In an effort to give some visual pizazz to the often dry world of regional metrics, Google has announced a new trends map for its YouTube viewers. While the top video (True Blood's season six teaser, if you're asking) currently dominates across the (for now, US-only) map, there are some Walking Dead fans that can't get enough bad lip-reading in the North-West. An upgrade from YouTube's Trends Dashboard, the Trends Map can be tweaked for gender and age profiles, with scrollable bars showing the number of regions in which a video has claimed the top spot. While we're still not sure how YouTube is assigning the regions just yet, take a look at what's popular in your locale at the source below.
By Alasdair Fotheringham ISCHIA, Italy, May 5 (Reuters) - Team Sky took a morale-boosting victory in the Giro d'Italia team time trial as overall contender Bradley Wiggins moved up to second overall and gained time on his rivals on Sunday. Second in the short, hilly and very technical second stage were Spanish squad Movistar, nine seconds back, with Astana, led by Wiggins's key rival Vincenzo Nibali, third at 14 seconds. The first Team Sky rider to cross the line in Saturday's first stage, Italian Salvatore Puccio, took the overall leader's pink jersey. ...
May 7, 2013 ? Having a neighborly chat improves seed germination, finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology. Even when other known means of communication, such as contact, chemical and light-mediated signals, are blocked chilli seeds grow better when grown with basil plants. This suggests that plants are talking via nanomechanical vibrations.
Monica Gagliano and Michael Renton from the University of Western Australia attempted to grow chilli seeds (Capsicum annuum) in the presence or absence of other chilli plants, or basil (Ocimum basilicum). In the absence of a neighboring plant, germination rates were very low, but when the plants were able to openly communicate with the seeds more seedlings grew.
However when the seeds were separated from the basil plants with black plastic, so that they could not be influenced by either light or chemical signals, they germinated as though they could still communicate with the basil. A partial response was seen for fully grown chilli plants blocked from known communication with the seeds.
Dr Gagliano explained, "Our results show that plants are able to positively influence growth of seeds by some as yet unknown mechanism. Bad neighbors, such as fennel, prevent chilli seed germination in the same way. We believe that the answer may involve acoustic signals generated using nanomechanical oscillations from inside the cell which allow rapid communication between nearby plants."
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Journal Reference:
Monica Gagliano and Michael Renton. Love thy neighbour: facilitation through an alternative signalling modality in plants. BMC Ecology, 2013 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-19
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One of the most harrowing final scenes in all of opera is the ending of Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites," when the nuns condemned by the French Revolution walk one by one to the scaffold, singing a gradually thinning chorus punctuated by the slashing sounds of a guillotine.
So emotionally drained was the audience at Saturday afternoon's performance at the Metropolitan Opera that silence lingered in the house for several moments after the curtain fell. Only then did tumultuous applause erupt for the terrific performance that had just taken place.
But there is another death scene much earlier in the opera that is almost as wrenching. As the old prioress, Madame de Croissy, lies writhing on her deathbed, she cries out that God has forsaken her and the Carmelite order. As vividly portrayed by the veteran mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer, the agonies and blasphemies of the prioress were painful and even shocking to witness.
Palmer was part of a uniformly strong cast the Met assembled for this revival of the classic John Dexter production, first seen in 1977 and absent from the stage for a decade.
As Blanche, mezzo Isabel Leonard sounded vibrant, even if she didn't always capture the vulnerability of the young postulant who struggles with her fear of death. Though the role was written for soprano, it is often taken by mezzos, and Leonard matched her rich lower register with secure high notes. Her voice contrasted nicely with the light soprano of Erin Morley, who was captivating as Sister Constance, the cheerful country girl who comforts Blanche.
Soprano Patricia Racette brought a sense of serenity and strength to the role of Madame Lidoine, who succeeds the old prioress and leads the nuns to their martyrdom. Mezzo Elizabeth Bishop sang with plush tone as Mother Marie, who is prevented by fate from joining her sisters in death. Baritone David Pittsinger etched a sympathetic cameo as Blanche's aristocratic father, and as her brother, tenor Paul Appleby sang with honeyed tone in the scene where he bids Blanche farewell ? the closest thing this opera has to a love duet.
Conductor Louis Langree led the orchestra in a wonderfully idiomatic account of the haunting and lushly melodic score.
Dexter's staging looks barely touched by time and remains a marvel of simplicity, starting with the opening image of 13 nuns lying prostrate with arms outstretched on a raised wooden platform shaped like a cross. It reportedly cost less than $100,000 at the time ? mere pocket change compared with many lavish and less effective productions that have come and gone from the Met stage since.
"Dialogues," first performed at La Scala in 1957, is one of a handful of post-1950 operas that have found a permanent place in the repertory. It's a shame the Met scheduled only three performances in the closing days of the season. Let's hope it won't be another 10 years before we see it again.
Study raises concerns that teen athletes continue to play with concussion symptomsPublic release date: 6-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Feuer jim.feuer@cchmc.org 513-636-4656 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Despite knowing the risk of serious injury from playing football with a concussion, half of high school football players would continue to play if they had a headache stemming from an injury sustained on the field.
In a new study, physicians from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center also report that approximately half of athletes wouldn't report concussion symptoms to a coach.
The study will be presented May 6 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington, DC.
"We aren't yet at the point where we can make specific policy recommendations for sports teams, but this study raises concerns that young athletes may not report symptoms of concussions," says Brit Anderson, MD, an emergency medicine fellow at Cincinnati Children's and the study's lead author. "Other approaches, such as an increased use of sideline screening by coaches or athletic trainers, might be needed to identify injured athletes."
Dr. Anderson and colleagues at Cincinnati Children's surveyed 120 high school football players. Thirty reported having suffered a concussion, and 82 reported receiving prior concussion education. The vast majority of athletes recognized headaches, dizziness, difficulty with memory, difficulty concentrating, and sensitivity to light and sound as concussion symptoms. More than 90 percent recognized the risk of serious injury if they returned to play too quickly.
Despite these high levels of awareness, 53 percent responded that they would "always or sometimes continue to play with a headache sustained from an injury," and only 54 percent indicated they would "always or sometimes report symptoms of a concussion to their coach."
"Further study on concussion education in adolescent athletes and on ways to identify high school athletes who have sustained a concussion would be useful," says Dr. Anderson.
It is estimated that up to 3.8 million recreation- and sport-related concussions occur in the United States annually. Concussions represent an estimated 8.9 percent of all high school athletic injuries.
In 2009, the state of Washington passed the first comprehensive law regarding concussion management in young athletes. This law requires school boards, in conjunction with the state interscholastic activity association, to develop educational materials and guidelines for athletes, coaches, and parents. The law also requires that parents and athletes sign an informed-consent form acknowledging the dangers of concussions before participation in sports. Under the law, an athlete must be removed from any game if suspected of having a concussion and may not return until evaluated and given clearance to return to play from a licensed health care professional. Many other states have subsequently either passed or are considering similar legislation.
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Study raises concerns that teen athletes continue to play with concussion symptomsPublic release date: 6-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Feuer jim.feuer@cchmc.org 513-636-4656 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Despite knowing the risk of serious injury from playing football with a concussion, half of high school football players would continue to play if they had a headache stemming from an injury sustained on the field.
In a new study, physicians from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center also report that approximately half of athletes wouldn't report concussion symptoms to a coach.
The study will be presented May 6 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington, DC.
"We aren't yet at the point where we can make specific policy recommendations for sports teams, but this study raises concerns that young athletes may not report symptoms of concussions," says Brit Anderson, MD, an emergency medicine fellow at Cincinnati Children's and the study's lead author. "Other approaches, such as an increased use of sideline screening by coaches or athletic trainers, might be needed to identify injured athletes."
Dr. Anderson and colleagues at Cincinnati Children's surveyed 120 high school football players. Thirty reported having suffered a concussion, and 82 reported receiving prior concussion education. The vast majority of athletes recognized headaches, dizziness, difficulty with memory, difficulty concentrating, and sensitivity to light and sound as concussion symptoms. More than 90 percent recognized the risk of serious injury if they returned to play too quickly.
Despite these high levels of awareness, 53 percent responded that they would "always or sometimes continue to play with a headache sustained from an injury," and only 54 percent indicated they would "always or sometimes report symptoms of a concussion to their coach."
"Further study on concussion education in adolescent athletes and on ways to identify high school athletes who have sustained a concussion would be useful," says Dr. Anderson.
It is estimated that up to 3.8 million recreation- and sport-related concussions occur in the United States annually. Concussions represent an estimated 8.9 percent of all high school athletic injuries.
In 2009, the state of Washington passed the first comprehensive law regarding concussion management in young athletes. This law requires school boards, in conjunction with the state interscholastic activity association, to develop educational materials and guidelines for athletes, coaches, and parents. The law also requires that parents and athletes sign an informed-consent form acknowledging the dangers of concussions before participation in sports. Under the law, an athlete must be removed from any game if suspected of having a concussion and may not return until evaluated and given clearance to return to play from a licensed health care professional. Many other states have subsequently either passed or are considering similar legislation.
###
[ | 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.
Curiosity's one-month spring vacation, caused by Mars slipping behind the sun, is now over. "Can you hear me now? Conjunction is over," tweeted Curiosity's handlers today.
By Mike Wall,?Space.com / May 2, 2013
NASA?s Mars rover Curiosity takes a self-portrait. After a month-long 'spring break,' Curiosity is ready to continue exploring the red planet.
Courtesy of NASA / AP / File
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The Mars rover Curiosity's month of freedom on the Red Planet is over.
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Curiosity had been on its own since early April, when Mars slipped behind the sun from Earth's perspective. Our star can disrupt communications between the two planets in this alignment, which is known as a Mars solar conjunction, so Curiosity's handlers at Mission Control had temporarily stopped sending commands to the 1-ton rover.
But the heavens have shifted, bringing Mars and Earth back in touch and the Curiosity rover back within reach of its masters.
"Can you hear me now? Conjunction is over. I have a clear view of Earth & am back to work!" NASA officials wrote on behalf of the rover via the Curiosity Twitter feed today (May 2).
Curiosity landed inside the Red Planet's huge Gale Crater last August, kicking off a two-year surface mission to determine if Mars has ever been capable of supporting microbial life.
The rover has already checked off its main mission goal. Before conjunction, Curiosity collected samples from a hole it drilled 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) into a rocky outcrop called "John Klein." The rover's analysis of these samples allowed mission scientists to determine that Mars was indeed habitable billions of years ago.
The post-conjunction plan involves drilling another hole nearby, mission officials have said, to confirm and extend scientists' understanding of the John Klein area. When that work is done, Curiosity will likely begin the 6-mile (10 kilometers) trek to the base of Mount Sharp, the mysterious 3.4-mile-high (5.4 km) mountain that rises from Gale's center.
Mars solar conjunctions occur every 26 months, so veterans of NASA's Mars missions are used to dealing with them. While this was Curiosity's first conjunction, it was the fifth for NASA's Opportunity rover, which touched down in January 2004 and is still roving, and the sixth for Mars Odyssey, which has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2001.
While Curiosity's handlers didn't send any commands during conjunction, the rover didn't quite get the month off. Curiosity didn't do any driving or other complex operations, but it did continue monitoring Martian weather and radiation.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter?@michaeldwall?and?Google+.?Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookor Google+. Originally published on?SPACE.com.
Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
While Sony intrigued us with the Xperia L's blend of a low-end smartphone with a higher-end camera, it wasn't very specific on just where we could eventually buy one: "worldwide" doesn't help, folks. Courtesy of an FCC filing, there's now a hint that the phone might show up in North America. The L has surfaced at the US agency carrying HSPA-based 3G compatible with the likes of AT&T, Straight Talk and T-Mobile, as well as Canadian carriers of all sizes. Even with a manual included in the filing, though, there's no telltale clues as to which providers in either country might be interested. Without any built-in LTE, the Xperia L we see here is more likely to reach either smaller networks or go the carrier-independent route -- if it comes to North America at all, that is.
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Public release date: 6-May-2013
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