University of Utah scientist discovers terrifying ant species

Photo courtesy of John T. Longino, University of Utah | U. entomologist Jack Longino has discovered and identified 33 new ant species, including this Octostruma convallis, which boasts sideways-moving jaws.

Their wedge-shaped faces are like spine-covered shields that end with beak-like jaws bristling with sharp teeth.

"They look a little like the monster in ?Alien.? They?re horrifying to look at up close," says University of Utah biology professor Jack Longino. "That?s sort of what makes them fun."

Longino, an entomologist, has identified 33 new species of predatory ants from Central America and the Caribbean, according to a statement from the U. He named the monstrous-looking creatures after ancient Mayan gods and demons.

But while the ants might look fierce under the microscope, they are also tiny ??less than 1/12 to 1/25 of an inch long, far smaller than a grain of rice or common household ants.

They?re also nearly blind, with primitive eyes that detect light but not images, and live in the rotting wood and dead leaves on Central American forest floors. Researchers collect the ants by sifting through the dirt with specialized tools. It?s not clear how the ants find their prey, but it?s thought they coat themselves in a thin layer of clay for camouflage.

Once they catch it, though, the insects don?t exactly eat their prey, which researchers presume are soft-bodied insects, spiders, millipedes and centipedes. Adults only consume liquids, so they bring the hapless bugs back to their larvae, which eat the prey and regurgitate it so it can be eaten by the adults.

Longino identified and named 14 new species of the ant genus Eurhopalothrix in a study published online Monday in the journal Zootaxa. It has also accepted a second, upcoming study by Longino identifying 19 new ant species from the genus Octostruma, bringing his career-long total of new ant species discovered to 131.

The ants? namesakes include Zipacna, a violent, crocodile-like Mayan demon; Xibalba, or a "place of fear," for an underworld ruled by death gods, and Hunhau, a Mayan death god.

lwhitehurst@sltrib.com

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Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56666430-78/ants-species-ant-longino.html.csp

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US economy recovery sustainable? Jobs growth improves, but challenges remain

The US economy managed to stay on track last quarter, defying fears of another spring swoon, but doubts remain as to whether it will finally gain the kind of sustained momentum that has proved so elusive since the recovery began four years ago.

The mixed picture facing the country was evident Wednesday, as the Commerce Department reported that the economy, adjusted for inflation, expanded at a better-than-expected annual rate of 1.7 per cent in the April-June quarter, even as inflation-adjusted growth in the first part of the year now appears slower than first thought. In a separate statement after a two-day meeting of policy makers at the Federal Reserve, the central bank said the economy was on a "modest" trajectory but gave no clue as to when it might start tapering back its huge stimulus efforts.

Like economists, traders, as well as the 12 million unemployed Americans looking for work, the Fed is struggling to gauge whether better growth does indeed lie ahead.

Optimists point to improved levels of job creation in recent months, a more robust housing sector and a surging stock market that has lifted the value of investment and retirement accounts for millions of consumers. Pessimists focus on the fact that the estimated economic growth rate of about 1.4 per cent so far in 2013 is well below last year's levels of 2.8 per cent, even as automatic cuts in federal spending and higher taxes continue to bite.

There were pockets of strength in Wednesday's data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, all of which will be subject to further revision as the Commerce Department gathers more information about the economy. For example, residential fixed investment increased by 13.4 per cent, a sign that housing continues to rebound. Personal consumption rose 1.8 per cent, as consumers showed some resiliency, especially given the increase in payroll taxes at the beginning of 2013.

Wednesday's report also comes as government experts introduced the first comprehensive change in four years in how the economy is measured. They revised figures all the way back to 1929, while also restating more recent data to show the 2007-09 recession was slightly milder than originally estimated and growth in 2012 was a bit better.

Still, economists emphasized that although the economy's performance in the second quarter was significantly stronger than had been feared - Wall Street experts forecast growth would come in at just under 1 per cent - big challenges remain.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/us-economy-recovery-sustainable-jobs-growth-improves-but-challenges-remain/articleshow/21526347.cms

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Friday could be D-Day in MLB drug investigation

NEW YORK (AP) ? Friday could be D-day for Major League Baseball's drug investigation.

Deliberations over suspensions in the Biogenesis case could stretch out for the rest of this week and delay announcements, two people familiar with the talks said Tuesday.

It appeared several of the dozen or so targeted players were likely to reach agreements on their penalties and avoid grievance hearings, one of the people said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Both said MLB hopes to announce the penalties for all players involved at the same time.

Three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees and four 2013 All-Stars ? Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta and Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon ? are among the players who have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis. The closed Florida anti-aging clinic was accused by Miami New Times in January of distributing banned performing-enhancing drugs, sparking MLB's investigation.

Others linked in media reports include Toronto outfielder Melky Cabrera, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli, San Diego catcher Yasmani Grandal and Seattle catcher Jesus Montero.

Melky Cabrera, the 2012 All-Star game MVP while with San Francisco, served a 50-game suspension last year for elevated testosterone, as did Grandal and Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Players who don't reach agreements can ask the players' association to file grievances, which would lead to hearings before arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Discipline for first offenders under the drug agreement usually is not announced until after the penalty is upheld, but there is an exception when the conduct leading to the discipline already has been made public.

In addition, MLB may try to suspend Rodriguez under its collective bargaining agreement instead of its drug rules, which would lead to the suspension starting before the appeal.

Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun was the first player to reach an agreement with MLB. The 2011 NL MVP accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension last week. Braun tested positive for elevated testosterone in October 2011 but a 50-game suspension was overturned the following February by an arbitrator who ruled Braun's urine sample was handled improperly.

Rodriguez appears at risk for the harshest penalty. The Yankees are expecting him to be accused of recruiting other athletes for the clinic, attempting to obstruct MLB's investigation, and not being truthful with MLB in the past when he discussed his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea, who pleaded guilty two years ago to a federal charge of bringing unapproved drugs into the United States from Canada.

"A-Rod was my teammate in New York. I'm glad he was my teammate," retired pitcher Roger Clemens said Tuesday in Boston, where he was at Fenway Park to mark the 25th anniversary of manager Joe Morgan's team that won the 1988 AL East title.

"I did things to make him feel comfortable. I did that for all of my teammates," Clemens said. "I think I was a pretty solid teammate."

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was acquitted last year of federal charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone.

Clemens would not give his thoughts on MLB's Biogenesis investigation.

"I've got my own feelings on particular people in MLB, you know, how they approached my situation," he said. "I don't know about it, and I don't care about it, to tell you the truth."

___

AP freelance writer Ken Powtak in Boston contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/friday-could-d-day-mlb-drug-investigation-012227607.html

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Five fall focuses for Florida football

In this April 6, 2013 file photo, Florida's Tyler Murphy looks to throw during the Orange and Blue Debut at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

GAINESVILLE SUN FILE PHOTO / DOUG FINGER

Published: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 7:06 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 7:06 p.m.

GAINESVILLE - While the rest of campus continues to slumber through the final weeks of summer, it's back to the practice field for the Florida football team, which opens preseason camp Friday.

As is usual with any preseason camp, questions and themes abound for UF with the start of the season now just a month away.

Here are five things the Gators need to get done on the practice field between now and the Aug. 31 opener against Toledo:

1. Groom the No. 2 QB

Before Jeff Driskel ended up on the operating table earlier this week for appendectomy surgery, the No. 1 camp goal at QB probably was to get the No. 2 quarterback (probably junior Tyler Murphy) ready to play just in case he's needed at some point in the season. Now, the goal may be to get the No. 2 guy not just ready to play, but ready to start. Driskel's unexpected surgery could sideline him for the first two weeks of camp, and further illustrates just how fragile (and scary) the situation is at quarterback. Murphy has not thrown a pass in a college game. The other two scholarship players on the roster are a redshirt freshman (Skyler Mornhinweg) and a true freshman (Max Staver). This is going to be a crucial camp at the quarterback position, especially in the first two weeks, when the coaches must get Murphy (or someone else) not just ready to step in, but lead the offense.

2. Settle the situation at linebacker

With starting middle linebacker Antonio Morrison suspended for the first two games of the season, the Gators are going to have to do a little scrambling (and maybe experimenting) at the linebacker positions. The most logical scenario is for Mike Taylor to move from weakside linebacker to the middle, but that could leave a true freshman (Daniel McMillian) to start at the weakside. Another possibility is moving Taylor to the middle, switching Darrin Kitchens from the strongside to the weakside and making Neiron Ball or Ronald Powell the starter on the strongside. The coaches have planned all along to play Powell at the Buck position and outside linebacker. This may be the opportunity to establish Powell as a starter at outside linebacker, which would give the Gators a chance to have Powell and Dante Fowler Jr. on the field at the same time. The bottom line is the coaches are going to have to determine the best combination in camp and go with it.

3. Find a second safety

One of the biggest question marks on defense is at the safety positions, where the Gators must replace last year's starters, Matt Elam and Josh Evans. Cody Riggs, a former starter at cornerback, appears a lock to nail down one of the starting roles. The other appears to be very much up in the air heading into camp. The competition for the other starting job should be fierce between Jabari Gorman, Valdez Showers, Marcus Maye (and maybe even highly rated true freshman Marcell Harris). The leading candidate may be Maye, a redshirt freshman who was a scout-team standout last fall who has received an endorsement from Elam. Maye appears to have some of the same playmaking potential that made Elam a valuable player on defense last season.

4. Define Purifoy's role on ?O?

The coaches clearly want starting cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy to have an impact on offense. That's why Purifoy spent the first half of spring practice working exclusively at wide receiver. Now that they have a pretty good idea what he's capable of doing on offense, Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease need to determine how (and how much) they're going to use Purifoy on offense. He's an explosive athlete who could make plays down the field, but that's not going to change the fact he will remain a starting cornerback, something Muschamp has been adamant about. How much time Purifoy spends on offense may be determined by the growth of UF's young wide receivers. If a few of the young guys show they can consistently make plays, Purifoy's role on offense might be limited. If the Gators come out of camp still searching for playmakers at receiver, Purifoy could play a major role on offense.

5. Name the replacement for Sturgis

It's going to be close to impossible to adequately replace Caleb Sturgis, one of the all-time great place-kickers at UF, but someone is going to have to try and fill the role. It's either going to be senior walk-on Brad Phillips or redshirt freshman Austin Hardin. Phillips has limited experience (he made two-of-three field goal attempts in 2011, including a 43-yarder against Georgia), while Hardin has none. The two were basically dead-even at the end of spring practice and will continue their competition in camp. Muschamp has expressed confidence in both kickers. Phillips may have an edge in consistency, but Hardin has a stronger leg and probably a bigger upside. ESPN rated Hardin the No. 1 kicker in the nation coming out of high school in 2011.

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130731/wire/130739919

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Emma Roberts sports bruises after domestic dispute with beau

Emma Roberts stepped out in Beverly Hills sporting bruises on her legs.

Emma Roberts sported scrapes, bruises, and a visible bandage one week after her violent altercation with boyfriend Evan Peters.

The 22-year-old "American Horror Story" actress stepped out in Beverly Hills on Monday wearing short overalls that revealed a constellation of bruises on her thighs and a bandage on her left elbow.

RELATED: EMMA ROBERTS, EVAN PETERS WORKING TO 'MOVE PAST? VIOLENT SPAT

The young starlet, niece of Julia Roberts and daughter of actor Eric Roberts, was booked into a Montreal jail on July 7 after a fight with Peters, 26, turned physical.

Police arrived at a hotel room the couple was sharing after receiving a report of a loud argument in the room.

PHOTOS: BIGGEST CELEBRITY MELTDOWNS

When cops arrived, they found Peters with a bloody nose and a bite mark, TMZ reported.

"Officers on the scene reported light injuries to both people. The female suspect was arrested, but no charges were pressed in court so she was released," a police source confirmed to the Daily News. "it is a closed case at this time."

RELATED: EMMA ROBERTS, EVAN PETERS RELATIONSHIP IS 'EXTREME': FRIEND

"It was an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding," a rep for the couple told Us Weekly. "Ms. Roberts was released after questioning and the couple are working together to move past it."

On Tuesday, when news broke of the incident, Roberts and Peters were spotted hugging outside a studio where "American Horror Story" was filming in New Orleans.

RELATED: EMMA ROBERTS ARRESTED AFTER VIOLENT FIGHT WITH BOYFRIEND

"Their romance is pretty extreme," an insider told Us Weekly. "They just behave in a way that's very passionate."

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/entertainment/~3/XnCv5_ZwQ4A/story01.htm

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Obama wins nominee battle with Senate GOP

The Senate confirmed President Obama?s nominees to head the Labor Department and the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday, clearing the decks of the controversial nominees that had threatened to push the Senate into a parliamentary meltdown just two days ago.

Thomas Perez was confirmed to be Labor Department secretary on a 54-46 party-line vote after having barely survived a GOP filibuster a day earlier. Meanwhile, Gina McCarthy was confirmed to be EPA administrator on a 59-40 vote.

If all Republicans who voted against Mr. Perez had decided to filibuster, they could have blocked his nomination. But thanks to a deal reached on Tuesday, some Republican senators agreed to let the nominees go through in exchange for Democrats agreeing not to use a parliamentary short cut to rewrite the rules and end the chance the minority to filibuster executive branch nominees in the future.

?As we all saw this week, the Senate came together. We talked to each other, we made bipartisan progress, and we were able to reduce the gridlock and approve President Obama?s nominees, and that was a very, very positive step forward for all of us,? said Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat.

Republicans had blocked Ms. McCarthy for months as they sought to force the EPA to agree to more transparency. The agency has been accused of failing to keep electronic records such as emails, and several former officials used private email accounts to conduct agency business.

But while some lawmakers has personal reservations about Ms. McCarthy, a longtime top EPA official, most who voted against her said they were really sending a signal to Mr. Obama to rein in the agency.

?My fight is with President Obama and the EPA, the regulatory agency that has consistently placed unreasonable regulations and unobtainable standards on energy production, rather than focus on efforts to develop a domestic all-of-the-above energy strategy for the future,? said Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from West Virginia, a coal-producing state where the EPA is often viewed as a hindrance to economic development.

For Republicans, though, Mr. Perez was even more controversial. They accused him of lying, of obstructing a congressional investigation and of putting his ideology ahead of the law in his tenure leading the Justice Department?s civil rights division.

?Based on the evidence, Tom Perez is more than just some left-wing ideologue ? he?s a left-wing ideologue who appears perfectly willing to bend the rules to achieve his ends,? said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Hispanic groups had made the confirmation of Mr. Perez, the son of Dominican immigrants, a top priority, saying he would be a good addition to Mr. Obama?s Cabinet. Now they have turned their attention to the next major opening for the top job at the Homeland Security Department, where Secretary Janet Napolitano is on the way out.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials said Mr. Obama should ?act swiftly to ensure his Cabinet is fully representative of the diversity of this great nation by nominating a high-level Latino candidate.?

The Senate has now confirmed four of the seven nominees who Democrats had said must be approved in order to prevent them from using the so-called ?nuclear option,? a parliamentary tactic to change the Senate?s operating rules in mid-session and limit filibusters.

As part of that deal, Mr. Obama has withdrawn two other nominees he made to the National Labor Relations Board, and replaced them with two new NLRB appointments.

The two withdrawn names were controversial because Mr. Obama had used his recess powers to appoint them earlier last year, but federal appeals courts have called those nominees into question, saying the president violated the Constitution in making the appointments.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/18/gina-mccarthy-confirmed-head-epa/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

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