28-09-2012 17:56 DNA evidence helped lead to new charges against a Kansas City man in a series of rapes dating back to the 1980s.
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DNA link prompts charges in cold case rapes - Video
Little Mix – DNA (Download) – Video
01-10-2012 02:24 Little Mix - DNA Little Mix - DNA Little Mix - DNALittle Mix - Little Mix DNA "Little Mix - DNA" "DNA - Little Mix" "little mix - dna" "dna - little mix"
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Little Mix - DNA (Download) - Video
DNA construction technology makes genetic engineering cheaper, faster
Sequencing, splicing and expressing DNA may seem to be the quintessence of cutting-edge scienceindeed DNA manipulation has revolutionized fields such as biofuels, chemicals and medicine. But in fact, the actual process can still be tedious and labor-intensive, something Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientist Nathan Hillson learned the hard way.
After struggling for two days to design a protocol to put together a genetic circuit with 10 pieces of DNAusing a spreadsheet as his primary toolhe was dismayed to discover that an outside company could have done the whole thing, including parts and labor, for lower cost than him ordering the oligonucleotides himself. "I learned two things: one, I never wanted to go through that process again, and two, it's extremely important to do the cost-effectiveness calculation," said Hillson, a biochemist who also directs the synthetic biology program at the Berkeley Lab-led Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). "So that was the genesis of the j5 software. This is the perfect thing to teach a computer to do."
The j5 software package, which has attracted users from more than 250 institutions worldwide since it was made available last year, is now the basis for the latest startup to emerge from JBEI, a Department of Energy research center established in 2007 to pursue breakthroughs in the production of cellulosic biofuels. By building on j5 and adding modules for commercial users, TeselaGen Biotechnology, founded by Hillson and two partners, says it will significantly reduce the time and cost involved with DNA synthesis and cloning, a multibillion-dollar market.
"It's like AutoCAD for biology," said TeselaGen co-founder and CEO Mike Fero. "Modern cloning is a computational problem. We are the missing informatic piece to making modern scarless DNA assembly methods a reality for the majority of biologists. Otherwise it's a small cadre of people who can do it."
Recombinant DNA assemblies are critical tools in a number of scientific pursuits: for understanding how cells are altered in diseases such as cancer, for building better antibiotics, for converting plant biomass to biofuels and for basic scientific understanding of cellular pathways. Standard cloning techniques have been in use for 40 years and are still the industry standard.
"Our biggest competition is traditional cloning, or inertia," said Fero, who was a particle physicist for 10 years before pursuing a career in biotech. "We have to make it so easy people will happily switch to the newer methods."
TeselaGen licensed j5 from Berkeley Lab, the lead institutional partner of JBEI, and currently has more than 100 scientists and engineers from large industrial and pharmaceutical companies in private beta.
"We are so pleased with the startup of TeselaGen, based on a deceptively simple idea but clearly providing a solution to a very difficult problem," said Cheryl Fragiadakis, director of technology transfer at Berkeley Lab. "It is a great example as well of a company coming out of our JBEI activities.The Lab's Tech Transfer encourages and supports entrepreneurial ventures, providing education and networking for our scientists, as a great way to get technologies out for the benefit of society."
The cloud-based software not only designs DNA construction protocols, it will compare methods to determine the one that is most cost-effective, weighing, for example, if it is cheaper to outsource a portion of the DNA construction.The more complex the task, the more time and money the program can save. The greatest savings are with combinatorial libraries, collections of hundreds to millions of related DNA assemblies, each with a different combination of genes or parts that perform similar functions in different organisms.
For example, simple construction of a metabolic pathway that takes two and a half weeks and costs $1,400 using traditional cloning can be cut down to two weeks and less than half the cost with j5. A more complex task of constructing a combinatorial protein library (with 243 constructs) would drop from $122,000 and 11 months with traditional cloning to under $30,000 and 1.5 months with j5. The same task using direct DNA synthesis would cost $538,000 and take 2.3 months.
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DNA construction technology makes genetic engineering cheaper, faster
DNA on gun matches Thompson’s, expert testifies at trial
DNA found on the gun allegedly used to murder a Dartmouth taxi driver matches that of Chaze Lamar Thompson, a Halifax jury was told Tuesday.
Michelle Fisher, an expert in forensic DNA analysis, testified that theres a one-in-79-million chance that DNA swabbed from the grip of the gun belongs to a black Canadian other than Thompson.
The 22-year-old Thompson is on trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court for first-degree murder in the death of Sergei Kostin, a driver for Bobs Taxi.
Thompson, of Dartmouth, is accused of shooting Kostin in the head from the back seat of his cab on Johnson Road in Cherry Brook on the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2009.
Kostins burned-out cab was discovered three days later, parked in woods at the end of Downey Road in North Preston.
His body was found that April 1 under the roots of a fallen tree along Upper Governor Street in North Preston.
Wayne McAvoy, Thompsons first cousin, led police to the body and was given immunity from prosecution after agreeing to testify for the Crown.
McAvoy said a gun found by police at Thompsons sisters apartment in Dartmouth in February 2009 was the murder weapon.
Part of the gun was in a couch and part was by a refrigerator.
Fisher testified Tuesday that of five swabs taken from the gun, only one was suitable for a meaningful comparison. The swab was from both sides of the guns grip.
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DNA on gun matches Thompson’s, expert testifies at trial
Polo Biology Completes Sale of its Operating Subsidiary; Listing to be moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture …
VANCOUVER , Oct. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Polo Biology Global Group Corporation (the "Company") (PGG.V) announced today that it has completed the sale of its active business (see the Company's August 17 , July 24 , and June 6, 2012 news releases for further details), for gross proceeds of CDN$760,000.00. As the Company now has no active business, its listing is being moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). In continuing with its reorganization, management is proceeding with a 1:10 consolidation of capital and name change. The consolidation of capital and move to the NEX are subject to approval of the Exchange. Management members are also actively pursuing business opportunities with a view to making an acquisition that will qualify the Company, at a minimum, for listing on Tier 2 of the Exchange.
This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for completion of the disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking, future plans and objectives of the Company, estimation of profitability, the timing and content of upcoming business plans, capital expenditures, success of business operations, risks, and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; delays in obtaining shareholder approval; risks related to international operations; actual results of planned expansion activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of supplies and market prices for products; exchange rates for Canadian, Chinese and any other currencies material to the Company's businesses; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the industries that the Company is currently operating in; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financings or in the completion of development activities; Chinese government policies impacting the Company's businesses; general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information made in this news release, except as required under applicable securities legislation.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its "Regulation Services Provider", as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.
SOURCE: Polo Biology Global Group Corporation
Simple reaction makes the building blocks of a nucleic acid
Origin-of-life researchers face a deceptively straightforward question: how did simple chemicals produce complex biochemistry? The complexity of this starts to come in when you consider the many complex biomolecules that would have been useful or essential to the first biochemical reactions. And it gets worse when you consider that there are lots of simple organic chemicals that plausibly could have been present on the early Earth. Figuring out which reactions to even start looking at can be a real challenge.
The extent of that challenge was highlighted a few years back, when a Cambridge lab suggested most earlier researchers had gone down a dead end. Previously, researchers tried to build up a sugar and a nucleic acid base separately, and then link to them from precursors of DNA and RNA. But the group from Cambridge showed it was possible to build relatively simple compounds into a three-ring chemical that could then be converted into cytosine, an RNA component. Now, they've revisited that work and shown that all of the precursors of that reaction can be made with little more than cyanide.
The reaction the group reported back in 2009 only required a set of two or three carbon precursors, but these molecules were already somewhat complex: cyanamide, cyanoacetylene, glycolaldehyde, and glyceraldehyde. We don't know that all of these chemicals would be common on a pre-biotic Earth, which leaves its relevance to the origin of life a somewhat open question.
In a new paper, the same lab tackles forming the simple, two- and three-atom sugars used in their earlier work (glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde). To get there, they started with nothing more complex than hydrogen cyanide, a simple molecule comprised of one atom each of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen. Hydrogen cyanide forms readily under a variety of conditions, and has been found on several bodies in our Solar System, as well as in the interstellar medium.
The authors were intrigued by reports in the literature of a cycle that involves a set of six cyanide molecules, coordinated by two copper atoms. In a water solution, this complex can cycle, driven by ultraviolet light, through a set of reactions that alternately spit out cyanide, protons, and electrons. These electrons get temporarily attached to water molecules, and typically end up being taken up by a scavenger molecule, typically nitrate. However, some reports in the literature noted that, when nitrate isn't added to the reaction, some undefined larger molecules formed.
The authors went back and checked these reaction products, and found that they included both glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehydethe two chemicals that were key building blocks of the reaction that produced the RNA precursor. And all the reaction required was copper ions and some UV light.
If left to continue cycling, the products of the reaction also included some more complex, five-atom ringed structures that incorporate nitrogen and oxygen in the ring. But the authors suspect that with the right conditionsnamely the ones identified in the earlier paperthe products of this new cycle could be sent directly on to form cytosine. They also suggest the addition of other metals could shift the products to additional chemicals that may have biological relevance.
Hopefully, it's safe to assume the lab already has these projects in the works.
Nature Chemistry, 2012. DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.1467 (About DOIs).
John Timmer / John became Ars Technica's science editor in 2007 after spending 15 years doing biology research at places like Berkeley and Cornell.
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Simple reaction makes the building blocks of a nucleic acid
Tellagence Launches Industry-First Technology to Predict Network Behavior
PORTLAND, OR and SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 2, 2012) - DEMO Fall 2012 - Tellagence today is launching a new technology able to predict how information moves across and within any network: social networks, enterprise networks, and eventually, closed networks like the government.The company's first product, Tellagence for Twitter, will be unveiled today at DEMO.
Tellagence is the first enterprise technology to successfully unite human behavioral science with big data computer modeling. By injecting context into the analysis of online connections and conversations, Tellagence can accurately determine the ideal online relationships and most relevant network equations that will motivate individuals to pass along, and ultimately lead people to act upon, your messages.
While many businesses use social media to communicate to their audiences, information delivery is typically based on two flawed practices: Intuition (or gut), which does not systematically analyze relationship context; or Influencers, which blindly targets individuals based on the number of followers they have in an assigned nexus.
Tellagence uniquely bases its solution on the science of human behavior, and is able to:
The result: Tellagence can accurately predict -- and thus identify -- the perfect combination of relationships and information for the most effective, and efficient, delivery of a message.
"Ironically, it is our understanding of the constant presence of change among online relationships that allows us to drive more accurate, effective message delivery," said Matt Hixson, CEO and co-founder of Tellagence. "We are able to effectively predict word of mouth behavior within the millions of big data transactions and help companies predict how to extend their messages and reach their most effective and natural advocates.
"It's like the weather. Just because it rained the last five days doesn't mean it will rain tomorrow.And just because someone talked about, say, the iPhone 5 last week doesn't mean they will talk about it next week.We can help predict the weather for communications, essentially.Many companies are trying, but to our knowledge we are the only company that has successfully taken data prediction to this level and scope."
Tellagence is currently in beta with several major enterprise companies as well as social and interactive agencies.
For a complete look at information on Tellagence, visit our online press page at: Tellagence.com/the-company
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Tellagence Launches Industry-First Technology to Predict Network Behavior
Rwandan Ambassador to Address First Graduating Class at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Washington, D …
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington, D.C. campus of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) the largest nonprofit, private graduate school devoted exclusively to psychology and related behavioral science will hold its first commencement ceremony October 12 with keynote speaker The Honorable James Kimonyo, ambassador of Rwanda to the U.S. The graduates will be comprised of nearly all women and at least half minority, and will be earning master's degrees in counseling and forensic psychology.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100518/DC07134LOGO)
"The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is honored to have such a distinguished diplomat as Ambassador Kimonyo to provide instrumental guidance to our first graduating class," said Orlando Taylor, Ph.D., president of TCSPP Washington, D.C. campus. "Our students are walking away with not just degrees, but also a global perspective that gives them priceless opportunities to apply their knowledge in diverse communities anywhere in the world."
The institution's Washington campus serves approximately 300 students a little more than 40 percent are African American and nearly 80 percent women and the population is growing exponentially as more students from the local region and nationally enroll at the richly diverse campus.
"We are extremely proud of our first group of students to graduate at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Washington, D.C. campus," said Dr. Michele Nealon-Woods, TCSPP's national president. "They are now equipped with invaluable tools from both the classroom and thousands of hours of real-world experience to serve diverse communities and make a truly meaningful difference."
The campus is also preparing to launch its "Center for African Psychology" early next year, where students will have the opportunity to broaden their perspective by visiting African countries to study diverse cultures, and the campus, in turn, will host international students, faculty and partners. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has a growing international student body with students attending the institution from more than 30 countries. The institution recently announced the winners of its first Global Impact Scholarship, which encourages students to share their journey from their home country, and explore how their experiences combined with their education can give them the tools to apply psychological principles to international settings.
About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is the largest nonprofit, private graduate school devoted exclusively to psychology and related behavioral sciences. It serves more than 4,300 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern California (L.A., Irvine, Westwood); and Washington D.C. The institution is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and its Clinical Psychology doctoral program in Chicago is accredited by the American Psychological Association. A member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, TCSPP is recognized for its distinguished service and outstanding contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy. Its community service initiatives have also earned it recognition on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for five consecutive years. With more than 20 graduate degree programs, thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of international opportunities, TCSPP is a leader in professional psychology education. To learn more, visit http://www.thechicagoschool.edu.
Contact: Carol Soudah (213) 615-7292 csoudah@thechicagoschool.edu
SOURCE The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
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Rwandan Ambassador to Address First Graduating Class at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Washington, D ...
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 9 Trailer: A Shocking Proposal & 4 More Spoilers
Whos getting married? Whos having (tons of) sex? Watch this new trailer for a look at the drama to come on Greys Anatomy!
Do you hate linear storytelling? Good, because the next few episodes ofGreys Anatomyare givingLosta run for its money in terms of time-jumping. A brand new trailer reveals that well get to see once again what really happened in the aftermath of the horrific plane crash, and its more devastating than anything weve seen so far.
Heres a quick rundown of the spoilers revealed in the trailer:
1. Arizona (Jessica Capshaw)made Callie (Sara Ramirez)promiseher she wouldnt amputate her leg, which she obviously did.
2.Cristina (Sandra Oh) isnt just running away from Seattle Grace shes fleeing!
3. Jackson (Jesse Williams)asks April (Sarah Drew), Do youwantto get married?
4. Derek (Patrick Dempsey)and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo)celebrate their survival with a sex marathon.
Watch the full trailer below,then drop a comment with your hopes, fears and predictions for the coming season:
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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 9 Trailer: A Shocking Proposal & 4 More Spoilers
5 Major Spoilers from the Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 Trailer
Sandra Oh
Now that the fates of the Grey's Anatomy docs have been revealed, ABC has finally released the Season 9 trailer, which shows not only what's in store for this Thursday's episode which flashes back to when the docs were rescued from the plane crash but also from the forthcoming episodes... and boy, are these new scenes juicy!
We dissected the trailer, which you can watch below, in case you miss any of the five major spoilers:
Grey's Anatomy Scoop: Jessica Capshaw discusses Arizona's fate and what's next
1. Derek (Patrick Dempsey) returns to the scene of the crash. Not literally, but he does get to see the destroyed plane again.
2. Callie (Sara Ramirez) will do her best to take care of Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), but even that's not enough. We see that Arizona crashes while at Seattle Grace is that where she loses her leg?
3. Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April (Sarah Drew) are... getting married? Well, he asks her if she wants to get married, not to marry him, but she does respond with a kiss, so maybe wedding bells will be ringing soon?
Grey's Anatomy: Where were we and what's next?
4. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) tries to convince Cristina (Sandra Oh) to stay in Seattle, but that clearly didn't work so well since the latter twisted sister is in Minnesota now. Still, Meredith appears to be fine, judging from the sexy times between her and Derek.
5. Cristina is catatonic following the crash, but it looks like things are on the up-and-up, considering we see her hooking up with someone but is it Owen (Kevin McKidd)?
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5 Major Spoilers from the Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 Trailer
Zephyr Palace Has Been Voted as Costa Rica's Leading Hotel
Puntarenas, Costa Rica (PRWEB) October 02, 2012
This top award was given by the travel savvy voters of the World Travel Awards website and travel advisors. The awards were handed out to leading travel brands from across the Caribbean and Americas at the World Travel Awards Ceremony hosted at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa on September 14, 2012. A packed delegation of VIPs, senior tourism figures and international media travelled from more than 30 nations to attend WTAs Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony 2012.
Zephyr Palace is part of the Villa Caletas complex hotel in Costa Rica. This luxury mansion shines like a jewel in Costa Ricas Central Pacific coast and has seven thematic luxury suites that have been carefully decorated. Each suites detail and dcor will transport guests to a different time and style according to the rooms theme. The name and design of this Palace was inspired by the mythological Greek God of the west wind. Zephyros, considered the gentlest wind. Even today Zephyr means a warm and light breeze. Its over the top design and architecture makes guests feel a world away. Feel the enchantment of the mansion sunbathing in a private pool or relaxing in an African inspired suite.
Zephyr Palace is part of Villa Caletas, one of the first boutique hotels in Costa Rica. It not only boasts top services and facilities but a unique way to see Costa Rica. Located 1000 feet over the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by the rain forest, experience the best of Costa Rica. Zephyr Palace has access to a private beach where guests can relax in the year round pleasant weather as well as horizon pools where the views are endless. To explore Costa Rica, there are many attractions nearby such as beaches, National Parks, zip lining, sport fishing etc.
The World Travel Awards serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Winning a Word Travel Award is the highest commendation in the travel and tourism industry and this triumph serves as a testament of Zephyr Palaces excellence over the last 12 months. To Celebrate this great award Villa Caletass Zephyr Palace is offering this great package: Stay 3 nights, pay for 2! Total for three nights: $746 in Egyptian, 20 Years or New World Suite *Taxes included. Valid until December 15, 2012. Offer valid for two people per suite.
For reservations please contact: reservations(at)villacaletas(dot)com +(506) 2630-3000
For more information and reservations for the hotel, visit:http://www.zephyrpalace.com& http://www.villacaletas.com or join the Facebook to keep up with the latest news and promotions http://www.facebook.com/villacaletascr
For more information on the World Travel Awards: http://www.worldtravelawards.com
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Play the World's Highest Golf Course in Bolivia with Goway Travel
The new "Golfing in the Clouds" day trip includes a round at the La Paz Golf Club.
(PRWEB) October 02, 2012
Their 3 day La Paz Stopover is an introduction to the country and the worlds highest capital. Its also the natural starting point to explore Lake Titicaca and the Uyuni Salt Flats.
Goway has now added a Bolivia day tour for keen or amateur golfers to play a round at the worlds highest golf course touted as "Golfing in the Clouds. Founded in 1912 by British railway workers laying tracks through the Andes, the La Paz Golf Club is located in an upscale neighbourhood at the top of the massive bowl that is La Paz.
Holes are intersected with tall pillars of sandstone with immaculately kept fairways and green offering an amazing juxtaposition of browns to greens. With volcanoes in the distant framing the view, a round at the La Paz Golf Course is not only one of gaining a milestone by playing the highest course in the world it is also a day of beauty and scenery not seen anywhere in the world let alone on any golf course. The highlight for any serious golfer is the 12th hole, the fabled Valle de la Luna, (moon valley) as it requires a 180 yard shot over a forest of large, rocky outcrops below.
Goway specializes in custom itineraries for independent and group travel. Since 1970, Goway has provided unforgettable travel experiences to some of the world's most exotic and interesting destinations. Goways destinations include Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Antarctica and idyllic tropical islands. For a free trip quote, visit http://www.goway.com.
Emma Cottis Goway 1-800-557-2841 Email Information
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Play the World's Highest Golf Course in Bolivia with Goway Travel
TripAdvisor Acquires Wanderfly
NEWTON, Mass., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, today announced it has acquired Wanderfly, a travel inspiration site.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080902/TRIPADVISORLOGO )
"The Wanderfly team understands the value in social travel planning," said Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO TripAdvisor. "They're a great asset as we continue our developments in this area and I am delighted to welcome them to TripAdvisor."
Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.
About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site,* enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 60 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 75 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, includingChina underdaodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 74 million unique monthly visitors.** TripAdvisor, Inc.'s travel media brands include http://www.airfarewatchdog.com, http://www.bookingbuddy.com, http://www.cruisecritic.com, http://www.everytrail.com, http://www.familyvacationcritic.com, http://www.flipkey.com, http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk, http://www.holidaywatchdog.com, http://www.independenttraveler.com, http://www.onetime.com,www.seatguru.com, http://www.sniqueaway.com, http://www.smartertravel.com, http://www.tingo.com, http://www.travel-library.com, http://www.travelpod.com, http://www.virtualtourist.com, http://www.whereivebeen.com, and http://www.kuxun.cn.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, July 2012
**Source: comScore Media Metrix forTripAdvisor, Inc.and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, July 2012
2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.
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‘Selling the Dream’: Taking on the world with travel posters
Word count: 660
Selling the Dream: Taking on the world with travel posters
Peter Alsop tells us how New Zealand first developed a tourism brand and marketed it to the world through travel posters and other tourism publicity the focus of new book Selling the Dream.
In the early 1900s, New Zealand could see a prosperous future in tourism but, to win that, needed an initial foothold in a competitive global industry. There was no clear identity for New Zealand itself, let alone an established tourism proposition. Without the web, TV and even colour photography, our publicity pioneers had to design travel posters and make them good enough to compete with those of the worlds best poster artists. And as if being a newcomer wasnt tough enough, we had to convince the most adventurous of northern hemisphere travellers to travel six weeks to get here by boat.
Overcoming these and other challenges must count as one of New Zealands most striking achievements on the international stage. The artwork was pivotal in creating our tourism industry and in shaping our national identity as New Zealanders. It is some of the finest graphic art ever produced in New Zealand, and as arresting and impressive today as when it was first created.
A foundation of this story was the establishment of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts in 1901, the first government tourism agency in the world (now Tourism New Zealand). Forthwith, dreamy campaigns included 'Scenic Wonderland, 'The Pocket Edition of the World', Thousands of feet above worry level, The Sportsmans Paradise, Maoriland and A World in Itself suggestive of the exotica, diversity, adventure and escapism New Zealand had on offer.
As with most successes, the environment was also ripe. In the early 1900s, the "art of the street" would have surely impressed. Outdoor advertising beautified railway stations, as well as the landscape as thousands of advertising hoardings were progressively erected along the rail network. There was also a marked shift in poster style from typography to eye-catching graphic work, a trend that would strengthen to underpin the golden age of the travel poster in the 1930s. And commensurate with the growth of international boat travel (and much later air), posters were swapped internationally through reciprocal display agreements with other governments and transportation companies.
A hallmark of the best posters was their simplicity using a stripped back style. With posters needing to weave their magic on a passing gaze, simplicity was the essence of success but if you think it looks easy give it a try! From this poster style, it is easy to see the conception of pop art (coming decades later) and many facets of modern advertising. There is also good evidence that developments in commercial art lead the fine arts in New Zealand; until now a largely missing chapter in our art history.
Also spare a thought for the artisan production techniques used, such as stone lithography and silk-screen printing. We now take for granted a click of an icon or drop-down menu, whereas our publicity pioneers had to create fonts; completely redo paintings; and, to enable reproduction, use hand-cut stencils for screen-printing or slabs coated with greasy inks for lithography.
Were these pioneers good? Yes, very good, and certainly good enough to impress 50-100 years on. Let's also remember that these artworks, with lasting historical significance, were only designed for momentary appreciation and disposal. Instead, some posters luckily survive and resurface to again work their magic, this time in a comprehensive celebratory book.
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‘Selling the Dream’: Taking on the world with travel posters
MVA joins JATA World Travel Fair 2012
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
The Marianas Visitors Authority reached out to over 125,000 travel trade representatives, media representatives, and potential visitors last week at Asia's largest annual travel show, the Japan Association of Travel Agents World Travel Fair 2012.
Japan is the Northern Mariana Islands' largest source country, and JATA is that country's national organization of travel agents and suppliers promoting the travel and tourism industry.
The fair was held Sept 21-23, 2012 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center.
Although the number of visitors decreased on Sunday due to heavy rain, the total number of visitors was still 7 percent greater than last year, said MVA Marketing manager Bruce Bateman. In all, the MVA's outreach to tourism professionals and potential visitors was a resounding success.
In addition to distributing destination information and answering questions at the Northern Marianas booth, the Northern Mariana Islands delegation attended a reception at the U.S. Embassy, participated at an MOU signing between the USA and Japan, conducted an interview with Tabihaku TV and featured a talk show with the destination's Saipan Travel Girl 2010 Rieko Ayumi, Miss Saipan 2011 Mai Yukawa, and Miss Saipan 2012 Misato Shimizu.
The MVA also offered demonstrations of Carolinian beadwork, the art form of banana painting, crafting with coconut palm fronds, and a magic show by SandCastle Saipan. A paper-scissors-rock children's contest with the destination mascot Saipan-da! was held, and winners received a Saipan-da! backpack.
We saw long lines of waiting visitors around our booth, said Bateman. The audience was excited about the magic show and, as always, the children and adults were excited with the backpacks they received.
Visitors to the booth also walked away with temporary tattoos and other branded souvenirs as a reminder of the Saipan, Tinian, and Rota destination.
The fair featured 1,083 exhibition booths with companies and organizations from 156 countries and regions participating. Private partners also participating with the MVA were Pacific Development, Inc., Japan Saipan Travel Association, Fiesta Resort and Spa, Kanoa Resort, and Saipan World Resort.
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Nepal participates in One World Travel Mart in US
Nepal participates in One World Travel Mart in US
Nepal participated in One World Travel Mart (OTM) 2012 held at the vibrant city of USA at San Francisco from September 27 to 30, 2012.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), together with three private travel companies promoted Visit Lumbini Year 2012 along with Nepali culture and adventure tourism among others.
The incoming trade visitors had inquired about safety-security issues, Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS), new product offers, adventure attractions, investment opportunities; while the general visitors had inquired about travel connections, special attractions, food and accommodation, and safety issues. said NTB in a statement.
OTM has brought International destination sellers together with U.S. buyers. Opening with a two-day B2B marketplace, OTM supported international travel suppliers from more than 100 countries in face-to-face meetings with U.S. buyers, including tour operators, wholesalers, travel agents and media, NTB added.
US is one of the Worlds Top Outbound markets with 62 million overseas travelers. Spending by US outbound travelers is expected to reach US$ 121 billion by 2020. The US Outbound market has huge growth potential as only about 20 percent have traveled abroad. said NTB. Nepalnews.com
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World Travel Awards Africa Recognizes Avis and Europcar
At the 2012 World Travel Awards for Africa, Avis and Europcar were named as leading car rental companies in the region.
Avis won two awards: Africas Leading Business Car Rental Company, which the company has now won four times, and Egypts Leading Car Hire company, which the company has now won two times.
Europcar won Africas Leading Car Hire company, which the company won for the seventh consecutive year. This year, Europcar competed against Alamo, Argus Car Rentals, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Holiday Autos and Thrifty.
To see the full list of 2012 World Travel Award winners for Africa, click here.
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GeekDad Exclusive!: GeekDad Exclusive Preview: DC Comics Super-Villains
DC Entertainment is getting ready to unleash an all-out super-villain assault, just in time for Halloween. One of many villainous stops along their road to world domination brings them to the pages of the DC Nation comic. GeekDad has an exclusive look at a Know Your Super-Villains mini-poster and accompanying whos who guide that will be featured in DC Nation books in October. Can you name more than your kids?
(Geek Cred Warning: You can scroll down for the villain names, should your geek-o-meter fail you.)
Kids can continue to test their super-villain smarts by visiting DCNation.com to take a mastermind quiz and participate in a poll to select the vilest villain. Plus, you dont need access to the Bat Computer to get the entire lowdown on this superstitious and cowardly lot; all you need is the DC Nation app to gain exclusive access to a full set of super-villains secret files in a special Halloween collection.
Still havent had your fill of maniacal clowns, feline femme fatales, and narcissistic businessmen? Why not follow your favorite baddies to their other destinations such as the New York Comic Con, a lucky fan sweepstakes, and a fan-favorite DVD release?
DCComics.com will host a month-long super-villain website takeover that includes art by Ryan Sook, and elaborate super-villain character pages. In addition, fans can enter the Super-Villains Big Score Sweepstakes on the site, where one grand prizewinner will win super-villain themed prizes including special collectibles and original artwork.
DC Entertainment will also give fans the chance to be one of the super-villains at New York Comic Con with a special green screen photo-op at the DC Entertainment booth. Fans attending the con, from October 11-14, can strike their most evil pose alongside Bane, The Joker, Lex Luthor and more in an interactive photo booth. As a souvenir, youll get to take home an awesome super-villain cover from the photo shoot.
Next month will also see the release of the first annual super-villains DVD collection, which arrives in stores on October 16. A 2-disc collection, DC Comics Super-Villains: The Jokers Last Laugh collects 13 action-packed episodes, featuring some of the best moments from the Clown Prince of Crimes career.
It certainly looks like its a good time to be bad, right? Now, if youll excuse me, I have to go dig out my old DC Halloween specials and brainstorm how Im going to get to New York for my Villains United meeting.
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GeekDad Exclusive!: GeekDad Exclusive Preview: DC Comics Super-Villains
Top 15 Teams Remain Unchanged In USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 National Football Rankings
MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Stability has taken hold for the nation's top high school football programs this week, as the top 15 teams in the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 national high school football editorial rankings, led by No. 1 Manatee (Bradenton, FL), remain unchanged from the previous week for the first time this season.
The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 rankings appear in today's print edition of USA TODAY Sports and are also available online at USA TODAY High School Sports (www.usatodayhss.com).
While the upper half of the Super 25 remains intact, two new schoolsCoppell (Texas) at No. 20, and Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL) at No. 25make their first appearances in the Super 25 this year, with both teams having reeled off five straight wins to open their respective seasons.
The USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 is now in its 30th year as the most prestigious high school ranking platform in the nation. Gatorade is the Official Fuel of the Super 25 rankings platform, which includes computer rankings of every major high school football, baseball, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls lacrosse team in the nation.
Coppell (5-0) enters the rankings at a strong No. 20 after defeating Texas rival Allen HS, the No. 16 team in the Super 25 last week, 27-24 in overtime on Friday behind two passing TDs and one rushing TD from quarterback Colby Mahon. Dr. Phillips, also 5-0, takes over the No. 25 spot after its convincing 35-18 win over DeLand (FL), in which RB Eric Harrell ran for 153 yards and a TD.
Following is the complete listing of this week'sUSA TODAY High School Sports football rankings.
USA TODAY High School Sports High School Football Super 25For Week of October 1, 2012
1. Manatee, Bradenton, Fla. (4-0)2. John Curtis, River Ridge, La. (5-0) 3. Byrnes, Duncan, S.C. (6-0) 4. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (5-0) 5. DeSoto, Texas (5-0) 6. Bellevue, Wash. (5-0) 7. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (5-0) 8. Katy, Texas (4-0) 9. Camden County, Kingsland, Ga. (5-0) 10. Butler, Matthews, N.C. (6-0) 11. Colerain, Cincinnati (6-0) 12. Vista Murrieta, Murrieta, Calif. (5-0) 13. Eden Prairie, Minn. (5-0) 14. Trinity, Louisville (6-0) 15. Goose Creek, S.C. (6-0) 16. Hoover, Ala. (5-0) 17. St. Ignatius, Cleveland (6-0) 18. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (3-1) 19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (4-1) 20. Coppell, Texas (5-0) 21. Carmel, Ind. (7-0) 22. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (4-1) 23. La Salle, Wyndmoor, Pa. (5-0) 24. Ensworth School, Nashville (7-0) 25. Dr. Phillips, Orlando (5-0)
For more information on the Super 25, visit USA TODAY High School Sports.
The USA TODAY Sports Media Group encompasses all sports initiatives across USA TODAY and Gannett's more than 100 well-known local media brands. It also includes the sports photography service U.S. Presswire, USA TODAY High School Sports and USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI).
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Top 15 Teams Remain Unchanged In USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 National Football Rankings
Experimental Stem Cell Therapy May Help Burn Victims
For more than 40 years, Lesley Kelly of Glasgow, Scotland, lived with third-degree burns that stretched over 60 percent of her body.
Kelly was 2 years old when she fell into a bathtub filled with hot water that scorched most of the right side of her body. She lost full range of motion around many of her joints.
"When you have bad scarring, the buildup is very thick and has no elasticity," said Kelly, 45, whose right elbow was most affected by the buildup of scar tissue. "The problem with thermal burn scarring [is that] it's hard to get the range of motion."
Kelly underwent numerous reparative surgeries through the years, but the scar tissue continued to grow back. The procedures did not lessen the look of her scars.
In 2011, Kelly underwent a new, experimental procedure that used stem cells from her own fat tissue to repair the buildup around her right elbow.
Surgeons cleaned the scar buildup around the elbow and used liposuction to pull fat from off Kelly's waist. They separated the fat cells from the stem and regenerative cells, which were then injected into the wound on Kelly's arm. The procedure took less than two hours.
Within months, Kelly was able to regain 40 degrees of motion that she had lost more than 40 years ago.
"If this technology was available earlier in my life, my scars would not have been as bad," said Kelly.
There are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 burn cases each year in the U.S., according to the American Burn Association.
The stem cell therapy, approved in the U.K. to treat soft tissue wounds, is now gaining traction in the U.S.
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