A Decidedly Valuable and Dangerous Fuel

This issue of the Journal of American History focuses on the history of oil, and for good reason. Modern societies as we have known them could not operate without ample and diverse supplies of energy, suggesting that the story of our major fuels can hardly be ignored in any attempt to understand American history. Among energy sources, oil retains a special significance that argues for the special scholarly attention found within these covers. Reflecting oil’s unique strategic importance, Daniel Yergin aptly titled his influential industrial history of the topic The Prize. At the dawn of the twentieth century, coal towered above its rivals as the United States’ dominant source of energy. Ranking a distant second came wood. Until 1902, no American president had ever ridden in an automobile, the machine most closely associated with oil. It was not until midcentury that oil replaced coal as the country’s most used fuel. Over the last three decades of the century, oil jumped well ahead of natural gas, by then its closest rival. The ascendancy of oil involved more than just replacing one fuel with another. Growing consumption of the fossil fuel in liquid form was deeply intertwined with how Americans lived, how they conducted business, and how they fought wars. Thus studying oil is required to understand twentieth-century American history—whether the approach is social, economic, environmental, scientific, political, diplomatic, or military.

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16th Century Korean Mummy Virus Genetic Code

The discovery of a mummified Korean child with relatively preserved organs enabled an Israeli-South Korean scientific team to conduct a genetic analysis on a liver biopsy which revealed a unique hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C2 sequence common in Southeast Asia. Additional analysis of the ancient HBV genomes may be used as a model to study the evolution of chronic hepatitis B and help understand the spread of the virus, possibly from Africa to East-Asia. It also may shed further light on the migratory pathway of hepatitis B in the Far East from China and Japan to Korea as well as to other regions in Asia and Australia where it is a major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer.''

The reconstruction of the ancient hepatitis B virus genetic code is the oldest full viral genome described in the scientific literature to date. It was reported in the May 21 edition of the scientific journal Hepathology by a research team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment; the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine, the Hadassah Medical Center's Liver Unit; Dankook University and Seoul National University in South Korea. Carbon 14 tests of the clothing of the mummy suggests that the boy lived around the 16th century during the Korean Joseon Dynasty. The viral DNA sequences recovered from the liver biopsy enabled the scientists to map the entire ancient hepatitis B viral genome.''

Using modern-day molecular genetic techniques, the researchers compared the ancient DNA sequences with contemporary viral genomes disclosing distinct differences. The changes in the genetic code are believed to result from spontaneous mutations and possibly environmental pressures during the virus evolutionary process. Based on the observed mutations rates over time, the analysis suggests that the reconstructed mummy's hepatitis B virus DNA had its origin between 3,000 to 100,000 years ago. The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through the contact with infected body fluids , i.e. from carrier mothers to their babies, through sexual contact and intravenous drug abuse. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 400 million carriers of the virus worldwide, predominantly in Africa, China and South Korea, where up to 15 percent of the population are cariers of the virus. In recent years, universal immunization of newborns against hepatitis B in Israel and in South Korea has lead to a massive decline in the incidence of infection.''

The findings are the result of a collaborative effort between Dr. Gila Kahila Bar-Gal of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Koret School of Veterinary Medicine; Prof. Daniel Shouval of the Hadassah Medical Center's Liver Unit and Hebrew University; Dr. Myeung Ju Kim of Dankook University, Seok Ju Seon Memorial Museum; Dr. Dong Hoon Shin of Seoul National University, College of Medicine ; Prof Mark Spigelman of the Hebrew University's Dept. of Parasitology and Dr. Paul R. Grant of University College of London,Dept. of Virology.''

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Movement synchronization of a group of Nao's

At the beginning all the robots are waiting for my signal to start. While dancing, they are constantly synchronizing with each other, so if a robot lags behind they will wait for him and the late robot will accelerate. When I remove a robot from the choreography, the others continue dancing. When he stands up again and resumes his dance, he asks the others for a starting position. Then he goes to this position, and starts dancing. Since he starts with a little latency, he will dances a little faster and the others a little slower to synchronize.

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One of the Most Senior Al-Qaeda Figures in Afghanistan was Killed in a Weekend Airstrike, Nato-led Forces Say.

Nato described Saudi-born Sakhar al-Taifi as the group's second most senior figure in Afghanistan. He commanded foreign insurgents and directed attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, the statement said. But Taliban sources in Kunar deny Al-Taifi was killed and claim he left the area three months ago. Sakhar al-Taifi died in "a precision air strike" in the Watapur district of Kunar province on Sunday night, according to the Nato statement. Another rank-and-file member of al-Qaeda was killed at the same time, it said. But Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told the Afghan Islamic Press news agency that a bombing raid in the area had killed two Afghan Taliban. "There are no al-Qaeda fighters in Watapur and no foreign national was killed there," he said.

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AdSense Tips: Update your ad unit code

By updating your ad unit code, you'll be able to make changes to your ad units from within your account, without updating your pages. Additionally you'll have access to richer performance reports and optimization suggestions. For more information, see http://support.google.com/adsense/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=157492.

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Top 10 Battlefield 3 Plays : Episode 12

Hello everyone, I’m Nadab Göksu, Senior VFX Artist at DICE. I have been doing visual effects for Battlefield games since Battlefield 2 [released 2005]. My role includes everything from creating particle effects to post filters, lens flares, and bullet decals. I also hook stuff up to the right gameplay effect — so there’s a metal kind of explosion (and not a wooden one) when you fire your RPG at a vehicle, for example.

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Montreal crowds mark 100 days of student protest

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have filled the streets of Montreal to mark 100 days since protests began against a planned rise in student tuition fees. People chanted "Our streets!" and carried signs and red banners. There were no reports of arrests. An emergency bill passed by Quebec's government on Friday was aimed at curbing the protests by requiring marches to follow pre-approved routes.

Rallies since then have turned violent, with 300 arrests on Sunday alone.

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'Titanic' moviegoer accused of smacking unruly Wash. boy

A Seattle-area man has been charged with felony assault for allegedly hitting a noisy 10-year-old boy in the face during a showing of Titanic 3-D, according to news reports from the Northwest. Yong Hyun Kim, of Auburn, Wash., is accused of knocking out one of the boy's teeth and bloodying his nose April 11 after he and several friends refused to be quiet and stop throwing popcorn at the AMC Kent Station 14 theater, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Kim told police he thought he was hitting an adult, and appeared ashamed when told the victim's age.

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Scrutiny of Facebook IPO Builds

Fallout from Facebook's initial public offering intensified Tuesday as the shares plunged again, and more questions arose about whether the social-networking giant's IPO was handled properly. Facebook shares fell $3.03, or nearly 9%, to $31 Tuesday, leaving them down more than 18% from the $38 offering price. Since the shares started trading Friday, a steady stream of negative news has plagued Facebook, centering on how the deal's underwriters and the Nasdaq stock exchange handled the highly hyped IPO. "Facebook's credibility has been further destroyed," says Francis Gaskins of IPOdesktop.com.

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Will Smith Slaps Reporter! - HipHollywood

Wowwww! This is a side of Will Smith we haven't seen before! Anyone who works in Hollywood will tell you that Will is the nicest guy, but everyone loses there cool every now and then. At the Moscow premiere of Men in Black 3 a reporter showed Will a little TOO MUCH love and tried to kiss him on the lips! Will was not having it and SLAPPED the overzealous reporter right in the face! It was only a split second of anger, then in true movie star fashion Will went on to the next outlet and was his fun bubbly self again!

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Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Beat out

He wed his long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan, 27, in a ceremony at his home in Palo Alto, California. Chan also had a busy week, graduating from medical school on Monday, as Zuckerberg marked his 28th birthday. The guests believed they were going to celebrate Chan's graduation - but found they were at a wedding instead.

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M6.0 - 4km ENE of Camposanto, Italy

Event Time

-2012-05-20 02:03:52 UTC
-2012-05-20 04:03:52 UTC+02:00 at epicenter
-2012-05-20 09:03:52 UTC+07:00 system time

Nearby Cities

-4km (2mi) ENE of Camposanto, Italy
-5km (3mi) SE of San Felice sul Panaro, Italy
-8km (5mi) WSW of Finale Emilia, Italy
-9km (6mi) NNE of Crevalcore, Italy
-139km (86mi) NW of San Marino, San Marino

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What Type Ex-professionals and Celebrities

A few more hours, then it's finally arrived: Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Champions League Final, Final dahoam! The Munich city center is filled with thousands of fans from both camps. All are eagerly awaiting the game of games - including many former football star and celebrity fans. fcbayern.de gathered for their final assessments: Stefan Effenberg: "The important thing is you have to have patience. Bavaria has to play his game, keeping the ball in their own

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Veterans Hope 'magic Moment Just Doesn't Belong Munchen

In the London borough of Chelsea is the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a nursing home for former members of the British Army. Are both known device and its inhabitants under the name Chelsea Pensioner. The image of a Chelsea Pensioner served the nearby football club Chelsea after it was founded in 1905 as the first club emblem, which the players of the club in the coming years, the nickname Chelsea 107 years after its founding, the descendants of this generation

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History : Delve into Amalur's 10,000 Years of History

The Deep Gloam

Haunting stories and fragmented legends are all that remain of this lost age, as no records have ever been found that detail what transpired during this time. It is said that darkness engulfed Amalur, and the few mortals who survived did so by hiding away from the malevolent forces that roamed the surface world. Tales that this Deep Gloam might one day return to punish the wicked are sometimes used by parents to frighten their children into obedience. Since no evidence has been found of civilization prior to this age, certain religious zealots believe the Deep Gloam was the time when the gods created Amalur. Analytical minds, however, continue to search for factual evidence of what occurred during this era, as well as what ultimately caused the Deep Gloam to subside.''

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Saving Face: The struggle and survival of Afghan women

When 18-year-old Mumtaz walks into a room the first thing you notice about her is the patchwork of painful puffy red scars that stretch across her face. "I feel so bad, I do not look at myself in the mirror anymore," Mumtaz said. She is the victim of a scorned man who decided if he couldn't marry her, he'd make sure no one else would want to. The man had asked for her hand in marriage, but Mumtaz's family declined the offer. One night she says several men showed up at their home. They beat up her family, and finally two armed men held her, pulled her head back, and let the man who had wanted to marry her pour acid all over her face. "I was in the hospital for 10 days in Kunduz, and later they brought me to Kabul," Mumtaz said. "Most of my body was burned. When the doctor gave me medicine I felt like I was being thrown into a fire." Mumtaz has been through hell, which makes the second thing you notice about her all the more remarkable. She smiles every chance she gets.''

"I guess it is just my nature," she said.

The shelter where Mumtaz now lives is a haven for women who have been abused. Right now there are 16 women there and some with young children. Many have been there for years because they simply have nowhere else to go. "This shelter has helped us a lot. If they were not here to help me, I would have been dead by now. My life was in a great danger, " Mumtaz said. Mumtaz is learning to read and write for the very first time and is hoping to receive treatment for her scars in India. Just across the hall from her there is another girl with a soul-destroying story of abuse. Sahar Gul had been beaten, burned, scalded with water and had her finger nails ripped out after being married off to a man more than twice her age when she was just 13 years old.

Tortured girl: The same should be done to them

"Sahar Gul's brother married her to this person in return of 200,000 Afghanis (about $4,000 dollars). Sahar had about 15 to 20 'good days' with her husband but then problems started to arise; (The family started telling her) you are a child and cannot give birth and that you do not understand how to be a wife," Gul's attorney Shukria Khaliqi told SLW.

In Afghanistan it is an accepted tradition that the husband-to-be's family pay a dowry, also known as the bride price, to get a bride. But her new family had expectations that Gul could not meet. Gul said when she didn't conceive a child her husband and his family started complaining she was eating too much food. They called her useless, stopped feeding her, locked her in a basement and began torturing her. She told us they also told her to sell herself to other men, which she refused. "They used to bring boys into the house. They used to say that they want to make money and wanted to buy a car," Gul said.

Gul's mother-in-law, sister-in-law and father-in-law were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for the torture but are appealing the ruling. Gul's husband is still on the run. Mumtaz and Gul's stories illustrate the fragile state of women in Afghanistan. Human rights groups say overall conditions for women in the country have improved since the U .S. led war, but there are still too many cases where women are treated as subhuman.

"Since 2001 there has been some really important progress. Literacy has improved. There are about two million more girls in school right now then there were at the time when the Taliban fell. Infant mortality has fallen and age expectancy has increased. But I still think the overall picture is less than people really hoped for," Heather Barr of Human Right's Watch in Afghanistan said. A 2008 study by Global Rights revealed 87% of Afghan women reported suffering from domestic abuse. "It [domestic violence] is a silent tsunami because nobody sees it but it's taking the life of women. And many women turn to self-immolation or commit suicide or throw themselves in the rivers to escape the situation. It's something we do not see, because it's happening within the families," Afghanistan Member of Parliament, Fawzia Kofi told ALW.

Kofi has been fighting to try and get the government to pay more attention to issues facing women. Recognizing the problem, President Hamid Karzai signed legislation aimed at eliminating violence against women in Afghanistan. Women's rights advocates say the law is good but enforcement of the law is lax. Kofi, along with human rights advocates, worries about what will happen to women, if international aid for services halts along with the pullout of NATO troops and the threat of the Taliban in government. "I think the biggest fear, and concern all of us have, is that we go back to the dark period from where we had to look at the whole world from a small window," Kofi said.''

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Severe Thunderstorm in Montreal - May 16th, 2012

A video of a severe thunderstorm advancing towards the island of Montreal from the WNW. This storm grazed our area to the North and NE as it moved toward the ESE, consequently affecting the greater Montreal area and areas farther East/ESE. The main threats associated with these storms were damaging winds and small hail. Prolonged daytime heating, coupled with marginally moderate moisture levels, supported surface-based CAPE values near 1000 J/kg while significantly weakening convective inhibition early. Daytime heating also allowed for steep low level lapse rates during the early afternoon hours, which was a large part of the reason as to why many of these storms produced strong downbursts of wind. Bulk shear additionally favored organized thunderstorm development, but no tornadoes had been reported, likely because of weak low level jet winds. The principal driver for these storms was a prevalent upper level trough to the West, which supported strong surface convergence along and ahead of a cold frontal wave.

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