Israeli Jews celebrating Passover will easily relate to their ancestors this year ? the country has been swarmed by millions of locusts, one of the 10 plagues visited on the Egyptians.
By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / March 27, 2013
Locusts make their way from Egypt just before they land in Kerem Shalom near the border with Egypt, in southern Israel's Negev Desert, March 11.
Ariel Schalit/AP
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Locusts have descended on Israel this week, just in time for Passover. As millions of Jews commemorate the story of the children of Israel?s exodus from Egypt, including the 10 plagues that afflicted Pharaoh and his people, millions of the crunchy buggers are creeping all over Israel?s southern deserts.
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Jerusalem bureau chief
Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.
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This is nothing like the eighth plague of biblical times, in which locusts covered ?the whole face of the earth? in a kind of collective punishment for the Egyptians whose leader refused to let his Hebrew slaves go free.
But this year is the first time since 2005 that modern Israel has had to combat locusts, which can swarm so thickly that drivers can?t see beyond their windshield. Potato farmers bemoaned the detrimental effect of a previous wave of the grasshopper-like insects several weeks ago. The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, which was on ?locust alert,? has responded quickly to the latest wave with pesticides.?
But it?s not just Israel. Today the Palestinian Authority?s Ministry of Agriculture sprayed pesticides in Hebron, in the southern West Bank. And Egyptian farmers have suffered millions of dollars in damage after a swarm of about 30 million locusts hit Cairo earlier this month.
The most serious situation, however, appears to be in Sudan, where the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) head has warned that immature ?hoppers? are lining up along a 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) stretch of the Nile and could pose a serious threat to Nile Valley crops in May.
OK, so locusts are not your average grasshopper. But still, how can they cause such massive damage?
Consider these arresting facts: They can eat their weight in crops every day; they can fly more than 80 miles a day ? in swarms as dense as 200 million per square mile; and females can lay as many as 1,000 egg pods in roughly 10 square feet, according to an FAO fact sheet.?
To put the threat in practical terms, one ton of locusts (just a fraction of your average swarm) can eat about as much food as 2,500 people can in a day, says FAO.
The Israelis have sought to reverse the food chain this Passover, however, by grilling the kosher insects for a crunchy, high-protein delicacy. And they?re not alone. Locust recipes abound.?
A Mexican version from ?Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects,? by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, calls for roasting locust torsos and sprinkling them on homemade guacamole in a taco shell. Scrap that. Sprinkle and?enjoy, the cookbook says.?
B?tayavon, as the Israelis would say.?Bon app?tit.
Phone records for two mobile numbers were being examined Monday as investigators probing the killing of a Texas prosecutor and his wife sought possible links to the January slaying of another area district attorney and amid suggestions that a white supremacist was involved.
Authorities are looking at records for the two mobile numbers between Jan. 1 and Sunday, according to details of a search warrant, made public Monday and reported by NBCDFW.com. No more details were given in the warrant.
Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were gunned down at their home outside Dallas on Saturday. The county?s Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was shot dead near the county courthouse on his way to work on Jan. 31.
The search warrant also revealed that the McLellands? bodies were initially found by a family friend who went to the residence after trying to contact the couple several times without success.
District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death in their home Saturday, just two months after the county's assistant DA, Mark Hasse, was gunned down outside the courthouse. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.
The slayings have dismayed residents in the county, particularly in its main town, Kaufman.
"People are in absolute shock here," Joe Gibson, 21, the manager at Moon's Fried Chicken Cafeteria told Reuters.
Insurance agent Bobby Aga, 68, told Reuters: ?We have a strong tradition of law enforcement in this area. The criminal justice system here is something you don't mess with. It's the fabric of our community."
Authorities have not said the killings are linked and have not announced any leads in the McLellands? deaths ? although a county judge, Bruce Wood,?said Monday that "there has to be some connection."
Several people who are familiar with the case downplayed any possible connection to white supremacist prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, NBCDFW.com reported. Investigators say they have found nothing to indicate the Aryan Brotherhood was involved.
However, Rep. Ted Poe, a Republican and former Texas prosecutor, told CNN on Monday that he suspected the gang was involved, without saying where he was getting his information.
On the day Hasse was killed, the Kaufman County DA?s office was named among the investigative bodies involved in a racketeering case against the gang.
The hate group was suspected of ?actively planning retaliation? against police and prosecutors who helped gain indictments in Houston against dozens of its members,?the Dallas Morning News reported in February.
The Aryan Brotherhood has been in the state's prison system since the 1980s, when it began as a white supremacist gang that protected its members and ran illegal activities, including drug distribution, Terry Pelz, a former Texas prison warden and expert on the gang, told the Associated Press.
Four top leaders of the group were indicted in October for crimes ranging from murder to drug trafficking. Two months later, authorities issued the bulletin warning that the gang might try to retaliate against law enforcement for the investigation that also led to the arrest of 30 other members.
Hasse's death on Jan. 31 came the same day as the first guilty pleas were entered in the indictment, the AP reported.
Killing law enforcement representatives would be uncharacteristic of the group, Pelz said.
"They don't go around killing officials," he said. "They don't draw heat upon themselves."
Late Monday, Kaufman County Sheriff's office announced that Brandi Fernandez, First Assistant District Attorney, will fill the position of interim DA for a period of 21 days.
The murders serve as a reminder that officers of courts across the nation continually face threats, although these are rarely carried out.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:
Texas community in 'shock' over slaying of DA, wife
District attorney, wife shot to death in Texas county where assistant DA was killed
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This story was originally published on Tue Apr 2, 2013 4:53 AM EDT
MONDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) ? Patients with breast cancer that has spread to the lungs may live longer if they have surgery to remove the lung tumors, a new study from Germany suggests.
The average survival of breast cancer patients whose cancer has spread (metastasized) to other areas of the body and who undergo conventional chemotherapy regimens ranges from 12 months to 24 months.
It had been believed that surgery would not benefit these patients.
However, this study of 81 patients found that average survival increased to as much as 103 months among patients who had surgery that removed all the cancer from their lungs. Survival ranged from 20 to 23 months for patients who still had cancer present in their lungs after surgery, according to the study in the April issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
?Too often patients with metastatic breast cancer are not considered for surgical treatment, as it is assumed that these patients would not benefit from surgical interventions for various reasons,? Dr. Georgios Meimarakis, of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, said in a journal news release.
Based on their findings, Meimarakis and his colleagues ?highly recommend? that doctors consider surgery for breast cancer patients whose cancer has spread to the lungs.
These results show that this type of surgery needs to be considered more often as part of a multi-pronged approach to treatment of these patients, Dr. Hans Hoffmann, of the University of Heidelberg, in Germany, said in an accompanying editorial.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about breast cancer.
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.
Father and son team Nick and Larry Braun want to build a portable zip line system for cameras. Problem is, predictably, design and manufacturing cost a lot of money. So, the two have turned to Kickstarter and are asking for a little help in getting their LineCam project off the ground. The duo are actually building two different models: the simple, gravity-powered Glide and the motorized Flow. Both are wheeled carts that attach to a cable and have mounts for various cameras, including standard tripod mounts for shuttling DSLRs through the air. The Glide is capable of using smaller gauge line and has a simpler rigging assembly, which helps keep cost and weight down. The remote controlled Flow, on the other hand, requires a much more robust setup.
The Flow is definitely the more interesting of the two products. Rather than simply riding the cable under the the influence of physics, it features an RF remote with speed control and the ability to run in reverse. And the 10,900mAh battery is charged in part by a regenerative breaking system packed into the shuttle. Having all this machined aluminum made here in the US isn't cheap however. The Glide platform alone (that includes none of the rigging or cabling) will require a pledge of $510. The Flow? A jaw dropping $4,535. And if you want all the necessary equipment to film your exploits from the air you'll have to offer support totally $5,600. Still, if you're serious about your photography and video, it might not seem like that absurd a price. Heck, the GoPro guys seem to like it. Check out the video pitch for the LineCam after the break.
The annual Wondercon convention brings out thousands of comic, movie and TV fans of sci-fi and fantasy (Eric P??ANAHEIM, Calif. - The last weekend in March marked the 28th annual Wondercon. The convention is best known as Comic-Con's smaller sibling. And while Wondercon doesn't bring out the same barrage of Hollywood stars or the ensuing tidal wave of attendees, it has become a large and important setting for diehard fans of fantasy and science fiction across a number of platforms, including comics, games, TV and film.
Part of Wondercon's charm in being the slightly smaller version of Comic Con is that grassroots fans have a greater opportunity to stretch their legs and show off their costume work. In advance of the annual Masquerade Ball, hundreds of attendees wandered around the Anaheim Convention Center to show off their best outfits. Here is a sampling of some of our favorite sights from the weekend.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)These two guys dressed as X-Men rivals Deadpool and Wolverine. didn't come to Wondercon together. But when they crossed paths outside the convention center, attendees begged insisted that the two stage a fake fight for their viewing pleasure.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)"She loves is!" Insisted the owner of this little dog, whose fur was dyed a combination of blue, purple, orange and yellow. She also had tiny fairy wings strapped to her back. And from all appearances, the tiny pup was in fact enjoying all of the attention, posting diligently for photos before her Mom picked her up and carried her away to the next stop.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)This casually dressed fan found herself surrounded by a team of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers inside the convention main hall.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)There were a number of families showing in costume at this year's Wondercon, including this family, who made the rounds dressed as characters from the "Street Fighter" video game series.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)While another G.I. Joe film opened in movie theaters, two attendees marked the event by showing up in their best Cobra gear. Can you remember the name of the obscure, cyborg Cobra character on the left?
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)A pair of R2D2 units were also on the scene, showing a capacity crowd how to build their R2D2 units. We checked, but Kenny Baker was nowhere to be found.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)Another Wondercon family. This one dressed as characters from a Batman spinoff series.
(Eric Pfeiffer/Yahoo)And what convention is complete without Dippin' Dots? After all, it is, "The ice cream of the future."
A road map: High efficiency bulk-micromegas based neutron imaging detectorPublic release date: 31-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: YAN Bei yanbei@scichina.org 86-106-400-8316 Science China Press
To increase the neutron detection efficiency of Bulk-Micromegas (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) neutron detectors, researchers from Lanzhou University (China), IRFU-CEA (France), and the University of Tennesse-Knoxville (USA) have proposed three novel converters (Fig. 1). When validated using Monte Carlo simulations, the design shown in Fig.1 C results in a threefold increase in neutron detection efficiencies. This work is described in detail in SCI CHINA: Tech. Sci. 2013, 43?3?.
The team have now made a Bulk-Micromegas based neutron imaging detector with a traditional thin-film neutron convertor. The dimensions of the detector's sensitive area is 57.4 mm 88.6 mm, which is composed of 1,728 rectangular pads (36 pads in the X direction and 48 pads in the Y direction). Each pad has an area of 1.50 mm 1.75 mm (http://mpgd.lzu.edu.cn/research.html). Although the detector has a relatively low neutron detection efficiency, very good mask images are obtained (Fig. 2). Without any modification, the detector can be used as a 2D neutron beam monitor for projects that require low detection efficiency (detectors with high detection efficiency cannot operate with high intensity neutron beams). At the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, CA, USA (2012), Dr. Xiaodong Zhang presented this work on behalf of the FNI collaboration.
The team is currently collaborating with companies to make detectors using micro-machining and new printed circuit board techniques.
Additionally, the novel detectors can be used to improve thermal neutron, cold neutron and ultra-cold neutron efficiencies, through simply changing the detection conversion material from polyethylene to boron-10, or lithium-7. Dr. Zhang is optimistic about the impact of these detectors in different research fields: "By choosing different conversion materials I envisage that at least a 10% detection efficiency can be achieved for thermal neutron detection. Our detectors can be used to replace the current neutron detectors which use helium-3, and hence reduce the demand for helium-3." Currently, his team is developing this technique at Spalation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA.
###
Corresponding Author:
ZHANG, XiaoDong on behalf of FNI collaboration*
xzhang39@utk.edu zhangxd@lzu.edu.cn
See the article: AN LvXing, SHEN HuaYa, ZHANG ChunHui, WAN ChengLiang, CHEN YongHao, HO ZhanYing and ZHANG XiaoDong. Optimization of neutron convertor inside Bulk-Micromegas based fast neutron imaging system with Geant4 simulation. SCI CHINA Tech. Sci, 2013, 43(3): 315-319.doi: 10.1360/092012-1271
* FNI (Fast Neutron Imager) collaboration:
1) ZHANG XiaoDong, WAN ChengLiang, ZHANG ChunHui, WANG WenXin, SHEN HuaYa, AN LvXing, CHEN YongHao, HE ZhanYing, and WEI Kun, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P.R. China; 2) ZHANG XiaoDong, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA, 37996; 3) Paul Colas, David Attie, WANG WenxXin, M. Rillot, IRFU-CEA, Saclay, 91191, France.
Science China Press Co., Ltd. (SCP) is a scientific journal publishing company of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). For 50 years, SCP takes its mission to present to the world the best achievements by Chinese scientists on various fields of natural sciences researches.
http://www.scichina.com/
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
A road map: High efficiency bulk-micromegas based neutron imaging detectorPublic release date: 31-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: YAN Bei yanbei@scichina.org 86-106-400-8316 Science China Press
To increase the neutron detection efficiency of Bulk-Micromegas (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) neutron detectors, researchers from Lanzhou University (China), IRFU-CEA (France), and the University of Tennesse-Knoxville (USA) have proposed three novel converters (Fig. 1). When validated using Monte Carlo simulations, the design shown in Fig.1 C results in a threefold increase in neutron detection efficiencies. This work is described in detail in SCI CHINA: Tech. Sci. 2013, 43?3?.
The team have now made a Bulk-Micromegas based neutron imaging detector with a traditional thin-film neutron convertor. The dimensions of the detector's sensitive area is 57.4 mm 88.6 mm, which is composed of 1,728 rectangular pads (36 pads in the X direction and 48 pads in the Y direction). Each pad has an area of 1.50 mm 1.75 mm (http://mpgd.lzu.edu.cn/research.html). Although the detector has a relatively low neutron detection efficiency, very good mask images are obtained (Fig. 2). Without any modification, the detector can be used as a 2D neutron beam monitor for projects that require low detection efficiency (detectors with high detection efficiency cannot operate with high intensity neutron beams). At the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, CA, USA (2012), Dr. Xiaodong Zhang presented this work on behalf of the FNI collaboration.
The team is currently collaborating with companies to make detectors using micro-machining and new printed circuit board techniques.
Additionally, the novel detectors can be used to improve thermal neutron, cold neutron and ultra-cold neutron efficiencies, through simply changing the detection conversion material from polyethylene to boron-10, or lithium-7. Dr. Zhang is optimistic about the impact of these detectors in different research fields: "By choosing different conversion materials I envisage that at least a 10% detection efficiency can be achieved for thermal neutron detection. Our detectors can be used to replace the current neutron detectors which use helium-3, and hence reduce the demand for helium-3." Currently, his team is developing this technique at Spalation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA.
###
Corresponding Author:
ZHANG, XiaoDong on behalf of FNI collaboration*
xzhang39@utk.edu zhangxd@lzu.edu.cn
See the article: AN LvXing, SHEN HuaYa, ZHANG ChunHui, WAN ChengLiang, CHEN YongHao, HO ZhanYing and ZHANG XiaoDong. Optimization of neutron convertor inside Bulk-Micromegas based fast neutron imaging system with Geant4 simulation. SCI CHINA Tech. Sci, 2013, 43(3): 315-319.doi: 10.1360/092012-1271
* FNI (Fast Neutron Imager) collaboration:
1) ZHANG XiaoDong, WAN ChengLiang, ZHANG ChunHui, WANG WenXin, SHEN HuaYa, AN LvXing, CHEN YongHao, HE ZhanYing, and WEI Kun, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P.R. China; 2) ZHANG XiaoDong, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA, 37996; 3) Paul Colas, David Attie, WANG WenxXin, M. Rillot, IRFU-CEA, Saclay, 91191, France.
Science China Press Co., Ltd. (SCP) is a scientific journal publishing company of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). For 50 years, SCP takes its mission to present to the world the best achievements by Chinese scientists on various fields of natural sciences researches.
http://www.scichina.com/
[ | 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.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? After a nine-month delay, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" deployed to the top spot at the box office.
The action film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum as the gun-toting military toys brought to life marched into the No. 1 position at the weekend box office, earning $41.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. "Retaliation" opened Wednesday at midnight, which helped bring its domestic total to $51.7 million.
Paramount postponed the sequel to 2009's "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" last May from its original June opening date to convert the film to 3-D. The last-minute switcheroo came just weeks after "Battleship," another movie based on a Hasbro toy, sank at the box office. At that time, Paramount already began its advertising campaign for "Retaliation."
"It certainly vindicates the decision," said Don Harris, the studio's head of distribution. "Any time you make those sorts of moves, people always assume the worst. The truth is I'd seen this movie a long time ago in 2-D, and the movie worked in 2-D. It's not trying to be 'Schindler's List.' This movie is intended to be enjoyed as a big, action spectacle."
Internationally, Harris said "Retaliation" earned $80.3 million, making it the biggest international opening of the year. The film opened in 53 markets outside of the U.S. and Canada, including Russia, South Korea and Mexico.
After debuting in the top spot last weekend, the 3-D animated prehistoric comedy "The Croods" from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox slipped to the No. 2 spot with $26.5 million in its second weekend. The film features the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Catherine Keener as a cave family on the hunt for a new home.
Among the other new films this weekend, "Tyler Perry's Temptation" starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Lance Gross opened above expectations at No. 3 with $22.3 million, while the sci-fi adaptation "The Host" featuring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel as characters from the Stephenie Meyer novel landed at No. 6 in its debut weekend with a modest $11 million.
Overall, the weekend box office was on par with last year when "The Hunger Games" continued to dominate in its second weekend of release with $58.5 million. After a slow start, Hollywood's year-to-date revenues are still 12 percent behind last year, heading into next month when summer movie season unofficially kicks off with "Iron Man 3" on May 3.
"It's getting us back on track after many weekends of down trending box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Last weekend was a turning point with the strength of 'The Croods' and 'Olympus Has Fallen' doing better than expected. We're heading toward the summer movie season on solid footing. It's been a tough year so far."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $41.2 million ($80.3 million international).
2. "The Croods," $26.5 million ($52.5 million international).
3. "Tyler Perry's Temptation," $22.3 million.
4. "Olympus Has Fallen," $14 million.
5. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $11.6 million ($22.2 million international).
6. "The Host," $11 million ($6 million international).
7. "The Call," $4.8 million.
8. "Admission," $3.2 million.
9. "Spring Breakers," $2.7 million.
10. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," $1.3 million.
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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $80.3 million.
2. "The Croods," $52.5 million.
3. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $25.2 million.
4. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $22.2 million.
5. "Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami," $7 million.
6. "The Host," $6 million.
7. "Identity Thief," $5.5 million.
8. "Wreck-It Ralph," $4 million.
9. "A Good Day to Die Hard," $3.6 million.
10. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $3.3 million.
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Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.
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Public release date: 31-Mar-2013
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