Havens Holiday Park, Church Farm, Earns 2012 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence

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HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Honoured as a Highly Rated Holiday Park as Reviewed by Travellers on the World's Largest Travel Site

Haven Holidays are delighted to announce today that their holiday park, Church Farm nr Pagham, has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

"Church Farm are thrilled to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence," said Andy Pope, General Manager at the Church Farm Park. "We work hard to offer our customers a truly memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. As trip Advisor is an independent review site we find it invaluable as it helps us to learn from our guests too."

"TripAdvisor is pleased to honor exceptional businesses for consistent excellence, as reviewed by travellers on the site," said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. "The Certificate of Excellence award gives highly rated establishments around the world the recognition they deserve. From exceptional accommodations in Beijing to remarkable restaurants in Boston, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travellers a great customer experience."

Haven Family Holidays have 35 parks around the UK for information call 0871 230 1900 or http://www.haven.com 23 parks have touring and camping areas http://www.haventouring.com or call 0871-230-1933 Holidayhomes are also available for sale on Haven parkshttp://www.havenholidayhomes.com

About Church Farm

Enjoying its own space, and offering a holiday village feel, Church Farm has been beautifully redeveloped over the last few years into the 5-Star award-winning holiday park it is today.Key Features: A 5-star park, Located on a Site of Special Scientific Interest next to Pagham Harbour, Direct access to shingle beach, Heated indoor and outdoor pools with an indoor flume and an outdoor heated terrace, Nature reserve and Lagoon next to park, New double glazed and central-heated caravans

If you would like additional information or a high-res photo from our 2012 library please contact havenpressoffice@haven.com

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Havens Holiday Park, Church Farm, Earns 2012 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence

GayCities, Inc. Partners with San Francisco Travel Association On 49 Places That Make Us Proud

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- GayCities--the world's largest LGBT community-driven city guide--today announcedthe launch of a special "check-in" promotion,49 Places That Make Us Proud, in partnership withSan Francisco Travel Association,the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/promos/49places/)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120605/CG19471)

The promotion, spanning San Francisco Pride Month of June, encourages San Francisco visitors to check-in using the GayCities iPhone app, Foursquare or Facebook to 49 places selected out of thousands of businesses and locations by GayCities editors for representing the best of the city that invented gay.

The 49 places range from the Levi's Store to Baker Beach to Lookout, a popular Castro bar. GayCities members checking in to these places are eligible for dozens of instant prizes as well as a grand prize: a return trip to San Francisco, includingairfare for two on American Airlines, a two-night stay at a Kimpton Hotel, a $100 dining certificate, and a pair of San Francisco CityPASSes. (Each check-in increases the chance of winning.)

The campaign is beginning of an extensive, 16-month partnership between GayCities and San Francisco Travelspanning multiple custom integrated marketing promotions that includes social media, tailored online content, mobile and offline events.

The number 49 has long had special significance for San Francisco. The city's population exploded with the Gold Rush of 1849. The city itself measures 49 square miles (or "49 square miles surrounded by reality," as one luminary noted). Motorists can tour the city on the 49 Mile Scenic Drive. And don't forget that famous football team with 49 in the name.

"Partnering with GayCities is a win-win for both of us: they are the leading LGBT travel and location-based social network, and San Francisco is a top LGBT destination and center of new media and technology," said Lynn Bruni, director of consumer marketing for San Francisco Travel Association. "GayCities provides us with opportunities to reach gay travelers in highly relevant, travel related content they're seeking up to date, location based user generated reviews, insider experiences via online and the GayCities iPhone app. We're especially excited to partner with them on the49 Places That Make Us Proudcheck-in challenge, using the newest technology to introduce visitors to the depth and variety of experiences the city offers."

"We're excited to partner with San Francisco Travel to create fun and innovative programs highlighting the best of this city byutilizing our expertise in content, social media, and mobile technology,"added Scott Gatz, CEO, GayCities, Inc. "Whether people are planning a trip, using our app to find what's happening around town or sharing their opinions afterwards, our guide to San Francisco is one of the most popular on GayCities, and our social features are all about connecting our members to great experiences."

Contact Scott Gatz, CEO, GayCities, Inc.Scott@GayCities.com(415) 871-1503

GayCities is the leading LGBT travel and location-based social network that helps people uncover the best of what's happening everywhere. Atwww.gaycities.com, members contribute their own experiences and discover what people like them really think about their town and cities around the world. GayCities brings together mobile checkins, reviews and up-to-date listings of bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, hotels and other venues in 215 cities via the web site and popular iPhone app. GayCities reaches 600,000 visitors each month.

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Royal Caribbean International Announces World's Largest Travel Agent Appreciation Day

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Taking its support of the travel agent community to the next level, Royal Caribbean International is dedicating June 6 as the first-ever “World’s Largest Travel Agent Appreciation Day.” Today, hundreds of the cruise line’s executives and employees around the world will call on more than 7,000 travel professionals worldwide to re-affirm Royal Caribbean’s appreciation for travel agents, and ...

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Royal Caribbean International Announces World's Largest Travel Agent Appreciation Day

The potential impact of olfactory stem cells as therapy reported in Cell Transplantation

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Public release date: 5-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Eve celltransplantation@gmail.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Tampa, Fla. (June 5 , 2012) A study characterizing the multipotency and transplantation value of olfactory stem cells, as well as the ease in obtaining them, has been published in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (20:11/12), now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/.

"There is worldwide enthusiasm for cell transplantation therapy to repair failing organs," said study lead author Dr. Andrew Wetzig of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "The olfactory mucosa of a patient's nose can provide cells that are potentially significant candidates for human tissue repair."

According to the study authors, olfactory neural stem cells can be derived from a patient's own cells, they are readily available by a minimally invasive biopsy technique, and they can be expanded in vitro. The cells are plentiful because the olfactory epithelium undergoes neurogenesis and continual replacement of sensory neurons throughout adult life.

"Using the rat as our animal model source, we examined the basic aspects of olfactory neural stem cell biology and its potential for self-renewal and phenotypic expression in various circumstances," said Dr. Wetzig. "Previously, we found that they have performed well in pre-clinical models of disease and transplantation and seem to emulate a wound healing process where the cells acquire the appropriate phenotype in an apparently orderly fashion over time."

The researchers concluded that the olfactory neurospheres contain stem cells whose capacity for differentiation is triggered by signals from the immediate environmental niche.

"Stem cell numbers were shown to be enriched by our culture methods," explained Dr. Wetzig. "We also demonstrated that when adult olfactory stem cells are transplanted into an environmental niche different from that of their origin, they demonstrate multipotency by acquiring the phenotype of the resident cells."

"This study highlights another potential source of stem cells that has shown some degree of promise in a number of studies" said Dr. John Sladek, professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "Their relatively easy accessibility and multipotent properties are important factors that could rank these cells competitively with other stem cells thus giving them a potential impact as an excellent source for cell therapy".

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The potential impact of olfactory stem cells as therapy reported in Cell Transplantation

Marshall Space Flight Center to host annual 'Take Our Children to Work Day'

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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The children of engineers, scientists and support workers at Marshall Space Flight Center will get a taste of what their parents do on Thursday for the center's annual "Take Our Children to Work Day."

The annual learning event is open to children from third grade to 12th grade, Angela Storey, a spokeswoman for Marshall, said in a news release.

"The program's busy schedule of activities and learning sessions is designed to celebrate the work of the nation's space program and demonstrate the value and rewards of studying science, engineering, math and technology," Storey said.

The children will learn about a variety of work done at Marshall, including vibration and shock testing on new spaceflight hardware and the scientific principles that guide NASA research.

There will also be sessions on water safety, bullying prevention, financial responsibility and careers in science, engineering and aerospace, the news release said.

The event will begin with a brief welcome by Gene Goldman, acting Marshall director, at 8:15 a.m., followed by the activities and site tours.

The annual event is organized by Marshall's Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity. It is sponsored by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Sci-Quest, Huntsville Utilities, Dynetics Corp., the North Alabama Coast Guard Auxiliary and WHNT-TV.

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SpaceX flight opens door for U.S. military payloads

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space Exploration Technologies' unmanned Dragon capsule arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday following a test flight for NASA that could open the door to a long-desired and more elusive customer - the U.S. military. The cargo capsule blasted off May on 22 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida and three days later became the first privately owned spaceship ...

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Swimming with Scissors – EP: 17 – Video

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04-06-2012 11:00 So it's the last few weeks of the semester and here comes swim week, or as I like to call it "Lydia goes crazy". And if you think that was fun, just wait til you see the aftermath video. Remember to like, favorite, and share. Start from the beginning - Check out the merch at Twitter - Tumblr - Facebook - Google + - ------- The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a modernized adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice. The series is created by Hank Green and Bernie Su. See more details at Lizzie Bennet - Ashley Clements - http Lydia Bennet - Mary Kate Wiles - Executive Producer - Hank Green - Executive Producer - Bernie Su - Producer - Jenni Powell - Director - Bernie Su - Writer - Bernie Su - Cinematography - Jason Raswant Assistant Director - Stuart Davis - Editor - Hank Green - Consulting Producer - Margaret Dunlap - Transmedia Producer - Jay Bushman - Intro Music and Graphics - Michael Aranda - Makeup - Heather Begley Production Designer - Katie Moest - Production Assistant - Tahlena Chikami - Keywords: "Pride and Prejudice" "Lizzie Bennet Diaries" LizzieBennetDiaries literature "lizzie bennet" "elizabeth bennet" "lizzy bennet" funny fashion vlog fiction sisters friends friendship love romance talk "Pride And ...

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Swimming with Scissors - EP: 17 - Video

Cutting Heads 2D-Style With Dust: An Elysian's Tail [Xbox 360]

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To dub Dust: An Elysian's Tail a "furry" version of the Wii action beat-'em-up Muramasa: The Demon Blade may not do the XBLA title justice. While similar to the Wii title in terms of a unique heavily animated art style and battle-heavy concept, the game implements the nonlinear map-focused core from titles like Super Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It may seem like a melting pot of concepts, but Dust definitely feels like its own beast based on what we've played recently.

Players control a warrior named Dust on a 2D fantasy world; this sword-slinger can definitely take care of himself with his repertoire of moves. Pressing a combination of X and Y will make Dust perform quick sword slashes, air launchers, and even a series of stabs topped with a ground and air throw. After acquiring a power-up on the E3 2012 demo of the game early on, Dust gets the ability to perform a sword-spinning technique called Dust Storm.

Pressing and holding Y by itself will make Dust spin his sword in a wide radius to damage any foes within its path. While it looks great and is practical, you can't actually do it for too long. Dust will gradually turn red as he keeps doing the move; perform it for too long, and he'll knock himself out and get hurt.

Our hero also has a flying furry pixie who can shoot out pixie bullets. On its own, it isn't impressive, but if players combine it with the Dust Storm, they can unleash a conflagration of pixie bullets that can really do serious damage. We hope that more of these combinations will surprise us in the final game, because they look really spectacular and practical.

The demo itself let us explore a bit of the combat. We were faced with hordes of ghouls and mutants that fell prey to our main character's attacks and Dust Storm move. It wasn't all button-mashing the X and Y buttons though. There was a section where we had to use the Dust Storm and pixie bullet magic combo to hit a summoner that's impervious to conventional melee attacks.

At the tail end of the demo, we had to deal with a shield-bearing rock golem who we could only disarm and stun by doing a parry. Holding X while in accordance to an enemy's attack animation will push back its attack and leave it momentarily stunned. Even with the swarm of mini-dragons protecting the golem, it wasn't enough from our counterattack. Combat may seem like a huge focus for Dust, but there were bits where we had to use the sword wielder's slide to get past thorny barriers and navigate through chasms with updrafts while not getting hurt by spikes on the ceiling.

Complete with a gem upgrade system, and RPG-esque items-equipping and numbers-flying damage indicators, Dust seems to be doing a spectacular job being a map-based action-RPG platformer with eye-popping Disney-esque aesthetics. Gamers who dig that sort of mix will be glad to know that it will be out later this year under the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade release schedule.

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Cutting Heads 2D-Style With Dust: An Elysian's Tail [Xbox 360]

Pedroia Returns For Red Sox Against Orioles

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Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox heads out to the field before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park May 31, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

BOSTON (CBS) Dustin Pedroia is back in the Red Sox lineup Tuesday night.

Pedroia will bat second and play second as Boston opens a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway.

Pedroia returns after missing the last six games after leaving Bostons May 28 win over the Tigers. He was diagnosed with aslight tear in the adductor muscle in his right thumb, an injury heinitiallysuffered on May 2, but has avoided a trip to the disabled list.

Im real excited, Pedroia told WBZ NewsRadio 1030s Jonny Miller Tuesday afternoon.Obviously its still healing, but if we protect it the right way Im able to play while it heals up all the way.

Stats: Red Sox Injuries

Pedroia resumed taking batting practice on Saturday and Sunday in Toronto, with the help of a specially designed brace, and did not report any problems on Bostons off-day on Monday.Pedroia also switched the kind of bat he uses, opting not to use maple to lessen the impact on his hands.

Combine that with the brace, and some may be a little concerned there would be a getting-used-to period for Pedroia. But the former MVP isnt too worried, and may have even found a new part to his routine.

Hopefully this pad helps me out and who knows, I might wear it forever, he said.

The Red Sox went 4-2 in Pedroias absence, and have won six of their last nine games. Never one to want to miss time, Pedroia is extremely anxious to get back to helping out his team add more wins in the standings.

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Finches' colour shows personality

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6 June 2012 Last updated at 07:33 By Michelle Warwicker BBC Nature

Gouldian finches have different personalities depending on the colour of their heads, researchers have found.

Scientists from Liverpool John Moores University and The Royal Veterinary College investigated the "highly sociable" Australian birds.

The team set the finches a series of behavioural tests to understand the purpose of their bright appearance.

They found that red-headed finches were more aggressive, while black-headed birds were bolder and took more risks.

The findings are published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

"Our idea is that the colour signals their behavioural tactics," said lead researcher Leah Williams.

She explained that the research also suggests that "bolder" black-headed finches may act as "leaders" in a group.

Gouldian finches are found in open, subtropical woodland and are known for their colourful plumage.

In the wild, the majority of the birds have black or red heads, although a very small number are yellow-headed.

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NASA | It’s Coming… – Video

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04-06-2012 10:12 The LASCO C3 coronograph on board the SOHO spacecraft has been watching the approach of Venus for its last solar transit until 2117. With coronagraphs, the Sun is being blocked by an occulting disk, seen here in blue, so that SOHO can observe the much fainter features in the Sun's corona. The actual size of the Sun is represented by the white disk. The transit of Venus begins tomorrow, June 5, at about 6pm Eastern Daylight Time, or about 10pm Universal Time. It will last approximately 6 hours. This video is public domain, and it is available to download at: Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast: Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Facebook: Or find us on Twitter:

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NASA coverage of Venus interrupted due to Australian roadworker's error

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MATARANKA, Australia Live NASA coverage of Venus' rare transit of the sun has been interrupted -- by an Australian roadworker.

The bungling worker severed a fiber-optic cable, preventing scientists from streaming live footage to the NASA website from one of the world's best vantage points, in the Northern Territory.

The wire was damaged during roadworks about 10 miles south of Mataranka on Tuesday afternoon, cutting off internet and telephone services across the region.

A spokeswoman for telecommunications company Telstra told The Northern Territory News the cable would not be repaired until around 3:00pm local time Wednesday. Venus is expected to finish its transit at 2:03pm local time.

The next time the planet will be visible passing between earth and the sun with be in 2117.

The Aussie webcast was to have taken place from a school in Alice Springs -- one of only two locations outside the United States that was contributing to the live NASA broadcast of the event. Other feeds were believed to have made up for the Aussie disaster.

"They're transmitting to NASA because they are in the best position in the world to see it," Telstra spokeswoman Jane DeGault said of the interrupted Northern Territory webcast.

"They are understandably upset. Let's hope these services will be restored and some transmission can be sent to NASA."

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NASA Gets a Hand-Me-Down from Spy Agency: Two Space Telescopes | 80beats

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The Hubble Space Telescope. The new scopes are shorter, designed for peering down.

NASA announced some exciting news yesterday: apparently, the NationalReconnaissance Office, the agency that looks after the USs spy satellites, had a couple of Hubble-scale space telescopes lying around.

In a warehouse in upstate New York.

In bits and pieces, lacking the requisite solar panels and cameras to make them fully functional, but basically complete, all dressed up with nowhere to go.Why did the NRO have two unused space telescopes, when NASA is barely able to scrape two pennies together? Neither side will answer that question, citing classified information. Go ahead, use your imagination.

But an enterprising NRO official gave NASA a ring, and a little bureaucratic paper-pushing later, hey presto! NASA has two more space telescopes it had a few months ago. Right now,Chandra, Spitzer, and Hubble are in orbit, and the James Webb Space Telescope is supposed to launch in 2018, though its budget woes have been of epic proportions. These new telescopes are essentially satellites with mirrors the same width as Hubbles but a shorter focal length, so they can see a wider stretch of space, and they are likely to be repurposed as part of a mission to explore dark energy, as Julianne Dalcanton notes over at Cosmic Variance.

Its a little wince-inducing, though, to realize that NASA will be lucky if they can scrimp and save enough to get even one of these scopes up into orbit. We dont anticipate ever being rich enough to use both of them, but it sure would be fun to think about,said Paul Hertz, NASAs astrophysics division director, in a conference call on Monday (via Talking Points Memos IdeaLab).

Fun is one word for it; sad is another. But those reservations aside, we wish NASA best of luck and congratulations on this windfallits always exciting to see more resources being funneled towards observing space.

Image courtesy of NASA

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NASA Gets a Hand-Me-Down from Spy Agency: Two Space Telescopes | 80beats

NASA gets 2 telescopes from spy satellite agency

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(Space.com) The United States' spy satellite agency is giving NASA two spare space telescopes free of charge, each potentially more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA officials announced today (June 4).

The two spy satellite telescopes were originally built to fly space-based surveillance missions for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), but will be repurposed by NASA for astronomical research instead. Their donation to NASA was revealed in a surprise announcement.

Both NRO space telescopes have a main mirror nearly 8 feet wide (2.4 meters), rivaling the Hubble Space Telescope, and also carry a secondary mirror to enhance image sharpness, according to press reports. NASA's Hubble telescope is a space icon that has been beaming stunning photos to Earth for 22 years.

NASA and NRO officials did not elaborate on the original design or mission for the reconnaissance telescopes, though officials told the Washington Post that the earliest either of the instruments could be recycled into a new space telescope and launched into orbit would be 2020. Finding the funding necessary to refit and launch the telescopes is a major hurdle, officials said.

NASA hopes to use one of the new space telescopes to hunt for mysterious dark energy, an invisible force that scientists think is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.

During a media teleconference today, NASA officials said the two telescopes have an appearance similar to the Hubble telescope: They are cylindrical in shape and covered in shiny reflective insulation. The two telescopes do not currently have names, they added.

The Hubble space telescope, which launched in 1990, is the size of a school bus and has become an astronomical icon. But Hubble is also aging. Since its launch, Hubble has been repaired or upgraded five separate times, most recently in 2009 when NASA astronauts paid the last-ever service call on the venerable instrument.

Eventually, Hubble will be decommissioned and then intentionally destroyed by plunging into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

Currently, NASA has no plans to replace Hubble, which is primarily an optical observatory, with a similar instrument. The space agency's next big orbital observatory is the James Webb Space Telescope, an infrared-only telescope designed to peer deep into the universe's 13.7 billion-year history.

You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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NASA gets 2 telescopes from spy satellite agency

NASA Joins Girl Scouts Celebrating 100 Years of Inspiration and Empowerment

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NASA will mark the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America by hosting a Girl Scouts Rock@NASA event from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. June 8 in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium located at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and two former astronauts, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Pam Melroy, will participate. Media are invited to attend.

NASA and the Girl Scouts share a common goal to encourage and educate young girls about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in exciting and innovative ways. The Girl Scouts began in 1912 with only 18 girls. Today, there are 3.2 million girls and adults who are members. In 100 years, the organization has graduated more than 59 million women in the United States.

The Girl Scouts Rock@NASA program will cover aeronautics, science and exploration. Attendees will learn about NASA's missions and careers from scientists and other invited guests and have opportunities to experience hands-on, interactive displays.

NASA will host two sessions based on the age of the attendees.

In the morning session, Stefanyshyn-Piper will speak to younger explorers about some of NASA's missions and discoveries. Attendees will be able to take a picture of themselves on Mars and learn about solar sails and NASA technology in everyday life.

The afternoon session, targeted to Girl Scout cadettes, seniors, and ambassadors, will feature Garver and Melroy. Attendees also will be able to use interactive activities to learn more about NASA and STEM.

Media wanting to attend the event must send an email to Sonja Alexander, at sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov by 4 p.m. Thursday, June 7.

Attendance is limited to pre-registered Girl Scout troops. To register, visit: http://women.nasa.gov/events

For more information on the Girl Scouts and the 100-Year Anniversary Rock the National Mall event, visit: http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl/event_rock_the_mall.asp

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NASA to hold Mars landing 'social' event

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This artist concept features NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover along with an illustrated "tweet" bird. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

PASADENA, Calif., June 5 (UPI) -- NASA says 25 lucky followers of the space agency will be invited to attend a NASA event to coincide with the upcoming landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars.

The NASA Social event will offer people who engage with NASA through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks the opportunity to tour the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., meet scientists and engineers, participate in news conferences and, if all goes as planned, be at the media site when the first signal of the rover's landing is detected by JPL mission control, a NASA release said Tuesday.

The Curiosity rover will land at Mars' Gale Crater Aug. 6 at approximately 1:31 a.m. EDT for a two-year mission to investigate whether the selected area of Mars offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life or if evidence of it existed.

Registration for the NASA Social event will open at noon EDT Wednesday, June 6, and close at noon EDT Friday, June 8.

NASA said it will randomly select 25 participants from online registrations.

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NASA Invites Social Media Fans to Mars Landing Event

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NASA will host a 3-day NASA Social for 25 of its social media followers Aug. 3-5 at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The NASA Social is scheduled to culminate in the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover at Mars' Gale crater. The landing is anticipated at approximately 10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5 (1:31 a.m. EDT Aug. 6).

The event will offer people who engage with NASA through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks the opportunity to tour JPL, speak with scientists and engineers, participate in news conferences and, if all goes as planned, be at the media site when the first signal of the rover's landing is detected by JPL mission control. The event also will provide participants the opportunity to interact with fellow tweeps, space enthusiasts and members of NASA's social media team.

During the two-year prime mission, Curiosity will investigate whether the selected area of Mars offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life or if evidence of it existed.

JPL has 23 spacecraft and 10 instruments conducting active missions of exploration of Earth, the solar system and the universe beyond. These ventures, including Voyager, Cassini and the Opportunity Mars rover, are enabled by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). Managed by JPL, the DSN is an international network of antenna complexes for communications between spacecraft and Earth-based teams that guide them. NASA Social guests will meet team members from some of these missions and tour DSN mission control.

NASA Social registration opens at 9 a.m. PDT (noon EDT) Wednesday, June 6, and closes at 9 a.m. PDT (noon EDT Friday, June 8). NASA will randomly select 25 participants from online registrations.

For more information and rules pertaining to NASA Social registration, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/social

For information about connecting and collaborating with NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect

For more information about JPL, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

To follow the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity mission via Facebook and Twitter, visit: http://www.facebook.com/MarsCuriosity http://www.twitter.com/MarsCuriosity

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

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Nanotechnology and style unite

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Cycling in the rain wearing jeans used to be unthinkable, but not any more thanks to innovations in fabric technology.

The new Commuter range from Levi's, designed specifically for the urban cyclist, is water resistant and dirt repellent, while offering just the right amount of stretch for mobility.

Coming in a work shirt, trousers, jeans and trucker jacket, they are an example of the growing trend for performance apparel a blend of function and fashion, where outdoor functionality meets urban style.

One of the key components of the Commuter range is NanoSphere Technology, invented by Swiss textile company Schoeller, which allows water to simply run off the surface of the denim. This also works for ketchup, honey, coffee or red wine. If they don't run off, they can easily be rinsed off. NanoSphere textiles require less frequent washing and can be washed at lower temperatures.

As fashion brands like Levi's make their garments more functional, the trend is reciprocated with streetwear style influencing outdoor and ski products.

Outdoor brand Icebreaker is already on the mark. This winter, two new innovations to be added to its range are Realfleece Nano and merino-insulated soft shell jackets, designed to be worn both in the city and in the outdoors. Icebreaker creative director Rob Achten says the jackets were designed in response to customer demand for stylish, water-resistant merino jackets.

The Realfleece Nano jackets contain tiny nanoparticles that attach themselves to the merino fibre during the textile finishing process, leaving tiny pockets of air to maintain breathability. And while most fabrics have a large surface area for water droplets and dirt particles to cling to, nano particles have a ridged surface that reduces contact area. Water, oil and mud simply run off.

Nanoparticles are also the focus of Victoria University chemistry professor Jim Johnston and his former PhD student and now colleague Dr Kerstin Lucas, who last year pioneered a way of embedding tiny nanoparticles of gold and silver in New Zealand wool, resulting in colourful textiles that have functional and aesthetic benefits.

Together they have formed company Noble Bond Ltd and are part of Creative HQ, Wellington's business incubator. They're now working in partnership with Wools of New Zealand to develop the technology into a business.

Luxury fashion brands and textile companies are now the target of their glittering yarn, which they've named AuLana (Au is the symbol for gold and Lana is Latin for wool). Benefits of AuLana include the ability to create coloured textiles without using traditional synthetic dyes, and the gold can also be reclaimed from the garment.

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Nanotechnology and style unite