Welcome to Gattaca: Genetic Discrimination Becomes Reality – Video

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09-06-2012 16:05 06/07-08/2012 Mom gave a blood sample. Dad spit. The entire genome of their fetus was born. Researchers at the University of Washington have, for the first time, done a near-total genome sequence of a fetus in this way. Scientists published the results of this study in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggesting that thousands of genetic diseases could be detected in children while they are still in the fetal stage. More:

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Welcome to Gattaca: Genetic Discrimination Becomes Reality - Video

Witnesses at Freedom Hall for convention

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The Freedom Hall Civic Center auditorium was a full house Saturday as thousands of Jehovahs Witnesses from Western North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, parts of Kentucky and West Virginia piled inside for their annual convention.

This years convention started Friday afternoon, kicking off the events theme of Safeguard Your Heart!

Zack Self, program overseer for the convention, said the talks focused on the figurative heart.

It has a lot more to do with your emotions, the actions, the things that make you do what you do, Self said. The idea is that you identify the influences, the risks, the threats, the opportunities and then see if you cant help to be more successful in your spiritual life, as well as your other life.

The audience was attentive as speakers took the podium to discuss topics of the heart and then assimilating those topics to scripture. While participants moved freely throughout the auditorium, many sat and listened with their Bibles and notepads in their laps.

Some of the topics discussed Saturday ranged from showing generosity, forgiving one another freely and listening to those who love you from the heart.

Jehovahs Witnesses make trips annually to big conventions like this one and they view it to be a peaceful place to gather with people who share their faith.

We see each other maybe once a year at these conventions and its like a big reunion, he said. If you appreciate spiritual things, this is a gift. Its peaceful, its relaxing, its comforting, its reassuring because you have other folks who care like you do. Families feel comfortable, children feel comfortable together, so its a spiritual haven.

Self said by Saturday the convention had brought in around 3,500 people and they anticipate to have had around 3,800 when it closes this afternoon.

Late Saturday morning, people made their way to the Freedom Hall pool to observe the baptism and ordination of seven members. Jehovahs Witnesses believe baptism not only confirms spiritual beliefs, but also ordains believers as ministers who will help spread the word of Jehovah and his son, Jesus Christ.

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Witnesses at Freedom Hall for convention

Dawos: Bio-tourism to be developed and targeted at foreigners to complement eco-tourism

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KUCHING: Bio-tourism will be developed as another strategy to woo foreign tourists to Sarawak and Sabah.

This was disclosed by Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos.

He said that one very good example of a bio-tourism product was the orang utan in Semonggok.

People flocking to see the orang utan is not eco-tourism. Orang utan is a part of the states biodiversity, he said at the Tourism Ministrys Gawai Dayak open house at Mile 10 multi-purpose hall in Kota Padawan yesterday.

He noted that eco-tourism could comprise a visit to an pristine forest which had not been disturbed by humans and no development.

He said in Malaysia, people promoted and marketed eco-tourism differently.

That is why based on statistics that I have looked into, only 3% of tourists visited eco-sites or eco-system because what they visited were actually bio-tourism sites.

He said it was more appropriate to adopt and develop bio-tourism because when tourists came, they were on holiday and did not want to be troubled by walking in a virgin forest or jungle.

They want to have comfort and so they want to walk in areas that have footpaths and where they can bring their cameras and wear good clothes.

When you provide these facilities, it is not eco-tourism but bio-tourism. They come to to see just one thing in nature, he said.

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Dawos: Bio-tourism to be developed and targeted at foreigners to complement eco-tourism

Trespassing violations climb for VAFB beaches

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With the number of trespassing violations climbing and more than half the season still to come, officials are reminding people to follow the rules so that the beaches at Vandenberg Air Force Base stay open for the remainder of the Western snowy plovers nesting season.

Since March 1, only one-half mile of the publicly accessible Surf Beach has been available for use. Limited stretches of Minuteman and Wall beaches on the base also are open. All other beaches at the base are closed through Sept. 30 under an agreement to protect the Western snowy plover during its nesting season.

At Surf Beach, 50 violations are allowed before the beach is fully closed, and beach-goers already had racked up 26 by mid-week, Vandenberg officials said.

Ten violations each are allowed at Minuteman and Wall beaches, both of which are accessible only to people with regular access to Vandenberg.

Yet, beach users have accumulated six violations at Wall Beach plus one at Minuteman Beach.

To help halt the rising number of violations, Vandenberg officials sent out a basewide alert advising employees and residents of the quickly climbing tally with more than half of the nesting season still to go.

This exceeds 50 percent of the seasonal limit allowed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These beaches will be closed to recreational access until 1 October if this trend continues," the notice said.

Once the limit is reached, the beach must close completely for the remainder of the nesting season, which ends Sept. 30.

Most of the offenses are documented by footprint evidence, which suggests they are occurring after the beaches close for the day, said Samantha Kaisersatt, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron biological scientist.

More than a decade ago, the Air Force and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hammered out an agreement that allows people access to a portion of the beaches while still protecting the plover.

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Trespassing violations climb for VAFB beaches

Dismembered remains found on Mississippi beaches belong to missing New Orleans woman

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GULFPORT, Miss. Human remains that washed ashore on multiple beaches in Mississippi are believed to belong to a New Orleans woman who went missing last week, authorities say.

Fox 8 reports though DNAresults have not conclusively determined the dismembered remains are 22-year-old Jaren Lockhart's, investigators say they strongly believe that is the case.

"Although we haven't done any DNA to positively connect these remains to the torso we will continue to do that and confirm that with DNA, but the circumstances are very, very strong that this is her," said Hancock County Sheriff's office lead investigator Glenn Grannan told Fox 8.

On Thursday, a human torso washed ashore in Hancock County, Mississippi. On Saturday, a human head was found in nearby Harrison County, along with pieces of two legs, NOLA.com reports. A third piece of leg was found floating in a harbor.

Authorities were able to identify the head found by the tattoos on the neck, which matched Lockhart's description, NOLA.com reported. Authorities also found clothing that matched the description of what Lockhart was wearing when she disappeared, Fox 8 reports.

Lockhart was last seen late Tuesday night taking a cab from a motel in New Orleans to the Bourbon St. nightclub where she worked. Her boyfriend called police when he was unable to contact her and grew concerned.

Investigators say they are now focusing on finding Lockhart's killer.

"Our primary focus up to this point had been identifying the victim about midway last night into our investigation concerning that we started to switch focus to try and determine who is responsible for this heinous act," Grannan told Fox 8.

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Dismembered remains found on Mississippi beaches belong to missing New Orleans woman

Colorado's Aerospace Industry Foresees Slowdown Prior to Defense Cuts

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Air Force Tech Sgt. Shale Norwitz climbs to perform an upgrade in the legacy antennas at Schriever Air Force Base. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

The specter of $500 billion in automatic defense cuts beginning next year hangs heavily over the country's aerospace industry and particularly so in Colorado, which ranks second nationally in aerospace employment and has four military commands.

Even the threat of the cuts has the state's aerospace and economic development communities concerned.

"If something doesn't get done, there will be a slowdown through the fall," said Gen. William Shelton, commander of the Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.

A slowdown, which some argue already is happening, could include layoffs, no new resources for existing programs, no new programs, no new hires, renegotiated contracts, canceled orders and general stagnation, several experts said.

"It's ominous," said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. The across-the-board spending cuts referred to as a sequester could total 10 percent for defense, something Clark called "pretty much a sledgehammer approach."

Sequestration is what could be triggered under the Budget Control Act which last year reduced the defense budget by $487 billion after a congressional supercommittee failed in November to hammer out a deficit-reduction agreement.

If Congress doesn't find ways to repeal or forestall the sequester, or doesn't find a budget-deficit compromise, the automatic cuts go into effect Jan. 2.

Members of Colorado's congressional delegation are well aware of what sequester could mean to the state, said Dick Hinson, senior vice president of Aurora Economic Development Council.

Everything, he said, is still in play as work for a solution continues behind the scenes on Capitol Hill. Hinson said he sees signs that the two political parties aren't quite as at odds as they have been.

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Colorado's Aerospace Industry Foresees Slowdown Prior to Defense Cuts

Free Press Scholar Athletes: Jessica Turner, Birmingham Groves

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At some point in Jessica Turner's anatomy and physiology class at Birmingham Groves, lights flashed and sirens blared.

"Through that class I really discovered a passion for medicine," she said. "I think right now that is what I'm going to pursue in college."

Helping her pursue that passion is Turner's amazing memory that played a part in her earning a 4.522 grade-point average and a 35 on the ACT.

But there is so much more to Turner than her incredible memory.

"A good memory doesn't really help you write a paper of your own ingenuity," she said. "I can study a bunch of terms for my anatomy class, but then I like thinking abstractly about things. I'm happy I have the study tools to kind of lock down the basics and leave time for me to think about things and to question things."

Turner also is an all-state golfer and a standout in basketball and softball, which made her learn how to spend time wisely.

Search our database: 2012 Michigan High School Scholar Athletes

"I think I've had to kind of perfect my studying from playing sports all this time," she said. "I've had to cram everything into a couple of hours after practice. I think I study very efficiently, which I'm very proud of. I'm really happy that in no way do I think that I haven't worked hard enough to feel like I've earned all my successes."

Playing a part in her academic success has been Turner's voracity for reading, which has helped her excel in every class.

"I think I kind of read a little bit of everything," she said. "I don't think I had a specific genre. In high school we've read some Virginia Wolff, which I really liked. She's just a really fascinating person as well as author, so I'd say she's my favorite author."

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Free Press Scholar Athletes: Jessica Turner, Birmingham Groves

Proper nutrition in sports vital

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Posted on June 10, 2012, Sunday

MIRI: Sarawak needs a systematic and professional coaching support in its effort to bring back the glory days as a sport powerhouse in the country.

Assistant Minister of Sports Datuk Lee Kim Shin said such aspiration can be possible with the total commitment and cooperation from schools, parents, private sectors and the community.

In the modern sport industry, olden methods are no longer relevant with current global changes. It is because in order to compete with others, the athletes must be developed under a professional and organised coaching system, he stated in his address when officiating at the Sports Nutrition Talk organised by the State Sport Council (MSNS) at Miri Stadium yesterday.

In effort to boost the performance of the states athletes, Lee said the state government has formulated a long term sports development programme by engaging sports consultation from Australia.

This long term sports development consists of a ten-year master plan to produce an elite team of athletes to represent the state, revealed Lee.

He also added that the performance of the athletes is not only determined by their sporting talents.

Apart from having good sports facility, the athletes must possessed physical and mental toughness, good strategy and many other factors too. In addition to that, the athletes must have good knowledge on the importance of nutrition and watch on their diets. The performance of the athletes would be affected due to wrong diet practice, informed Lee.

Perhaps in the near future, a psychology talk would be conducted to the athletes in the efforts to develop high level of confidence.

The sports nutrition talk was conducted by the head of Food Service Unit National Sports Council, Mohalijah Mohd Ali.

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Proper nutrition in sports vital

DNA test solves Buncombe rape case

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ASHEVILLE A man whose rape of a Buncombe County woman went unsolved for nearly five years until a DNA test linked him to the crime will spend more than 14 years in prison.

Antonio Cedillo Morales was prosecuted for obstruction of justice in 2008 after he gave authorities a false name when he was arrested for driving while impaired, District Attorney Ron Moore said.

While in prison serving a six-year sentence on the felony obstruction charge, a sample of his DNA was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS.

The system linked Morales to a July 2005 Woodfin home invasion and rape case that had gone unsolved, and he was charged in March 2010 with the violent crimes. Police said he broke into a house and assaulted a woman, and the victim did not know her attacker.

Weve been aggressive for many years with people who are not truthful with the court about their identity, Moore said. And when we are able to identify who they are, we prosecute them for identity fraud or obstruction of justice.

So, (Morales) goes to prison, and they take his DNA because he was a convicted felon. If we had just let him plead to DWI, we wouldnt have convicted him of a felony.

Morales, 40, who lived on Brookdale Road in Woodfin before his arrest, pleaded guilty this week in Buncombe County Superior Court to first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and assault by strangulation.

He was sentenced to 173-217 months in state prison. Morales had been scheduled to be released on the obstruction charge in August, according to N.C. Department of Correction records.

Moore said Morales is an illegal immigrant who has been deported twice.

CODIS can generate leads in cases where biological evidence is recovered from a crime scene, and investigators can search the database to assist in the identification of suspects.

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Biology exam Tuesday for YUHSD freshmen

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Yuma Union High School District freshmen will take the Cambridge Board Exam for biology on Tuesday.

Cibola, Gila Ridge, Kofa, San Luis and Yuma high schools will be administering the exam, and students should report to their home campus to take the test.

During this academic year of 2011-2012, all freshman students took part in the unique opportunity of taking Cambridge Curriculum Coursework in biology, stated YUHSD officials.

As part of this opportunity, students completed Cambridge biology labwork and/or coursework during the academic year, which made up a significant portion of their overall board exam. On June 12, students will complete the last remaining portion of the board exam system for biology by taking a 45-minute, multiple-choice exam.

Exam results will be available in August.

Following are the check-in/exam times for each school and the phone numer for more information: Yuma High 1 p.m./1:30 p.m. (502-5000), Kofa High 12:30 p.m./1:30 p.m. (502-5400), Cibola noon/1:15 p.m. (502-5700), San Luis High 12:45 p.m./1:15p.m. (502-6100) and Gila Ridge 1 p.m./1:30 p.m. (502-6400).

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.

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Biology exam Tuesday for YUHSD freshmen

In our opinion: Editorial: Family structure counts

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Related story: Thirty reasons marriage matters more than ever

Related story: Are 'family values' outdated? Traditional family becoming the exception rather than the norm

Perhaps it seems intuitive, but it requires some fairly rigorous social science to show that the actual structure of families, and not just their processes, makes a significant difference for the well-being of children.

For years, social science research on the family has attempted to prove the hypothesis that, when it comes to child well-being, it is the internal dynamics and processes of a family that matter most. The argument has been that love, not family structure, is what makes a family.

That attempt seems to have begun as a response to dramatic changes in household structure. As divorce became both more acceptable and common in our society, researchers hoped to uncover the essential characteristics of successful families that were unrelated to structure. Researchers wanted to provide sound guidance to families where, for whatever reason, the traditional structure of the intact biological family did not exist.

Because of such research, we do know that household stability, the quality of relationships within a household and the economic resources available all make a difference in the long-term physical and emotional health of children. Family members in any household benefit when love is demonstrated through good processes.

Nevertheless, the mounting evidence in the social sciences continues to teach that, as important as processes and dynamics are, family structure is still strongly correlated with the well-being and flourishing of children. And the evidence is clear that the structure setting the standard for child well-being is the intact married biological family.

As reported in today's Deseret News, the respected peer-reviewed journal Social Science Research has just published the first research to come from the New Family Structures Study (NFSS) showing how different family structures correlate with different life outcomes.

By rigorously surveying a large and nationally representative sample of adults about social behaviors, health behaviors, relationships and the structure of their family of origin, the NFSS allows researchers to analyze the relationship, if any, between different family structures and important social, behavioral and health outcomes.

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In our opinion: Editorial: Family structure counts

Max Haines: Murderer in training

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Max Haines: Murderer in training

China's Manned Spacecraft to Dock with its Space Station Module in June

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China will launch its manned spacecraft in mid-June to perform a space docking, it has been reported.

The move is seen as a step ahead in achieving a 60-tonne permanent space station by 2020. Earlier, the Communist nation was turned away from the International Space Station, a 16-nation partnership, apparently at the insistence of the US.

The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and its carrier rocket have already been moved to the launch platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, reports the country's state media.

It would be China's first manned mission since September 2008 and the spacecraft would be docking manually with the Tiangong-1 module (Heavenly Body) presently orbiting the earth.

Tiangong-1 is the first space station module launched by China.

The crew of Shenzhou-9 spacecraft may include female astronauts, another first in the country's space programme, Xinhua reported, quoting Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of the manned space programme.

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After docking with the Tiangong-1, two of the crew would move to the space station temporarily and conduct experiments while the third one would stay back in the spacecraft.

Tiangong-1or Heavenly Body, China's space station module. Image Courtesy: Nesnad/Wikimedia Commons

Space docking technology requires delicate maneuvering that brings together two high speed vessels in the orbit.

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China's Manned Spacecraft to Dock with its Space Station Module in June

China to Dock with Orbiting Spacecraft in June

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China will launch a spacecraft this month to conduct its first manned space docking, state media said Saturday, the latest step in a plan aimed at giving the country a permanent space station by 2020.

The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and its carrier rocket have already been moved to the launch platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the Xinhua news agency said, quoting the country's manned space program.

The launch -- China's first manned space mission since September 2008 -- would occur "sometime in mid-June," it said.

NEWS: Why 'Space Madness' Fears Haunted NASA's Past

Officials said the mission would involve three astronauts manually docking with the Tiangong-1 module currently orbiting Earth.

In March state media said China may send its first woman into space this year after including female astronauts in the team training for its first manned space docking.

Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of the manned space program, has said that the Shenzhou-9 crew may include female astronauts, Xinhua reported.

NEWS: John Glenn's Spaceflight Was Filled With Unknowns

After the space rendezvous, two of the astronauts will move temporarily into the Tiangong-1 (Heavenly Palace), where they will perform scientific experiments.

One of crew will remain on board the spacecraft as a precaution in case of an emergency, according to the official quoted by Xinhua.

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China to Dock with Orbiting Spacecraft in June

14 deep space sci-fi sleep chambers to get primed for Prometheus

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Be it suspended animation, stasis or cryo-sleepwhatever you call itthose nifty devices that help us nap away the years during a long space flight are almost status quo on TV and film spaceships these days. So, what are some of the coolest examples of cold human storage?

With Prometheus set to open today, we've pulled together some of the most famed appearances of sci-fi sleep chambers to get primed for Ridley Scott's lengthy journey to the distant moon LV-223.

From Stargate to Alien, check out the full gallery below:

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14 deep space sci-fi sleep chambers to get primed for Prometheus