhat nearby, so if you have been interested in this guide, you will want to keep a note of when it will be available for download. This particular book consists some useful tips and tactics that will help and guide the individuals to start earning online dollars with affiliate marketing. Internet Billion Dollars is quite an exciting and practical book for those who need to create an online income. It comprises of four basic strategies that will guide the individuals to make money using the internet as a platform.

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Source: http://freigeld.blogspot.com/2012/10/internet-billion-dollars-review-what-is.html

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Movie Review: Democracy on the March? | Movies & TV | Arts ...

A Whisper to a Roar

By Joe Bendel Created: October 12, 2012 Last Updated: October 12, 2012

Freedom and democracy are not the same things, but they tend to go together. Democracy advocates in Venezuela, Malaysia, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Ukraine understand only too well how their repressive regimes use rigged elections to legitimize their rule.?

Largely informed by the writings of Hoover Institute fellow Larry Diamond and the expelled Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco, Emmy-winning filmmaker Ben Moses follows the struggle for free and fair democracies in all five countries throughout ?A Whisper to a Roar,? which opens this Friday in New York.

?Whisper? uses an animated fable as a framing device that illustrates how the corrupting influence of power makes today?s hero tomorrow?s despot. Indeed, Hosni Mubarak might have been popular immediately after the Sadat assassination, and Hugo Chavez might have been legitimately elected originally?but that was then.?

Up until the Arab Spring, elections in Egypt never involved alternative candidates. They were simply an up or down referendum on retaining Mubarak. Likewise, Chavez has rigged the Venezuelan electoral system through the mother of all gerrymandering and forcibly silenced the independent press.

Probably nobody interviewed in ?Roar? has paid a higher price for their advocacy than former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was twice arrested and tried on trumped-up sodomy charges, a transparent attempt to make him socially radioactive in a country where Islam is the official state religion. Yet, Malaysia seems to be one of the two countries that have made the most progress towards democratic reform, along with Zimbabwe.

When longtime dictator Robert Mugabe finally agreed to share power with reformist Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, it represented a dramatic victory for the opposition. However, that victory came at a high cost, after militias loyal to Mugabe systematically beat and killed supporters of Tsvangirai?s party across the country.?

Mugabe?s cynical land reform proposals, clearly intended to stoke racial resentment, also offer a textbook example of how dictators resort to demagoguery to hold on to power.

Most frustrating is the case of Ukraine, where Viktor Yushchenko survived a poisoning attempt to lead the Orange Revolution, temporarily sweeping the neo-Soviet government out of office. Unfortunately, divisions within the Orange coalition opened the door for the old regime?s return in the next election, fair and square.?

As journalist-turned-opposition-deputy Andriy Shevchenko trenchantly observes, winning freedoms is an arduous process, but surrendering them is quick and easy.

While ?Roar? obviously has an agenda, it is one that just about all people of good conscience will buy into. It features some valuable on-camera interviews with prominent world figures, including Yushchenko, Tsvangirai, and Ibrahim, as well as boots-on-the-ground activists, such as Roberto Pati?o in Venezuela. Even the animated transitions, narrated by Alfred Molina, are rendered with more style than you might expect.?

The only problem with ?Roar? is hardly Moses?s fault. Each of these stories is still very much developing. Despite hopeful signs in Zimbabwe and Malaysia, Venezuela has only gotten worse, while Ukraine has taken one step forward and then one step back, whereas Egypt remains an open question.?

As a result, the five strands do not parallel each other very well and none has a satisfying sense of closure. Of course, Moses and his colleagues would surely like nothing better than to produce happy epilogues for each country, for reasons beyond the cinematic. As things stand, they interwove their stories rather well.?

Informative and remarkably even-handed, the film is a very watchable status report on the state of undemocratic democracy. Recommended fairly highly for general news junkies and those particularly interested in any of the five subject countries, ?A Whisper to a Roar? opens this Friday (Oct. 12) in New York at the Quad Cinema.

Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit?http://jbspins.blogspot.com

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/movie-review-democracy-on-the-march-302849.html

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The marshmallow study revisited: Delaying gratification depends as much on nurture as on nature

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) ? For the past four decades, the "marshmallow test" has served as a classic experimental measure of children's self-control: will a preschooler eat one of the fluffy white confections now or hold out for two later?

Now a new study demonstrates that being able to delay gratification is influenced as much by the environment as by innate ability. Children who experienced reliable interactions immediately before the marshmallow task waited on average four times longer -- 12 versus three minutes -- than youngsters in similar but unreliable situations.

"Our results definitely temper the popular perception that marshmallow-like tasks are very powerful diagnostics for self-control capacity," says Celeste Kidd, a doctoral candidate in brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester and lead author on the study to be published online October 11 in the journal Cognition.

"Being able to delay gratification -- in this case to wait 15 difficult minutes to earn a second marshmallow -- not only reflects a child's capacity for self-control, it also reflects their belief about the practicality of waiting," says Kidd. "Delaying gratification is only the rational choice if the child believes a second marshmallow is likely to be delivered after a reasonably short delay."

The findings provide an important reminder about the complexity of human behavior, adds coauthor Richard Aslin, the William R. Kenan Professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University. "This study is an example of both nature and nurture playing a role," he says. "We know that to some extent, temperament is clearly inherited, because infants differ in their behaviors from birth. But this experiment provides robust evidence that young children's action are also based on rational decisions about their environment."

The research builds on a long series of marshmallow-related studies that began at Stanford University in the late 1960s. Walter Mischel and other researchers famously showed that individual differences in the ability to delay gratification on this simple task correlated strongly with success in later life. Longer wait times as a child were linked years later to higher SAT scores, less substance abuse, and parental reports of better social skills.

Because of the surprising correlation, the landmark marshmallow studies have been cited as evidence that qualities like self-control or emotional intelligence in general may be more important to navigating life successfully than more traditional measures of intelligence, such as IQ.

The Rochester team wanted to explore more closely why some preschoolers are able to resist the marshmallow while others succumb to licking, nibbling, and eventually swallowing the sugary treat. The researchers assigned 28 three- to five-year-olds to two contrasting environments: unreliable and reliable. The study results were so strong that a larger sample group was not required to ensure statistical accuracy and other factors, like the influence of hunger, were accounted for by randomly assigning participants to the two groups, according to the researchers. In both groups the children were given a create-your-own-cup kit and asked to decorate the blank paper that would be inserted in the cup.

In the unreliable condition, the children were provided a container of used crayons and told that if they could wait, the researcher would return shortly with a bigger and better set of new art supplies for their project. After two and a half minutes, the research returned with this explanation: "I'm sorry, but I made a mistake. We don't have any other art supplies after all. But why don't you use these instead?" She then helped to open the crayon container.

Next a quarter-inch sticker was placed on the table and the child was told that if he or she could wait, the researcher would return with a large selection of better stickers to use. After the same wait, the researcher again returned empty handed.

The reliable group experienced the same set up, but the researcher returned with the promised materials: first with a rotating tray full of art supplies and the next time with five to seven large, die-cut stickers.

The marshmallow task followed, with the explanation that the child could have "one marshmallow right now. Or -- if you can wait for me to get more marshmallows from the other room -- you can have two marshmallows to eat instead." The researcher removed the art supplies and placed a single marshmallow in a small desert dish four inches from the table's edge directly in front of the child. From an adjoining room, the researchers and the parent observed through a computer video camera until the first taste or 15 minutes had lapsed, whichever came first. All children then received three additional marshmallows.

"Watching their strategies for waiting was quite entertaining," says Holly Palmeri, coauthor and coordinator of the Rochester Baby Lab. Kids danced in their seats, sang, and took pretend naps. Several took a bite from the bottom of the marshmallow then placed it back in the desert cup so it looked untouched. A few then nibbled off the top, forgetting they could then longer hide the evidence since both ends were eaten, she said.

"We had one little boy who grabbed the marshmallow immediately and we thought he was going to eat it," recalled Kidd. Instead he sat on it. "Instead of covering his eyes, he covered the marshmallow."

Children who experienced unreliable interactions with an experimenter waited for a mean time of three minutes and two seconds on the subsequent marshmallow task, while youngsters who experienced reliable interactions held out for 12 minutes and two seconds. Only one of the 14 children in the unreliable group waited the full 15 minutes, compared to nine children in the reliable condition.

"I was astounded that the effect was so large," says Aslin. "I thought that we might get a difference of maybe a minute or so? You don't see effects like this very often."

In prior research, children's wait time averaged between 6.08 and 5.71 minutes, the authors report. By comparison, manipulating the environment doubled wait times in the reliable condition and halved the time in the unreliable scenario. Previous studies that explored the effect of teaching children waiting strategies showed smaller effects, the authors report. Hiding the treat from view boosted wait times by 3.75 minutes, while encouraging children to think about the larger reward added 2.53 minutes.

The robust effect of manipulating the environment, conclude the authors, provides strong evidence that children's wait times reflect rational decision making about the probability of reward. The results are consistent with other research showing that children are sensitive to uncertainly in future rewards and with population studies showing children with absent fathers prefer more immediate rewards over larger but delayed ones.

The findings, says Kidd, are reassuring. She recalls reading about the predictive power of these earlier experiments years ago and finding it "depressing." At the time she was volunteering at a homeless shelter for families in Santa Ana, California. "There were lots of kids staying there with their families. Everyone shared one big area, so keeping personal possessions safe was difficult," she says. "When one child got a toy or treat, there was a real risk of a bigger, faster kid taking it away. I read about these studies and I thought, 'All of these kids would eat the marshmallow right away.' "

But as she observed the children week after week, she began to question the task as a marker of innate ability alone. "If you are used to getting things taken away from you, not waiting is the rational choice. Then it occurred to me that the marshmallow task might be correlated with something else that the child already knows -- like having a stable environment."

So does that mean that if little ones gobble up desert without waiting, as is typical of preschoolers, parents should worry that they have failed to be role models of reliability every minute?

Not necessarily, say the researchers. "Children do monitor the behavior of parents and adults, but it is unlikely that they are keeping detailed records of every single action," says Aslin. "It's the overall sense of a parent's reliability or unreliability that's going to get through, not every single action."

Adds Kidd: "Don't do the marshmallow test on your kitchen table and conclude something about your child. It especially would not work with a parent, because your child has all sorts of strong expectations about what a person who loves them very much is likely to do."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Rochester.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Celeste Kidd, Holly Palmeri, Richard N. Aslin. Rational snacking: Young children?s decision-making on the marshmallow task is moderated by beliefs about environmental reliability. Cognition, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2012.08.004

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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/most_popular/~3/Ygx8s09pm0k/121011090655.htm

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