There?s considerably more to fitness than merely hanging out at the health club. To see ideal results and arrive at your workout goals, you should combine an excellent comprehension of physical fitness using the strength and willpower to persevere. You?ll find under some primary ways to beginning your physical fitness program and making it very last.
You ought to select exercise clothing that happen to be simple in color, whilst keeping all of them together so that you can not waste time looking for correct exercise routine clothes. This would ensure that your outfits will go with, and will be speedy to gain access to as it pertains enough time to work out. Continue to be on the top of your filthy laundry washing, don?t wait too much time involving washes, so you can be assured you can expect to generally have a clean exercise clothing available.
Prepare some motivation that can compensate you for keeping yourself on your own diet regime. Determine some short-term desired goals, and once you accomplish them, treat you to ultimately a thing specific. These small treats could be wonderful motivators, that can help to help keep you on the right track.
In case you start to feel low energy or joint irritation, you must see your doctor. You need to file whenever you encounter discomfort throughout or after having an exercise routine inside a journal or journal.
Bikers must always low fat forwards when cycling uphill. This will aid keep your bicycle consistent and distributes the weight equally. If the pounds isn?t properly handed out in the direction of the bike?s rear, the top wheel includes a tendency to follow off the ground, generating the work more challenging.
Turn out to be healthier through a bounce rope. Go to the retail store and buy an elementary bounce rope. In this way you how have a portable, handy device for working out each time and wherever you would like. Leaping along with it for around five minutes will help you color muscle tissues and provide a cardio workout.
Encounter your fears and push yourself to do your minimum favored workouts. The reason being people typically steer clear of workout routines that happen to be difficult for them. So add all those dreadful workouts in your day-to-day schedule and do them on a regular basis.
Several effective exercise routines can be located online, but additionally you can try to get assistance from staff with a neighborhood center around by, a regional gym as well as at the college or college. Asking an athletics medical clinic to obtain recommendations about various workout routines could also be rather powerful.
Ensure you eat the correct amounts of carbs, protein, and unsaturated fatty acids, to be able to maintain a suitable diet plan. Aim for 45Percent proteins, 35% carbohydrates and 20% fat. Proteins is very significant mainly because it aids construct muscle tissue throughout your body.
Those which are interested in physical fitness will take advantage of every chance to be a little more personally productive. While using health and fitness information and facts supplied in this article, you make a weight loss plan and acquire match.
For additional information about build muscle and burn fat see Rosette B. Arqueta?s site there?s a lot of details not covered in this article, take a look at Author?s website to locate extra information.
A sea change is underway for Apple Computer and the tech sector and major dangers and opportunities will unfold as this tidal wave rolls ashore. Long before Apple Computer (AAPL) became the most watched stock in the world, a book called The Personal Computer Book by Peter McWilliams was published back in 1982.
Apple still makes headlines today but many of the exciting companies, which were introduced to us in The Personal Computer Book, have either died or they have been consumed by other corporations (in the manner that Compaq was cannibalized by Hewlett Packard (HPQ)). Kaypro Computer, the manufacturer of a metal-encased unit which was as portable as a sewing machine, filed for bankruptcy in 1992. Digital Equipment Corporation (or DEC) was consumed by Compaq in 1998 before Compaq was eaten by HP in 2002. Commodore International, which brought you the Commodore 64 and the Amiga, was laid to rest in 1994.
The central character of The Personal Computer Book was a little company in Seattle named Microsoft (MSFT), which developed a "disk operating system" called MS-DOS at the request of IBM. IBM (IBM) wanted to start manufacturing a product line called personal computers. Their entire PC line was built around computer chips called "central processing units" or CPUs which were manufactured by a company named Intel (INTC).
By 2013, Microsoft, IBM and Intel appear to be heading to the same - or similar - fate as the other companies mentioned in The Personal Computer Book. Worse yet, a company named Dell Computer, (DELL) which developed a massive customer base by direct sales of PCs to customers through ads in such magazines as Computer Shopper and PC, now faces an uncertain fate after founder, Michael Dell first announced plans to take the company private, with the assistance of a private equity firm named Silver Lake Partners. As it turns out, the large-stake shareholders are not happy with the $13.65-per-share buyout price. On August 22, 2008 - just before the collapse of Lehman Brothers - Dell was trading at $25.50 per share. Dell hasn't been traded for $18 per share since February 21, 2012.
The fate of the personal computer extends beyond the good - or bad - fortunes of any particular company. At this point in American history, the personal computer is headed for the same fate as the Leisure Suit. It is rapidly becoming antiquated technology.
Smartphones and pads are replacing the clunky units with their spinning metal-disk hard drives, as consumers are increasingly entrusting their most private, personal information, photos and videos (yes - that kind, as well) to complete strangers who operate mainframe computers known as the cloud.
This sea change in digital technology is changing the entire tech sector from the investment standpoint. Microsoft, which just found its way back to $32 per share after spending most of the post-Lehman years in the $25 range (with the exception of last year's spring fever) is increasingly becoming a target for ridicule.
In fact, an online dispute arose at a popular news website after one commentator characterized Apple as "the new Microsoft". (Oh, snap!) As die-hard Apple investors stubbornly clung to their positions while the share price plunged from $702 on September 19 to $390 on April 19, it is easy to understand why.
The fate of Intel Corporation is inexorably linked to the well-being of its biggest customers in the PC manufacturing industry. At this time last year, Intel was clawing its way back to $29 per share. These days, you are lucky if you can unload those shares at $22.
A good number of investors who survived the dot-com bubble, which came to grief in March of 2000, are nervously fretting about what to do with their technology sector shares. Because the entire tech sector rises and falls with the prices of those four relics of the PC era, many see the entire sector as radioactive.
Which brings the discussion to Apple Computer, the tech industry darling which is now locked in a significant bear market as it struggles to maintain its dominance.
The company's recent earnings report was lackluster, at best, as iPhone sales decline and margins shrink. Apple stock has taken a sharp decline from the lofty peaks in the $700/share range to close on Friday at $417.
Numerous brokers have cut their price targets for Apple and now there's a wide range of targets between $400-$800 per share.
The company reported revenues that were better than expected and good sales for the iPad. However, Apple reported declining profits for the year over year period and declining gross margins. Slowing growth is bad news for an innovation leader like Apple and the rest of the world seems to be catching up with Samsung (SSNLF.PK) pressing them in the phone market and Amazon (AMZN) in the tablet world.
Apple is losing market share as its iPhone sales grew just 7% year over year while Samsung shipped more than 60 million smartphones in the first quarter, giving it 30% of the global smartphone pie compared to Apple's 37 million phone sales and 17% of the market.
Apple also issued lower guidance for the upcoming quarter and that it has no new products to release until autumn, another bad news omen for a company that depends on innovation and invention.
Apple's big announcement during the earnings call was that it's going to give shareholders $100 billion in buybacks and dividends, which is a departure from previous practice and obviously an attempt to offset the pain of a a 40% decline in the value of Apple stock.
The sea change in tech from personal computers to mobile and tablets is accelerating minute by minute and which companies will be winners and which will be losers remains very much in doubt. Key players include Apple, Amazon and Google (GOOG) and, of course, the old line names like Microsoft, IBM, Dell and Hewlett Packard, who will struggle to stay relevant and not become dinosaurs in this new age.
For investors, stock picking in this new age could become treacherous, at best, as the battle for survival and supremacy plays out. Here is a list of some ETFs you may want to consider as alternatives to investments in individual tech sector companies:
For tech bulls:
PowerShares QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ): This ETF, formerly known as the "Nasdaq 100 Tracking Stock", invests in all of the stocks in the Nasdaq 100 Index, which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization.
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK): This ETF invests in all of the equity securities of the Technology Select Sector Index in the same proportion as the investments in those companies made by the index itself.
For tech bears:
ProShares Short QQQ ETF (PSQ): This ETF seeks daily investment results which correspond to the inverse (-1x) of the daily performance of the NASDAQ 100 Index. QQQ invests in derivatives which ProShares Advisors believes, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as the inverse (-1x) of the daily return of the index.
ProShares UltraShort QQQ ETF (QID): This ETF seeks daily investment results which correspond to two times the inverse (-2x) of the daily performance of the NASDAQ 100 Index. QID invests in derivatives which ProShares Advisors believes, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as two times the inverse (-2x) of the daily return of the index.
A quick look at a chart of QQQ offers insight into the current condition of the tech sector:
In this chart of QQQ we can see how the index (candlesticks) has been in an uptrend and the blue line of Amazon closely tracks the direction of the QQQ index.
However, we can see how the black line of Apple stock prices has wildly diverged from the overall sector.
Apple makes up a significant percentage of the weighting in QQQ and so it's unlikely that this divergence can continue. It's very likely that either Apple will have to rally or that QQQ will decline to a point where the two are again in synch with each other.
Bottom line: In today's world, the rate of change will only continue to accelerate as mobile and tablets and the cloud crowd out PCs, mainframes and semi-conductor based computing products. Picking individual winners and losers will be a gamble, at best. However, tech index ETFs like QQQ and PSQ will offer investors opportunity to profit from both the rise and fall of the tech sector tide.
Disclosure: Wall Street Sector Selector actively trades a wide range of exchange traded funds and positions can change at any time.
Disclaimer: The content included herein is for educational and informational purposes only
Etsy stickers adorning your MacBook's lid, oft making a cute play on the presence of that glowing Apple? That's so 2012. Uncover, a Dutch company showcasing its talents here at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam this week, has crafted a new method of customizing one's MacBook lid. And, perhaps most importantly, it involves the seamless removal of the Apple logo altogether. In essence, these guys use a specialized laser cutting process that can etch out anything your brain can muster -- from band logos to company mantras. And, as you'll see in the gallery below, the Apple logo doesn't have to be a part of the equation.
The outfit will take in any aluminum-faced MacBook from around the world, and once it lands in Holland, you'll typically see it headed back to your domicile within four to five days. If you're selecting one of Uncover's designs, you can have your machine tweaked for as little as €249 (around $325), while completely custom work starts at €599 ($780). (And yes, you can just buy a totally new Mac from Uncover as well.) We spoke to Jasper Middendorp, the company's CEO, and he confessed that only MacBooks are being accepted due to Apple's unique backlighting arrangement. They're obviously keen to offer similar work for PCs, but to date, every one he has seen blocks or covers the backlight in some way. For those looking to get it on the fun, allow the source link below to be your guide.
My calendar is mostly filled with Facebook birthdays, these days, and at best those notifications will prompt me to post on someone's wall once a year. Gftr, a project from TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013's Hackathon, wants to use those birthdays to power more meaningful gift-giving, thanks to crowdsourcing and the one day every year when people have the most goodwill directed towards them.
The Jets used a high second-round pick on quarterback Geno Smith.? G.M. John Idzik said that this development has only one meaning for Mark Sanchez.
?What this means for Mark is competition,? Idzik told the media on Friday night.
But are there plans to cut him, as reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN?
?There are plans to let him compete,? Idzik said.
Still, Idzik declined to say that this means Sanchez will get a chance to compete in training camp.? ?I look at that one day at a time,? Idzik said.
That?s a message Sanchez possibly hasn?t gotten from Idzik, because Idzik said the Jets haven?t talked to Sanchez on Friday, either before or after drafting a quarterback in round two.? (This directly conflicts with comments from Sanchez?s brother/agent, Nick, to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN.)
So the incumbent starting quarterback once again has been undermined via the acquisition of a new quarterback.? And the General Manager won?t commit to Sanchez being on the team when camp opens.
This may not end well, but it sure feels like, sooner than later, Sanchez?s time in New York will end.
Comment and win a Lloyd t-shirt. It couldn't be easier!
It's been a busy week around here. Galaxy S4 stuff coming down like rain, Phil abandoning us being in New York for #tm13 ninja secret shenanigans, and I'm out of coffee. That means it's time to relax a bit -- and give away t-shirts!
There are comments below. Or there will be. Your job is to talk about whatever you want to talk about (without getting out of line -- you know better). Discuss Android if you want to, or talk about the Red Sox if that's your thing. Just let if flow.
Tonight at midnight Eastern time, I'll close the comments and pick 5 of them at random. If I pick your comment, I'll shoot you an email asking where I should send a free Lloyd t-shirt. Make sure the email you used to register for the site is legit, and go.
NEW YORK (AP) ? The stock market sputtered Friday after the U.S. economy didn't grow as much as hoped. Neither did earnings from a handful of big companies like Amazon.com.
The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the first three months of the year, the government said, missing the 3.1 percent forecast of economists polled by FactSet, a financial data provider. That's still better than the anemic 0.4 percent growth rate in the October-December quarter.
The shortfall reinforced the perception that the economy is grinding, rather than charging, ahead. Investors have also been troubled by reports in the last month of weaker hiring, slower manufacturing and a drop in factory orders.
"There are some concerns as we head into the summer," said JJ Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist for TD Ameritrade. "In the last three weeks, we've have seen numbers that weren't exactly what you'd love to see."
Corporate earnings this week have also contained worrisome signs. Many companies have fallen short of analysts' estimates for revenue, even as they report higher earnings. For example, Goodyear Tire fell 2.3 percent to $12.64 after reporting revenue that fell short of analysts' estimates because of lower global tire sales.
Among other big names that investors were focusing on Friday, Amazon.com fell 7.2 percent to $254.60 after the company said it may report an operating loss in the second quarter. The online retailer's income fell in the first quarter as it continued to spend heavily on order fulfillment and rights to digital content. Expedia fell 9.5 percent to $58.80 after the online travel company's costs rose.
Homebuilder D.R. Horton surged 7.1 percent to $26.26 its income nearly tripled thanks to a continuing recovery the housing market. The results were handily beat the forecasts of financial analysts who follow the company.
Of the companies that have reported earnings so far, 69 percent have exceeded Wall Street's expectations, compared to a 10-year average of 62 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. However, many have missed analysts' revenue estimates.
The Dow was down 10 points, or 0.1 percent, at 14,691 as of noon. The index is 1 percent higher in the week.
The S&P 500 index fell seven points to 1,578, or 0.4 percent, paring its gain for the week to 0.7 percent.
The Nasdaq composite was down 20 points at 3,269, a decline of 0.6 percent. The index is still 2 percent higher this week.
The tech-heavy index has lagged both the Dow and the S&P 500 this year, but led the way higher this week, boosted by Microsoft. The software giant, which makes up 5.3 percent of the Nasdaq, is on track to record its biggest weekly gain since January last year, after reporting earnings April 19 that beat Wall Street expectations and revealing an aggressive push into the computer tablet market.
Even Apple, the largest stock in the Nasdaq, had a good week, advancing 5.8 percent to $413.20, despite posting a decline in quarterly profit Tuesday. Apple accounts for 7.6 percent of the index's value and the weekly gain was its biggest since November.
On the whole, stocks have had a relatively poor April.
Stocks are still up for the month, but the gains are far below those made in the first three months of the year. The Dow and the S&P 500 are up 0.8 percent and 0.7 percent respectively in April, compared with the average gains of more than 3 percent they posted in January, February and March.
Slower hiring in the U.S. and weaker manufacturing held back stocks in April. The markets logged their biggest weekly decline in more than five months last week on concerns that global growth is faltering. China said its economy slowed in the first quarter.
J.C. Penney jumped 6.7 percent to $16.26 after the billionaire financier George Soros disclosed that he had taken a 7.9 percent stake in the company. Earlier this month the struggling department store chain fired its CEO, Ron Johnson, after 17 months on the job and rehired his predecessor Mike Ullman. An ambitious turnaround plan by Johnson had backfired and caused sales to plummet.
In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.67 percent from 1.71 percent, its lowest rate of the year.
Apr. 25, 2013 ? When galaxies form new stars, they sometimes do so in frantic episodes of activity known as starbursts. These events were commonplace in the early Universe, but are rarer in nearby galaxies.
During these bursts, hundreds of millions of stars are born, and their combined effect can drive a powerful wind that travels out of the galaxy. These winds were known to affect their host galaxy -- but this new research now shows that they have a significantly greater effect than previously thought.
An international team of astronomers observed 20 nearby galaxies, some of which were known to be undergoing a starburst. They found that the winds accompanying these star formation processes were capable of ionising [1] gas up to 650 000 light-years from the galactic centre -- around twenty times further out than the visible size of the galaxy. This is the first direct observational evidence of local starbursts impacting the bulk of the gas around their host galaxy, and has important consequences for how that galaxy continues to evolve and form stars.
"The extended material around galaxies is hard to study, as it's so faint," says team member Vivienne Wild of the University of St. Andrews. "But it's important -- these envelopes of cool gas hold vital clues about how galaxies grow, process mass and energy, and finally die. We're exploring a new frontier in galaxy evolution!"
The team used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) instrument [2] on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to analyse light from a mixed sample of starburst and control galaxies. They were able to probe these faint envelopes by exploiting even more distant objects -- quasars, the intensely luminous centres of distant galaxies powered by huge black holes. By analysing the light from these quasars after it passed through the foreground galaxies, the team could probe the galaxies themselves.
"Hubble is the only observatory that can carry out the observations necessary for a study like this," says lead author Sanchayeeta Borthakur, of Johns Hopkins University. "We needed a space-based telescope to probe the hot gas, and the only instrument capable of measuring the extended envelopes of galaxies is COS."
The starburst galaxies within the sample were seen to have large amounts of highly ionised gas in their halos -- but the galaxies that were not undergoing a starburst did not. The team found that this ionisation was caused by the energetic winds created alongside newly forming stars.
This has consequences for the future of the galaxies hosting the starbursts. Galaxies grow by accreting gas from the space surrounding them, and converting this gas into stars. As these winds ionise the future fuel reservoir of gas in the galaxy's envelope, the availability of cool gas falls -- regulating any future star formation.
"Starbursts are important phenomena -- they not only dictate the future evolution of a single galaxy, but also influence the cycle of matter and energy in the Universe as a whole," says team member Timothy Heckman, of Johns Hopkins University. "The envelopes of galaxies are the interface between galaxies and the rest of the Universe -- and we're just beginning to fully explore the processes at work within them."
The team's results will appear in the 1 May 2013 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
Notes
[1] A gas is said to be ionised when its atoms have lost one or more electrons -- in this case by energetic winds exciting galactic gas and knocking electrons out of the atoms within.
[2] Spectrographs are instruments that break light into its constituent colours and measure the intensity of each colour, revealing information about the object emitting the light -- such as its chemical composition, temperature, density, or velocity.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ESA/Hubble Information Centre.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Sanchayeeta Borthakur, Timothy Heckman, David Strickland, Vivienne Wild, David Schiminovich. THE IMPACT OF STARBURSTS ON THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM. The Astrophysical Journal, 2013; 768 (1): 18 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/18
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The federal government is going after Lance Armstrong's money. As much as it can get.
The Justice Department unveiled its formal complaint against Armstrong on Tuesday, saying the cyclist violated his contract with the U.S. Postal Service and was "unjustly enriched" while cheating to win the Tour de France.
The government had previously announced it would join a whistle-blower lawsuit brought by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis under the federal False Claims Act. Tuesday was the deadline to file its formal complaint.
The Postal Service paid about $40 million to be the title sponsor of Armstrong's teams for six of his seven Tour de France victories. The filing in U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., says the USPS paid Armstrong $17 million from 1998-2004.
The lawsuit also names former team Armstrong team director Johan Bruyneel and team management company Tailwind Sports as defendants.
"Defendants were unjustly enriched to the extent of the payments and other benefits they received from the USPS, either directly or indirectly," the complaint said.
The financial costs for Armstrong and Bruyneel could be high. The government said it would seek triple damages assessed by the jury. Armstrong has been dropped by his personal sponsors and left the cancer-fighting foundation he started in 1997.
Armstrong had previously tried to negotiate a settlement, but those talks fell through before the government announced it would join the Landis lawsuit. Settlement talks could resume as the case proceeds to trial.
Armstrong, who in January admitted using performance-enhancing drugs after years of denials, has argued that the Postal Service's endorsement of his team earned the government agency far more than it paid him.
Armstrong attorney Elliot Peters called the government's complaint "opportunistic" and "insincere."
"The U.S. Postal Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship of the cycling team. Its own studies repeatedly and conclusively prove this," Peters said. "The USPS was never the victim of fraud. Lance Armstrong rode his heart out for the USPS team, and gave the brand tremendous exposure during the sponsorship years."
The government must prove not only that the Postal Service was defrauded, but that it was damaged somehow.
Previous studies done for the Postal Service concluded the agency reaped at least $139 million in worldwide brand exposure in four years ? $35 million to $40 million for sponsoring the Armstrong team in 2001; $38 million to $42 million in 2002; $31 million in 2003; and $34.6 million in 2004.
Landis attorney Paul Scott dismissed the idea that money gained by the Postal Service should negate the claims of fraud. Scott the Postal Service is tainted by the drug scandal.
"Even if the USPS received some ephemeral media exposure in connection with Mr. Armstrong's false victories, any illusory benefit from those times will be swamped over time immemorial by the USPS forever being tied to the largest doping scandal in the history of sports," Scott said.
The formal complaint against Armstrong appears to rely heavily on evidence and statements supplied by Landis and gathered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for its 2012 investigation that exposed a doping program on the USPS team. Armstrong has been banned from sports for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France victories.
As Armstrong's teammate, Landis participated in the doping program. He was later stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title won with another team because of his own doping violations.
Bruyneel, who lives in London, also has been charged by USADA with doping violations but is fighting that case in arbitration.
The government notes the contract with the Postal Service required riders to follow the rules of cycling, which included bans on performance-enhancing drugs and methods. Armstrong now admits using steroids, blood boosters and other illegal performance-enhancing drugs and measures to win.
By breaking the rules and covering it up, Armstrong and Bruyneel committed fraud against the U.S. government, the complaint said.
The complaint said that for years, team officials assured the Postal Service that the team wasn't doping.
Armstrong had been the target of a federal criminal grand jury, but that case was closed without charges in February 2012. Armstrong has previously tried to settle the Landis whistleblower lawsuit, but those talks broke down before the government announced its intention to join the case.
Armstrong also is fighting a lawsuit from Dallas-based promotions company SCA to recover about $12 million it paid him in bonuses, and a lawsuit from the London-based Sunday Times, which wants to get back $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel case.
Tonight (April 23) through Friday at dawn may be your best chance of the year to spot a fireball, a meteor that shines brighter than Venus, the brightest planet in the sky.
By Joe Rao,?SPACE.com / April 23, 2013
In this picture provided by Wally Pacholka of AstroPics.com, a Geminid fireball explodes over the Mojave Desert in the Jojave Desert, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2009. Unlike this Geminid fireball, the fireball-watching in the next few nights isn't connected to the just-completed Lyriad meteor shower or any other regular meteor shower.
Wally Pacholka / AstroPics.com / AP
Enlarge
The dramatic fireball that exploded over Russia in February got many people wondering if there is any way to anticipate future dazzling meteors before they appear.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
Well, meteors not associated with an annual shower are certainly tough to predict. But there are some patterns that skywatchers can keep in mind to maximize their chances of spotting a fireball (which technically is any meteor that shines more brightly than Venus in the sky).
For example, springtime is "fireball season," when the number of bright meteor sightings increases by as much as 30 percent, NASA experts say. And the three-day stretch from Tuesday (April 23) to Thursday (April 25) is perhaps the best time to watch for the next prospective fireball event, which might possibly even lead to the fall of a meteorite.?
Over the years, some real dazzlers have been seen during this time frame. And in at least two cases, the orbits of the meteors were virtually identical, suggesting Earth might hit more such space rocks when it passes through this part of its orbit.
A river of rubble?
Is there perhaps a "river of rubble" orbiting the sun that is populated by rather large meteoroids?
Unlike most of the annual meteor showers that are composed chiefly of dust and sand-sized particles ? such as the Lyrids, which peaked overnight Sunday (April 21) ? this supposed fireball stream might be made up of objects that are considerably larger, perhaps originating in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter or perhaps being shed by the nucleus of a long-dormant comet.?
The circumstantial evidence for such a meteor stream lies with two brilliant fireballs that appeared during the 1960s.
One of these fireballs cast shadows over northern New Jersey on April 23, 1962. The other was seen by thousands of people over England, Wales and Northern Ireland on April 25, 1969 and also dropped a 0.6-pound (0.27 kilograms) meteorite in the town of Sprucefield, Northern Ireland.
EE's just released its Q1 2013 earnings, giving us a look at its first full quarter with 4G services. The carrier says it's on track to its goal of a million 4G customers by the end of the year, thanks to the addition or migration of 318,000 LTE customers since the service launched.. Despite those more profitable clients, however, total service revenue (excluding hardware sales) was down 1.5 percent for the period over last quarter, to £1.42 billion. On one hand, the number of 4G additions could be seen as disappointing considering the company's strong marketing push of the service -- though on the other, the company's only just activated numerous regions, making that one million 4G subscriber goal seem more likely than not. We'll just have to wait a bit longer to see if Brits are really in love with LTE's extra zip -- and willing to pay for it.
Update: This article originally stated that EE added 318,000 4G customers in Q1 this year, but that figure actually represents the number of users the carrier has added since launching its 4G service. five months ago
Contact: Allison Beadle allison@saltand.co 512-963-6930 Salt & Co.
BOSTON, MA April 23, 2013 Two of the most serious health conditions facing Americans todayobesity and cancerare the subject of new mango nutrition research presented this week at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in Boston. This preliminary research identifies important findings that merit further investigation to determine whether mangos can potentially have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and help to limit inflammation.
Preliminary research examines effects on blood sugar
A study led by Edralin Lucas, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, examined the effects of daily mango consumption on clinical parameters and body composition in obese subjects (body mass index, BMI ? 30kg/m2). Twenty adults (11 males and 9 females) participated in the study, which included daily dietary supplementation with 10 grams of freeze dried mango (equivalent to approximately 100 grams of fresh mango, according to Dr. Lucas) for 12 weeks.
Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects. There were no significant changes in body composition for either gender, and BMI increased significantly in female subjects but not male subjects compared to baseline. These findings are the result of a single study and more research is needed on the effects of mango consumption on human health.
"The results of this study support what we learned in our recent animal model , , which found that mango improved blood glucose in mice fed a high fat diet," said Dr. Lucas. "Although the mechanism by which mango exerts its effects warrants further investigation, we do know that mangos contain a complex mixture of polyphenolic compounds. Research has shown that several other plants and their polyphenolic compounds, such as isoflavone from soy , epigallocatechin gallate from green tea , and proanthocyanidin from grape seed , have a positive effect on adipose tissue."
Exploring anti-inflammatory properties of mango polyphenols
Research led by Susanne Mertens-Talcott, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Director for Research, Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation of Texas A&M University, examined the effects of polyphenols found in fresh mangos on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. This study suggests that mango polyphenols may limit inflammatory response in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. Because this was an in vitro study, more research is needed to determine whether mango polyphenols can have the same effect in humans.
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Lucas A, Li W, Brown A, Li W, Peterson SK, Wang Y, Perkins-Veazie P, Clarke SL, Smith BJ. Mango Modulates Blood Glucose Similar to Rosiglitazone without Compromising Bone Parameters in Mice Fed High Fat Diet. J Pharm Nutr Sci 2012; 2: 115-126.
Lucas A, Li W, Peterson SK, Brown A, Kuvibidila S, Perkins-Veazie P, Clarke SI, Smith BJ. Mango modulates body fat and plasma glucose and lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet. Brit J Nutr 2011; 106: 1495-1505.
Kim HK, Nelson-Dooley C, Della-Fera MA, Yang JY, Zhang W, Duan J, Hartzell DL, Hamrick MW, Baile CA. Genistein decreases food intake, body weight, and fat pad weight and causes adipose tissue apoptosis in ovariectomized female mice. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):409-14.
Hasegawa N, Yamda N, Mori M. Powdered green tea has antilipogenic effect on Zucker rats fed a high-fat diet. Phytother Res. 2003 May;17(5):477-80.
Tsuda T, Horio F, Uchida K, Aoki H, Osawa T. Dietary cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. J Nutr. 2003 Jul;133(7):2125-30.
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Contact: Allison Beadle allison@saltand.co 512-963-6930 Salt & Co.
BOSTON, MA April 23, 2013 Two of the most serious health conditions facing Americans todayobesity and cancerare the subject of new mango nutrition research presented this week at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in Boston. This preliminary research identifies important findings that merit further investigation to determine whether mangos can potentially have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and help to limit inflammation.
Preliminary research examines effects on blood sugar
A study led by Edralin Lucas, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, examined the effects of daily mango consumption on clinical parameters and body composition in obese subjects (body mass index, BMI ? 30kg/m2). Twenty adults (11 males and 9 females) participated in the study, which included daily dietary supplementation with 10 grams of freeze dried mango (equivalent to approximately 100 grams of fresh mango, according to Dr. Lucas) for 12 weeks.
Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects. There were no significant changes in body composition for either gender, and BMI increased significantly in female subjects but not male subjects compared to baseline. These findings are the result of a single study and more research is needed on the effects of mango consumption on human health.
"The results of this study support what we learned in our recent animal model , , which found that mango improved blood glucose in mice fed a high fat diet," said Dr. Lucas. "Although the mechanism by which mango exerts its effects warrants further investigation, we do know that mangos contain a complex mixture of polyphenolic compounds. Research has shown that several other plants and their polyphenolic compounds, such as isoflavone from soy , epigallocatechin gallate from green tea , and proanthocyanidin from grape seed , have a positive effect on adipose tissue."
Exploring anti-inflammatory properties of mango polyphenols
Research led by Susanne Mertens-Talcott, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Director for Research, Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation of Texas A&M University, examined the effects of polyphenols found in fresh mangos on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. This study suggests that mango polyphenols may limit inflammatory response in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. Because this was an in vitro study, more research is needed to determine whether mango polyphenols can have the same effect in humans.
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Lucas A, Li W, Brown A, Li W, Peterson SK, Wang Y, Perkins-Veazie P, Clarke SL, Smith BJ. Mango Modulates Blood Glucose Similar to Rosiglitazone without Compromising Bone Parameters in Mice Fed High Fat Diet. J Pharm Nutr Sci 2012; 2: 115-126.
Lucas A, Li W, Peterson SK, Brown A, Kuvibidila S, Perkins-Veazie P, Clarke SI, Smith BJ. Mango modulates body fat and plasma glucose and lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet. Brit J Nutr 2011; 106: 1495-1505.
Kim HK, Nelson-Dooley C, Della-Fera MA, Yang JY, Zhang W, Duan J, Hartzell DL, Hamrick MW, Baile CA. Genistein decreases food intake, body weight, and fat pad weight and causes adipose tissue apoptosis in ovariectomized female mice. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):409-14.
Hasegawa N, Yamda N, Mori M. Powdered green tea has antilipogenic effect on Zucker rats fed a high-fat diet. Phytother Res. 2003 May;17(5):477-80.
Tsuda T, Horio F, Uchida K, Aoki H, Osawa T. Dietary cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. J Nutr. 2003 Jul;133(7):2125-30.
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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has acquired Wavii, the Seattle-based startup behind a news summarization app, for roughly $30 million in cash, a person with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.
Google's successful bid came after Apple Inc had expressed interest in buying Wavii to incorporate the startup's natural language technology into Siri, Apple's voice-activated personal assistant feature, said the person, who declined to be named because the deal has not been publicly announced.
Google and Wavii declined to comment.
Google's purchase comes several weeks after Yahoo Inc paid a similar amount to acquire Summly, the news reader and Wavii competitor founded by 18-year-old Nick D'Aloisio in London.
The deals have taken out of play two small companies that sought to enhance how consumer experience news - a significant concern for Google and Yahoo, which both maintain highly trafficked news sites.
In separate interviews last year, Wavii founder Adrian Aoun and D'Aloisio acknowledged the competition between the two startups.
D'Aloisio touted Summly's superior user interface, which condenses articles into several easy-to-read paragraphs. Aoun played up his app's technology, including a proprietary algorithm that boiled down complex news stories into sentences of just a few words.
Wavii's investors included Paypal co-founder Max Levchin, former Facebook executive Dave Morin, and Fritz Lanman, a former dealmaker at Microsoft Corp.
Most of the startup's employees are expected to relocate to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.
News of the acquisition was first reported by Techcrunch.
(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Richard Chang)
UFC on Fox 7 had knockouts, more knockouts, and even a proposal. But whose performance stood above the rest? With so many great performances, it was hard to pick just three.
No. 1 star -- Josh Thomson: After years in Strikeforce, Thomson was eager to prove that he belonged in the elite of the UFC's stacked lightweight division. He did that by TKOing Nate Diaz, which is the first time Diaz was knocked out in his career.
No. 2 star -- Matt Brown: If Dante Alighieri was alive and an MMA fan, he would add a 10th circle of hell -- facing Matt Brown. He was aggressive and relentless in his win over Jordan Mein. Even after body shots appeared to weaken him, Brown came back to win with a TKO in the second round. Brown is now hoping for a title shot. After five overwhelming wins, who can say he shouldn't get one?
No. 3 star -- Myles Jury: In his third UFC bout, Jury pasted Ramsey Nijem in the second round. He's yet to lose, and of his 12 wins, only one has gone to the judges. At just 24 years old, it's likely we're going to hear more from Jury. His next fight should be a considerable step up in competition in the UFC's lightweight division.
Who were your Three Stars? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Flights at Israeli flag carrierEl Al and two smaller airlines remained grounded for a second straight day on Monday due to a strike by workers protesting against a new open skies deal with Europe which they fear could cost them their jobs.
Nearly 50 El Al flights from Tel Aviv were cancelled on Monday, affecting some 15,000 passengers, although the airline's union did allow three flights to take off.
Israel's Manufacturers' Association, concerned over the impact the strike will have on foreign trade, urged the labor court to step in and order airline employees back to work. The court was expected to hear arguments later on Monday.
The Histadrut labor federation said it would shut Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel's main airport, to all incoming and outgoing flights on Tuesday at 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) for four hours.
"There is no deadline for the strike to end," said Dafna Cohen-Nouriel, the Histadrut's spokeswoman.
Workers at El Al and smaller rivals Arkia and Israir started an open-ended strike at 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Sunday in protest over the cabinet's decision on Sunday to ratify an open skies aviation deal with Europe.
Supporters of the agreement - which goes into effect next April - say its relaxation of restrictions and quotas on flights between Israel and European Union countries will increase competition and help Israel's tourism and economy.
To help airlines prepare for the rise in competition, the agreement will be gradually phased in over the next five years.
Finance Minister Yair Lapid said he had instructed his staff to come up with a solution that would help Israeli airlines adjust to the new reality of open skies.
"Open skies is a done deal," he said. "It's a good agreement for Israel's citizens, the economy and tourism ... This strike has been unnecessary from the start and it still is."
But Israeli carriers and their workers' unions have concerns, mainly over steep security costs Israeli airlines pay which their competitors overseas do not.
The government pays 70 percent of Israeli airlines' security costs and will raise it to 80 percent, but that was not deemed enough. El Al paid $33 million for security in 2012.
"We appealed and are appealing to the Israeli government to act immediately to put in order the various issues that will enable fair and equal competition and above all the government's full participation in security costs for Israeli airlines," said Elyezer Shkedy, El Al's chief executive.
Cohen-Nouriel said that if Israeli carriers had to pay their security costs, El Al, Arkia and Israir's airfares would remain higher than competitors and could lead to their demise.
El Al's shares rebounded 2.5 percent on Monday after sliding 8.5 percent on Sunday.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, middle, drives between Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph, left, and Mike Conley during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, middle, drives between Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph, left, and Mike Conley during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, right, shoots over Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Fans celebrate after Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, center, hit a two-point shot with 0.1seconds left as guard Jamal Crawford, right, and Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, left, and guard Mike Conley look on during the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 93-91. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, top, goes to the basket over Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, left, and Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen battle for a loose ball during the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 93-91. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Los Angeles Clippers blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, then got the ball in the hands of All-Star Chris Paul with the score tied and overtime looming.
That's when Paul went to work, fighting off Tony Allen's defense as he tried to drive to the right baseline. Paul got there and put up a one-handed running jumper that went off the glass and through the net with a tenth of a second to go.
The Clippers won 93-91 on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
"That's why they're star players. They step up in the biggest moments," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Chris has done it his whole career. In the biggest moments, that's usually when he's at his best. He has that competitive drive, which is a gift that not everyone has."
Allen was supposed to force Paul to his weaker left side, but it didn't happen.
"It could have gone either way. If he had missed, you could have been saying how good a defender I was," Allen said. "The guy made an amazing shot and all you can do is just deal with the results."
The Grizzlies have two days to think things over before Game 3 in Memphis on Thursday.
"It's not doom and gloom," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We got to go home and there's going to be two hard-fought battles."
Paul finished with 24 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points and eight rebounds after fouling out of Game 1, and Jamal Crawford scored 15 points on the day he finished second to J.R. Smith of the Knicks for the league's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Mike Conley scored a career playoff-high 28 points for Memphis. Marc Gasol added 17 points, Allen had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Randolph had 13 points while saddled with five fouls for the second straight game.
"We had a chance to win the game," Hollins said. "We didn't get enough defensive stops and we missed too many free throws."
The Grizzlies were 23 of 34 from the line in the game, but just 6 of 10 in the fourth, when Conley led their charge with 10 points.
The Clippers' bench started the fourth and ran off eight straight points for the game's first double-digit lead, 81-71. Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes had four points each.
Conley answered with five straight points to close the Grizzlies within seven points.
Griffin and Paul joined the second unit, and Griffin scored on a driving dunk for an 85-76 lead. The Clippers returned to their high-flying ways after Lob City managed just one dunk in the series opener.
The Grizzlies tied the game at 89 on a three-point play by Darrell Arthur.
Paul carried the Clippers over the final 3:46, scoring eight straight points, including a basket that gave them a 91-89 lead with 1:20 to play.
Gasol tied it again when Conley found him alone for a dunk to make it 91-all.
"We thought we played as good a game as we could," Conley said. "It hurts. We wanted to come here and steal one."
Griffin won a hard-fought jump ball, but Paul missed a desperation 3-point attempt as the shot clock expired. He redeemed himself and set off a raucous reaction ? with longtime Clippers fan Billy Crystal pumping both arms in the air ? when he drove the right baseline against Allen and banked in the game-winner.
"We put our best defender on him and Chris was able to get around him going right," Conley said. "He just hit a tough shot."
Both teams stayed on the court while the referees reviewed Paul's shot. It was declared good, leaving Memphis a tick of the clock to inbound the ball but not enough to get off a final shot.
"C.P. made a tough, tough shot there off the glass," Memphis' Tayshaun Prince said. "It was great defense and things like that, but things never come down to the last play. It's what you do in the middle of the game that dictates winning or losing."
Memphis was outrebounded ? 40-38 ? for the second straight game, but not by double digits like in Game 1.
"The thing we're most disappointed in is Game 1, how we all just came out flat," Prince said. "We were just very flat as a group. The effort was a lot better today, but we have to be better."
NOTES: The Clippers have won nine in a row, including seven straight to end the regular season. ... The Grizzlies outscored the Clippers 20-18 in the fourth. ... The Clippers had a 50-46 edge in the paint, while Memphis held a 15-11 advantage on second-chance points.
Apr. 22, 2013 ? Children can get five to 10 colds each year, so it's not surprising that adults often turn to over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to relieve their little ones' symptoms. But a new University of Michigan poll shows that many are giving young kids medicines that they should not use.
More than 40 percent of parents reported giving their children under age 4 cough medicine or multi-symptom cough and cold medicine, according to the latest University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Twenty-five percent gave those children decongestants.
In 2008, the federal Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory that these over-the-counter medicines not be used in infants and children under age 2. They have not been proven effective for young children and may cause serious side effects, says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
In response to the FDA, manufacturers of over-the-counter cough and cold products changed their labels back in 2008, to state that the medicines should not be used for children under 4 years old.
"These products don't reduce the time the infection will lasts and misuse could lead to serious harm," says Davis. "What can be confusing, however, is that often these products are labeled prominently as 'children's' medications. The details are often on the back of the box, in small print. That's where parents and caregivers can find instructions that they should not be used in children under 4 years old," Davis says
The side effects from use of cough and cold medicines in young children may include allergic reactions, increased or uneven heart rate, drowsiness or sleeplessness, slow and shallow breathing, confusion or hallucinations, convulsions, nausea and constipation.
The poll found that use of the cough and cold medicines in children age four and under did not differ by parent gender, race/ethnicity or by household income.
"Products like these may work for adults, and parents think it could help their children as well. But what's good for adults is not always good for children," says Davis.
Davis says parents need to be vigilant about reading the directions and should always call their pediatrician or health care provider about questions regarding over-the-counter medications.
"Because young children often suffer from cold-like symptoms, more research is needed to test the safety and efficacy of these cough and cold medicines in our littlest patients," Davis says.
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MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) ? The parents of Tamerlan Tsarnaev insisted on Sunday that he came to Dagestan and Chechnya last year to visit relatives and had nothing to do with the militants operating in this volatile part of Russia. But the Boston bombing suspect could not have been immune to the attacks that savaged the region during his six-month stay.
Tsarnaev , 26, and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, are accused of setting off the two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 that killed three people and wounding more than 180 others.
Three days later, investigators say they killed a university police officer, carjacked a man and led police on a chase that resulted in a shootout that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead. His younger brother escaped, but was captured the next day, alive but badly wounded.
When the two ethnic Chechen suspects were identified, the FBI said it reviewed its records and found that in early 2011, a foreign government ? which law enforcement officials confirmed was Russia ? had asked for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The FBI said it was told that Tsarnaev was a "follower of radical Islam" and was preparing to travel to this foreign country to join unspecified underground groups.
The FBI said that it responded by interviewing Tsarnaev and family members, but found no terrorism activity.
No evidence has emerged since to link Tsarnaev to militant groups in Russia's Caucasus. And on Sunday the Caucasus Emirate, which Russia and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization, denied involvement in the Boston attack.
But a trip Tsarnaev made back to Russia in January, 2012, has raised questions.
His father said his son stayed with him in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, where the family lived briefly before moving to the United States a decade ago. The father had only recently returned.
"He was here, with me in Makhachkala," Anzor Tsarnaev told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "He slept until 3 p.m., and you know, I would ask him: 'Have you come here to sleep?' He used to go visiting, here and there. He would go to eat somewhere. Then he would come back and go to bed."
He said his son went to the mosque for prayers, but would not have come under the influence of radical imams, who he said stay up in the mountain villages.
A woman who works in a small shop opposite Tsarnaev's apartment building said she only saw his son during the course of one month last summer. She described him as a dandy.
"He dressed in a very refined way," said Madina Abdullaeva. "His boots were the same color as his clothes. They were summer boots, light, with little holes punched in the leather."
Anzor Tsarnaev said they traveled together to neighboring Chechnya. "He went with me twice, to see my uncles and aunts. I have lots of them," the father said.
He said they also visited one of his daughters, who lives in the Chechen town of Urus-Martan with her husband. His son-in-law's brothers all work in the police force under Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, he said.
Moscow has given Kadyrov a free hand to stabilize Chechnya following two wars between federal troops and Chechen separatists beginning in 1994, and his feared police and security forces have been accused of rampant rights abuses.
What began in Chechnya as a fight for independence has morphed into an Islamic insurgency that has spread throughout Russia's Caucasus, with the worst of the violence now in Dagestan.
In February, 2012, shortly after Tamerlan Tsarnaev's arrival in Dagestan, a four-day operation to wipe out several militant bands in Chechnya and Dagestan left 17 police and at least 20 militants dead. In May, two car bombs shook Makhachkala, killing at least 13 people and wounding about 130 more. Other bombings and shootings targeting police and other officials took place nearly daily.
The Caucasus Emirate said Sunday that its mujahedin are not fighting with the United States. "We are at war with Russia, which is not only responsible for the occupation of the Caucasus, but also for heinous crimes against Muslims," it said in a statement on the Kavkaz Center website.
The group suggested that Russia's secret services would have had a greater interest in carrying out the attack in Boston.
Despite the violence in Dagestan, Anzor Tsarnaev said Sunday that his son did not want to leave and had thoughts on how he could go into business. But the father said he encouraged him to go back to the United States and try to get citizenship. Tamerlan Tsarnaev returned to the U.S. in July.
His mother said that he was questioned upon arrival at New York's airport.
"And he told me on the phone, 'imagine, Mama, they were asking me such interesting questions as if I were some strange and scary man: Where did you go? What did you do there?,' " Zubeidat Tsarnaeva recalled her son telling her at the time.
Both parents insist that the FBI continued to monitor Tamerlan Tsarnaev and that both of their sons were set up.
Their mother went so far on Sunday to claim that the FBI had contacted her elder son after the deadly bombs exploded at the marathon. If true it would be the first indication that the FBI considered him a suspect before Boston descended into violence on Thursday.
At FBI headquarters in Washington, spokesman Michael Kortan stood by the bureau's public statement of two days ago in which the bureau described a 2011 FBI interview of Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Kortan said the 2011 interview was the only FBI contact with Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The FBI statement from two days ago says that the FBI did not learn of the identity of Tamerlan and his brother until Friday after the gun battle in which Tamerlan was killed.
The mother's claim could not be independently confirmed, and she has made statements in the past that appeared to show a lack of full understanding of what occurred in Boston.
Investigators released photos and video of the two Tsarnaev brothers on Thursday afternoon, but at that point their identities were not known. By late that night Tamerlan Tsarnaev was dead.
Tsarnaeva said her elder son told her by telephone that the FBI had called to inform him that they considered him a suspect and he should come in for questioning.
She said her son refused. "I told them, what do you suspect me of?" Tsarnaeva quoted her son as saying. "This is your problem and if you need me you should come to where I am."
He then told her he was going to drive his younger brother to the university, she said, speaking by telephone from Chechnya. Tsarnaeva claimed that her son later called his wife to tell her they were being chased and fired upon.
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Associated Press writer Lynn Berry contributed from Moscow.