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Author Archive: Vygantas
Vygantas is a former web designer whose projects are used by companies such as AMD, NVIDIA and departed Westood Studios. Being passionate about software, Vygantas began his journalism career back in 2007 when he founded FavBrowser.com. Having said that, he is also an adrenaline junkie who enjoys good books, fitness activities and Forex trading.
Download Firefox 26 Final
With much improved security.
The world breathes easier as Mozilla has recently pushed Firefox 26 to the stable channel and it includes one important change: Java plugins are now disabled by default, yay! And speaking about security, Firefox's password manager now also supports script generated password fields.
As far as other important changes go, there aren't many. So here's a complete Firefox 26 Final Changelog:
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Download First Multi Process Firefox Build
Basic and useless.
Despite the fact that main Firefox competitors (Internet Explorer 8 and Google Chrome) have implemented multi-process strategies long time ago, it looks like Mozilla was unable to figure out a right way to do so, or the priorities were not set right.
Now, according to the recent post by Mozilla's Bill McCloskey, they have reached a point where users can try the very first Firefox Nightly multi process build. However, it's so basic right now (one process for browser window and one process for all the tabs (instead of one per tab)) that it's pretty sad, considering the fact that it's been 4 years since Mozilla announced Electrolysis project.
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Download Opera 20 Dev
No Linux version yet.
When build numbers mean very little these days, here comes the 20th version of Opera web browser and thankfully, it does bring some goodies, at least for the enthusiast market.
So what exactly has changed? First in the list is ability to drag tabs into the bookmarks bar, as well as improved drag and drop between Speed Dial and Bookmarks Bar. As far as other changes, you can expect some theme loading performance improvements and a bug fix that caused blurry scaled stash screenshots.
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Chrome Experiments: The Middle Earth
Now here's something interactive to kickstart your workday. To celebrate the release of a new hobbit movie, guys at Google went ahead and created an interactive version of the Middle Earth (don't get too excited, not all of it), which aims to demonstrate how well Chrome works with both touch and a keyboard.
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Microsoft Continues To Bash Chromebooks
Another day, another video.
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Download Opera 19 Next
Build 19.0.1326.9.
Now here's something for all the enthusiastic Opera users out there. Norwegian browser maker has just published the "Next" build of Opera 19, which gives a glimpse on what to expect from the final version.
So what's new and different? First in the list is "Bookmarks Bar", followed by custom themes but most importantly, guys at Opera have added a couple of neat features that will be appreciated by the power users:
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Google Plans To Port Chrome Apps To iOS & Android
Here come the hybrid apps.
It looks like Microsoft and Apple are not the only ones that think about the unification. According to the latest report, Google is working on a toolkit, which will help developers to create Chrome apps for their own Android platform as well as iOS.
The main difference between Android and Chrome apps is that later are built for the web by default and Google is using Apache Cordova (a core of PhoneGap) to accomplish their goals.
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November, 2013 Desktop Market Share: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari – Up; Firefox, Opera – Down
Still being the king of the hill, Internet Explorer managed to increase its market share again, from 58.22% to 58.36% (0.14 point jump).
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November, 2013 Mobile Market Share: Android Browser, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer – Up; Safari, Opera Mini – Down
Another month, another report.
Starting with Safari, Apple's web browser has seen a small dip in its numbers, from 55.88% to 55.61% (0.27 point decrease).
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Download UC Browser 3.2 For Windows Phone
With background downloads and more.
While we wait for the Internet Explorer 11 or Opera, here's a noteworthy update for all you UC Browser users out there, which, by the way, is currently the most popular web browser in the Windows Phone marketplace.
First in the new features list is ability to download files in the background that will also be resumed in case of connection error or other interruptions.
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The division of reproductive labor among group members in insect societies is regulated by "queen pheromones". However, it remains controversial whether these are manipulative, i.e., actively suppress worker reproduction, or honestly signal the fertility status of the queen to which workers react in their own interest by refraining from laying eggs. Manipulative queen control is thought to lead to an evolutionary arms race between queens and workers, resulting in complex queen bouquets that diverge strongly among different populations and species. In contrast, honest signals would evolve more slowly and might therefore differ less strongly within and among species.
We aimed at determining the tempo of the evolution of queen signals in two ways. First, we investigated whether queens of Temnothorax ants are capable of controlling egg laying by workers of their own, closely, and distantly related species. Second, we compared the species- and caste-specific patterns of cuticular hydrocarbons, which are assumed to convey information on reproductive status. In mixed-species colonies, queens were not able to fully suppress egg-laying and male production by workers of unrelated species, while workers did not reproduce under the influence of a queen from their own species. Furthermore, the chemical profiles differed more strongly among queens of different species than among the respective workers.
Our results suggest that cuticular hydrocarbons associated with fecundity are not fully conserved in evolution and evolve slightly faster than worker-specific components in the blend of cuticular hydrocarbons. While this higher rate of evolution might reflect an arms race between queens and workers, the observation that workers still respond to the presence of a queen from another species support the honest signal hypothesis. Future studies need to examine alternative explanations for a higher rate of evolution of queen-specific substances, such as an involvement of such compounds in mating.
The efficiency and integrity of the societies of ants, bees, and wasps relies on a well-controlled division of reproduction [1,2]. Workers rarely lay eggs in the presence of a fertile queen [3,4]. This is surprising, as workers are more closely related to their own sons (r = 0.5) than to the sons of the queen (r = 0.25) and in queenless conditions are usually capable of producing male offspring from their own, unfertilized eggs [5,6].
Complete worker sterility benefits the queen, which should be selected to inhibit worker reproduction. However, overt aggression by the queen is very rare and appears restricted to very small colonies [7-10]. Instead, reproduction appears to be controlled chemically by glandular or cuticular pheromones [11,12]. In honeybees, secretions from the mandibular glands and other sources are thought to regulate egg laying in the hive [reviewed in [13,14]]. In contrast, the chemical composition of cuticular waxes is correlated with fecundity in a wide and diverse range of species of ants. This suggests the involvement of cuticular hydrocarbons in the regulation of reproduction [11,12], and indeed, 3-methyl-hentriacontane has recently been shown to regulate worker sterility in the ant Lasius niger [15].
The question why workers respond to queen pheromones by foregoing their own reproduction is a special case of the more general, fundamental problem of whether intraspecific communication is honest or manipulative. Queen-specific chemicals might act as primer pheromones that actively suppress the ovaries of workers [16,17]. However, it has been argued that such inhibitive queen control were instable in evolution if acting against the fitness interests of the workers [18]. Mutations rendering workers insensitive to queen inhibition would spread in the population, again changing the selection pressures on queens and favoring queen mutations that qualitatively or quantitatively changed their manipulative agents. The resulting arms race between queens and workers would eventually lead to more and more complex pheromone mixtures. As an alternative, pheromones produced by the queens might honestly signal their level of fertility. Workers might respond in their own interest, e.g., to avoid being attacked ("policed") by the queen or other workers [11,18-21]. Worker altruism might therefore be "enforced" [21-25].
Honest signaling requires that the quantity or quality of queen pheromones is strictly associated with their level of fertility and mating status [18]. This, however, is often not the case. For example, unmated reproductives may produce similar pheromonal bouquets as mated reproductives [11,22]. Furthermore, the hypothesis of manipulative regulation of reproduction appears to gain renewed support from the observation that, at least in honeybees, the regulation of reproduction is based on a very large number of substances from multiple glands [13,14].
Distinguishing between queen control and honest signaling is difficult without detailed knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. However, both mechanisms might leave different traces in evolution [11]. The series of manipulation and counter-manipulation associated with the scenario of queen control results in a rapid evolution of queen compounds. Queen pheromones therefore likely differ even between related species. In contrast, honest signals are expected to be more stable in evolution and to evolve more slowly. Unfortunately, little is known about the variation of fertility-associated chemical compounds among related species. In this study, we compared the composition of worker and queen cuticular hydrocarbons among different species of the ant genus Temnothorax. In addition, we investigated whether workers begin laying eggs in the presence of a queen from another, closely or distantly related species. We hypothesized that with queen control and rapid evolution, queens should be less efficient in suppressing ovary development by workers from another species. Furthermore, we expected the chemical bouquet of queens to differ more between species than those of workers. In contrast, in the case of honest signaling, workers would react to fertility signals by queens from another species, and the bouquets of queens from different species would be not more different than those of workers.
Worker ovary activation and male-production by workers
Experimental colonies, in which queens and workers either belonged to the same species or to different species, were created by exchanging worker pupae among colonies. Ovary dissection showed that all queens had elongated ovaries with numerous yellow bodies and maturing eggs, i.e., they were fully fertile. None of the workers in the control colonies had activated ovaries (colony groups NN, CC, UU, and RR; Figure 1a-d). Though we had observed sporadic worker egg-laying in queenright colonies of T. recedens in a previous study (unpublished data), dissection data did not corroborate this result for the presently studied colonies.
Figure 1. a-d - Worker ovary activation in mixed species colonies of Temnothorax ants. Number of workers per colony with activated ovaries. Minimum and maximum (horizontal lines), first and third quartiles (rectangle), and the median (dot) are shown. The total number of colonies and the number of colonies with at least one worker with activated ovaries in each group is given in parentheses. P-values are from two-sample permutation tests (*p < 0.01; **p < 0.0001; n.s. nonsignificant). After Bonferroni's correction, p-values of < 0.01 are significant at the 0.05 level. 1a. T. nylanderi workers in colonies with a T. nylanderi queen (NN, control), T. crassispinus queen (CN), T. unifasciatus queen (UN), T. recedens queen (RN) and in colonies without a queen (ØN). 1b. T. crassispinus workers in colonies with a T. crassispinus queen (CC, control), T. nylanderi queen (NC), T. unifasciatus queen (UC), T. recedens queen (RC) and in colonies without a queen (ØC). 1c. T. unifasciatus workers in colonies with a T. unifasciatus queen (UU, control), T. nylanderi queen (NU), T. crassispinus queen (CU), T. recedens queen (RU) and in colonies without a queen (ØU). 1d. T. recedens workers in colonies with a T. recedens queen (RR, control), T. nylanderi queen (NR), T. crassispinus queen (CR), T. unifasciatus queen (UR) and in colonies without a queen (ØR).
In all queenless colonies, the ovaries of several workers were activated (Figure 1a-d). This indicates that workers are capable of activating their ovaries within six weeks after removal of the queen. Fertile workers were also found in some of the mixed-species colonies, such as RC (Figure 1b), CU (Figure 1c), NR and CR (Figure 1d; for colony abbreviation see Table 1).
Table 1. Mixed-species colony set ups composed of four different Temnothorax species.
In 2007, a total of 752 males were collected from 60 colonies (Table 2). Five colonies, in which the queen or most of the workers had died, were excluded from further analyses. In all colonies, except RC8, queens had fully developed and activated ovaries with yellow bodies and maturing eggs.
Table 2. Male production by queens and workers in control and mixed-species colonies composed of different Temnothorax species.
Allozyme analyses revealed that males in mixed-species colonies were produced by the queen (e.g., CN13), by the workers (e.g., CN8) or both (e.g., RN5, NU12, CU15, Table 2). Queens of colonies UC6 and UC8 were homozygous for the s allele, and m-males were therefore offspring of T. crassispinus workers, while the one s-male was son of a T. unifasciatus queen. All queens of colonies NU10 to NU15 were homozygous ff, and the s- and m-males were therefore offspring of T. unifasciatus workers.
In the CU colonies, s-males were presumably produced by T. unifasciatus workers, but m-males could in principle be sons of a T. crassispinus queen or T. unifasciatus workers. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed that the eight males in colony CU12 were offspring of T. unifasciatus workers, while the 18 males from the colony CU15 were produced by the T. crassispinus queen.
Cuticular hydrocarbons of queens and workers from different species of Temnothorax ants
The cuticular profiles of queens and workers of the six Temnothorax species consisted of a total of 64 peaks (Numbers of peaks in each species is given in Table 3). 40 peaks consistently appeared in all six species and 47 peaks could be identified by GC-MS [Additional file 1. Representative chromatography profiles from a queen of each species; Additional file 2. Proportions (%) of peak areas from cuticular hydrocarbon extracts of queens and workers of each species; Additional file 3. Identification of cuticular compounds and differences of their relative amounts between queens (Q) and workers (W) of each species; see also [26] for identification of compounds in T. unifasciatus]. The profiles of queens and workers were predominantly characterized by the linear alkane n-C27 (Additional file 1, 2), while individuals of T. recedens were characterized by several longer chained hydrocarbons. Due to their very low abundance, peaks 36 to 40 and a few other peaks marked in Table S1 (Additional file 3) with an asterisk could not be identified. However, the latter peaks had exactly the same retention time as peaks in other species, which could be identified and are therefore assumed to be chemically identical to these compounds.
Table 3. Discriminant Analysis between groups of queens and workers within six Temnothorax species based on their specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.
Additional file 1. Gas chromatography profiles. Representative gas chromatography profiles of queens from six Temnothorax species. Peaks used for the statistical analysis are marked with numbers. Identification of peaks is given in Additional file 3.
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Additional file 2. Proportion of peak areas. Proportions (%) of peak areas in chromatograms from cuticular hydrocarbon extracts of queens and workers in six Temnothorax species. Box plots show medians and 25% and 75% quartiles. Whiskers depict the range of 90% of all cases. Extreme outliers are denoted by circles. P-values of substances differing significantly between the various groups are given in Additional file 3.
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Additional file 3. Table S1 - Identification of cuticular compounds. Identification of cuticular compounds and differences of their relative amounts between queens (Q) and workers (W) in five Temnothorax species. The number of samples of queens and workers is given in parentheses. Peak numbers correspond with numbers in Additional file 1 and 2. Directions of difference are shown in Additional file 2. Bold p-values from Mann-Whitney U-tests are significant at the 5% probability after Bonferroni's correction (p' < 0.001); n.s = not significant. *Due to very low abundance, peaks marked with a star could not be identified. They had exactly the same retention time in GC as peaks in other species, which could be identified. We therefore assume these compounds to be chemically identical.
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The chemical distances between T. nylanderi and T. crassispinus queens are lower compared to the other pair-wise comparisons among queens (Figure 2; Table 4). The groups of T. recedens queens and workers are chemically most distant from the groups of the other three Temnothorax species (Figure 2; Table 4). Interestingly, distances among queens are higher than among workers in four of six pair-wise comparisons (Table 4).
Figure 2. PCO ordination based on the cuticular hydrocarbons profiles from four Temnothorax species. Bidimensional PCO ordination based on the cuticular hydrocarbons profiles of queens (Q) and workers (W) from four different species of Temnothorax ants involved in the mixed-species experiment: T. unifasciatus (Tu Q, n = 5; Tu W, n = 12), T. nylanderi (Tn Q, n = 6; Tn W; n = 9), T. crassispinus (Tc Q, n = 6; Tc W, n = 9), T. recedens (Tr Q, n = 10; Tr W; n = 34). The percentages of variance explained by the two main principal coordinates are given in parentheses.
Table 4. Chemical distances between queens and workers among four Temnothorax species.
Within each species, chemical distances between groups of queens and workers are statistically significant and their cuticular profiles are classified correctly in a discriminant analysis (Table 3).
Discussion and Conclusions
Our study about the cross-specificity of the chemical compounds used in the regulation of reproduction in colonies of Temnothorax ants reveals a promising new approach to answering the question of whether queen pheromones are manipulative or honest signals. Queen pheromones appear to be less active across species-borders than within species. No worker reproduction was observed in single-species colonies. In contrast, queens were not able to fully prevent ovary development and male-production by workers from non-related species, which indicates that queen pheromones are not fully conserved in evolution in this group of species. Furthermore, the rate of worker reproduction and ovary development of workers in mixed-species was lower than in queenless colonies, which speaks against the rapid evolution of queen pheromones expected from the queen control hypothesis.
These behavioral results are reflected in the chemical profiles of queens and workers, which in most pair-wise comparisons differed more between queens than between workers from different species but not tremendously so. This might suggest that queen bouquets diverge slightly more quickly than those of workers, but not at an extremely rapid speed. A faster divergence of queen- than worker-specific substances is in agreement with the hypothesis of a queen-worker arms race with manipulation and counter-manipulation. However, it might also reflect other forces of selection. For example, if queen-specific cuticular compounds were involved in attracting mates, avoidance of hybridization would quickly lead to species-specific queen bouquets. More information about the contexts in which cuticular substances are used in communication is therefore needed.
Studies on the paper wasp Polistes dominulus suggested a relatively high speed of evolution. Here, the cuticular hydrocarbons that differed between egg layers and non-reproductives varied even between different populations [27]. The observation that the chemical profiles of T. crassispinus and T. nylanderi queens are more similar compared to the other Temnothorax species, even though the two taxa diverged more than 1 Million years ago [28], makes similar intraspecific variation unlikely, but this remains to be investigated.
Our data do not reveal a clear trend in the chemistry of those hydrocarbons that differentiate queens and workers among the six investigated species. This matches the heterogeneous picture found in other, less closely related ants, where reproductives are characterized by particular long-chained hydrocarbons in some species but shorter or branched hydrocarbons in others [12,15,29-31]. However, it needs to be pointed out that it is usually not known, which of the large number of substances that differ between queens and workers are biologically active and which are mere side-products of the hydrocarbon metabolism without a function in communication [11].
Our study reveals a number of species idiosyncrasies that do not match phylogenetic relationships and are difficult to explain in the light of hypotheses about the nature of queen pheromones. For example, T. nylanderi and T. crassispinus workers seem to respond to the presence of a T. unifasciatus queen, while T. unifasciatus workers readily develop their ovaries in the presence of a T. nylanderi or T. crassispinus queen. This resembles the situation in honeybees, in which the presence of a heterospecific queen increases the rate of worker ovary activation strongly in Apis cerana but only slightly in Apis mellifera [32]. In contrast, workers of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris develop their ovaries in queenright colonies of the phylogenetically related B. lapidarius at a similar rate as under queenless conditions, but not in queenright homospecific colonies [33]. The results in these studies might have been affected by the presence of workers belonging to the species of the queen, as they might have an interest in preventing heterospecific workers from reproducing through aggression or egg eating. Worker nepotism might explain the common absence of reproduction by host workers in socially parasitic ants. Temnothorax workers are often parasitized by queens of slave-making species, such as Chalepoxenus, Myrmoxenus or Protomognathus. Though these genera are less closely related to Temnothorax than the pairs of species used in our study [e.g., [34]], enslaved workers rarely produce males [e.g., [35-37]]. Either slave-making queens have evolved particularly manipulative queen pheromones, which are active across large phylogenetic distances, or their reproductive monopoly is additionally enforced by aggression. Indeed, both queens and workers of slave-making ants have been observed to attack host workers in a way resembling the dominance interactions among the slave-makers themselves [8,37].
Though our results do not allow drawing final conclusions about the speed of queen pheromone evolution, comparisons of their cross-species activity might help to learn more about the nature of such pheromones and how quickly they diverge among species. The heterogeneity of queen substances might reflect an ongoing arms race between queens and workers [14]. However, it might also be a consequence of species-specific queen-bouquets serving to avoid hybridization. The fact that workers in mixed-species colonies did not behave like workers in queenless colonies strongly suggests that workers recognize queens belonging to another species and that queen pheromones regulating worker reproduction are partly conserved in evolution. This would be in agreement with the honest signal hypothesis.
In spring 2005 and 2006 we collected complete colonies of six different Temnothorax species: T. nylanderi (Förster, 1850) and T. affinis (Mayr, 1855) in Sommerhausen (Würzburg, Germany), T. crassispinus (Karavejev, 1926) in Unterisling (Regensburg, Germany), T. unifasciatus (Latreille, 1798) in Waldenhausen (Germany) and Gargnano (Lago di Garda, Italy) and T. recedens (Nylander, 1856) and T. lichtensteini (Bondroit, 1918) Gargnano (Lago di Garda, Italy). While T. nylanderi and T. crassispinus are closely related sibling species [38], the other four species are phylogenetically more distantly related (Additional file 4).
Additional file 4. Phylogenetic tree of Temnothorax species. Phylogenetic tree of Temnothorax species. Majority rule consensus tree recovered in a Bayesian analysis (4,000,000 generations) with the GTR + I + G model. The tree is based on 651 base pairs of the mitochondrial CO I gene and numbers represent clade credibility values (J. Beibl, pers. comm.).
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Temnothorax colonies were collected from their nests in decaying branches on the ground and, in T. unifasciatus, T. lichtensteini and T. recedens, also from crevices in stone walls. The colonies were transferred into small plastic boxes (10 cm × 10 cm × 3 cm) with a regularly moistened plaster floor and kept in incubators under artificial climate conditions with the temperature gradually being raised from spring (10°C night/20°C day) to summer (17°C night/28°C day) conditions [39,40]. Twice per week, colonies were provided with water, honey, and pieces of cockroaches.
Mixed-species colony set up
In 2005, colonies of T. nylanderi, T. crassispinus and T. unifasciatus, with a sufficient amount of larvae in each colony, were chosen for the mixed-species experiment (N = 45 colonies; Table 1). In 2006, the same mixed-species colonies were set up with additional mixed colonies plus T. recedens and colonies without a queen (N = 165 colonies; Table 1). The number of worker pupae in T. recedens colonies was restricted; therefore, only five mixed colonies with T. recedens worker pupae were set up (Table 1). Mixed colonies were set up in early summer, when most larvae had developed into pupae. We transferred 50 worker pupae of the same species into a nest with either a queen from a different species in mixed colonies or a con-specific queen in control colonies (Table 1). To obtain the required sample size of 50 pupae, worker pupae were taken from five different con-specific colonies. No larvae or eggs were added to the colonies. To allow worker pupae to fully develop, we placed 30 marked adult workers from the colony of queen origin into each nest and removed them four weeks later after most of the pupae had developed into adult workers.
Several experimental colonies, in which the transferred worker pupae did not develop into adults (2005: 18 of 45 colonies; 2006, 8 of 100 colonies), had to be excluded from the study.
Worker ovary activation
In 2005, worker ovary activation was investigated in all colony set ups. In 2006, we investigated worker ovary activation in all colonies without a queen, all colonies with T. recedens workers and a queen from a different species, and five randomly chosen colonies of each of the remaining colony set ups (total N = 145 colonies; Table 1). The colonies were frozen six weeks after the transferred worker pupae had developed into adult worker, and workers and queens were dissected to assess their ovary activation [41]. Workers having elongated ovaries (> 1 mm) with viable, oval eggs similar in shape and color to those found in the ovaries of queens were classified as "fertile".
For statistical analyses, two sample permutation tests were used to assess the difference of numbers of fertile workers per colony between groups of control colonies and mixed colonies and between control colonies and colonies without a queen.
Male-production by workers
The remaining 65 colonies of the 2006 set up were kept in incubators (gradual decrease of temperature to 0°C night/10°C day for 15 weeks and gradual increase again to 17°C night/28°C day thereafter) until hibernated brood had developed in 2007 (Tables 1 and 2). From May to August 2007 all freshly enclosed adult males were collected and frozen at -20°C for further analyses. After all male pupae had enclosed, all colonies were frozen and queens were dissected to determine their ovarian status.
T. nylanderi, T. crassispinus and T. unifasciatus males are of dark brown pigmentation. T. recedens males have a pale pigmentation and could easily be distinguished from males of the other three species by inspecting their coloration. T. nylanderi, T. crassispinus and T. unifasciatus males are morphologically similar and thus were distinguished by electrophoresis of the glucose-6-phosoate isomerase [GPI; [27,38]] or sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene.
Allozyme analyses
Electrophoresis of glucose-6-phosoate isomerase for Temnothorax ants has been described previously [27]. Electromorphs were named according to their migration velocities in the gel (fast f; medium m; slow s). T. crassispinus and T. nylanderi are fixed almost completely for the electromorphs m and f, respectively [27,38] and T. nylanderi occasionally exhibits the electromorph s [27]. In T. unifasciatus, 32 of 36 workers from 20 colonies were homozygous for the electromorph s and 4 were heterozygous with electromorph genotype sm [see also [42]]. Queens were analyzed when necessary.
The gasters of individual workers and queens were homogenized in 20 μl Tris-EDTA pH 7.0 buffer. Proteins were separated by 90 min electrophoresis at 10 V/cm and 20 mA on 10 cm × 8 cm × 0.75 mm 7.5% polyacrylamide slab gels using a Tris-glycine pH 8.3 buffer. The enzyme was stained using standard histochemical techniques [43].
Mitochondrial analyses
When males could not be distinguished by electrophoresis, we in addition sequenced the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene. DNA was extracted from the gasters of males using the CTAB method (1%) as previously described [44]. The mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene was analyzed using the primers CbI (CB-J-10933) and 16Sar (LR-N-13398) [45]. The 20 μl PCR reaction mixture consisted of 1 μl DNA, 0.125 mM dNTPs, 0.25 μM of each primer, 11.1 μl dd H2O, 2 μl 10× PCR buffer (MBI), 2.5 mM MgCl2 and 1 μl of 1 unit/μl Taq Polymerase. Genes were amplified at an annealing temperature of 48°C with 38 cycles. PCR products were separated by electrophoresis on a 1% ethidiumbromide-stained agarose gel (TAE buffer) for 30 min at 100 mA and then purified with High Pure PCR cleanup Micro Kit (Roche). Cycle sequencing was carried out with 3 μl of purified PCR-Product using ABI-Cycle sequencing Kit Version 1.1. Single-stranded PCR products were sequenced using an ABI PRISM 310 automatic sequencer (Perkin-Elmer, Applied Biosystems). The first 450 base pairs of the Sequences representing the Cyt b gene were read and aligned with Sequencing Analysis Software version 3.4 (Perkin-Elmer, Applied Biosystems).
Cuticular hydrocarbons of queens and workers from different species of Temnothorax ants
To estimate the chemical distances between the four species of Temnothorax ants used for the mixed-species colony set ups, queens and workers from T. nylanderi, T. crassispinus, T. unifasciatus, and T. recedens were analyzed. For the identification of queen specific signals, queens and workers from two additional species, T. affinis and T. lichtensteini, were included in the analysis. From each species the queens of 5 to 10 unmanipulated colonies plus 1 to 3 workers from each of the colonies were chemically analyzed. All colonies were collected in spring 2006 (see above). T. unifasciatus colonies were used only from the population in Italy.
Chemical Analysis
Hydrocarbons were extracted four to five weeks after colonies had been subjected to artificial summer condition (17°C night/28°C day; see above). Workers were frozen and hydrocarbons were obtained through solvent extraction by individually immersing each worker for 10 min in 20 μl pentane. After evaporation of the solvent, the residues were re-dissolved in 15 μl pentane, of which 2 μl were injected into an Agilent Technologies 6890N gas chromatograph. Hydrocarbons of queens were obtained through SPME (Solid Phase Micro Extraction) which gives qualitative and quantitative similar results [46]. A 30 μm polydimethylsiloxane fiber was gently rubbed for 10 min against the gaster of the immobilized queen and injected into the injection port of the same gas chromatograph as above. The gas chromatograph was equipped with a flame ionization detector and a HP-5 capillary column (30 m × 0.32 mm × 0.25 μm, J&W Scientific, USA). The injector was split/splitless and the carrying gas was helium at 1 ml/min. The same temperature program was used for the solvent and the solid phase micro extraction with the temperature initially held at 70°C for 1 min, increased from 70°C to 180°C at 30°C/min, from 180°C to 310°C at 5°C/min, and held constant at 310°C for 5 min.
For identification of the peaks, the pooled extracts of 30 workers of each species were injected into a combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS; Agilent Technologies 6890N) equipped with a RH- 5 ms+ fused silica capillary column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 μm, J&W Scientific, USA). The injector was split/splitless (250°C) with the purge valve opened after 60 sec and the carrying gas was helium at 1 ml/min. Temperature was held constant for 1 min at 60°C, increased from 60°C to 300°C at 5°C/min and held constant for 10 min at 300°C. The electron impact mass spectra (EI-MS; Agilent 5973 inert mass selective detector) were recorded with an ionization voltage of 70 eV, a source temperature of 230°C and an interface temperature of 315°C. We identified n-alkanes by comparing mass spectra with data from a commercial MS library (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). Methyl-alkanes were identified by diagnostic ions, standard MS databases (see above), and by determining Kovats indices by the method of Carlson et al. [47]. MSD ChemStation Software (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) for Windows was used for data acquisition.
For statistical analysis of the chemical distance between the four species involved in the mixed-species experiment, we included peaks consistently present in queens and workers of all four species, plus peaks with a relative area of more than 1% that were present in at least 50% of individuals in a group of workers or queens within each species. Standardized peak areas were transformed by square root. Principle coordinate (PCO) analyses based on Gower's centered matrix was used to visualize the patterns of differences in the multivariate chemical structure among groups [48-50]. Euclidean distance matrix was analyzed based on centroids of groups calculated from principle coordinates. PCO and Euclidean distance analyses were performed using the program PCO [49].
For the identification of queen specific signals we analyzed each species separately and included peaks consistently present in the groups of queens and workers within each species. Standardized peak areas were transformed by using the formula: Zij = log[Xi, j/g(Xj)], with Xi, j being the standardized peak area i for the sample j, and g(Xj) the geometric mean of all peaks of the sample j [51]. For multivariate analyses, the number of variables was reduced by principle component analysis (PCA). The factor scores obtained by PCA were used in a subsequent discriminant analyses (DA) to determine whether groups could be distinguished on the basis of their cuticular profiles. Wilks' λ significance and the percentage of correct assignments were used to evaluate the validity of the discriminant function. We used Mann-Whitney U-tests to compare percentages of single compounds between groups and adjusted p-values for multiple comparisons using Bonferroni's method. PCA and DA analyses were performed using Statistica 6.0.
Authors' contributions
EB participated in the design of the study, performed all behavioural, morphological, allozyme, chemical, and statistical analyses and participated in writing the manuscript. JK identified the compounds in the chemical analysis. AT carried out the mitochondrial analysis. JH conceived of the study, participated in its design and in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (He 1623/17). Tina Wanke and Sabine Frohschammer kindly helped in the field. We hereby declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of Germany.
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subset: commoncrawl


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|15 posts found
Some of the old timers that posted in the SWG forums might remember me. I decided to give this game a try....
And I believe that this game, like SWG once was, is a good game that has tremendous potential. Some compare this game to EVE. I do not think that is the case. For better or worse, EVE is an intensly complex game. Also, there are no corrupt GMs...... yet. :-p I think POTBS fits in the spectrum nicely between WoW (very easy, instant gratification), and EVE (bring out War and Peace to read while you play it). The ship combat is a very nice change, and there are multiple layers. You really have to be tactical to be successful in multi ship battles. The economy is incredibly deep. For those who have loved the free market economies in past games, you will love POTBS. (That happens to be me.) For those who want to know exactly where to get everything, this game won't appeal. (And that's not a slam, certain people don't want to invest a great deal of time, and still have fun. Games like WoW suit that purpose more.)
Yet for all its depth, there are still some glaring shortfalls. For a game so centered on the free market, good luck promoting yourself as a crafter. There's no sense of authenticity in your goods. Also, shopping at the auction house can be a truly annoying experience, as you don't know what the price is for the goods. It's not like a true auction house where you can just bid things up. What they need to do is show what goods are available at what price. Even better, who makes them.
As far as melee combat, its the attack of the rubber bands. This kills any real sense of immersion. While it's not that bad in boarding combat or missions, trucking through cities can be a real pain. Even when nobody is on, Bartica can be a lagfest.
Also, there's not a gigantic difference right now between the classes. In PvP, certainly certain professions are more geared towards certain roles, but freetraders obtain little if any economic advantage. (Advanced structure camps are only for the basic structures.) The idea that a naval officer should be an economic powerhouse strains credulity. Yes everyone should be able to make money, but that money should be diversified. This isn't a gigantic problem, but its something that is irritating. Give freetraders a real substantive bonus (i.e. give them more lots, or if you are feeling really draconian, limit crafting to freetraders.)
I think this game is good. It has the potential to be great. Most importantly, I'm glad to see they are taking a real step towards not being just like every other game. There has to be a way to fix that in melee combat.
My personal score would be a 7.5-8 out of 10, and I see no reason why this game shouldn't be a 9 without a few minor changes.
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Joined: 3/02/08
Permit me to ask have you reached the endgame? The fact you say nothing of that inclines me to believe you are low or mid level and that means you haven't seen the big problems that surface later on. One faction has no endgame (Pirates) except sitting in a red circle, other three factions also have port battles and that is abotu it unles you count in one very poorly made raid instance. People are leaving after a month or two of port battles because lo and behold at top level you can shot at ships and that is about it.
Yes, POTBS is between WoW and EVE and it achieves that by taking elements of various MMO's and mixing them together in one rather poor mash. Not to mention that, for example, EVE has superior economy and WoW superior linear structure. I fail to see what is so groundbreaking in this game save using of sailing ships. The game is, after all, listed as a fantasy game and its historic base is diluted at best. If it was fantasy game using mounted combat instead of ships it would be deemed a complete and utter failure.
The economy manufactures nothing but combat items for ship to ship combat. Majortiy of surviving societies equip themselves internally by utilising version of planned economy. The market is glutted, AH is cumbersome and war (touted strength) has no impact on trading as all AH's are accessible to almost anyone. Personally I don't think that makes a deep economy or emulates the free market. Even if, in theory, the simulated free market worked - the game is supposed to be placed in the period of mercantilism and that is quite different from free economy.
Game has lots of problems, shortcommings, flaws, and poor implementations. It is ship to ship combat with a mediocre and unblanced game attached to it. If that warrants 7.5 - 8 / 10 so be it but lots of gaming magazines and specialised sites awarded it similar ratings and it is generally accepted that those were little more then paid advertisements. Awarding 9 for minor changes is fine, but I would like to advocate that WoW be awarded 12 and EVE 15 on the same merit. I dislike both games but recognize them as success in their areas.
Strip the novelty of ship to ship combat and there is really little left. Personal opinion though.
Based on the fact this is your comments I thought it was pretty fair.
Originally posted by iceman00
Here I have to strongly disagree.
You are able to see the last price paid for a good - in that respect it works like the sharemarket IRL.
Sometimes you get a 'bargin' - but you are never forced to pay any price... just like an MMO Gamer... if the price or sub is higher than you are prepared to pay for a product you can walk away.
And I have a question based on your comment "What they need to do is show what goods are available at what price. Even better, who makes them."
Originally posted by iceman00
I think this is where reviewers and gamers have parted ways over the years.
When a reviewer says "7" these days it seems he means "mediocre" - unfortunately for a gamer (and most of the rest of the world) half of 10 is 5....
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
[quote]Originally posted by iceman00
I think this game is good. It has the potential to be great. Most importantly, I'm glad to see they are taking a real step towards not being just like every other game. There has to be a way to fix that in melee combat.
he hasn't played this game
there are no comments on the avatar work
no comments on artwork
no comments on any real mechanics just a very general "opinion'
no real comments on anything
He makes a negative comment about the one thing that is in fact unique to this game and that does make it different and shows a basic lack of understanding of the AH system
He has not played this game if he has it was for under 15 minutes and he never got past the first few missions in thes starter town
I read this yesterday and was speechless. The fact of the matter is those that play the game honestly state on the boards even (the die hards) that "and this isn't even a very good game" and the only reason they stick arounds is because they made friends.
One thing this game is not is complex. It simpler then WoW and it certainly doesn't beat the epic failure everyone loves to hate which is SWG. If SWG was a failure with all that stuff in it and the massive avatar customization, the huge universe and complicated systems with more then one thing to do what does that make this along side it? People are returning to SWG right now in droves me included. Many of the people I met say the same thing "if SWG was a failure what does that make POTBS?" Maybe in the future it might be afull game. Many of us weer willing to wait till it is a full game. However right now its just a bare bones game that is incredibly simple and easy to use with only one purpose.
Avatar work = something I have held my tongue about for a long long time pales in comaparison to most older games out there that people have actualy played
Artwork = the places they have redecorated like tortuga are great the rest of the world which is tiny is made from a set of templates.
Combat = avcom AI is well not particularly intelligent either on ships or in the water. So for that reason the PVE game is incredibly easy to beat.
Class balance = there is none there is one all powerful class the rest serve not much of a purpose with the exception of the freetrader who's big bonus is to haul goods so he is slave to the naval class
Music is decent
Red ring system is presently broken and turned off
How in heck can you give this game an 8 or more ? when the only plus is has is decent artists who build cool towns right now?
interface = horrible leads to isolation no hampers fluid gameplay the print and text are horrible half the community complains it can't see it .. its made for younger eyeballs..
Game mechanics are heavily instanced everything occurs in an instance causing a total lack of continuity in the world .
Exploration - there is none
I could go on but I hate to say it I think I have said enough and was holding back in hopes that things gameplay wise would improve
Originally posted by Illyrian
Yes I've been in the "end game." Yet I also noted in the same review my bias towards the economic aspects of games that have a free-market economy. I do some PvP. Yet it is not a huge part of my gaming style.
I never said the game was "groundbreaking" that's just you inserting words in my mouth. I said that some of the things they did was a refreshing change from the linear world, and I stand by that. Please, when critquing what I said, critque what I said.
Elsewhere I've stated this about the endgame. I think its absolutely absurd that you should be able to hit level 50 in a month. The fact that I criticized the auction house tells me your nothing but someone looking to cause trouble and flame a game he's disenfranchised with. On the one hand, you say the game isn't free market, and then you complain that the AH's are available to almost anyone. Such a wide exposure is typically a precondition of a free market, that cuts out the guild mentality of price fixing and "good ol boy clubs".
As far as societies working together, that in no way guts the chance at a free market. Most socities (at least on my server) do not MANDATE people produce this or that good at this or that price. They ask for suggestions, and ask that when dealing with others in society, the price be lowered. When other people in the society are selling for lower, you drop prices or find yourself out of the market. In other words, that sounds a lot like a free market and supply and demand to me.
If we're rating how WoW and EvE worked in their respective areas, then they would be rated higher (the fact that EvE has had a very large problem with corruption however limits that rating.) I don't like WoW. but I understand that Blizzard set out to do something, and what they set out to do was achieved beyond their expectations.
Originally posted by Gyrus
I was more concerned with that you only see "averages." Yes you can tell a sell history, but you can't tell how much is left at that available price in the sell history. As far as "who makes them", its called authenticity, and a sense of advertising. We had an armorsmith in SWG who was the dominant man on the server. If you see "made by Severius Drax" you knew you were getting the best stuff there was, and more importantly, that he always had the best stuff always available thanks to the way he setup things and ran things. Naval Officers get known in their second or first rates or via their ship. What way does a freetrader get known?
Originally posted by ummax
So let me get this straight. I haven't played the game because I don't mention things YOU dislike? Is that correct? I play 4 or 5 hours a night.
And an auction house is something that makes it different? I think not, WoW has an auction house, several other games have an auction house as well. The idea of an auction house doesn't make something new. The fact that the game is mostly craft based and a free market is not a "new" idea, but an idea that in the age of everyone trying to be like Wow people shied away from.
So I'll say this to the person above, if you are going to critque what I say, critque what I say, not what you want me to say so you can erect a straw man.
Originally posted by iceman00
You raise a good point with regard to the fact that Naval Officers and combat classes can become well known for their ships... whereas Freetraders do not and thus are more or less anonymous.
But it makes no difference who the crafter is in PotBS. Brass Fittings crafted by a Naval Officer character are no different that Brass Fittings created by a dedicated Freetrader...
Possibly something FLS should look at?
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
Originally posted by Gyrus
Well freetraders can make "advanced" structures, but only for some structures. There is no "advanced" textile mill for example. Right now the advanced structures are for your real base resources, and they provide "some" advantage. I've said elsewhere I don't like naval officers being on an economic equal with freetraders, I think its absurd.
As I mentioned before, my problem on the AH is you have no clue how much of a certain good is available at a certain price. Just add that in. Show how much is available for this distinct price.
As far as advertising, many times it can mean developing an exclusive customer, once they buy from you enough, and see you know how to get the goods out. In other games that were more market orientated, after awhile, I no longer had to "sell on the open market" I had developed so many contacts who bought from me and were impressed with my punctuality, volume, prices, I had exclusive clients lining up to purchase my goods. Seeing who is engaging in dumping or price gouging can also be nice for future records (and no i don't mean gank him lol)
Originally posted by iceman00
Well, I agree with you and in fact I said so pre-release. I think that FLS can still do something about this in the proposed idea about player governed ports too BTW. ;-)
Originally posted by iceman00
Absolutely not! That would destroy the whole AH system. There was a blog on this explaining how the system works... I am in transit (I am at an Airport right now) so I can't find this for you but ask at FLS forums for a link.
FWIW I think there were many "bad" design choices in PotBS - but the AH system is not one of those.
Originally posted by iceman00
I agree with you here. But IIRC you can still do this in PotBS? Player to player trades were in place when I tested?
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
Originally posted by Gyrus
I'd have to see that link to get a better sense of what you are saying, and can't access the FLS forums at the office (but I can mmorpg.com's, hmmmmm rofl)
Indeed, player trades can happen. Let me give a small example. I was a combat medic and a miner in swg. The goods, being crafted by players, you saw who crafted them. (The stats could also be different, but for the moment, lets leave that out.) After working dilligently to make sure my stuff was always stocked, people began to speak well of my materials, and the rate at which they were available. They would say "You know, I'm a heavy crafter who is in need of a miner to supply me a steady supply of goods. Considering how dedicated you are on the vendor/ah, I'd like to offer you that job.)
I think this would be an economic boom for players. You are a hemp farmer. You grow lots of hemp, and you always make sure you have a lot available. Textile mill makers need hemp. As a result, they buy from you if they are having a huge operation. They see "x is really good at keeping a lot of hemp for sale, he must be able to produce a lot." You send x a tell saying "how'd you like to have a customer always waiting for you. At the rate I buy, for a small discount, you will never have to wait for things to sell on the AH again, and you will make a substantial profit working with me. Heck if business is booming, I'll even cut you in on the profits!"
I can make these kind of deals in society right now. I managed to arrange one by complete chance when I saw a level one freetrader who was not getting much done in the game, and not sure how to make money. With a generous loan from me to get him started on production, I made him a dedicated hemp farmer once he was able to really have the structures i needed. he makes a lot of money selling 500 hemp a day. To me, dropping 5k a day is pocket change. To him, at such a low level, gaining 5k a day for 5 minutes of work is quite a windfall. There needs to be some systems in place that encourage this kind of work not just amongst society members, but members of that nation as a whole.
Originally posted by iceman00
On a hunch... and with the aid of google...
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
No i say it because you give a game that is half broken a rating of basically 90% which is like an A rating when in actual fact its probably closer to 5 or maybe 6
Right now its a horrible game. It was possibly "average" 7 or 7.5 upon release but since then things have gone haywire. The economy essentially ins't working. Its simple and not particularly complex. The engines are dated. The avatar work is somewhat crude as far as well being customizable we all walk around as clones not much there. Very little of the game is covered so either you haven't seen it or you haven't played it. Most people do comment on the avatara customization being very simple for a new game that is supposed to be on the "A list". That's usualy one of the first comments made.
Classes need a lot of work. The strategy of the game is entirely ruined due to the fact that they decay system has been turned off. So basically contention is in fact broken. The entire game revolves around one singular goal "warfare" and winning a map, but the economy is somewhat broken due to low population which hampers the economic end of warefare and well the contention system which is the red ring system is half turned off removing the strategy of the game. So it hovers at mediorce now down from average because its now broken morso now then when it was released.
I don't see how you can give this game a near perfect rating of 8.5 and say with a little work it will get a 9. It needs a tremendous amount of work. so I can only conclude you haven't taken part in the game or aren't seeing it or are possibly a diehard fan no matter what is done. Cause well I can't see how anyone can't see what is wrong with it at this point it like slaps you in the face when you start playing after a very short time. The trial is more then ample time to disover all this because of the fact the game is not particularly complicated. /shrugs sorry.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/02/08
Originally posted by iceman00
Without going into details I would like you to point out where did I claim you used the term "groudbreaking"? Rather it was a statement of my opinion and it was aimed against high ratings you awarded to the game on the basis of disputable merit. In short I don't think that broken game system and flawed design make "a good game that has tremendous potential". Currently it is a poor game with decent potential, if it was released a year later it would probably be a good game with tremendous potential.
And yes, you bet I am unhappy with the game, a product I bought and paid for. In my opionion they charged full price for half finished goods. Now the only way I can state my dislike as a customer is by stopping my subscription and proclaiming my objections publicly. If that makes it flaming, I will be happy to continue to flame until that time I see it fit to stop. Judging by patch notes and plans FLS will in next six months implement cosmetic changes or features that should have been in the game at the release, like endgame. For me, at this time and unles something changes, POTBS is worth more dead then alive. The reason is I am not keen on seeing POTBS starting a trend of shoddy games at full price, something that seems to occur quite often with SOE affiliated games (I know it is not owned, thank you).
As for the free market economy, let me break it out in steps. One, the game implemented free market economy and that was not a good idea for RvR based game because it makes economic warfare impossible and it is very unrealistic. Quite simply those who quarrel will never be engaged in full and open trade.
Two, free market principle failed because societies adopted its exact opposite, namely planned economy and it works. Guild pricing and clubs is how it now functions on most servers, current supply and demand created glutted economy with prices under the minimnal production value. Socieities dump their excess goods on AH and smaller manufacturers simply sell at a loss while recuperating the difference by PvE, missions etc.
Three, even if freemarket principle was well implemented and even if it worked it isn't particulary happy solution as the time period we are talking about new nothign abotu free market. I agree this is iffy since game has as much historic accuracy as Jack Sparrow movie.
At any rate I don't plan to argue with you on semantics and details. The reason is, oddly enough, that I agree with majority of things you stated outside your first post.
Originally posted by Illyrian
Meh, and I was looking forward to an economic philosophy discussion! LOL jk. Suffice to say, capitalism and the free market did not just pop out of thin air, they had their roots, and those roots were FIRMLY in place in the 1720's, but such is neither here nor there.


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Encouraging People to Become Involved During May's "National Brain Tumor Awareness Month"
WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week American Idol David Cook and his family shared the sad news of his brother's death from a brain tumor. Unfortunately many other families will suffer this same type of loss -- over 200,000 people will be diagnosed with a brain tumor in the United States this year. In an effort to bring awareness and ultimately find a cure, the newly formed consortium known as the "Heroes of Hope" announce the debut of the Grey Ribbon Crusade to commemorate National Brain Tumor Awareness month. Over 200 individuals and 48 not-for-profit charitable organizations representing all 50 states have joined together to solidify the presence of the brain tumor community while raising the level of awareness and funding for brain tumors.
Like the well-recognized pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness, the grey ribbon is the symbol for brain tumors, which are the leading cause of solid tumor death in children and affect over 200,000 people each year. People and organizations can join the cause at www.greyribboncrusade.org. There is no fee and everyone who joins will receive a grey ribbon to wear in an effort to spread awareness of the cause.
"The work the medical community can accomplish in its quest to find a cure for brain tumors is greatly enhanced by the involvement of organizations that make up 'Heroes of Hope'," said Henry Friedman, MD, Deputy Director of The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at
The Grey Ribbon Crusade seeks to create dynamic action in the drive for funding of brain tumor research through a united force agai
|SOURCE Heroes of Hope
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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Originally written on Fox Sports | Last updated 6/25/13
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 06: James Blake of the USA plays a forehand in his second round match against Marc Gicquel of France during day four of the Brisbane International 2010 at Queensland Tennis Centre on January 6, 2010 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
James Blake of the U.S. ended a five-match Wimbledon losing streak by beating 93rd-ranked Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round Tuesday. The 33-year-old Blake, a former top-five player currently ranked 87th, reached the second round at the All England Club for the first time since 2008. He lost his opening matches at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament each of the past four years. Blake's best Wimbledon showings were reaching the third round in 2006 and 2007.
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NATIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN (NCP) Product Schedule
Disclaimer: The listing of a product on the Product Schedule does NOT mean that EPA approves, recommends, licenses, certifies, or authorizes the use of the product on an oil discharge. The listing means only that data have been submitted to EPA as required by Subpart J of the National Contingency Plan, Section 300.915. (Source: 40 CFR § 300.920 (e)).
- NCP Product Schedule (May 2015) (PDF)(32 pp, 274 K)


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Adam Armbruster of Delano improved his placing at the state Class AA cross country meet by 40 places compared to last season. (Photo by Melissa Marohl).
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Originally written on Busted Coverage | Last updated 3/20/13
Von Miller is one of several NFL players who have joined up with the USO on a trip to visit U.S. military bases across the Middle East. This is a hell of an off-season activity. You just know that John Elway is sitting in Denver sweating as his prized possession is over in a war zone ripping assault rifle rounds. He posted the above photo with the following tweet: The other NFL players who have joined Von on the trip are Champ Bailey, J.J. Watt, Steve Smith, D'Qwell Jackson and Davin Joseph. Speaking of J.J. Watt, sweet photobomb brah. Von really seems to be enjoying his trip and has done a hell of a job documenting everything on his Twitter account. He even spotted a soldier who happened to be a serious Denver Broncos superfan. Hats off to Von Miller and the other NFL stars for taking time out of their off-season to show some support to our military. Check out the rest of his behind the scenes photos in the gallery below. [@MillerLite40] Filed under: Football, NFL
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These very spacious (285-370 sqm), air-conditioned 3 bedroom villas offer direct views of the Red Sea and Naama Bay. First floor includes living room, dining room, fully equipped kitchen and terrace with Pavilion.
Upstairs area includes 3 bedrooms, each one with separate bathroom and balcony.
Each villa has its own private outdoor heated swimming pool.
Whether you are a honeymooner or a big family, experience the extravagance of Sharm El Sheikh in one of our villas that can host up to 6 adults and 4 children. Our villas include an extra separate room for nanny with bathroom.
Choose between direct sea view or side sea and garden view.
- Air-conditioning (controlled in room)
- Safe
- Non-smoking/smoking available
- Free WiFi
- Bathtub
- King bed
- Twin bed
- Sitting area
- Sofa bed
- Hairdryer
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Cable television
- DVD player
- Coffee/tea maker
- Minibar
- Balcony/lanai/terrace


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This program consists of courses in financial statement analysis and economics before concentrating on specific financial analyst topics. The remaining courses consist of seven intermediate and advanced courses specifically designed around the professional designation requirements, including ethics, advanced financial statement analysis, fixed income and equity analysis, derivatives, and portfolio management.
Disclaimer: Although this program includes extensive coverage of the preeminent chartered professional financial analyst body of knowledge, students are responsible for their own success on the professional exams. Please refer to CFA institute website.
|FMGT 7030 Financial Statement Analysis
|FMGT 7070 Economics for Financial Analysis
|FMGT 7100 Fixed Income Analysis
|FMGT 7105 Equity Analysis
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|FMGT 8030 Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
|FMGT 8060 Principles of Portfolio Management
|FMGT 8100 Derivatives
|FMGT 8160 Applied Portfolio Management
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SRAM X1 1400 Hollow Forged X-SYNC™ Crankset
Quality and durability combine in the SRAM X1 crankset to deliver consistent performance every time out. Featuring SRAM's X-SYNC™ tooth profile, the X1 crankset is engineered for complete chain control. Each tooth's thickness is CNC-machined to work seamlessly with the chain's inner and outer links. And with five available chain rings (30-32-34-36-38), you can personalize your gear range to match the way you ride.
- X-SYNC™ tooth profile provides maximum chain control
- Hollow forged aluminum arms with forged aluminum spider
- Chain ring guard option
- BOOST option
- CNC - X-SYNC™ machined rings (30-32-34-36-38)
- Colors: Black, Red
- Weight: 800g (GXP, 175mm, 32t)
|Arm Material
|Hollow forged 6000 series aluminum / forged aluminum spider
|Chainring Material
|CNC-machined 7075, two-tone anodize
|800g (GXP, 175mm, 32t)
|Available Arm Lengths
|170 and 175mm
|Black and Red
|Gear Ratios
|30, 32, 34, 36, 38
|CNC- X-SYNC™ machined rings
|Chain ring guard available
|Bottom Bracket
|Recommended Chain
|Technology Highlight(s)
|Retail Availability
|May 2014
Besides serious weight savings, this bottom bracket means narrow Q-factor, more ankle clearance, greater bearing durability and stronger crank construction.Read More
With revolutionary advancements in bicycle componentry, like SRAM's XX1, X01 and X1 drivetrains, mountain bike designers have been given almost limitless freedom to focus solely on the performance of the bike. Each advancement demands that the entire package works flawlessly. Aggressive trail and enduro riders have been increasingly enjoying the benefits of larger wheels, but many still view 27.5" and 29" wheels as a possible weak link. Which is why SRAM has developed an open standard with Boost compatible components for SRAM drivetrain, hubs and RockShox forks.Read More
GXP's Gutter Seal design cuts friction and weight—improving both feel and performance.Read More
SRAM X-SYNC™ 1X chain rings provide the highest level of performance and durability. The SRAM X-SYNC™ tall square teeth edges engage the chain earlier than traditional triangle shaped teeth. The sharp and narrow tooth profile, as well as rounded chamfer edges, help manage a deflected chain. To provide the best possible performance in muddy conditions, the X-SYNC™ chain rings have been designed with mud-clearing recesses for the inner chain links and rollers. Engineered in Germany, X-SYNC™ rings are an integral part of the SRAM 1X™ drivetrain.Read More
Some variations of this product featured on this page are not available for purchase and are installed on bicycles as original equipment only. See your dealer for details.


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X-pro1 spots a greedy man...
Started May 7, 2012 | Discussions thread
Regular Member • Posts: 171 • Gear list
X-pro1 spots a greedy man...
May 7, 2012
Zarniwoop1985's gear list:Zarniwoop1985's gear list
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We couldn't find any jobs that match your search for "banking in store customer service banker franklin park nj, new jersey"
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Search all Kaplan Management Co., Inc. Apartments For Rent in Houston, Texas
Camelot at Cinnaminson HarbourCinnaminson, NJ 08077
Camelot at Cinnaminson Harbour is a brand new, luxury apartment community offering 1 and 2 bedroom floor plans. This waterfront rental community is located along the Delaware River in South Jersey with easy commuting to Center City Philadelphia, and shopping and dining in nearby Cherry Hill, Marlton, Moorestown and Trenton, NJ. Camelot at Cinnaminson is within walking distance of the Riverline Train Station and accessible to the NJ Turnpike, I-295 and both Routes 73 and 130...+−Preview Details
Hidden Lake ApartmentsNorth Brunswick, NJ 08902
Hidden Lake Apartments is located in North Brunswick, NJ. We offer 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes. Fully equipped designer kitchens, washer/dryer in every unit, central air conditioning and large walk in closets. Enjoy 2 huge swimming pools and 6 tennis courts. Call today to schedule your viewing today!+−Preview Details
Camelot at TownelakeSayreville, NJ 08872
Camelot at Townelake is located in Township of Sayerville. They offer 1 and 2 bedroom spacious apartment homes and in addition a large array of amenities such as contemporary kitchens with stainless steel appliances and GE front load washer/dryers in every home. There is a resident lounge with billiards and WIFI hot spot for your enjoyment. Garage parking is available and we are a pet-friendly community with bark park! Call today to schedule a private tour!+−Preview Details
Camelot at La MerParlin, NJ 08859
Camelot at La Mer is located in Sayreville, New Jersey. We offer 1 & 2 bedroom townhomes and apartment homes. Gleaming in-home amenities feature stainless steel kitchen appliances, high efficiency washer & dryer in every home, spacious and versatile floor plans for your choosing. We also offer a sparkling resort style swimming pool with a sun deck, state of the art fitness center, business center with computers and free internet access, conference room, tot lot and more!+−Preview Details
Camelot at Federal HillPerth Amboy, NJ 08861
Camelot at Federal Hill is located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. We offer one and two bedroom apartment homes. Enjoy amenities such as,Washer/dryer, Honey Oak Hardwood floors, Berber Carpets, Ceramic Tile, Chandelier lighting, Breakfast Bar, Private Garages, ample parking, Secured access building with intercom systems, Elevator. You are surrounded with everything you need. YMCA facilities just walking distance, major highways just blocks away, walking distance to NJ train and Bus service to NYC!+−Preview Details
101 Roosevelt at GatewayCarteret, NJ 07008
101 Roosevelt at Gateway is located in Carteret, New Jersey. We offer brand new, spacious one and two bedroom luxury apartment homes. Stainless steel appliances installed in our contemporary kitchens with granite countertops. Homes feature Hardwood flooring, 9 ft ceilings and walk-in closets. Full size washer and dryer are included in each home. Private garages and on-site parking. Free Wi-Fi in Common Areas and pet friendly community.+−Preview Details
Camelot at BayonneBayonne, NJ 07002
Welcome to Camelot at Bayonne. We offer one and two bedroom apartment homes. Units feature high ceilings, plenty of closet space and front load washer and dryers in each unit. Camelot at Bayonne is an elevator building with intercom system and underground parking garage. Work out in the gym and cardio room. To entertain and relax with our fire pit area, community center and view to the Bayonne bridge. We offer easy access to public transportation. Call today!+−Preview Details


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February 6, 2012
This guerrilla McDonald's California poppy ad by Sean Click may be just a concept for now, but if it were actually rolled out, it'd be insidiously clever for one key reason: the California poppy is the state flower, so they're protected by law and can't be dug up by anyone, for any reason. The seed-bombing campaign involves plantings of California poppies in the shape of the Golden Arches.
Time will tell whether Click's campaign is the real deal, but it no doubt has marketers thinking of other forms of viral advertising. For previous McDonald's branding moves, see this slideshow.
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The latest news and views about music in Milwaukee and beyond
Top of the Charts: Magic! conjures second week at No. 1
Last week's chart-toppers ensured that 2014 remains a year with no one-week wonders so far at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as Magic! lands a second week with their big debut single. Watch the music video for that swaying summer song below and then step into our time machine to find out which songs were the biggest in the United States this week in 2004, 1994, 1984 and 1974.
No. 1 hit July 28, 2014
Magic! "Rude"
It might seem like magic for a Canadian reggae band to reach the top of the Hot 100, but Magic! made sure that it was no fluke as they watch their first big hit single spend week number two on top of the charts. But, both this week's champions and runner up Iggy Azalea and her own smash debut, "Fancy," had better keep an eye out below as British crooner Sam Smith's "Stay With Me," has already topped the pop charts in his native United Kingdom and is shooting up the American charts - already to number three. We'll find out next week if Smith is our next number one hit-maker, or if Magic! has a few more tricks up their sleeves. »Read Full Blog Post
Top of the Charts: The top hits this week and past decades
Top of the Charts might have taken a week off for Summerfest, but the summer's big hit did not take a break from the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Look below to see which song is still on top and then check out the biggest hits this week way back in 2004, 1994, 1984 and 1974.
No. 1 hit July 8, 2013
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines"
Robin Thicke has just about answered any argument about whether his catchy pop hit, "Blurred Lines," is the song of the summer. Now in its fourth week at number one, the song is showing no signs of letting up with the release of Thicke's album of the same name looming this week. Stop back next week to see if Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" has any legs to make a "Blurred Lines" challenge. That track, which also features Thicke's collaborator Pharell, is still sitting at number two. »Read Full Blog Post
Top of the Charts: The top hits this week and the past four decades (Carly Rae Jepsen, Juvenile, Lisa Loeb, Ray Parker Jr. and Roberta Flack)
This week on Top of the Charts, Carly Rae Jepsen stays on the top of the charts -- matching the eight-week stay of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" as the longest number-one reign so far in 2012. Watch the video (below) for the catchy hit that could vie to become the year's biggest hit if it hangs onto its top spot another week. Then, we'll take the WayBack Machine to watch videos for the songs this week that were on top in the middle of the summers of 2004, 1994, 1984 and 1974.
No. 1 hit Aug. 6, 2012
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe" »Read Full Blog Post


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New York, New York (PRWEB) May 28, 2013
Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of victims injured by defective medical devices, applauds the judge's decision to uphold the jury verdict that concluded the first lawsuit of more than 10,000 to reach trial over DePuy's recalled ASR metal-on-metal hip implants. As reported by MassDevice on May 27, 2013, California Judge J. Stephen Czuleger rejected DePuy's bid for a new trial and let the verdict stand; the jury, having decreed that DePuy's all-metal implants were defectively designed, had awarded Plaintiff Loren Kransky $8.3 million, in the case of Kransky v. DePuy, BC456086, California Superior Court, Los Angeles County (Los Angeles).
"The judge's decision to uphold the verdict in favor of the Plaintiff is a reassuring victory for thousands of individuals who allege that the DePuy ASR hip implant has caused them injuries," said Daniel C. Burke, Senior Litigation Counsel at Parker Waichman LLP. "The jury's decision sent a clear message to Johnson & Johnson that it cannot get away with harming patients; the judge maintaining that verdict almost serves to underscore the message."
Parker Waichman LLP continues to offer free legal advice to patients who have implants devices such as DePuy' all-metal hip, and advises them to speak with their doctors if they experience symptoms such as:
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


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|ESPN.com: Page 2
|[Print without images]
|Kobe 2.0 could lead the Lakers a long way.
For starters (assuming he isn't in prison), they've got Kobe Bryant. He's pretty good. And they don't just have Kobe Bryant; they have Kobe "They Said It Couldn't Be Done" Bryant. They have Robert Conrad as Kobe Bryant. They have Kobe Bryant as the young Cassius Clay. The Sports Guy is right about Shaq and the Vengeance Factor, but we shouldn't underestimate the Helen Reddy factor, either.
That's right. I'm talking the "you and me against the world" factor. Kobe knows just about everyone is down on him. He knows they figure him for the punk who forced out the Daddy and Dr. Phil. He knows he's alone in this thing now, that's it's all on him now. And the thing is, he likes it like that. Hell, he loves it like that. He's at his best when it's like that. Look at the same-day games coming back from Colorado this year, when he had to have been feeling like the loneliest guy on the planet.
And it won't just be the bunker mentality he'll have working for him this season, either. If he is acquitted at trial, opposing teams will be looking at a guy playing with new life, with a new appreciation for life. He'll be a house of fire, hungry and joyful every time he laces up. You put these two things -- a massive chip on his shoulder and a big, big bounce in his step -- together, and we may be looking at the very best of Kobe Bryant in the coming year. (Remember, he'll only be 26 years old when the season begins.) Which is saying something. But a great Kobe, great as he is and will be, won't be enough. Here's where things get tricky. Kobe's got to give a little to get a lot back. He's got to be less Kobe and more Kobe 2.0. Everyone expects this to be his team. Everyone expects he'll shoot more often than Mo Rocca strikes an ironic pose. That's his history. That's who he is. And, the thinking goes, with Shaq out of the mix, Kobe will own the ball, demand the ball, hold the ball, and be the ball every time down.
|The guys L.A. acquired for Shaq could mesh well with Kobe.
He doesn't need 40 a night. He needs 18 or 20, with maybe eight assists and nine boards every time out. He's got the skills and he'll have the element of surprise in the early going; and then, over the long haul, he'll have a balanced, tested, team offense full of guys who can score and aren't afraid of crunch time. Think about it: The one thing everyone is saying Kobe can't be is a team player. This is what they once said of Jordan. And, in his never-ending quest to be Jordanesque, what could be better for Kobe than to release Kobe II: The Wrath of Team? Seriously, this should be Rudy T's pitch to his franchise player: Shock the world. Be the man by not being the man.
It's crazy, right? But is it? I mean, what if he sees this? What if he knows the biggest middle finger he can fling at the world of doubters and critics (myself included) is to finally do what Phil and Shaq were begging him to do all along? What if he shares the ball, because now it's his idea and not theirs? Then things could get interesting. You could run Kobe 2.0 with Luke Walton, a schooled rebounder and passer who is already Good and, judging by Game 2 of last month's Finals, ready for the leap to Very Good. You could run Kobe 2.0 with Lamar Odom, who can score in transition, rebound, and run the point when you need it. You could run Kobe 2.0 with Vlade, the best interior-passing big man in the game, and GP, who is slowed, but can still dish.
With a team like this, the ball could move around the half-court like a pinball. This team could bring back memories of the early-'70s Knicks. They could make the Kings look like ham-handed ballhogs by comparison. There could be easy buckets falling off trees.
Then you could replace GP with Sasha Vujacic, bring Kareem Rush, Caron Butler, or Devean George in off the bench, spell Vlade with Brian Cook or Brian Grant (who'd mostly just be good for picking boards and throwing outlets), and run. For days. Like the Showtime days. They could bring fastbreak basketball back to the NBA. They could press on the defensive end like Hubie's boys do down in Memphis.
Suddenly, they're the team nobody wants to play and fans everywhere want to watch. They play the beautiful game and they mix it up with the helter-skelter game. Like the Pistons, they put team first; and, oh yeah, they feature Kobe Bryant, the superstar who knew he had to tone it down to turn it up. The West is vicious, no doubt; but I swear this team could compete. If the Grizz -- featuring Pau Gasol, Bonzi Wells, Mike Miller and Jason Williams -- can win 50, can't this team with Kobe, Lamar, Vlade, and Luke, win 50?
|And some of the Lakers' leftovers, like Luke Walton, could come into their own.
And if they run, I mean all-out, can't they neutralize guys like Duncan and Yao a bit by making them haul their asses up and down the floor? I think they can.
They still need work, of course. They need a pure point. I've said before that they ought to be making pitches to Memphis for Earl Watson, or to Seattle for Antonio Daniels, or even to Detroit for Mike James (who ran their butts into the ground during his stints in The Finals), even if it means giving up Payton to get it done. And they could use a good perimeter defender who can pass and shoot ... Bobby Sura, maybe?
But they've got no money to spend after Kobe's big deal, so they may have to go with what they've got now.
Which means it all falls on Kobe.
And I may be crazy, but I think he can do it.
Kobe 2.0, I mean. Eric Neel is a regular columnist for Page 2. His "On Baseball" column appears weekly.


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Fluffy Fruit Fritters
|3⁄4 Cup (12 tbs)
|1 Pinch
|Corn oil
|1 Tablespoon
|Tepid water
|2⁄3 Cup (10.67 tbs)
|Egg whites
|Bananas/12 apple rings / 12 pineapple rings
|4 , quartered
|2 Cup (32 tbs) (For Deep Frying)
|1 Tablespoon (For Dusting)
Fruit fritters can be made with the basic crepe batter using 2/3 cup milk to 3/4 cup flour but this continental recipe gives a lighter, crisper result.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the center.
Add the oil to the water and pour this liquid gradually into the well, stirring in the flour from the sides by degrees.
When all the flour is incorporated add just sufficient liquid to make the batter coat the back of the wooden spoon.
Beat well with a rotary beater to ensure that the batter is free from lumps and well aerated.
Allow to stand for 20 minutes or more for the flour to swell.
When ready to cook the fritters beat the egg whites until stiff but not brittle and fold into the batter.
Heat the fat to 375°F (You can test it by dropping in a teaspoon-ful of batter, which will rise quickly and crisp if fat is the right temperature.)
Using cooking tongs, dip pieces of fruit, one at a time, into batter, coat completely and draw over the rim of the bowl to allow surplus batter to run back.
Lower carefully into hot fat.
Do not try to fry too many fritters at once.
Watch the temperature of the fat between batches; if too low fritters will be greasy, if too hot they will burn.
When a fritter is golden underneath, turn and fry other side.
Remove from fat and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with sugar and serve with lemon wedges.


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Lawmakers in several states are seeking to address the high-profile problem of sexual assaults on college campuses, but their bills have encountered criticism and legal complexities. Among the contentious measures, some are viewed as infringing on victims' rights and others as too favorable to accused students.
Fort Leonard Wood is slated to host the assistant director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau March 12.
California has the PCT. Missouri has the OT. The Pacific Crest Trail, which spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, was featured in the movie "Wild," which earned actress Reese Witherspoon an...
The first call of the season is exciting. It's thrilling to be going somewhere to see where bees have settled in, knowing warm weather should be just around the corner.
City and county officials, school leaders, emergency management agencies and interested residents are invited to attend a public meeting this Tuesday, March 10, to discuss updates to the Phelps County hazard mitigation plan.
Rising temperatures this weekend after recent winter storms may bring out the potholes in Missouri's roads.
There have been more than 202,000 children processed through the MoCHIP Child ID program in nine years, and area children can be added to the program next weekend.
The University of Missouri School of Law is partnering with Legal Services of Southern Missouri to provide free estate planning services to residents from Phelps County and surrounding areas during the UM students' spring break in March.
Can you believe #TheDress is having a positive effect on society?
Basketball courts aren't the only place for action when the NCAA championships begin later month. Buffalo Wild Wings and Domino's Pizza are among companies that could ride the fan frenzy that accompanies this annual three-week spring sports...
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Speaking of Rob Bell, MSNBC had this interview with the pastor and author of "Love Wins." It's pretty interesting. The interviewer opens by asking an absurd diametric about suffering in Japan:
"Which of these is true: Either God is all powerful but he doesn't care about the people of Japan and therefore they are suffering; or he does care about the people of Japan but he's not all powerful? Which one is it?"
Um ... there are a few other options. After that, the interview improves.
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