S. Carolina heads to finals with 3-2 win over Hogs

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Socastee's Cann highlights Coker basketball recruiting class Socastee's Cann highlights Coker basketball recruiting class

Updated: Wednesday, June 13 2012 6:49 PM EDT2012-06-13 22:49:46 GMT

Updated: Monday, June 11 2012 3:51 PM EDT2012-06-11 19:51:58 GMT

Updated: Sunday, June 10 2012 4:57 PM EDT2012-06-10 20:57:07 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, June 5 2012 10:20 PM EDT2012-06-06 02:20:01 GMT

Updated: Tuesday, June 5 2012 10:10 PM EDT2012-06-06 02:10:48 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Tyler Webb and Matt Price combined for seven innings of shutout relief, and 2-time defending national champion South Carolina returned to the College World Series finals with a 3-2 win over Arkansas on Friday night.

The Gamecocks (49-18) took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning on Barrett Astin's two-out, bases-loaded walk to Adam Matthews.

South Carolina will play Arizona in the best-of-3 finals beginning Sunday.

The Gamecocks erased a 2-0 deficit in the fifth, with DJ Baxendale walking Christian Walker with the bases loaded to force in the tying run.

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S. Carolina heads to finals with 3-2 win over Hogs

Vettel heads Hamilton in Valencia

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Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took a stunning pole position at the European Grand Prix.

The world champion was 0.324 seconds clear of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in an otherwise closely fought qualifying session on the Valencia street track.

I expected to be further back. We had to make some guesses as to what kind of set-up we wanted and it seemed to work OK

Williams's Pastor Maldonado was third, ahead of the Lotus drivers Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen, with Jenson Button ninth.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber were 11th and 19th.

The Force Indias looked like they might challenge at the front but Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta ended up eighth and 10th.

Di Resta admitted that a mistake in the final corner on his final lap cost him the chance to be much higher up.

"I think we wouldn't have been far away but I just locked a wheel," Di Resta said.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was sixth, ahead of Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi.

Vettel's pole was his third in a row at this track, and the 33rd of his career, matching the great Jim Clark and Alain Prost.

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Vettel heads Hamilton in Valencia

SU scientists use nanotechnology to replicate light produced by fireflies

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One day, energy provided by batteries and electricity may be replaced by the replication of one of natures bright and luminous wonders: the glow produced by fireflies.

Syracuse University scientists recently replicated the light fireflies provide by using nanotechnology. The research team, led by Matthew Maye, assistant professor of chemistry, discovered that products with multicolor string of light could function with the energy created by fireflies, according to an article published by i09.com.

Nanotechnology uses semiconductive nanomaterials, also known as quantum dots, Maye said in an email. The quantum dots accepted the energy or light from the fireflies. Maye said this light was then emitted from the dots, allowing the color to change. This process is called Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

The main impact of this discovery is that now researchers in the field of nanoscience have some design parameters for efficient interactions between bioluminescent biomaterials, Maye said.

The idea for the project originated from a firefly experts presentation, which Maye attended. The presenter and Maye began collaborating on the project about a year and a half ago.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research through the Department of Defense funded the project, Maye said. He indicated that a project of this kind is expensive but did not specify how much the team received in funding.

SU graduate students and undergraduates majoring in chemistry and biochemistry made up a large portion of the research team, Maye said. He credited doctorate candidate Rabeka Alam for the projects success.

She is one of the top students at SU and has an amazing future ahead of her, Maye said.

Throughout the course of a year, there were many highs and lows, Alam said in an email. In the beginning, she said, the researchers were not getting any type of result no matter how hard they tried, but this eventually changed.

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SU scientists use nanotechnology to replicate light produced by fireflies

Using nanotechnology, SU scientists replicate light produced by fireflies

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Asst. Copy Editor

One day, energy provided by batteries and electricity may be replaced by the replication of one of natures bright and luminous wonders: the glow produced by fireflies.

Syracuse University scientists recently replicated the light fireflies provide by using nanotechnology. The research team, led by Matthew Maye, assistant professor of chemistry, discovered that products with multicolor string of light could function with the energy created by fireflies, according to an article published by i09.com.

Nanotechnology uses semiconductive nanomaterials, also known as quantum dots, Maye said in an email. The quantum dots accepted the energy or light from the fireflies. Maye said this light was then emitted from the dots, allowing the color to change. This process is called Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

The main impact of this discovery is that now researchers in the field of nanoscience have some design parameters for efficient interactions between bioluminescent biomaterials, Maye said.

The idea for the project originated from a firefly experts presentation, which Maye attended. The presenter and Maye began collaborating on the project about a year and a half ago.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research through the Department of Defense funded the project, Maye said. He indicated that a project of this kind is expensive but did not specify how much the team received in funding.

SU graduate students and undergraduates majoring in chemistry and biochemistry made up a large portion of the research team, Maye said. He credited doctorate candidate Rabeka Alam for the projects success.

She is one of the top students at SU and has an amazing future ahead of her, Maye said.

Throughout the course of a year, there were many highs and lows, Alam said in an email. In the beginning, she said, the researchers were not getting any type of result no matter how hard they tried, but this eventually changed.

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Using nanotechnology, SU scientists replicate light produced by fireflies

Middle Minds birthday event – Flute toots and Nazi mice – Video

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22-06-2012 14:47 So it was my 18th birthday on the 19th, so the sunday before that, us: - Me - The Citizens Mind - JaSoR122 - Declans Mind - - Jala1250 - Mind of a Marine - - SwedenSpeedway - Jimmys Mind - Got together to celebrate in what could be called the first recorded meeting of the Middle Minds (pretentious I know, but we decided it would be a convenient group name for when we're gathered) by playing online flash games, but as you will see we chose a bullshit flash game site so it just devolved into watching old Batman clips. I tried to upload this on my birthday but it got immediately blocked for copyright so I cut out the videos and I'll link to the copyrighted videos we were watching instead. - (18:13) - (22:20) - (35:15) - (38:06) - (42:04) - (46:50) Also I swear I'm never stutter or lisp this much off-mic.

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Middle Minds birthday event - Flute toots and Nazi mice - Video

In depth: Siri, how do I feel?

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Microsoft is working on technology that will spy on you in your own home, watching your body language and face and listening to your voice for cues about your mood and emotional state.

But would you want to install such a device in your home?

Maybe you already have.

Microsoft's technology works via Kinect for Xbox 360, the company's popular motion-detection gaming peripheral.

Microsoft this month filed a patent application for a method of " Targeting Advertisements Based on Emotion."

The idea is that users would install Kinect for the fun and games. But when they're not playing, Kinect will continue to watch everything they do. It will know when they're laughing and crying, slumping or beaming.

Microsoft wants to combine this data with information collected as people conduct searches with Bing and surf the Web with Internet Explorer. Using that data, the system will build an emotional profile of a user that will enable it to deliver ads "with the highest monetization values to the users that are emotionally compatible," according to the patent application.

Microsoft's plans are merely at the patent application stage. Other major companies are much closer to implementing emotion-sensing technology.

Feeling social?

Facebook has acquired the face-recognition startup Face.com, a company whose software can scan a photograph and identify who's in it, based on user tagging.

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In depth: Siri, how do I feel?

Medicine for a mutation

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A new class of drugs offers hope to lung cancer patients who have a specific mutation in their tumour cells.

LG LAU was in her mid-thirties when she was first diagnosed with lung cancer. She had caught a normal cold, and her early symptoms included persistent coughing, shortness of breath, loss of weight and a hoarse voice.

When her cough worsened and wouldnt go away for several weeks, she went to see a doctor, who diagnosed her condition as tuberculosis.

After taking the prescribed medication for about two weeks, there was no improvement in her condition.

In fact, her health gradually worsened, and by the end of the third week, she had difficulty eating and started losing weight.

By the end of the month, she became too weak to move around on her own and had to get about in a wheelchair.

Her husband finally couldnt bear to watch her suffer any longer, and in spite of her protests, brought her to see a specialist, who ordered a chest X-ray and CT scan.

The results were conclusive; although she had never smoked in her life, she was diagnosed with Stage 3B non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Her doctor insisted that she go for a follow-up biopsy to determine if she was EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) mutation positive. EGFR is a cell membrane receptor found on tumour cells, which shows increased activity in cancer cases.

The results came back positive, so her doctor put her on drugs that inhibit EGFR (called EGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or EGFR-TKI) for a month as part of her first-line treatment.

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Medicine for a mutation

What will make Robi quit showbiz?

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Robi Domingo (NPPA Images)Robi Domingo may have his hands full as host of ABS-CBNs new reality show I Dare You. But he revealed that he might get into medical school next year and quit showbiz.

Yes. (Showbiz) no more, he revealed at the launch of The Body Shops cruelty-free Lily Cole makeup line at the Mall of Asia last Thursday, June 21.

Ironically, Robis revelation came at a time when he admits enjoying showbiz.

It has been really weird, awkward, but duringI thinkor (towards) my fifth year, Im beginning to enjoy everything because when I started last to 2008 up to 2012 I was doing some school things at the same time. At least (for) now its just thinking about showbiz, not school anymore. Its not the typical kind of thing for me before that youll be going to school, to Ateneo then going to ABS after, the Pinoy Big Brother alumnus said.

Love life

Robi was not as open about his love life, though. He regretted talking about it for the first time in a TV show and is afraid discussing it again might get him in trouble. Hed rather talk about I Dare You, which Robi describes as more intense and more challenging, as it will feature more than the one-day immersion seen in the the previous season.

Hosting the show with Robi are John Prats, Pinoy Big Brothers Deniesse Joaquin, and I Dare You first season host Melai Cantiveros.

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What will make Robi quit showbiz?

Sullivan: How libertarians think about economic justice

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Libertarians think about economic justice primarily in terms of personal freedom. Their argument is that since we all own ourselves and the fruits of our labor, we must be free to do with them as we wish, as long as we do not harm others exercising that same freedom.

Consistent with this thinking are the libertarian ideas of free markets and minimalist government.

According to libertarians, government has only three legitimate functions:

To respect and uphold the validity of contracts;

To protect private property; and,

To keep the peace.

For government to operate or interfere in areas other than these (including the marketplace) violates the libertarian principle of freedom and is thus illegitimate.

The libertarian emphasis on freedom has much merit. We are all citizens of the "land of the free." Yet, freedom pursued without regard for the well-being of society and individual citizens can easily become a fault because of the damage that can be done in the name of freedom.

Libertarian opposition to government regulation in the marketplace is based on the claim that it will stifle the ability of business to compete and that government has no business regulating functions in society that the market will putatively take care of.

This reasoning fails to acknowledge, however, that government regulation ensures that we have safer consumer products, including food and drugs, cleaner drinking water and air, reduced workplace danger, and safer automobiles with higher gas mileage.

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Sullivan: How libertarians think about economic justice

Islands: Places in paradise to get lost

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Wish you were here? Read where these travel personalities would choose to be a castaway. Picture: Getty Source: National Features

The Seychelles: St Anne, Moyenne, Round and Mahe Islands. Picture: Supplied Source: National Features

FROM the gale-blasted cliffs of the North Atlantic to the balmy shores of the Indian Ocean, Lonely Planet Magazine contributors tell us about the islands they would most like to find themselves marooned on.

History

St Kilda, Scotland

- Ben Fogle presents Lonely Planet's Year of Adventures on the BBC.

St Kilda is a windswept archipelago, 65km west of Scotland's Outer Hebrides across the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands have remained uninhabited for the past 82 years, after the last St Kildans were evacuated.

Getting there isn't easy but it's certainly worth the effort.

Looking up at its vertiginous cliffs from the foaming sea is overwhelming: rolling banks of sea mist tumble down from the slopes of the interior and birds wheel overhead.

St Kilda is also home to the ghostly remains of a village on the island of Hirta. It is very strange to walk among the houses where a once-thriving community lived.

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Islands: Places in paradise to get lost

US health care reform efforts through history

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By CONNIE CASS Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law comes after a century of debate over what role the government should play in helping people in the United States afford medical care. A look at the issue through the years:

1912: Former President Theodore Roosevelt champions national health insurance as he unsuccessfully tries to ride his progressive Bull Moose Party back to the White House.

1929: Baylor Hospital in Texas originates group health insurance. Dallas teachers pay 50 cents a month to cover up to 21 days of hospital care per year.

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt favors creating national health insurance amid the Great Depression but decides to push for Social Security first.

1942: Roosevelt establishes wage and price controls during World War II. Businesses can't attract workers with higher pay so they compete through added benefits, including health insurance, which grows into a workplace perk.

1945: President Harry Truman calls on Congress to create a national insurance program for those who pay voluntary fees. The American Medical Association denounces the idea as "socialized medicine" and it goes nowhere.

1960: John F. Kennedy makes health care a major campaign issue but as president can't get a plan for the elderly through Congress.

1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson's legendary arm-twisting and a Congress dominated by his fellow Democrats lead to creation of two landmark government health programs: Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

1974: President Richard Nixon wants to require employers to cover their workers and create federal subsidies to help everyone else buy private insurance. The Watergate scandal intervenes.

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US health care reform efforts through history

Supreme Court ruling caps a century of American debate over how to get medical care for all

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WASHINGTON The Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law comes after a century of debate over what role the government should play in helping people in the United States afford medical care. A look at the issue through the years:

1912: Former President Theodore Roosevelt champions national health insurance as he unsuccessfully tries to ride his progressive Bull Moose Party back to the White House.

1929: Baylor Hospital in Texas originates group health insurance. Dallas teachers pay 50 cents a month to cover up to 21 days of hospital care per year.

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt favors creating national health insurance amid the Great Depression but decides to push for Social Security first.

1942: Roosevelt establishes wage and price controls during World War II. Businesses can't attract workers with higher pay so they compete through added benefits, including health insurance, which grows into a workplace perk.

1945: President Harry Truman calls on Congress to create a national insurance program for those who pay voluntary fees. The American Medical Association denounces the idea as "socialized medicine" and it goes nowhere.

1960: John F. Kennedy makes health care a major campaign issue but as president can't get a plan for the elderly through Congress.

1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson's legendary arm-twisting and a Congress dominated by his fellow Democrats lead to creation of two landmark government health programs: Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

1974: President Richard Nixon wants to require employers to cover their workers and create federal subsidies to help everyone else buy private insurance. The Watergate scandal intervenes.

1976: President Jimmy Carter pushes a mandatory national health plan, but economic recession helps push it aside.

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Supreme Court ruling caps a century of American debate over how to get medical care for all

Health-Care Ruling May Be a Catalyst for Stocks

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Markets are bracing for the Supreme Court ruling on health care in the week ahead and it could be a positive catalyst for stocks if the new law is overturned.

But any pop is likely to be brief and the focus will return to Europe as the European Union leadership gathers to discuss a banking union at the end of the week. Early in the week, the focus will be on Greece's efforts to restructure its bailout and Spain's expected request Monday for funds to recapitalize its banks. There is also a stream of U.S. economic data, including durable goods, weekly jobless claims and consumer confidence readings.

The Supreme Court decision on President Obama's health-care reforms could possibly come Monday but certainly by the end of the week. Some analysts say if the law is overturned, stocks could instantly spring into rally mode, though that could be short-lived since uncertainties remain. Health-care stocks have been moving higher ahead of the ruling on the Affordable Care Act, and were the best-performing sector in the past week, gaining 0.8 percent.

"The initial reaction (if overturned) will be that this is positive because it had a dampening effect on small business hiring and small business confidence," said Barry Knapp, head of equity portfolio strategy at Barclays Capital. But he said any rally will be unsustainable. "It still leaves a block of uncertainty and that uncertainty also relates to the election results Is it positive for Romney? Is it positive for Obama? Both cases could be made. In the short term, it's not going to move the market that much."

Knapp said if health-care reform is not overturned, or just partially overturned, stocks could react negatively. "It' not so clear what happens to the health-care sector stocks. I think the first reaction will be up, but you have to wonder about HMOs. There was a view they could have a much bigger customer base," he said.

The justices are deciding whether Congress exceeded its authority by passing the law, which mandates individual health-care insurance. They could decide to throw out all of the law, part of it or keep it intact.

Analysts have said the market could read a ruling against the Affordable Care Act as a negative for Obama because he has invested so much personal capital in a law that could be deemed unconstitutional and the process has been disruptive across the economy. On the other hand, there is a sense a rejection could galvanize his supporters, a negative for GOP candidate Mitt Romney.

Euro Driven

But the bigger driver of markets remains Europe's debt crisis and expectations for the EU leaders' summit are relatively low.

"We think what is likely is another half-hearted set of solutions to the problem," said Pimco strategist Tony Crescenzi. He said one problem is there's "bailout fatigue" on the part of creditors, and "austerity fatigue" on the part of countries that have to make tough choices to curb spending.

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Health-Care Ruling May Be a Catalyst for Stocks

Freedom Fest celebration begins with an elusive duck

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The official brochure presented by The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce says June 30, but for many listeners of KAUS Radio the magic moment comes at 7:35 a.m. Monday when the first clue in the Golden Duck Treasure Hunt is announced.

Although he doesnt know what the clue will be, KAUS Radios John Wright assumes it wont provide much to go on. The clue is important, however, because it will likely have a bearing on the next clue and the one after that, he explains. Its more fun when the game lasts.

Clues are provided by the 'Clue Crew,' he said, and we dont even know who they are.

What is certain is that the Golden Duck has become a solid fixture of the Freedom Fest program.

Its been going on longer than Ive been here, Wright said. I know it goes back to Cedar River Days. They dont even ask us if were going to do it anymore.

Hes also sure of the rules: The duck must be hidden on public land and inside the city limits; he or she cant be under water; cant be buried; and cant be more than five feet off the ground.

The rules are there to make sure that the hunt is safe, Wright said.

While there are 22 events listed in the Chamber program for Freedom Fest 2012, two will be new to most people.

The Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota has promised Festival Director Jeff Baldus that it will bring an American Bald Eagle to Family Day in the Park at Bandshell Community Park on July 3. The Centers 45-minute shows are set for 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Kids Game Area.

And the Austin Fire Department has challenged fire departments from the surrounding area to a battle of the barrel from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4 at Ninth Place S.W. The contest decides who can best handle a fire hose to move a barrel down a cable. After the battle, kids will have an opportunity to give it a try.

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Freedom Fest celebration begins with an elusive duck

How is Freedom Investing working out?

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We believe this is one of the times when your asset allocation should tilt foreign and overweight the handful of countries with high economic freedom. Although many economists acknowledge that freedom matters, few investment strategies take advantage of this fact. Foreign investments has fallen recently as European sovereign debt problems have sucked down the global ...

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How is Freedom Investing working out?

Eco suction mat cleans shoes, never gets dirty

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We all have mats by our front doors to wipe our shoes on, but they eventually get dirty themselves and end up getting thrown out. Thats not the case for this eco-mat developed by Paionia Furyokuki. It keeps itself clean by using suction pads which suck away any dirt on your shoes and on the mat itself.

In the video above you can see the mat with the suction hoses placed underneath to capture and draw away the dirt. The suction pads are turned on when the sensor detects a person approaching, the user then simply walks over the mat to have their shoes cleaned. This stops people carrying any dirt on the soles of their shoes into a building, potentially saving businesses money on cleaning bills.

The entire system consists of a mat, cleaner, hose, front and back slopes, and a sensor. No difficult installation is required either, simply lay the mat down where you want it, position the sensor, and youre good to go.

A single eco-mat system will set you back quite a bit, though. A mat, riser, hose, and cleaner will cost $6,250, but naturally they are designed for businesses. The mats come in three different shapes and are 50cm wide and 1m long.

The technology has only just started being publicised so it hasnt had much recognition yet. Every building could benefit from having such a mat, it would save money and create cleaner environments. Their main goal at the moment is to let the world know this product exists so they build interest.

One question Id like answered, though. How does it deal with muddy shoes? Surely the suction isnt good enough to get rid of such a sticky, heavy substance.

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Eco suction mat cleans shoes, never gets dirty