A promising fruit: The tree tomato

Feb. 25, 2013 ? A researcher at the UPM is collaborating in the characterization of genetic resource of the tree tomato to enhance its cultivation and commercialization in Andean and Mediterranean countries.

Tree tomato is originally from South Africa and has a high potential for Andean cultivation but it is currently not properly exploited. To preserve and enhance this cultivation, a researcher at the School of Agronomist of the UPM in collaboration with the Universidad Polit?cnica de Valencia and the Universidad T?cnica Particular de Loja (Ecuador), have carried out a research whose aims to have depth knowledge of morphology and genetic diversity of tree tomato. The results obtained can open possibilities of new varieties demanded by the market.

Tree tomato (Solanum betaceum or Cyphomandra betacea) can reach up three meters of height and belongs to the Solonaceae family, which is the same family of potato, tomato and aubergine. It is original from the Andean area of South Africa and widely grown from the north of Chile and Argentina until the south Mexico, and especially in Ecuador. Its fruits are fleshy, oval or elliptic shaped and yellow, orange or purple color with a pulp of pleasant taste, slightly acidic, aromatic, rich in vitamins and minerals.

Their fruit is recommended to consume as fresh fruit or as juices and canned. They are becoming popular in other places: the tamarillo (the name as it is known internationally) is grown and consumed in some European and Asian countries but mainly in New Zealand, which is leading of production and exportation.

However, in Ecuador, and in the Andean region, the cultivation and commercialization of tree tomato is mainly local. Although it is an excellent alternative to other crops, its production continues to suffer from lack of basic knowledge over its production and because there is not any programme of preservation or improvement. The varieties are not clearly differenced and are frequently improperly cultivated. The inadequate commercialization of the product hinders them from its commercialization with recent falls of over 70% of exported volume in Ecuador.

Besides, Mediterranean countries as Spain could constitute a promising cultivation. This situation woke the interest of the agronomist engineer Pablo Acosta Quezada, who focused his Doctoral Thesis on the study of morphology and genetic diversity of tree tomato. The experimental crops in soil at the Universidad T?cnica particular de Loja (Ecuadro) provided him with the samples that later were used to carry out a detailed work of characterization. He analyzed the morphological character of the stem, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds and he also studied the genetic diversity expressed in the DNA by the molecular markers called AFLPs (amplified fragment length polymorphism) in collaboration with researchers at the Universidad Polit?cnica de Madrid and the Polit?cnica de Valencia.

As a result of this work and apart from publishing papers about morphological and genetic diversity of this fruit, he elaborated a list of over 80 descriptors (morphology characters) to describe and to identify varieties and to identify plants and their features of agronomist interest. This list has being recently published in Biodiversity International, the organization of research Support, preservation and use of agricultural biodiversity which work in closely collaboration with the FAO. The morphological characters of the fruit are of special interest for the variability and heritability, what can open possibilities of plant breeders to obtain proper varieties to market needs. Besides, the 78 polymorphic DNA fragments found reveal that the presence of a wide genetic diversity can provide a great action field to enhance and to obtain new varieties. This research is a pioneering contribution of high relevance to know the diversity of a tree tomato, which can be the base to preserve and enhance the marginalized crop of high potential for Andean countries, especially for Ecuador.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by madrimasd, via AlphaGalileo.

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. Pablo G. Acosta-Quezada, Santiago Vilanova, Juan B. Mart?nez-Laborde, Jaime Prohens. Genetic diversity and relationships in accessions from different cultivar groups and origins in the tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.). Euphytica, 2012; 187 (1): 87 DOI: 10.1007/s10681-012-0736-7

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/~3/MlAqSG2vt0I/130225121920.htm

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NBA scores: Hawks climb past Bucks, Wizards continue rampage

In Saturday's NBA action, the Wizards continued their hot play with a victory over the Rockets and the Hawks edged the rival Bucks in J.J. Redick's Milwaukee debut. Plus, Danny Granger returned to action.

Saturday featured seven NBA games, many of them close. Let's dig in.

Hawks 103, Bucks 102
As long as Josh Smith is going to stick around, the Hawks might as well win, right? Atlanta is 2-0 since the deadline, notching a one-point win over the Bucks on Saturday. Al Horford picked up the game-winner -- a half-hook bank shot, of course -- to cap a 23-point, 11-rebound night. The Jeff Teague-Devin Harris backcourt outplayed Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings-Monta Ellis pairing, too. The Hawks duo scored 44 on a .692 eFG with 13 assists and three turnovers; the Bucks tandem had 25 points on .442 eFG with 15 assists and six turnovers.

In his Milwaukee debut, J.J. Redick was strong. He had 16 points on 4-9 shooting and seven assists against two turnovers. And yes, Jim Boylan did give us the three-guard lineup we've been dying to see since Thursday: the Bucks' lineup for the final four minutes featured Jennings, Ellis, Redick, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders. The Bucks led by five when Boylan put in Jennings for Mike Dunleavy. Four minutes later, Milwaukee had a one-point loss. This is going to be awesome.

Wizards 105, Rockets 103
Be wary, opponents: Washington is now 11-4 against teams with winning records since January 7. It's a completely different team over the past month, as Saturday's gutty two-point win shows. The Wizards' defense and offense both had slow starts, and Houston led by 11 at the half. But the Wizards plugged away to make it a game, and dominated defensively in the fourth. The Rockets shot 13-28 (.464) on threes in the first half and 6-18 (.333) in the second. The Wizards did most of their damage in the paint, but Bradley Beal was the top scorer with 21. James Harden racked up 27.

Pacers 90, Pistons 72
Danny Granger's back! That is not, however, the reason the Pacers blew out the Pistons, though. In 18 minutes off of the bench, Granger was 1-10 from the floor. Luckily for Indiana, Detroit was basically that bad top to bottom, shooting 33 percent for the game and racking up an offensive efficiency of roughly 78. George Hill led Indy with 17 on 7-10 shooting.

Clippers 107, Jazz 94
On a team with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, it's Caron Butler and Lamar Odom getting the job done. What a world. Butler had 21 on 7-13 shooting and Odom added 18 off of the bench. The Jazz missed an opportunity to extend their standings lead over the Rockets.

Heat 114, Sixers 90
Thirty-three points on 14-18 shooting from Dwyane Wade, no big deal.

Nuggets 113, Bobcats 99
Denver's big men got the job done efficiently: Kenneth Faried scored 15 on nine shots and JaVale McGee scored 17 on 10. Byron Mullens and Bismack Biyombo, meanwhile, shot 4-17.

Cavaliers 118, Magic 94
How bad was this game for Orlando? Kyrie Irving and Alonzo Gee did this in the first quarter:

Check out SBNation.com/NBA-Scores for our blog recaps!

More in the NBA:

? The best (and worst) NBA rumors of 2013

? Mike Woodson calls out Carmelo Anthony

? The unfortunate twists of Derrick Rose's return

? Ziller's NBA trade deadline winners and losers

? Grading every deadline deal

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/2/24/4023840/nba-scores-2013-bucks-hawks-wizards-rockets

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Weather alert: Cold morning to warm up to 70 degrees in South Florida

South Florida woke up to temperatures in the mid- to upper-40s Monday morning. A frost advisory was even in effect for insland Broward County until 8 a.m.

Forecasters expect the day to warm up to about 70 degrees, with temperatures dropping to to the mid-60s with a breeze overnight Monday and early Tuesday.

The forecast for the rest of the week calls for lows in the mid-60s with highs around 80.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/18/3240644/weather-alert-cold-morning-with.html

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Warmack draws praise from NFL Draft experts

Alabama guard Chance Warmack, pictured blocking for Eddie Lacy during the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame, is expected to be taken in the first round of April's NFL Draft.

Dusty Compton | Tuscaloosa News

Published: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 10:14 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | It will be of little consolation to Chance Warmack if he slips in the first round of the NFL Draft because of the position he plays, but the former University of Alabama offensive guard just might be the best pro prospect in the country.

ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay each heaped significant praise on Warmack last week, but McShay's description of Warmack as perhaps the best player available regardless of position was no doubt the most glowing.

?Chance Warmack may be the best player in this draft, forget positions, just in terms of grade,? McShay said. ?He graded out the highest of any player I did in the preseason. And he's still right there with the highest grade.?

Unfortunately for Warmack, offensive guard is not a premium position for NFL clubs, and that means the draft could be well into the first round before a team with a glaring-enough need for a guard sees fit to spend its first pick on one. Kiper said he has graded Warmack as the ninth-best player available in the draft but suggested his position caused him to slide.

McShay indicated the Arizona Cardinals or Buffalo Bills, with the seventh and eighth picks, respectively, might be teams with a top-10 pick compelled to draft a guard.

Another guard prospect McShaw and Kiper described as ?elite? is North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper. Both believe it's conceivable for Cooper to be the first guard drafted, but both have rated Warmack slightly ahead of Cooper at the position.

?They are different styles of players. Warmack is a dominant, power guy. Cooper is the athlete, he gets down the field making a block, can pull and trap and do lots of things,? Kiper said.

Kiper said another top prospect from the Alabama offensive line, tackle D.J. Fluker, should be a first-round pick as well.

?I would be shocked if come April 25 he's not in the first round mix. I think he's a heck of a football player. People keeping saying, ?Well, he's not a great pass-blocker,'? Kiper said. ?Well, at right tackle, if you watch some of those games, against some skilled pass-rushers, he did a heck of a job. He's got incredibly long arms, he's got good enough feet and he's certainly a dominant run-blocker.?

Kiper projects Fluker to be chosen by the Chicago Bears with the 20th pick.

Cornerback Dee Milliner is expected to be the first Alabama player drafted, most likely in the top 10 picks. Kiper projects Milliner as the Philadelphia Eagles' choice with the fourth pick.

?Not the elite skill set, but that doesn't mean he won't be a heck of a player. ... You think about where Dee Milliner is right now, as the fourth pick overall to Philadelphia. That's where I project him. Fifth pick to Detroit, sixth pick to Cleveland. That's where he's going to go,? Kiper said. ?Somewhere in that range. ... He's more fundamentally sound. He's a guy coached well technically by Nick (Saban).?

Reach Chase Goodbread at chase@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0196.

Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20130218/news/130219781

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Eliminating the Source: What Causes Autism | Natural Holistic ...

Many parents hope that in finding a source of autism, this disorder can be cured or prevented. Unfortunately, scientists have yet to find one single reason why children develop autism. It is possible that someday autism will be linked to a specific gene abnormality, but the more likely source is not one thing, but a number of factors in a child?s world. Autism cannot be prevented or cured, so the best we can do to assist autistic children and adults is to be understanding and willing to compromise to make the world comfortable for them and ourselves.

First off, there are certain things that do not cause autism, and these myths should be laid to rest immediately. Most importantly, bad parenting does not cause autism. In the past, mothers were blamed for traumatizing their children with cold parenting techniques, which was believed to lead to autism. This is simple not true. Autism is also not caused by malnutrition, although food allergies occur in my autistic children and some autistic children do benefit from taking daily vitamins.

Many autistic individuals have other health problems related to immune deficiencies. Overall, these things all seem to point to genetics. Although autism is not the parents? fault, it is most likely that autism was found elsewhere on your family tree, and it is not uncommon for parents to raise more than one autistic child. Autism may also be linked to vaccinations, although this is still being highly studied. The benefits of vaccinations greatly outweigh the risks of them causing autism, so you should not deprive your child simply because you are fearful. Talk to you doctor if you have concerns about vaccinations.

There are many links between autism and the brain. Most people with autism have larger brains, and they are ?wired? differently than a typical brain. Differences occur in many parts of the brain, so it cannot be targeted to one specific brain malfunction overall, but rather a brain malfunction in general. Autistic children also show signs of an immune deficiency. Evidence in this study is not yet strong, but research is still being done.

Nobody knows what causes autism. Therefore, we can do nothing to prevent and cure it, but rather we can simply treat the autistic people in our lives with the best of our ability. Becoming educated in autism is the key-the more you know about the disorder, the better you can aid individuals who suffer from it. Autism is a complex problem, and as researchers develop new understandings of the way it affects the body, better treatment options will become available, with the hope that someday we will be able to cure this disease.

Free PDF Health Ebook...

Natural Help for Skin Abscesses

? ? Simply right click the ebook title above, and choose Save As to save to your desktop!? You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!

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About Dee Braun

Dee is an Adv. Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Adv. Color/Crystal Therapist, Herbalist, Dr. of Reflexology and single mom who is dedicated to helping others any way she can. One way she chooses to help is by offering information on the benefits and uses of natural health and healing methods for the well-being of both people and pets. Dee also teaches Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Color/Crystal Therapy at the Alternative Healing Academy

Source: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/eliminating-the-source-what-causes-autism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eliminating-the-source-what-causes-autism

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Egypt's police to get 100,000 9mm pistols

CAIRO (AP) ? An Egyptian security official says the interior ministry will supply policemen with 100,000 new 9mm pistols, after many complained about a lack of firepower.

The official says the decision was made after studying the demands of policemen who said they could not properly defend themselves against increased lawlessness following the ouster of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak two years ago. The official spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Policemen have gone on strike in recent weeks and protested what they say are poor working conditions and continuous attacks against them by armed thugs.

The move is likely to be criticized by rights groups who say policemen are operating with impunity and using excessive force against protesters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-police-100-000-9mm-pistols-173601251.html

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Using Basic Marketing To Modify Your Web Design Business ...

In order to successfully achieve the level of expansion that you seek in your web design company, you must choose productive methods that will be most cost effective and least time-consuming for you to implement. Here are the effective steps to successful web design business growth.

Stay confident. Confidence will bring in the social and advertising butterfly in you whether you see it or not. There are gonna be difficulty and negative feedback in your profession, but if you stay confidence then you will always get web design business and recommendations.

If you ?wear? your web design business information every day, you?re bound to get noticed. Have tees printed and wear them all day, every day. If nothing else, you?ll verify to grow your brand exposure-and hopefully look good while you?re at it.

Canvas neighborhoods and parks with brochures. Choose a student or other individual to place a flyer on each car or doorstep in a given neighborhood. This is an easy technique to increase your web design business, and success relates to the time invested in the process.

Having a sound web design business reputation is a key. You must be considerate about your reputation in the market. You should come up with ways helping you work on your web design business reputation. If you have a web design business reputation to be proud of, then you can enjoy a lucrative web design business.

Another great method to grow your web design business is to acquire a government contract. Now, not all web design businesses can attain this, but if you have a web design business that can serve the government, you?re in luck! Search Bing for government contracts.

Fast-moving racecars can guide to some fast sales for your web design business if you choose to market on one. Millions of people watch NASCAR events and that?s not counting the ones with money really sitting in on the races. For that kind of exposure, it?s worth the price you?ll pay for that premium space.

Making relationship on the web can also help you to keep a successful web design business running. You cannot access all the customers face to face, so internet marketing should be sued to make relationships with the clients.

The mouse pad is still a good way to advertise, not just for edgy companies but for anyone looking to gain exposure. You don?t even need to be selling computer parts, really. As long as people see your logo, they?re learning about you, regardless of how you?re getting out the message.

Be sure to go to Bing and type in small business web design when you are curious about discovering more about ecommerce website design package next time you are online.

Related posts:

• How To Get More Website Traffic: What You Should Do If you make use of your site to earn money, whether youre selling products or services on your internet site or you have ads on your web page that generate profits, you will probably be wondering how to get more website traffic. So that you can bring in more money and be profitable with your adventures on the internet, you will need to get as many people to your web site as possible. Youve absolutely come to the best place if you are considering mastering some recommendations regarding how to acquire more website traffic or perhaps more Google traffic. In...
• Know About Web Design Leicester As far as website design and development companies there are none better than those in Leicester. Regardless, if you are just starting a business and need a website for your startup business or you need your current business' website updated, the web design and development companies in Leicester can help your business grow. That is their only objective....
• How Will Google Pulling Out Of China Effect Their Reign On The Internet? As surely just about everyone has heard at this point Google will be pulling its search engine out of China. At this point it is unsure as to whether this decision is Google making a stand against the injustices of the Chinese Government or the Chinese Government trying to put Google in its place, and all other companies that might try to revolt against the injustices in this country. Either way Google will be leaving China and will lose that corner of the current market....
• Basic Web Design Knowledge Website Designing is such a wonderful aspect that everyone is basically very much interested in learning what exactly is essentially designing ? Well, if you are really, you should take up designing career By doing so, you will gain systematic knowledge about the different practices along with skills involved in web design london plus its development....
• How To Successfully Promote Your Increasing Web Design Business You know exactly what you want to do after you grow your web design business. Why wait any longer to grow your web design business when you have the information you need just here. Use this information to grow you web design business so you can move on to what's next....

Source: http://blog.onewaylinksite.com/using-basic-marketing-to-modify-your-web-design-business-standards/

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New BlackBerry to be released in US in mid-March

TORONTO (AP) ? The chief executive of Research In Motion said he's disappointed the new BlackBerry won't be released in the United States until mid-March, but he said early data suggests sales in the U.K. are above expectations.

Thorsten Heins said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press that he was disappointed in the mid-March U.S. release date. But he said the U.S. and its phone carriers have a rigid testing system.

"We need to respect that. Am I a bit disappointed? Yeah, I would be lying saying no. But it is what it is and we're working with all our carrier partners to speed it up as much as we can," Heins said in an interview at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto.

RIM unveiled new BlackBerrys last week after excruciating delays allowed Apple, Samsung and others to build commanding leads in the industry. The stock fell 12 percent after Wednesday's kickoff, despite positive reviews about the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. There's concern the phone isn't coming out sooner after RIM announced a March U.S. release date last week.

Heins told the AP that it will be mid-March.

The first device in the new crop of the much-delayed revamped BlackBerrys will be the touchscreen Z10. Black and white versions were released in the U.K. last Thursday and will be released in Canada on Tuesday.

Heins said a substantial number of U.K. users are moving from other platforms to BlackBerry and said that's an encouraging sign because they first targeted longtime BlackBerry users.

"It's beyond expectations," Heins said. "White is sold out already. The black is hard to stock up again. It's very encouraging. I won't share the number because I need to verify it, but we are getting a substantial number of users moving from other platforms to BlackBerry. That is an interesting data point."

Shares of RIM closed up 15 percent Monday on initial reports of strong U.K. sales and after an analyst upgraded the stock.

Heins said they have to retake market share in the U.S. for BlackBerry to be successful. The U.S. has been one market in which RIM has been particularly hurting, even as the company is doing well in many places overseas. According to research firm IDC, shipments of BlackBerry phones plummeted from 46 percent of the U.S. market in 2008 to 2 percent in 2012. The iPhone and Android now dominate.

Heins, who one year ago replaced longtime executives who had presided over BlackBerry's fall, said he's confident BlackBerry can become the third ecosystem behind Apple and phones running Google's Android operating system.

"We need to win back market share to be relevant," Heins said. "We have to be aggressive in the U.S. market."

The new BlackBerrys are a make-or-break product lineup after the pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, which reset expectations for what a smartphone should do.

RIM promised a new system to catch up, using technology it got through its 2010 purchase of QNX Software Systems. But it has taken more than two years to unveil new phones that are redesigned for the new multimedia, Internet browsing and apps experience that customers are now demanding. RIM initially said the new BlackBerry with the revamped software would come by early 2012, but then the company changed that to late 2012. A few months later, that date was pushed back further, to early 2013, missing the lucrative holiday season. The holdup helped wipe out more than $70 billion in shareholder wealth and 5,000 jobs.

As RIM previously disclosed, the first phone will have only a touch-screen keyboard, like Apple Inc.'s trend-setting iPhone and most phones running Android, including Samsung Electronic Co.'s popular Galaxy line.

The Q10 will follow and will have a physical keyboard, a feature that has kept BlackBerry users loyal over the years because it makes typing easier. RIM said last week the Q10 will start going on sale on some global carriers in April, but didn't say when U.S. carriers will have it.

Heins told the AP it depends on the carriers, but said keyboard versions will likely be released eight to 10 weeks after a carrier releases the touch version.

That could mean the Q10 keyboard version might not be released in the U.S. until much later than mid-March or April.

Some analysts have questioned RIM for releasing a touch version first considering its most loyal users love the physical keyboard for typing.

Heins said the full touch screen was more complicated and they needed to focus on releasing that first. He has also acknowledged that RIM failed to quickly adapt to the emerging "bring your own device" trend, in which employees bring their personal touch-screen iPhones or Android devices to work instead of relying on BlackBerrys issued by their employers

Heins said they want to participate in that trend by releasing a touch version first.

Heins also addressed possible interest other companies might have in RIM should BlackBerry 10 prove successful and whether the Canadian government might block a foreign takeover.

"The recognition for BlackBerry 10 and what we built is pretty high. We got good reviews," he said. "That moves you into the middle of the radar screen so I expect some activity around it but we'll look at it one by one. We'll assess it and we'll make decisions with the board on what make sense."

Heins recently chatted with top Canadian government ministers, including the industry minister, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"These guys are reasonable, rational people. At the end of the day it's about employment, it's about economic health, it's about Canada playing a major role," Heins said. "If the right logic and rational applies I don't think they will just block it for their own sake. They could have done it with Nortel and the patents."

Several months ago RIM's decline evoked memories of Nortel, a former Canadian tech giant, which declared bankruptcy in 2009 and was picked over for its patents.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-05-TEC--BlackBerry%20CEO/id-36e36743e5f747dbbcb2b0308040c243

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A Good Mood May Boost Seniors' Brain Power ? WebMD

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- When older people's mood improves, so does their brain power, new research suggests.

Being in a good mood appears to enhance decision-making skills and working memory among older adults, according to the study published in the current issue of the journal Cognition and Emotion.

The study authors suggested that even something as simple as a small bag of candy can help older people perform better on so-called "cognitive" -- or thinking skill -- tests.

"There has been lots of research showing that younger adults are more creative and cognitively flexible when they are in a good mood. But because of the [mental] declines that come with aging, we weren't sure that a good mood would be able to help older adults," study co-author Ellen Peters, professor of psychology at Ohio State University, said in a university news release.

"So these results are good news," she added. "There are ways for older adults to overcome some of the [mental] declines that come with aging"

In conducting the study, the researchers divided 46 adults ranging in age from 63 to 85 years into two equal groups. Those included in the first group were given a thank you note and two small bags of candy tied with a red ribbon to boost their mood when they arrived for the thinking skill tests. Those in the other group did not receive either a thank you note or candy.

During the experiment, the participants who received the candy used computers that had a sky-blue background screen with smiling suns on it. Meanwhile, those who didn't receive the candy used computers with neutral round images but no smiling faces on the sky-blue background.

The participants were given $3 in quarters and eight virtual decks of cards featuring a different pattern during the decision-making tasks. Four of the decks were considered "gain" decks. If participants chose a card from one of these decks, 75 percent of the time they won a quarter and 25 percent of the time they didn't win or lose. The remaining four decks were considered "loss" decks. If someone chose a card from a "loss" deck, they lost a quarter 75 percent of the time, the study authors explained.

The participants could also accept or reject the top card of the deck that was offered to them. Their goal was to win as much money as they could. The participants were not told what the card values were. Instead, they had to learn through trial and error. The researchers noted they were looking to see how quickly the participants would learn which decks won them money and which ones didn't.

The study revealed that the older adults whose spirits were lifted with a thank you note and candy performed much better at the decision-making test than the other participants.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20130204/a-good-mood-may-boost-seniors-brain-power

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Filin describes 'unbearable' pain of acid attack

Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, Sergei Filin, recalls the "unbearable pain" from January's acid attack as he leaves a Moscow hospital for treatment in Germany. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

By Anastasia Gorelova and Thomas Grove, Reuters

MOSCOW ? The Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director,?Sergei Filin,?left a Moscow hospital on Monday to have treatment in Germany after an acid attack that damaged his eyes and face.

Wearing dark glasses but saying he felt well, the 42-year-old?said before checking out of the hospital that he knew who was behind last month's attack and made clear he believed it was linked to his work at Russia's prestigious Bolshoi Theater.

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"I feel well, I'd even say great, if only my eyes could see a bit better. But I can say I feel well," he told reporters as he left, wearing a netted bandage across the lower part of his face.

Filin told Russian state television about the agony he experienced after the attack, which occurred as he was walking home at night from the Bolshoi on Jan. 17. "I fell on my face in the snow and began to rub snow in my face and eyes," he said.

"I was in terrible, unbearable pain."

He said he lay in the empty street in front of his apartment building for 20 minutes after the attack, pressing his face into the snow, until he caught the attention of a security guard who called an ambulance.?

Filin also told the television crew before leaving the hospital that he forgave his masked attacker, who splashed acid in his face outside his Moscow apartment.

Asked if he knew who had attacked him, he said in the television interview: "Every person has an organ called a heart, and my heart knows who did it, and in my soul I have an answer to that question."

Filin had been one of the most talked-about figures in Russia as head of the ballet for nearly two years when he was attacked. He said the attack followed repeated threats and may have been motivated by rivalry or resentment.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/04/16835041-bolshoi-director-leaves-hospital-describes-unbearable-pain-of-acid-attack?lite

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President signs bill averting government default

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill raising the government's borrowing limit, averting a default and delaying the next clash over the nation's debt until later this year.

The legislation temporarily suspends the $16.4 trillion limit on federal borrowing. Experts say that will allow the government to borrow about $450 billion to meet interest payments and other obligations.

The Senate gave the bill final approval last week and sent it to Obama, who signed it Monday shortly after returning from Minneapolis.

Democrats and Obama had warned that failure to pass the bill could set off financial panic and threaten the economic recovery.

The bill includes a provision attached by House Republicans that temporarily withholds lawmakers' pay in either chamber that fails to produce a budget plan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-signs-bill-averting-government-default-015556104.html

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