HBT: Japan beats Brazil in WBC opener

On paper, it was probably the biggest mismatch of the World Baseball Classic: two-time defending champion Japan got to open up Saturday against a Brazil squad denied the only major leaguer its ever produced (Yan Gomes opted to sit out the tournament to better his chances of making the Indians).

On the field, it was a different story. Brazil jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fist and led 3-2 after five before Japan rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth to win 5-3.

Brazil still ended up outhitting Japan 9-7. Japan failed to collect a single extra-base hit in the game, but it was aided by six walks.

Japan was missing its best power source when catcher Shinnosuke Abe was scratched from the lineup with a right knee injury. Abe, though, did pinch-hit, and he broke the tie with an RBI groundout in the eighth. Even if it?s just as a DH, it?s very important that Japan get Abe?s bat back in the lineup as a middle-of-the-order threat.

Another concern for Japan is that top starter Masahiro Tanaka struggled through his two innings, giving up four hits and an unearned run. He was removed after 23 pitches, as Japan figured it was better off going to relievers. Tadashi Settsu ended up with the win after allowing one run and striking out four in three innings.

Next up for Japan is a similarly weak China team on Sunday. If things go according to plan in Pool A, Japan and Cuba will be 2-0 heading into Wednesday?s showdown, rendering the contest largely irrelevant (the top two teams advance). Cuba plays Brazil in its opener Sunday in Japan (Saturday night in the U.S.).

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/02/brazil-gives-japan-a-scare-before-falling-5-3/related/

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Researchers Connect Rats' Minds Via Internet

An experiment that used rats to create a "brain-to-brain interface" shows that instructions can be transferred between animals via electronic signals and the Internet, according to scientists who studied how rats can use brain implants to share problem-solving information.

The research could be used to create "novel types of social interaction and for biological computing devices," lead scientist Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University writes in his summary of the study, published in Scientific Reports.

In the study, researchers trained rats to perform simple tasks to receive a reward based on either visual or physical stimuli. Scientists then implanted microelectrodes in the brains of the animals, which were split into "encoder" and "decoder" groups.

In one experiment, rats were shown a single light that indicated which of two levers to press for a drink of water. When it performed the task, signals were sent to another rat's brain in an identical cage, where the animal was shown two lights and two levers. The "decoding" rats were able to make the right choice more than 60 percent of the time.

A similar test was conducted using an "encoder" rat in Brazil, paired with a "decoder" rat in Durham, N.C., via an Internet connection.

The "rat mind-meld" experiment has met with some skepticism. For instance, neuroscientist Bijan Pesaran of New York University tells Wired that he'd "really be impressed" if the rats learned how to achieve a better success rate.

A similar idea occurs to University of Pittsburgh neurobiologist Andrew Schwartz, who tells science writer Ed Yong, "Although this may sound like 'mental telemetry', it was a very simple demonstration of binary detection and binary decision-making."

That's not quite the same, he says, as a continuous mind-to-mind connection.

If that thought makes you worry that rats might someday use the technology to work against humankind, professor Christopher James, from Britain's University of Warwick, says you can relax.

"We are far from a scenario of well-networked rats around the world uniting to take us over, the stimulation is crude and specific," he tells The Daily Mail.

The lead researcher, Nicolelis, tells Ed Yong that he's working to link together the brains of more than two animals ? and that he'll soon begin experimenting with monkeys, which could "control virtual avatars and combine their brain activity to play a game together," Yong writes.

Rats share information via brain implants, say researchers.

NPR

Rats share information via brain implants, say researchers.

NPR

"Rats don't have a sense of self so it's hard to say what the effect on the animals are," Nicolellis says, "but monkeys can collaborate in a much more complex way."

The possibility of connecting brains with computers is a hallmark of Nicolelis' work. He has previously tested ways to connect monkeys' brains with robotic arms. And he hopes to create a body suit that could allow paralyzed people to gain full mobility. His lab has received $26 million in funding from DARPA ? the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ? Reuters reports.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/01/173257749/researchers-connect-rats-minds-via-internet?ft=1&f=1007

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Fish migrate to escape predators

Mar. 1, 2013 ? By individually tagging fish in a lake and following their movements, a research team has shown that migration is a very effective defence against being eaten.

Each year billions of animals make annual migrations to escape adverse environmental conditions. Migration is a spectacular and important biological phenomenon, but studying what drives animals to make these arduous journeys is extremely difficult. Food and climate are classic explanations for animal migration, but the idea that animals migrate to escape predators is less well studied. Senior scientist Christian Skov, DTU Aqua and colleagues from Lund Universitiy, Sweden and Eawag, Switzerland now present direct evidence that migrants benefit by evading predators.

The biologists tagged more than 2000 individual fish (roach, Rutilus rutilus) in two Danish lakes over 4 years and monitored migratory behaviour using passive telemetry. Next, they calculated the predation vulnerability of fish with differing migration strategies, by recovering data from passive integrated transponder tags of fish eaten by cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo spp.) at communal roosts close to the lakes. The results are published in Biology Letters.

The extensive field study shows that migration in a freshwater fish like roach that commonly migrates from lakes to streams during winter, confers a significant survival benefit with respect to cormorant, predation.

Our study show that fish can reduce their predation risk from cormorants by migrating into streams, and that the probability of being preyed upon by cormorants is positively related to the time individuals spend in the lake during winter," says lead author, senior research scientist Christian Skov, DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Denmark:

"Our data add to the growing body of evidence that highlights the importance of predation for migratory dynamics, and is one of the first studies to directly quantify a predator avoidance benefit to migrants in the field."

The research was financially supported by the Danish National Fishing Licence Funds, Formas, Swedish Research Council and a Marie Curie EU fellowship (FP7).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

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. C. Skov, B. B. Chapman, H. Baktoft, J. Brodersen, C. Bronmark, L.-A. Hansson, K. Hulthen, P. A. Nilsson. Migration confers survival benefits against avian predators for partially migratory freshwater fish. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (2): 20121178 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.1178

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/z7vTbgY2-4k/130301034605.htm

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iFixit releases tablet repairability list, puts Apple and Microsoft on the bottom

Not only has iFixit long been the go-to source for gadget teardowns, it's often seen as an authority on just how repairable a device is post-purchase. So when the outfit released its "Tablet Repairability" list recently, we took notice. The Dell XPS 10 took top marks (9 out of 10) for its color-coded screws and labeled cables, while Apple and Microsoft slumped to the bottom. Every iPad from the second generation onward scored a 2, and the Surface Pro has the unenviable position as the worst of the lot with a score of 1. Excessive adhesive is the culprit behind the low scores, as is the high probability of part breakage upon disassembly. Not every tablet on the market made it on the list, but it's a decent start as iFixit finds more slates to tear down. Head on over to the source to see if your favorite tablet is easily fixable or if you need to look into rugged cases and extended warranties.

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: iFixit

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Rkx5x8tCdsc/

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With 200K Stories Shared, Storylane Launches An iPhone Reading App

Last year, Storylane launched a site for users to share stories that are a little more thoughtful or serious than what you'd find on other social media properties. And thanks to a recently launched iPhone app, you can now browse those stories when you're on-the-go. The concept behind Storylane is pretty straightforward ?? founder Jonathan Gheller wants it to be the home for personal thoughts and stories that go deeper than a quick Facebook or Twitter update. The site prompts users to answer questions like "What have you learned from your failed relationships?" and "What are the most important lessons you've learned in life?" You can follow individual users to see their stories, and there are also pages to browse trending content across the whole site and within individual topics. You can't post full comments, but you can hit buttons to say that you liked a story, or that it inspired you, and so on.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/xFXuxljIl1k/

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Megaupload founder suffers setback in U.S. extradition bid

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand court ruled on Friday that the United States does not have to hand over all its evidence against Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, a setback for the German national in a U.S. bid to extradite him for alleged online piracy, fraud and money laundering.

The Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should disclose all its evidence so Dotcom, released on bail last February, could fairly contest the case against him.

The FBI accuses Dotcom, who founded the Megaupload file-sharing site which housed everything from family photos to blockbuster films, of leading a group that netted $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing copyrighted content without authorization.

Lower courts had ruled twice that Dotcom should have access to all material the FBI was basing its extradition case on.

The Court of Appeal said the U.S. government had a duty of "candor and good faith" in making an extradition bid, but a summary of the evidence held would suffice.

"It is for the requesting state to decide what information it wishes to put before the requested state in support of its request," the court said.

It said there were safeguards for any accused, such as the New Zealand courts and government seeking more information if they are not satisfied there is a prima facie case to be answered.

Dotcom maintains that Megaupload, one of the world's most popular websites before it was shut down in January last year, simply provided online storage services and should not be held responsible for stored content.

William Akel, one of Dotcom's lawyers, said an appeal to New Zealand's Supreme Court was being considered.

"How can you determine whether or not there has been compliance with candor and good faith if you don't know what documents are being relied on to support the case?" he said on Radio New Zealand.

Since the initial raid, the courts have ruled that search warrants used in the raid were illegal, unfrozen some of Dotcom's assets for living and legal expenses, relaxed restrictions of travel, and ordered extensive evidence disclosure.

A New Zealand government spy agency was also found to have illegally spied on him, bringing an apology from the prime minister, and opening the way for a damages claim.

Dotcom, who also goes by the name of Kim Schmidt, is a German national but with residency in New Zealand, which made it illegal to spy on him.

The extradition hearing for Dotcom and the other three defendants is scheduled to be held in August.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/megaupload-founder-suffers-procedural-setback-u-extradition-bid-053715859.html

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Billie Joe Armstrong Says 'I Was The Joke' In 'Only Interview' About Rehab

The Green Day frontman opens up about his battles with pills and alcohol and his struggle to stay clean in Rolling Stone.
By James Montgomery

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on the cover of Rolling Stone
Photo: Danny Clinch/ Rolling Stone

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702888/billie-joe-armstrong-rehab-rolling-stone.jhtml

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