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My weekly webinar is a great tool for my joint venture partners to communicate with me and with each other. I?ve been using webinars for a long time now and I?m comfortable with sharing my computer screen as well as giving a spontaneous presentation, responding to questions and allowing others to respond as well.

But you may not like to take on all that responsibility at once. So, teleseminars can be a good alternative, one that new information marketers often prefer.? They are conducted on the telephone instead of a computer, although it is possible to use your computer as your phone, too.

Your Information Marketing Teleseminars Revisited

Bob Jenkins gives some good teleseminar planning ideas in his post on The Future of Ink, which is geared towards repurposing the recorded presentation. I use this idea to great advantage with webinars, too.

Jenkins says, ?You can rapidly increase your digital publishing when you reduce the time it takes for you to create and publish your content. And my favorite way to do that is starting with teleseminars. Here?s why:

You can speak faster than you can type.

Getting ideas out of your head is likely easier by speaking instead of writing.

You can take an audio recording and repurpose it to create other forms of marketing and customer content. Better still, most of the repurposing can be done by someone else ? freeing up your time to do what you do best!?

His reasons are my reasons, too. I record webinars in order to create and publish content on YouTube and on my website. As Jenkins also suggests for repurposing teleseminars, I use virtual assistants to accomplish all the tasks following my webinars.

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Source: http://www.fredgleeck.com/blog/your-information-marketing-teleseminars-revisited/

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Cell reprogramming during liver regeneration

Friday, March 29, 2013

During embryonic development, animals generate many different types of cells, each with a distinct function and identity.

"Although the identities of these cells remain stable under normal conditions, some cells can be persuaded to take on new identities, through reprogramming," says Ben Stanger, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers have been able to reprogram cells experimentally, but few have shown that cells can change their identities under normal physiological conditions in the body, particularly in mammals.

In the cover article of this month's issue of Genes and Development, Stanger, PhD candidate Kilangsungla Yanger, Yiwei Zong, PhD, and their colleagues, did just that in the liver of a mouse. Stanger is also an investigator in the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.

The adult liver contains two major cell types ? hepatocytes and biliary cells ? that differ dramatically in appearance and function. Hepatocytes are the main cell type in the liver, where they synthesize proteins and other macromolecules, and detoxify toxic substances. Biliary cells, on the other hand, line the bile ducts, which carry bile from the liver to the small intestine to help digest fats.

Using a sensitive method to tag and track how cells develop and differentiate, the researchers found that conditional expression of an activated Notch1 gene converted hepatocytes into biliary cells. Notch is an important receptor for relaying signals to tell cells how to develop.

What's more, after the researchers injured liver cells with a variety of toxins to stimulate wound healing, they found that over two to three weeks hepatocytes activated a biliary cell program on their own, acquiring the shape and function of biliary cells. These changes were dependent on the activation of endogenous Notch signaling.

"This is direct evidence that cells can be converted from one mature cell type to another in a live animal, as part of a normal response to injury," says Stanger. "We think that augmenting pre-existing cell reprogramming relationships may be another way to engineer cells for the treatment of diseases in which there are not enough bile ducts, such as cholestasis."

###

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/

Thanks to University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127525/Cell_reprogramming_during_liver_regeneration

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Head-on collisions between DNA-code reading machineries accelerate gene evolution

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Bacteria appear to speed up their evolution by positioning specific genes along the route of expected traffic jams in DNA encoding. Certain genes are in prime collision paths for the moving molecular machineries that read the DNA code, as University of Washington scientists explain in this week's edition of Nature.

The spatial-organization tactics their model organism, Bacillus subtilis, takes to evolve and adapt might be imitated in other related Gram-positive bacteria, including harmful, ever-changing germs like staph, strep, and listeria, to strengthen their virulence or cause persistent infections. The researchers think that these mechanisms for accelerating evolution may be found in other living creatures as well.

Replication -- the duplicating of the genetic code to create a new set of genes- and transcription -- the copying of DNA code to produce a protein -- are not separated by time or space in bacteria. Therefore, clashes between these machineries are inevitable. Replication traveling rapidly along a DNA strand can be stalled by a head-on encounter or same-direction brush with slower-moving transcription.

The senior authors of the study, Houra Merrikh, UW assistant professor of microbiology, and Evgeni Sokurenko, UW professor of microbiology, and their research teams are collaborating to understand the evolutionary consequences of these conflicts. The major focus of Merrikh and her research team is on understanding mechanistic and physiological aspects of conflicts in living cells -- including why and how these collisions lead to mutations.

Impediments to replication, they noted, can cause instability within the genome, such as chromosome deletions or rearrangements, or incomplete separation of genetic material during cell division. When dangerous collisions take place, bacteria sometimes employ methods to repair, and then restart, the paused DNA replication, Merrikh discovered in her earlier work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To avoid unwanted encounters, bacteria orient most of their genes along what is called the leading strand of DNA, rather than the lagging. The terms refer to the direction the encoding activities travel on different forks of the unwinding DNA. Head-on collisions between replication and transcription happen on the lagging strand.

Despite the heightened risk of gene-altering clashes, the study bacteria B. subtilis still orients 25 percent of all its genes, and 6 percent of its essential genes, on the lagging strand.

The scientist observed that genes under the greatest natural selection pressure for amino-acid mutations, a sign of their adaptive significance, were on the lagging strand. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. Based on their analysis of mutations on the leading and the lagging strands, the researchers found that the rate of accumulation of mutations was faster in the genes oriented to be subject to head-on replication-transcription conflicts, in contrast to co-directional conflicts.

According to the researchers, together the mutational analyses of the genomes and the experimental findings indicate that head-on conflicts were more likely than same-direction conflicts to cause mutations. They also found that longer genes provided more opportunities for replication-transcription conflicts to occur. Lengthy genes were more prone to mutate.

The researchers noted that head-on replication-transcription encounters, and the subsequent mutations, could significantly increase structural variations in the proteins coded by the affected genes. Some of these chance variations might give the bacteria new options for adapting to changes or stresses in their environment. Like savvy investors, the bacteria appear to protect most of their genetic assets, but offer a few up to the high-roll stakes of mutation.

The researchers pointed out, "A simple switch in gene orientation ?could facilitate evolution in specific genes in a targeted way. Investigating the main targets of conflict-mediated formation of mutations is likely to show far-reaching insights into adaptation and evolution of organisms."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Washington, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Sandip Paul, Samuel Million-Weaver, Sujay Chattopadhyay, Evgeni Sokurenko, Houra Merrikh. Accelerated gene evolution through replication?transcription conflicts. Nature, 2013; 495 (7442): 512 DOI: 10.1038/nature11989

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/S-XGYhm7TK4/130329125307.htm

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Obama, EPA to unveil proposal to clean up emissions

By Dina Cappiello, Associated Press

The Obama administration will unveil a proposal Friday to clean up gasoline and automobile emissions, a step that officials say will result in cleaner air across the U.S. and slightly higher prices at the pump.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the rule to reduce sulfur in gasoline and tighten emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017 could increase gas prices by less than a penny per gallon and add $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025.

But the agency says it will yield billions of dollars in health benefits by slashing smog- and soot-forming pollution come 2030.

The oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats had pressed the EPA to delay the rule, citing higher costs. An oil industry study says the rule could increase gasoline prices by 6 to 9 cents per gallon.

The so-called Tier 3 standards would reduce sulfur in gasoline by more than 60 percent and reduce nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, by expanding across the country a standard already in place in California. For states, the regulation will make it easier to comply with health-based standards for the main ingredient in smog and soot. For automakers, the regulation allows them to sell the same autos in all 50 states.

Environmentalists hailed the proposal as potentially the most significant in President Barack Obama's second term.

The Obama administration has already moved to clean up motor vehicles by adopting rules that will double fuel efficiency and putting in place the first-ever standards to reduce the pollution blamed for global warming from cars and trucks.

"We know of no other air pollution control strategy that can achieve such substantial, cost-effective and immediate emission reductions," said Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Becker said the rule would reduce pollution equal to taking 33 million cars off the road.

But the head of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Charles Drevna, said in an interview Thursday that the refiners' group was still unclear on the motives behind the agency's regulation, since refining companies have already spent $10 billion to reduce sulfur by 90 percent. The additional cuts, while smaller, will cost just as much, Drevna said, and the energy needed for the additional refining could actually increase carbon pollution by 1 to 2 percent.

"I haven't seen an EPA rule on fuels that has come out since 1995 that hasn't said it would cost only a penny or two more," Drevna said.

A study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute estimated that lowering the sulfur in gasoline would add 6 to 9 cents per gallon to refiners' manufacturing costs, an increase that would likely be passed down to consumers at the pump. The EPA estimate of less than 1 cent is also an additional manufacturing cost and likely to be passed on.

A senior administration official said Thursday that only 16 of 111 refineries would need to invest in major equipment to meet the new standards, which could be final by the end of this year. Of the remaining refineries, 29 already are meeting the standards because they are selling cleaner fuel in California or other countries, and 66 would have to make modifications.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rule was still undergoing White House budget office review.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a1d8ff2/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C280C1750A71780Eobama0Eepa0Eto0Eunveil0Eproposal0Eto0Eclean0Eup0Eemissions0Dlite/story01.htm

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Ohio State advances past Arizona on late 3-pointer

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? When LaQuinton Ross found out Ohio State was using the Los Angeles Lakers' dressing room this weekend, he immediately called dibs on Kobe Bryant's locker for the first NCAA tournament game ever played at Staples Center.

And with a dramatic flair that would make No. 24 proud, Ross sent the Buckeyes to the brink of another Final Four.

Ross hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer on a pass from Aaron Craft with 2 seconds to play, and Ohio State advanced to the West Regional final with a 73-70 victory over Arizona on Thursday night.

Ross scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), who rallied from an early 11-point deficit. With Ross making a series of tough shots capped by that dramatic 3, Ohio State weathered the sixth-seeded Wildcats' late charge for its 11th consecutive victory since mid-February.

"It feels great, man," said Ross, a once-ballyhooed recruit who has grown into a key reserve role in the past few months. "This is what every player grows up looking at on TV, and wants to hit that big shot, wants to win the game and hit the big shot in the NCAA tournament or the NBA. It just feels great to be here right now."

Ohio State faces ninth-seeded Wichita State on Saturday, and the Buckeyes could be Atlanta-bound with one more win.

Deshaun Thomas scored 20 points for the Buckeyes, and Craft added 13 before ceding Ohio State's final shot to Ross when the Wildcats didn't make the proper switch on the Buckeyes' screen. Ross coolly drilled his second 3-pointer and set off a wild celebration in the Ohio State section of the Arizona-dominated crowd.

Craft hit an awfully similar 3-pointer against Iowa State last Sunday to send the Buckeyes forward with a 78-75 victory, but Ross didn't flinch at his turn under pressure in this increasingly magical Ohio State season.

"LaQuinton has really grown in a lot of areas," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I think the biggest thing he's done is he's engaged himself in all the little things, and that's made him a better basketball player. We're proud of him."

Arizona couldn't get off a shot on its last-second inbounds heave, and Mark Lyons greeted Ross in the postgame handshakes with a joking "I can't stand you!"

Lyons' acrobatic three-point play for the Wildcats (27-8) had tied it with 21.8 seconds left, thanks to a foul by Ross.

"It was similar to the play we ran last game," Ross said. "We like to get the (big men) on a pick-and-roll. It so happened they messed up the switch there, and I was able to knock down the shot."

Lyons scored 23 points including his gutsy three-point play for the Wildcats, who rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half before falling just short of their second NCAA regional final in four years. Solomon Hill added 16 points in his native Los Angeles, but the rest of Arizona combined for just 31 points on 10-for-29 shooting.

"The only thing I regret is not getting past the Sweet Sixteen, because I've been there so many times and I just feel like I can't get over that hump," said Lyons, the Xavier transfer. "But I've got no regrets. I played with a great bunch of guys this whole year who had a lot of faith in me, and I'm just happy they accepted me."

Sam Thompson added 11 points for the Buckeyes, who trailed for nearly the entire first half before pushing ahead and nursing a small lead throughout the final minutes. Ohio State mounted a 33-13 surge spanning halftime, taking a 53-43 lead with 11 minutes left.

The Wildcats finally got rolling, but Ross kept the Buckeyes in front with nine consecutive points down the stretch.

Although Arizona coach Sean Miller lamented his team's coverage mistake on the final possession, he still praised his players.

"I'm proud of our guys' effort," Miller said. "We tried hard, and losing in this tournament when you play hard to the end hurts more in the beginning, but I think you leave with a lot of pride knowing you played your heart out."

The game was the second NCAA tournament meeting between Matta and Miller, whose friendship goes back two decades to their time together at Miami of Ohio and Xavier.

Ohio State hasn't lost since Feb. 17, beating Indiana on the road before winning the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes had much more trouble than Arizona in their first two NCAA games, but they're showing a knack for last-minute heroics at the perfect time.

Arizona took the lead on its first basket, a 3-pointer from Lyons in the opening minute, and held it throughout a slow-moving first half featuring 19 fouls. With superior ball movement and scoring balance, the Wildcats eventually pushed the margin to 31-20 on Nick Johnson's 3-pointer with 7 minutes left in the half.

Ohio State finally awoke when Craft returned to the game after sitting early with two fouls, trimming the margin to 38-34 by halftime. The Buckeyes finished the half on a 14-7 run capped by the second 3-pointer from Thomas, who scored 16 of their 34 first-half points with his steady all-around game.

Thompson's layup with 17:39 left gave Ohio State its first lead since 2-0, and the Buckeyes opened the second half with a 10-0 run while holding Arizona scoreless for more than 6? minutes spanning halftime.

As the only school west of Wichita left in the regional, Arizona had a significant home-crowd advantage at the cavernous Staples Center, packing the lower bowl with thousands of fans. But Ohio State also had a healthy fan turnout led by Cleveland's favorite son, "The Price Is Right" host Drew Carey.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-state-advances-past-arizona-3-pointer-044347920--spt.html

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How herpesvirus invades nervous system

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a component of the herpesvirus that "hijacks" machinery inside human cells, allowing the virus to rapidly and successfully invade the nervous system upon initial exposure.

Led by Gregory Smith, associate professor in immunology and microbiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, researchers found that viral protein 1-2, or VP1/2, allows the herpesvirus to interact with cellular motors, known as dynein. Once the protein has overtaken this motor, the virus can speed along intercellular highways, or microtubules, to move unobstructed from the tips of nerves in skin to the nuclei of neurons within the nervous system.

This is the first time researchers have shown a viral protein directly engaging and subverting the cellular motor; most other viruses passively hitch a ride into the nervous system.

"This protein not only grabs the wheel, it steps on the gas," says Smith. "Overtaking the cellular motor to invade the nervous system is a complicated accomplishment that most viruses are incapable of achieving. Yet the herpesvirus uses one protein, no others required, to transport its genetic information over long distances without stopping."

Herpesvirus is widespread in humans and affects more than 90 percent of adults in the United States. It is associated with several types of recurring diseases, including cold sores, genital herpes, chicken pox, and shingles. The virus can live dormant in humans for a lifetime, and most infected people do not know they are disease carriers. The virus can occasionally turn deadly, resulting in encephalitis in some.

Until now, scientists knew that herpesviruses travel quickly to reach neurons located deep inside the body, but the mechanism by which they advance remained a mystery.

Smith's team conducted a variety of experiments with VP1/2 to demonstrate its important role in transporting the virus, including artificial activation and genetic mutation of the protein. The team studied the herpesvirus in animals, and also in human and animal cells in culture under high-resolution microscopy. In one experiment, scientists mutated the virus with a slower form of the protein dyed red, and raced it against a healthy virus dyed green. They observed that the healthy virus outran the mutated version down nerves to the neuron body to insert DNA and establish infection.

"Remarkably, this viral protein can be artificially activated, and in these conditions it zips around within cells in the absence of any virus. It is striking to watch," Smith says.

He says that understanding how the viruses move within people, especially from the skin to the nervous system, can help better prevent the virus from spreading.

Additionally, Smith says, "By learning how the virus infects our nervous system, we can mimic this process to treat unrelated neurologic diseases. Even now, laboratories are working on how to use herpesviruses to deliver genes into the nervous system and kill cancer cells."

Smith's team will next work to better understand how the protein functions. He notes that many researchers use viruses to learn how neurons are connected to the brain.

"Some of our mutants will advance brain mapping studies by resolving these connections more clearly than was previously possible," he says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Sofia?V. Zaichick, Kevin?P. Bohannon, Ami Hughes, Patricia?J. Sollars, Gary?E. Pickard, Gregory?A. Smith. The Herpesvirus VP1/2 Protein Is an Effector of Dynein-Mediated Capsid Transport and Neuroinvasion. Cell Host & Microbe, 2013; 13 (2): 193 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.01.009

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/DpfJns9Ndl0/130328091754.htm

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Galaxy S4 preorders start at US Cellular on April 16

Looks like April 16 is starting to be the day for Samsung Galaxy S4 presales. AT&T's opening up that day, and now US Cellular is throwing its hat into the ring, too. 

No word yet on what the phone will cost -- we're told it'll be announced on April 16 -- nor do we know what storage options USCC will offer.

More: US Cellular

Also: Samsung Galaxy S4 Forums | Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-90aI0rtLoU/story01.htm

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Sprint Epic 4G Touch will receive Android Jelly Bean update today

Sprint's Galaxy S 4 recently took one step towards being ready for mass consumption, however the carrier hasn't forgotten the device's forefathers. We've received a memo from an anonymous tipster advising that the Epic 4G Touch is set to make the jump to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1, to be exact) starting sometime today. The new software bump will come directly from Samsung and will require a visit to an external website that has yet to go live. The memo also notes that in order to perform the update, you'll need access to a rig with Windows 7, Vista or XP -- in other words, OS X and Windows 8 users will have to visit a Sprint store to get their fix. For those fortunate enough to gain access in the coming hours, let us know how it's treating you in comments below.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sprint

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/qjY16vgkSF8/

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Gut microbes may be behind weight loss after gastric bypass

Mice slim down after receiving bacteria transplanted from rodents that had the surgery

Mice slim down after receiving bacteria transplanted from rodents that had the surgery

By Tina Hesman Saey

Web edition: March 27, 2013

Intestinal bacteria may be responsible for at least part of the fat-shedding effects of a popular weight-loss surgery, a new study in mice suggests. Those naturally occurring bacteria not only trim the tummies of mice that have had the surgery but, when transplanted into mice that have not had surgery, cause them to lose weight as well.

Roux-en-Y, the most common technique for gastric bypass, diverts food around most of the stomach and upper small intestine. Some patients go on to lose large amounts of weight, and the surgery may produce other health benefits, such as improving symptoms of type 2 diabetes (SN: 9/10/11, p. 26). In mice, those benefits stem from a bacterial blend fostered by bypass surgery, researchers report March 27 in Science Translational Medicine.

The finding could be a first step toward ?bypassing the bypass? as a means of treating obesity and diabetes, says coauthor Lee Kaplan, a gastroenterologist who heads Massachusetts General Hospital?s Weight Center. Possible treatments may include replacing or augmenting an obese person?s intestinal community.

Still, says Guilherme Campos, a surgeon at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, the study was done in mice, so the role that gut microbes play in humans? weight loss is unknown. ?Is it the main driver? Likely not, but it is still likely one of the components that assist gastric bypass patients to lose weight in the long run.?

Previous studies of people and rats have found that the natural mix of microbes in the intestines changes after gastric bypass, with some groups growing more prominent and others diminishing in number. No one knew whether the altered microbial composition was merely a side effect of the surgery, or whether shifting bacterial populations could help people lose weight.

To find out, Kaplan and colleagues fattened up mice then performed either bypass or a sham surgery on the animals. Mice in the bypass group lost about 29 percent of their body weight within three weeks of the procedure. But even before the mice dropped weight, those in the bypass group already had an altered mix of intestinal bacteria.

Compared with the sham operation group, the bypass mice had more of certain types of microbes called Gammaproteobacteria, particularly Escherichia species. Some species of Escherichia are pathogens, but others help prevent inflammation and maintain intestinal health. Bypass mice also had more Akkermansia bacteria, which can feed on mucus lining the intestines, particularly when the host is cutting calories. The researchers speculate that the microbes somehow trigger fat-burning changes in the host?s metabolism.

Then the researchers transplanted bacteria from the intestines of bypass mice into mice that had been raised without any bacteria. The formerly germ-free mice slimmed down, trimming about 5 percent of their body weight, even though they started out lean. Germ-free mice that received bacteria from the guts of sham surgery mice actually packed on a bit of fat.

The researchers are investigating what the bacteria do to cause fat reduction.

Bacterial transplants might eventually help some people, but they won?t solve the global obesity epidemic, Campos says. A person?s social environment and exercise habits are far more complex than a mouse?s. ?The factors that lead to morbid obesity in humans are completely different than what is seen in a laboratory setting,? he says. Patients who don?t change their lifestyles along with their gut microbes may regain lost weight, he says.

---

Suggested Reading

T. Hesman Saey. Gut bacteria may affect cardiovascular risk. Science News. Vol. 183, January 12, 2013, p.14. Available online: [Go to]

T. Hesman Saey. Antibiotics linked to fat buildup. Science News Online, August 22, 2012. [Go to]

T. Hesman Saey. Inside Job. Science News. Vol. 179, June 18, 2011, p. 26. Available online: [Go to]

N. Seppa. Bypass?s Big Boon. Science News. Vol. 180, September 10, 2011, p. 26.
[Go to]

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349233/title/Gut_microbes_may_be_behind_weight_loss_after_gastric_bypass

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Simple Tips For The Do It Yourselfer Home Improvement | How To ...

TIP! Add value to your house by refinishing your wood flooring. Although it takes a lot of work to re-finish floors properly, the job isn?t really that complex.

Would you like to feel confident about home improvement projects? Perhaps you just want to save money, or maybe you don?t want strangers in your home. Whatever your motivation for taking matters into your own hands, here are some home improvement tips that will make your home improvements easier.

TIP! Inspect the foundation of your home for damage as part of your yearly winterizing routine. Insects and rodents will hide in small warm places which is why you need to seal any entry point to keep pest away.

Try reusing materials when you?re doing a home improvement project so that money can be saved as well as the environment. Why not give your cabinets a fresh look by painting them? You can give them a facelift by replacing the handles and knobs on them. Additionally, you can paint your ceramic tile for a new look at a fraction of the cost.

TIP! Don?t forget about safety. Any project involves risk; therefore, you should thoroughly read over instructions on any power tools you plan on using.

Use a sponge when installing drywall. Rather than sanding drywall seams, you should use a sponge. A wet sponge can be as effective as careful sanding when it comes to smoothing out seams. The advantage is that sponging doesn?t kick up all of the dust that sanding does.

TIP! Give an old luggage rack a chance to shine by turning it into a low cost, but effective side table in your living room. Just take glass out of an old picture frame and set it on top, adhering it with permanent glue.

Try planting a tree as an inexpensive way to improve the curb appeal of your home. A well landscaped yard can significantly boost your home?s value. It will also, eventually, shade your home. In addition, a tree placed in the right location can lower cooling costs by 40 percent.

TIP! Add a new sink to an old kitchen. This will create a modernized look to your kitchen.

Keep any small jars (like baby food jars) for use in organizing your space. You can screw or superglue the jar lids under the wall shelf. You can use these jars to store different items like nails and screws. Twist the jars into the lids back under the shelf. This helps take full advantage of a wall shelf and small jars you didn?t think you would ever need.

TIP! Be careful when demolishing areas to be improved in your home. Many people have the urge to go as fast as they can to speed things up.

The information you just read will help you as you embark on your home improvement journey. You can achieve your dream look without hiring other people to do the work. Follow the advice in this article and you?ll be well on your way to realizing your dream.

Source: http://www.howtodecorate.us/simple-tips-for-the-do-it-yourselfer-home-improvement/

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World Water Crisis Could Lead to Big Investing Opportunity ...

When you turn on the faucet of your kitchen sink or bathroom shower, it's easy to forget that behind the water is a really big business. From finding a clean source, to purifying it, and getting it into your home, there are plenty of ways to profit from good old H2O. And the demand for safe, clean water in every corner of the world has never been higher.

We were reminded of its importance last week with the United Nation's 20th annual World Water Day. Connecticut Water Services (CTWS) marked the occasion by ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq marketsite. Their CEO, Eric Thornburg notes that World Water Day "commemorates the impact that water has on the lives of people all over the world. And of course in the U.S. we?re very proud of that impact, because people can take a drink of water and not have a second thought about its safety or freshness. But in other parts of the world you can?t do that. There are over a billion people around the globe that do not have access to safe drinking water."

But from that global crisis flows opportunity. Investors are catching on to the value of water and many believe it could be the next great commodity to invest in.

The S&P Global Water Index (CGW) outperformed the benchmark S&P 500 index last year rising 21% against the S&P's 16% gain. PowerShares Water Resources fund (PHO), the largest ETF in the sector, saw a 23% jump in 2012 as well, and Thornburg's Connecticut Water Services, despite facing some near-term price pressure, is up 20% in the last five years.

"I think the real investment opportunity is in the infrastructure and the systems that treat and protect this resource," Thornburg says. "Purifying the water and pumping it and storing it and having it available when it's needed, that's really our business."

One of the biggest challenges to the business is that aging water infrastructure. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, our country loses 1.7 trillion gallons of water annually due to leaks and water main breaks. That's enough to supply the ten largest cities in the U.S. for a year.

"Unfortunately there's a lot of backlog to catch up on because for many years people weren't replacing pipe on a systematic basis," Thornburg says."We replace one percent of our underground assets every year and then we apply a surcharge to customers bills to recover that capital."

Once Connecticut Water recovers that capital, shareholders reap the benefits in the form of a dividend yielding 3.3%. But money isn't the only perk of staying on top of repairs. Thornburg points out that his company's pipe replacement plan alone creates 160 high-paying, highly skilled jobs.

Still, new jobs means more spending for Thornburg and he isn't looking to Washington for help.

"We have chosen not to take advantage of federal funding," he says. "We?ve sought access to private capital because it is so much more efficient to attract it and deploy it and it doesn?t have nearly the load of regulatory requirements. I would really like to see our government leaders solve that because capital is really needed by the municipalities and towns who own their own water systems and that would help them to solve their problems."

Another one of those problems is demand. As the world population grows and water sources shrink, Thornburg's industry is increasingly concerned about keeping up. "Customers are going to have to be willing to pay a bit more," he admits, "and we?re going to have to be good stewards of this so that future generations don?t have to invest far more than they should."

Is there a company you would like to see us profile? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/world-water-crisis-could-lead-big-investing-opportunity-183107589.html

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Pop-up Gmail compose now default whether you like it or not

When Google soft launched its new Gmail composer last October, it did so in a preview release that gave users the option to test it out and turn it off. Not so anymore, because starting today that resizable, pop-up window is now the default interface for its web Gmail client. The widespread change was apparently spurred by abundant positive feedback from users that found the new layout bolstered multitasking -- a claim we're not entirely sold on. Regardless of your feelings towards this permanent switch, it's headed your way soon and should finish rolling out "over the next few days." So, turn and face the change, people -- it's not like you have a choice.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Official Gmail Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/pop-up-gmail-compose-now-default/

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EA teases dramatic 'Battlefield 4'

This video game image released by Electronic Arts shows a scene from "Battlefield 4." (AP Photo/Electronic Arts)

This video game image released by Electronic Arts shows a scene from "Battlefield 4." (AP Photo/Electronic Arts)

This video game image released by Electronic Arts shows a scene from "Battlefield 4." (AP Photo/Electronic Arts)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Electronic Arts is ramping up the drama with its next "Battlefield" game.

The publisher unveiled gameplay footage from the first-person shooter sequel "Battlefield 4" during a Tuesday event coinciding with the 27th annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The footage began with a squad of four U.S. soldiers trapped underwater in a sinking vehicle before flashing back to their fire-fight with Russian militants in the wind-swept capital of Azerbaijan, Baku ? beginning in an abandoned school and ending in a crumbling construction site.

The graphics on display during the 17 minutes of footage running on a PC were more photorealistic than previous games in the popular military shoot-'em-up series, hinting at what's to come on Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's rumored Xbox successor.

"It really represents what's possible with a next-generation experience," said EA Labels president Frank Gibeau.

For the title's single-player campaign, the game makers at Swedish developer DICE took a cue from the popular multiplayer mode of 2011's "Battlefield 3," focusing more on open environments, allowing players tactical freedom and giving them more ways to command squad mates.

"Integrating multiplayer features into the single-player experience was a big step for us," said "Battlefield 4" executive producer Patrick Bach. "We looked at how and why you play multiplayer, what's important to you and your friends, and weave that into single player with that tight squad feeling, and also have that be part of the narrative."

The game will be available later this year for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It will also likely be released for next-generation consoles, but that wasn't confirmed at Tuesday's event.

The game makers were equally coy if "Battlefield 4" was influenced by the Pentagon's decision earlier this year to lift its long-standing ban on women serving in combat roles. At the end of Tuesday's presentation, a teaser trailer briefly showed what appeared to be a female soldier interacting with the protagonist.

"We like to look at what's happening topically and in culture," said Gibeau. "It inspires us, and we add it to our story."

___

Online:

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

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Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-27-US-Games-Battlefield-4/id-09e954e1c6ee4a5887446971f420e6f8

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Hope for Galapagos wildlife threatened by marine invaders

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Increasing tourism and the spread of marine invasive non-native species is threatening the unique plant and marine life around the Galapagos Islands.

UK scientists from the Universities of Southampton and Dundee are currently investigating the extent of the problem following a grant from the UK Government's Darwin Initiative, which aims to protect biodiversity and promote sustainability around the world.

UK Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: "The UK has played a major role in supporting the establishment of the Galapagos Marine Reserve and our Darwin Initiative has funded a range of important projects protecting and enhancing both marine and terrestrial wildlife.

"Invasive non-native species can cause huge damage to local ecosystems and I am delighted that action is being taken to monitor this threat."

Project leader Dr Ken Collins, Ocean and Earth Science of University of Southampton based at the National Oceanography Centre said: "Tourism is partly to blame for the influx of invasive non-native species, due to the huge rise in ships and planes from mainland Ecuador bringing in pests. In recent years, it was realised that cargo ships were carrying disease-infected mosquitoes, which were attracted to the ship's bright white deck lights. Simply changing from conventional filament bulbs to yellow sodium lamps, along with fumigation in the hold has substantially reduced the threat.

"We are trying to protect marine biodiversity by identifying newly arrived species to the Galapagos, assessing if they have the potential to compete for space and overcome other species of algae and native corals."

White coral, which has already been reported off the mainland Ecuador coast (600 miles away), is also causing anxiety. It could easily hitch a lift on the frequent vessels supplying Galapagos tourists and residents. Already, two new algae species have been found in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, a World Heritage Site.

Another species causing concern and which has the potential to overwhelm natural populations is the Indian Ocean lionfish. This fish colonised the Caribbean through accidental release from an aquarium and has spread through the entire Caribbean in the last decade. Its rapacious appetite has led to the decimation of coral reef fish populations in the southern Caribbean. Lionfish can consume prey up to two thirds of their own length and data shows that they can eat 20 small wrasses in 30 minutes. Their stomachs can expand by up to 30 times in volume when consuming a large catch. The Panama Canal could provide a short cut to Ecuador's Pacific coast and then the Galapagos.

One of Ken Collin's PhD students is Fadilah Ali, who is at the University of Southampton studying how the lionfish is eating its way through coral reef fish populations in the southern Caribbean. For over a hundred years Southampton, one the UK's busiest ports has been receiving marine hitchhikers from around the world, changing the entire balance of its underwater marine plants and animals. One example is the Pacific Oyster, which is being studied in the Solent region by another of Ken's PhD students Steff Deane.

Prof Terry Dawson, SAGES Chair in Global Environmental Change at Dundee, added, "Invasive species are becoming one of the greatest threats to biodiversity on a global scale. The Galapagos islands are particularly vulnerable due to the fact that much of the indigenous wildlife have evolved over millions of years in the absence of predators, competition, pests and diseases, which makes them very susceptible to the negative impacts of aggressive non-native species.

"We are very pleased to have Inti Keith, one of the staff of the Charles Darwin Research Station, registered with the University of Dundee to study for her PhD on this important topic. Her extensive local knowledge of the marine environment of the Galapagos Islands gives us a head start in developing the research to tackle the issue.

The team have recently returned from the Galapagos, where they met the Ecuadorian Navy and DIRNEA, the national maritime authority, to discuss control measures and helped take part in the first underwater survey of the Galapagos capital port.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/x3Tk7129LPw/130326112048.htm

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Xbox Music update adds volume control, cloud syncing and performance boost

Several Windows 8 apps, including Calendar, Mail and People, received updates just yesterday, and today Microsoft's Xbox Music is getting a refresh of its own. The music app's update brings both performance improvements to Windows RT devices and some new functionality. Among the new features is a volume control that sets the app's volume independent of the system's volume. The update also brings the ability to automatically sync your music collection to the cloud and add songs from your collection to other devices running Xbox music. Finally, as you can see in the screen grab above, there's a new playing UI that displays all tracks from an album in addition to the song currently playing. You can check out the update yourself by clicking through to the Windows Store via the source link.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Via: The Verge

Source: Windows Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/xbox-music-update-volume-control-cloud-sync/

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Raytheon reorganizing, will save $85 million and cut 200 jobs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon Co said on Monday it will pare its business units down to four starting on April 1 to boost productivity and lower costs, resulting in annual savings of about $85 million and the elimination of 200 jobs.

Raytheon, maker of the Patriot missile defense system and other weapons, said the changes will not affect its financial outlook for 2013, which foresees a drop in earnings of up to 12 percent. The company has 68,000 employees worldwide.

The company's new structure will include four businesses focused on Intelligence, Information and Services, Integrated Defense Systems, Missile Systems, and Space and Airborne Systems. Parts of the former Network Centric Systems business will be added to each of the four units.

Raytheon and other big weapons makers are girding for declining military spending after more than a decade of sharp growth. Eager to maintain profits, many companies have announced cost-cutting measures, layoffs and structural changes to cut overhead and drive down the cost of weapons programs.

"Our new structure will help us enhance productivity, agility and affordability in a challenging defense and aerospace market environment," said William Swanson, Raytheon's chairman and chief executive.

Top Pentagon officials are trying to rejig their budget plans for fiscal 2013 after Congress passed a stop-gap measure averting a government shutdown this week that left intact over $40 billion in defense spending cuts on top of cuts already proposed by the Obama administration.

Raytheon's board also elected Thomas Kennedy, the former head of Integrated Defense Systems, to the new position of executive vice president and chief operating officer. He will lead the company's consolidation efforts and manage day-to-day operations, while contributing to long-range strategic planning.

Loren Thompson, a defense consultant with close ties to the industry, said the appointment of Kennedy as chief operating officer signaled the start of succession planning for the retirement of Swanson, who is 64.

Raytheon does not have a mandatory retirement age and Swanson has not announced plans to retire anytime soon.

The company said Daniel Crowley, who joined Raytheon from Lockheed Martin Corp in 2009, will succeed Kennedy as president of the integrated defense systems business, while Lynn Dugle will head the newly formed intelligence, information and services business.

John Harris, who had headed the technical services business, will be vice president and general manager of the new business unit, reporting to Dugle.

The missile systems business will be headed by Taylor Lawrence, who had been in charge of engineering, technology and mission assurance at Raytheon, while Richard Yuse will stay on as president of Raytheon's space business, the company said.

Raytheon shares closed 28 cents lower at $56.76.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa. Editing by Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/raytheon-reorganizing-save-85-million-cut-200-jobs-233540845--finance.html

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Myanmar sets curfews to curb spread of violence

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Authorities in Myanmar imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in three townships after anti-Muslim religious violence touched new parts of the country, edging closer to the main city of Yangon.

State television Tuesday reported incidents in the three townships in Bago region, all within 150 kilometers (100 miles) of Yangon. The latest attack Monday night was in Gyobingauk, where it said "troublemakers" damaged a religious building, shops and some houses.

The report said similar attacks on religious buildings, shops and houses occurred in nearby Otepho and Min Hla on Sunday night. Official reports use the term "religious buildings" in an apparent attempt to dampen passion, though in most cases the targets were reportedly mosques.

The announcement said an emergency law known as Section 144 would be applied in the three townships which will ban public assemblies, marches and speeches, and impose a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.

The religious unrest began with rioting a week ago in the central city of Meikhtila that was sparked by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Tuesday that eight more bodies were found in Meikhtila as soldiers cleared devastated areas set ablaze by anti-Muslim mobs during three days of rioting, bringing the death toll to 40. State TV said Tuesday that although calm had been restored in Meikhtila, a 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew has been imposed to prevent any new violence.

Amid fears of spreading violence, shop owners in Yangon, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Meikhtila, were told to close Monday evening by 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m.

The fears appeared unfounded, but most Yangon shops were closed Tuesday for a national holiday.

The upsurge in sectarian unrest casts a shadow over President Thein Sein's administration as it struggles to make democratic changes after a half-century of military rule. Hundreds of people were killed last year and more than 100,000 made homeless in sectarian violence in western Myanmar between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-sets-curfews-curb-spread-violence-012405562.html

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Officials: Bomb kills 2 north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraqi officials say a bomb attached to a car has killed two local officials and wounded another north of Baghdad.

A police officer says the two men who were killed, the head of a local council and a council member, were traveling in the same car in the town of Tuz Khormato when the bomb exploded Tuesday morning. A third official, a mayor, was wounded.

A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

Tuz Khormato is located about 210 kilometers (130 miles) north Baghdad.

Insurgents are still able to hunt down local officials and launch lethal attacks nationwide despite the large decrease in violence in recent years.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/officials-bomb-kills-2-north-baghdad-090526616.html

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Obama Administration Pushes For Assault Weapons Ban Vote, But Says No National Gun Registry Needed

The Obama Administration says despite Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to exclude the assault weapons ban from comprehensive gun control for lack of votes, the President still supports it and urges the Senate to vote publicly on the proposal to eliminate "military-style weapons" from American streets as an amendment.

Speaking in today's White House Briefing, Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said "it will be a question for all 100 members of the Senate to ask themselves about whether or not they think that voting for and supporting an assault weapons ban would actually do something to reduce gun violence in communities all across the country. So, we're - - going to have that - we're going to have that debate."

Related: Reid Pulls Assault Weapons Ban from Gun Legislation

Earnest also made clear that despite NRA fears, the President does not support a National Registry of legal gun owners.

"That is not something that the president has supported", said Earnest. He said the White House has no intention of taking away guns from law-abiding citizens. "What we want to make sure is that we're keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them, but without interfering with the ability of law-abiding citizens to get their guns that they would like to buy."

The President does support background checks, but asked if those could be carried out without a national list of all those owning weapons in the United States, Earnest said, "He's not seeking a registry."

Over the weekend Republican strategist Karl Rove insinuated otherwise on ABC's This Week. Rove told George Stephanopoulos "if there's one thing that scares a lot of people who believe in the Second Amendment, is the federal government keeping a national registry of gun sales, and gun purchasers, and gun owners."

Related: Karl Rove on 'This Week '

The Senate is expected to debate and vote on extending background checks to gun dealers and private sales when it returns from Easter recess. The NRA opposes the measure with Wayne LaPierre saying on NBC's Meet the Press, "It slows down the law abiding and does nothing to anybody else".

Still the White House indicated today it not only wants the Senate to vote on "universal background checks," it wants members of the Senate and House to vote publicly on the now-dead assault weapons Ban.

Related: Bloomberg, NRA Brace for Showdown on Guns

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-pushes-assault-weapons-ban-vote-says-190404056--abc-news-politics.html

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SS United States, Historic Ocean Liner, Faces Fundraising Dilemma In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA ? The SS United States is sending out what may be its final distress call.

The 990-foot-long ship could be sold for scrap within two months unless the grassroots preservation group that's working to secure a home and purpose for it can raise $500,000 immediately, the group told The Associated Press. Talks are under way with developers and investors about the ship's long-term future, but without the emergency funding, its caretakers fear they will run out of money before a deal is inked.

The historic ocean liner carried princes and presidents across the Atlantic in the 1950s and 1960s but has spent decades patiently awaiting a savior at its berth on the Philadelphia waterfront.

"We've made progress on the fundraising side and the redevelopment side," said Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship's Philadelphia-born designer, William Francis Gibbs. "Our immediate goal is to buy some time."

The group has raised $1 million through fundraisers and a website, where contributors can sponsor a piece of the ship for $1 per square foot, but has received no public funding. What is desperately and immediately needed, they said, are donors with deep pockets and high profiles.

"Are we giving up on successfully redeveloping the ship as a self-sustaining entity? Absolutely not," said Dan McSweeney, head of the redevelopment efforts. "We continue to have active discussions with potential partners, we have ideas of potential sites for the ship, but we need more time to get it off the ground ... and we're running out of runway."

It costs $80,000 a month just for mooring, basic maintenance, insurance and security, he said.

The conservancy is exploring potential partnerships with four entities in Philadelphia and New York City to refashion the vessel as a stationary entertainment complex with 500,000 square feet of space for a hotel, theater, restaurants and shopping. The sluggish economy and other factors have slowed negotiations, McSweeney said.

As talks continue, he said, the hope is to convince corporate sponsors, influential politicians and prominent business leaders ? are you listening, Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg? ? to lend their political and financial capital to the effort.

"Any way you look at it, there is no downside to this project," McSweeney said. "It's an economic and community development project that's going to create jobs."

The SS United States carried more than 1 million passengers at record-breaking trans-Atlantic speeds over the course of 400 round trips from 1952 to 1969, among them President John F. Kennedy, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Salvador Dali and Elizabeth Taylor. A joint venture between the Navy and ship designer Gibbs & Cox, the luxury liner was made with hidden military might: It could have been converted in a single day to transport 14,000 troops for 10,000 miles before refueling.

After being decommissioned it changed hands multiple times, from the Navy and on through a series of restoration-minded investors.

It was towed from Virginia to Turkey to Ukraine, finally arriving in Philadelphia as a gutted hulk in 1996. Another succession of developers and a cruise lines failed to return the ship to service as retrofitting costs proved too great.

A local philanthropist's 11th-hour gift of $5.8 million allowed the SS United States Conservancy to save the ship from the scrapper and keep it berthed and maintained for 20 months. That was last November.

"It's an all hands on deck moment," Gibbs said. "Now is the time, there's a window. Within months it will close unless everyone assists in the effort."

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/25/ss-united-states_n_2948010.html

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'Voice' season premiere to be 'the best episode'

By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Get ready for some chair-spinning action -- "The Voice" returns for an all-new season of the talent competition Monday night. But this time, the would-be contestants won't be the only new part of the show.

Coaches Usher and Shakira are joining the act, filling the spots vacated by Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green -- not that the shakeup should concern faithful fans. According to host Carson Daly, the new additions just add to the appeal.

"You're looking at a guy that could have been on any one of these (TV? talent) shows," Daly said, gesturing toward Usher, who joined him on TODAY Monday morning. "But him and Shakira, they were fans of 'The Voice,' and that was a great place to start."

It's especially great for fellow fans, who have high hopes for season four.

"(Monday night) is the best episode of 'The Voice' ever," Daly added, "and it's in large part to Usher and Shakira, Blake (Shelton) and Adam (Levine)."

As for Usher, he offered a sneak peek of the talent reviews to come by evaluating TODAY's Matt Lauer -- who didn't even sing.

"Well, the first thing that I have to make you aware of is that you were incredible -- an incredible talent," the singer said with a smile before demonstrating how he would persuade Lauer to join his team. "In my opinion, I think that you need a coach that really understands how to nurture your talent. Now you've heard from the rest of them, you need to rock with the best of them."

See just how the actual auditioners handle the evaluations when the "The Voice" returns Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Are you looking forward to seeing what Usher and fellow new coach Shakira bring to "The Voice"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/03/25/17455539-the-voice-season-premiere-promises-to-be-best-episode-ever?lite

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Stocks finish lower as Cyprus euphoria fades?

JeeYeon Park , CNBC ? ? ? 28 min.

Stocks bounced off their worst levels but still ended in negative territory Monday, as initial euphoria over Cyprus fizzled and even after Eurogroup head's Jeroen Dijsselbloem backtracked on his previous comments that the island nation's bailout is a template for bank rescues.

Stocks slumped near session lows shortly after the open after Dijsselbloem said the Cyprus rescue represented a new template for resolving euro zone banking problems and that other countries may have to restructure their banks. But the spokeswoman for Dijsselbloem backtracked on the comments.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished lower, dragged by Bank of America and 3M. Earlier in the session, the blue-chip index briefly hit a fresh intraday high for the ninth time. The index still remains on track for its best first-quarter percentage gain since 1998.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also closed in negative territory. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, rallied above 14.

(Read More:Why the S&P 500 Just Can't Break its Record High)

All key S&P sectors were in the red, led by industrials and materials.

(Read More: Where's the Long Awaited Market Correction?)

"Investors need to keep an eye on Cyprus, but the situation is nowhere near the magnitude of the Greece crisis in the Fall of 2011," wrote Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab. "With the S&P 500 up sharply in 2013 there are risks; however, the risks are substantially lower this time and that means traders should consider a correction or any pullbacks to be a buying opportunity."

The euro fell below $1.29 against the U.S. dollar, briefly tumbling to its lowest level since mid-November.

"This is evidence of a bigger problem: the lack of coherent leadership in the EU," said Brian Battle, director at Performance Trust Capital Partners. "They're proscribing austerity and pain rather than competitiveness and growth."

Meanwhile, a Central Bank source told Reuters that most Cyprus banks would remain shut until Thursday, reversing an earlier decision which said most banks would reopen on Tuesday after a week-long shutdown. Earlier, the Central Bank had announced most banks would open on Tuesday, with the exception of Popular Bank and Bank of Cyprus, the island's two largest lenders which would reopen on Thursday.

Cyprus and its international lenders reached a deal merely hours before a deadline to resolve the island nation's financial crisis and avert the country's exit from the euro zone. The 10 billion euro ($13 billion) deal involves the winding down of Cyprus' second largest lender, the Popular Bank of Cyprus, and imposes a levy on uninsured deposits over 100,000 euros ($130,000) in Cypriot banks.

(Read More: Cyprus Relief: Why the Rally May Be Short Lived)

"Despite a deal being struck for Cyprus, it will set an unsettling precedent for future bailouts and investors will once again be concerned over the security of their bank deposits," wrote Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at stockbroker Interactive Investor. "Furthermore, investors should question why the regulators allowed the Cypriot banking system to rise to this size, given the experiences in Iceland and Ireland."

Among earnings, Dollar General rose after the discount retailer posted earnings that beat expectations and said this year's sales growth could top the strength it saw in 2012.

Apollo Group surged to lead the S&P 500 gainers after the for-profit education company posted a better-than-expected profit and reaffirmed its full-year forecast.

Elsewhere, shares of Dell jumped after the company confirmed it had received competing offers from Blackstone Group and billionaire investors Carl Icahn as the computer giant looks to go private. The offers come as the company agreed to a $24.4 billion deal to be taken private by private equity firm Silver Lake.

Facebook declined, falling to its lowest level this year, after U.S regulators approved a plan to compensate market makers who lost money in the social-media giant's IPO on the Nasdaq last May.

Apple traded higher after the tech giant acquired WiFiSlam, a startup company that makes mapping applications for smartphones.

Also among techs, BlackBerry extended sharp losses from last week after the smartphone maker's new BlackBerry Z10 launch failed to generate buzz. In addition, Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the company to "neutral" from "buy."

Vodafone rallied amid a U.K.'s Sunday Times report that said telecommunications company was looking to sell its 45 percent stake in its U.S. Verizon Wireless unit.

Meanwhile, New York Fed President William Dudley said the Federal reserve must remain very accommodative because the labor market remains "far from healthy" despite some recent overall economic improvement.

Information from Reuters was included in this report.

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