California Coast Wrestling Classic: Three Harbor wrestlers come away with medals

APTOS -- The California Coast Wrestling Classic in Aptos came to an end Friday evening and three of Harbor High's strongest grapplers came away with medals to hang on their bedroom wall.

Harbor's Dakotah Francis advanced to the finals but came up short in a 5-3 loss to No. 1 Gress Lawson of El Dorado in the 220-pound championship.

"We were both kind of equally matched," Francis said. "But the illegal point, I didn't think it would happen but it happened. That kind of screwed up me a little bit."

The illegal point came in the third period with less than a minute to go. Francis was penalized for taking down Lawson after the referee had blown the whistle. It gave Lawson the momentum and scored the match's winning two points on a near-fall with seconds left on the clock.

"He did all the things he needed to do and it just came down to the last takedown," Harbor coach Brendan Guinn said. "The guy scrambled out of it. It was kind of like a freak thing."

Still, it was a standout performance for the senior to get so far in a pool with other elite wrestlers -- even after he missed a week of practice with an injured shoulder. Guinn couldn't be any prouder for Francis.

"His first tournament coming out and taking second place, I'm stoked for him," Guinn said.

The other two members of the Pirates wrestling squad to win medals was junior Willy Lamacchia, who placed third in the 138-pound division, and junior Bryan Battisto,

who took seventh in the 160-pound division.

"I'm a little disappointed I wasn't able to be in the finals and win the tournament," Lamacchia said. "I felt like I wrestled average in the beginning of the day but I had a good third-place match and I got it done."

"I was missing a little bit of my upper and lower attack in my semifinal. I was just shooting and I didn't have any snaps or fake-shots, so he knew it was coming and he was able to stop it," Lamacchia added.

Other wrestlers from Santa Cruz County that received medals were Ramon Zacarias of Aptos (eighth at 120) and Michael Kraft of San Lorenzo Valley (8th at 145). Nico Guerrero, who lives in Santa Cruz but competes for Bellarmine Prep, finished in fifth place at 126 pounds.

Ponderosa was the top team by racking up 242 points, taking the tournament title from Elk Grove Senior by three points. Not far behind were Porterville (224), Madera (216.5), and Jesuit (140.5) to make up the rest of the top five. Harbor was the top finisher in the county with a 23rd-place finish and 66.5 points.

Despite the hectic holiday schedule, co-coordinator of the CCWC Ken Pollastrini was still pleased with the crowd and the amount of teams that showed up to the event.

"I think it was great, there was 65 schools that turned out," Pollastrini said. "So being two days after Christmas that's pretty good. The local schools did fairly well, it's a big tournament and we had several people place which was good. Some of these schools are top notch in California but overall they did fairly well being it's an early tournament in the season, we were all pretty happy with the way they did."

High school wrestling
California Coast Classic
At Aptos High

Team Results
1, Ponderosa, 242; 2, Elk Grove, 241; 3, Porterville, 224; 4, Madera, 216.5; 5, Jesuit, 140.5; 6, El Dorado, 132.5; 7, Saint Francis (Mountain View), 115.5; 8, Gilroy, 114; 9, Woodland, 103; 10, Alisal, 101.

Notables
23, Harbor, 66.5; 36, Aptos, 49; 41, Scotts Valley, 43; 51, SLV, 25; 55, Watsonville, 12; 60, Soquel, 6.?

106
First place match ? Alejandro Teran (Porterville) 11-2, def. Aaron Rugnao (Bear Creek) 22-1, (Dec 6-1).
Third place match ? Chris Ennis (Elk Grove) 7-1, def. Jimmy Costa (Madera) 14-4, (Pin 3:41).
Results
1, Alejandro Teran of Porterville; 2, Aaron Rugnao of Bear Creek; 3, Chris Ennis of Elk Grove; 4, Jimmy Costa of Madera; 5, Tj Holloway of Ponderosa; 6, Adrain Alonzo of Alisal; 7, William Peterson of Foothill; 8, Erik Silva of Foothill.
113
First place match ? Javi Jimenez (Porterville) 14-1, def. Tristan Scott (Elk Grove) 15-2, (Dec 10-4).
Third place match ? Anthony Wesley (Jesuit) 13-1, def. Kalen Ippolito (South Lake Tahoe) 5-2, (TF 19-4).
Results
1, Javi Jimenez of Porterville; 2, Tristan Scott of Elk Grove; 3, Anthony Wesley of Jesuit; 4, Kalen Ippolito of South Lake Tahoe; 5, Marlon Diokno of El Camino; 6, Hayden Mattox of Pitman; 7, Kalani Tonge of Elk Grove B; 8, Edgar Rubio of Alisal.
120
First place match ? Anthony Hernandez (Vacaville) 16-2, def. Jesse Vasquez (Gilroy) 5-1, (Pin 1:31).
Third place match ? Sean Summers (St. Francis) 17-1, def. Brian Geurrero (Rancho Cotate) 9-2, (Dec 3-2).
Results
1, Anthony Hernandez of Vacaville; 2, Jesse Vasquez of Gilroy; 3, Sean Summers of St. Francis; 4, Brian Geurrero of Rancho Cotate; 5, Ethan Larrabee of Elk Grove; 6, Gilbert Martinez of Jesuit; 7, Spencer Boling of Half Moon Bay; 8, Ramon Zacarias of Aptos.
126
First place match ? Mason Pengilly (Porterville) 15-0, def. Daniel Ruiz (Madera) 14-2, (TF 17-0).
Third place match ? Carlos Anaya (North Monterey County) 15-2, def. Mark Brown (El Dorado) 14-5, (Maj 12-2).
Results
1, Mason Pengilly of Porterville; 2, Daniel Ruiz of Madera; 3, Carlos Anaya of North Monterey County; 4, Mark Brown of El Dorado; 5, Nico Guerrero of Bellarmine; 6, Sam Barker of Vacaville; 7, Jacob Jagelski of Los Gatos; 8, Daniel Williams of Hughson.
132
First place match ? Jimmy Scarr (Ponderosa) 16-1, def. Jason Garcia (Elk Grove) 14-4, (Dec 8-3).
Third place match ? Alex Elko (Jesuit) 15-3, def. Cameron Meszaros (St. Francis) 15-6, (Pin 5:43).
Results
1, Jimmy Scarr of Ponderosa; 2, Jason Garcia of Elk Grove; 3, Alex Elko of Jesuit; 4, Cameron Meszaros of St. Francis; 5, Terrell Turner of Elk Grove B; 6, Storm Peterson of Foothill; 7, Chase Herrin of Hughson; 8, Gilbert Valadez of Pitman.
138
First place match ? Mccoy Kent (Enochs) 23-1, def. Davis Hallberg (Elk Grove) 15-4, (Dec 8-3).
Third place match ? Willy Lamacchia (Harbor ) 6-1, def. Julian Macias (Bellarmine) 14-4, (Maj 14-2).
Results
1, Mccoy Kent of Enochs; 2, Davis Hallberg of Elk Grove; 3, Willy Lamacchia of Harbor; 4, Julian Macias of Bellarmine; 5, Colin Hustrulid of Ponderosa; 6, Nick Valadez of Pitman; 7, Will Amos of Redwood; 8, Robb Rodriguez of San Benito.
145
First place match ? Martin Sandoval (Porterville) 10-0, def. Angel Beltran (Granada) 9-1, (Pin 4:20).
Third place match ? Andrew Patrick (Hughson) 19-1, def. Isaac Garcia (Madera) 16-4, (Maj 10-2).
Results
Martin Sandoval of Porterville; 2, Angel Beltran of Granada; 3, Andrew Patrick of Hughson; 4, Isaac Garcia of Madera; 5, Gino Roman of El Dorado; 6, Modan Goldman of Fremont; 7, Kenneth Moore of Hoover; 8, Michael Kraft of San Lorezo Valley.
152
First place match ? Joseph Clay (Rancho Cotate) 10-0, def. Braden Henderson (Elk Grove) 14-3, (Dec 5-1).
Third place match ? Cole Severns (Enochs) 24-2, def. Lupe Jiminez (Gilroy) 7-2, (TF 22-7).
Results
1, Joseph Clay of Rancho Cotate; 2, Braden Henderson of Elk Grove; 3, Cole Severns of Enochs; 4, Lupe Jiminez of Gilroy; 5, Cameron Petersen of St. Francis; 6, Tj Shamblin of Ponderosa; 7, Trent Marshall of Palo Alto; 8, Austin Tibbs of Ponderosa.
160
First place match ? Trae Providence (Ponderosa) 17-3, def. Miguel Ruiz (Madera) 12-3, (Dec 6-4).
Third place match ? Matthew Penyacsek (Gilroy) 7-1, def. Kyle Campiotti (Granada) 12-3, (Dec 10-6).
Results
1, Trae Providence of Ponderosa; 2, Miguel Ruiz of Madera; 3, Matthew Penyacsek of Gilroy; 4, Kyle Campiotti of Granada; 5, Joey Lopez of Elk Grove; 6, Gerhard Hohbach of Palo Alto; 7, Bryan Battisto of Harbor; 8, Joseph Dias of Hughson.
170
First place match ? Jovan Villalobos (Alisal) 14-3, def. Nathan Morris (Redwood) 10-1, (Dec 9-2).
Third place match ? Kyle Thorpe (Atwater) 19-1, def. Ryan Holmes (Stockdale) 18-5, (Dec 3-0).
Results
1, Jovan Villalobos of Alisal; 2, Nathan Morris of Redwood; 3, Kyle Thorpe of Atwater; 4, Ryan Holmes of Stockdale; 5, Mark Penyacsek of Gilroy; 6, Emilio Flores of Woodland; 7, Jorge Bocanegra of Monterey; 8, Bobby Posadas of Grace Davis.
182
First place match ? Nick Troquato (Ponderosa) 16-0, def. Cameron Tate (Center) 17-3, (Maj 17-9).
Third place match ? Alec Gamboa (Madera) 14-2, def. Logan Paxton (Pleasant Grove) 11-4, (Dec 6-3).
Results
1, Nick Troquato of Ponderosa; 2, Cameron Tate of Center; 3, Alec Gamboa of Madera; 4, Logan Paxton of Pleasant Grove; 5, Garret Rose of Center; 6, Arthur Georgiyen of South San Francisco; 7, Jacob Golden of Monterey; 8, Danny Sandoval of Woodland.
195
First place match ? Jojo Ochoa (Atwater) 20-0, def. Cole Wilbourn (Jesuit) 16-3, (Maj 15-7).
Third place match ? Jaime Galvan (Mt. Whitney) 6-1, def. Matt Elford (Porterville) 9-2, (Dec 7-1).
Results
1, Jojo Ochoa of Atwater; 2, Cole Wilbourn of Jesuit; 3, Jaime Galvan of Mt. Whitney; 4, Matt Elford of Porterville; 5, Josh Philips of Chavez; 6, Blake Flores of Monterey; 7, Jack Loumena of Leland; 8, Aarron Montejano of Madera.
220
First place match ? Gress Lawson (El Dorado) 13-0, def. Dakotah Francis (Harbor ) 5-1, (Dec 5-3).
Third place match ? Briar Litz (Foothill) 15-1, def. Henry Sharoyan (Ponderosa) 16-5, (2-OT 2-1).
Results
1, Gress Lawson of El Dorado; 2, Dakotah Francis of Harbor; 3, Briar Litz of Foothill; 4, Henry Sharoyan of Ponderosa; 5, Kyle Mask of Madera; 6, Thomas Taylor of John F. Kennedy; 7, Eduardo Madrigal of Porterville; 8, Chris Sanchez of Bellarmine.
285
First place match ? Jaharre Taylor (Elk Grove) 16-0, def. Anthony Kosinski (Marin Catholic) 8-1, (Pin 2:58).
Third place match ? Gary Miltenberger (Fremont) 13-1, def. Sione Kanongata`a (Fremont) 6-2, (Dec 10-9).
Results
1, Jaharre Taylor of Elk Grove; 2, Anthony Kosinski of Marin Catholic; 3, Gary Miltenberger of Fremont; 4, Sione Kanongata`a of Fremont; 5, Dante Duke of El Dorado; 6, Patricio Munoz of James Lick; 7, Tarik Zeid of Prospect; 8, Roy Powell of Mader.

Source: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/rss/ci_22278629?source=rss

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Watson seeks approval of generic version of cancer drug Velcade

In a study conducted by the blog TorrentFreak, HBO's gritty documentary series Game of Thrones was found to be the most illegally downloaded TV show of the year, with six bad apples watching the show without paying for it. Haha, just kidding. In truth, there 4.28 million downloads of one episode this year, meaning many millions more likely accessed the rest of the season. So that is a popular show to pirate! Showtime's screwball comedy Dexter was next on the list, its top episode being stolen 3.85 million times. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/watson-seeks-approval-generic-version-cancer-drug-velcade-154734617--finance.html

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Use Military Retirement Calculator To Anticipate ... - Home and Family

During the first few years of service, retirement income may not be high on everybody's list of concerns. Nonetheless as their career in the army advances, figuring out retirement income with an army retirement calculator can help someone plan for the future. Retirement income for retired army is similar to civilian calculations, and they should include the same variables.

When you?re having a look at your pension plan, begin with your age, and the age at which you plan to retire. In the military, you can consider the quantity of years of service and know what % of your pay you'll receive upon retirement after an established period of years. Using these numbers in a military retirement calculator you can figure if you are going to have to find another job, or can stay home and unwind. Most calculators do not include the final year you?re employed when computing income. For example, if you intend to retire at age 65, the last year of earnings you must consider is for year 64.

When you consider income, don't forget to take into consideration your spouse?s revenue in the household totals and any amounts your married spouse has in their own retirement savings account. Individual retirement accounts should also be included in the military retirement calculator when working out the present pension savings amount.

Future Earnings Estimates Are Questionable

The earnings you realize from your current investments are questionable, at best and depending on where your savings are being held will play a significant role in its growth. A military retirement calculator can work with known numbers, but the variables in interest rates and potential for losses in market investments can make your savings plan unstable. While high-interest accounts are typically safe and consistent, their returns are also a lot lower that investments. Securities dealing however, can be rewarding, financially, they can also take a big slice of your original investment in a down market.

For post-retirement expenses, it is often worked out that 90 percent of your last year?s income will be what you may spend on living costs. When using your military retirement calculator by understanding what your total savings should be upon retirement, and working out how many years you can live on the balance, should help you determine how much more you need to save in order to survive. Knowing the amount of money you need to save can help you calculate the amount each month you've got to put away, figuring in your expected rate of growth.

This work is thanks to advisor hub. Before taking any early pension lump sum or considering a pension release, it could be prudent to order a meeting with a professional consultant as this will impact on your allowance in retirement.


Tags: pension lump sum, Pension plan, pension release

Source: http://homeandfamily.emilie.org/uncategorized/use-military-retirement-calculator-to-anticipate-savings/

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Myanmar to allow daily private newspapers

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar said Friday it will allow private daily newspapers starting in April for the first time since 1964, in the latest step toward allowing freedom of expression in the long-repressed nation.

The Information Ministry announced on its website that any Myanmar national wishing to publish a daily newspaper will be able to submit an application in February. New papers will be allowed to begin printing April 1 in any language.

The move was an expected part of new press freedoms President Thein Sein has introduced as part of wider democratic reforms since taking office last year, after a half-century of military rule.

In August, the government abolished direct censorship of the media and informed journalists they would no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication as they had for almost half a century.

Myanmar has state-run dailies which serve as government mouthpieces and more than 180 weeklies, about half of which cover news while the rest feature sports, entertainment, health and other subjects.

Private dailies in Burmese, English, Indian and Chinese languages were once vibrant in the former British colony, previously called Burma. But all were forced to close when late dictator Ne Win nationalized private businesses in 1964.

Under Ne Win's one-party Socialist government the standard of newspapers diminished to propaganda sheets. The most recent military regime ruled by Gen. Than Shwe used the country's three state-owned dailies as junta mouthpieces, which continue to be unpopular with low circulation.

Until just two years ago, this Southeast Asian nation's reporters were regarded as among the most restricted in the world, subject to routine state surveillance, phone taps and intense censorship. The censorship board would shut down newspapers temporarily for violations. Journalists were tortured, imprisoned and subjected to constant surveillance.

Testing their new freedoms, journalists and private publications have become bolder. They have printed once forbidden items including pictures and stories about anti-government demonstrations and sectarian violence. The once highly taboo images of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are now often displayed, even in state-controlled media.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-allow-daily-private-newspapers-083311307.html

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Tell bosses: Careless comments cause lawsuits ? Business ...

We?ve said it before and we?ll say it again: The only appropriate response to a pregnancy announcement is ?Congratulations.? No smart aleck comments, no questions about family size, no wondering aloud how long the employee expects to be out. If the pregnant employee asks about leave, her boss should refer her to HR.

Recent case: Erica was a luxury goods buyer for Gucci America, a subsidiary of the famed Italian company. Her job involved marketing women?s handbags and other leather accessories in the United States. She traveled to Florence several times a year to select goods for the U.S. market. She got excellent reviews and met all her sales goals.

Then the company appointed a new president, who felt the entire company should be revamped. He hired a new general merchandise manager who met with Erica to ?discuss plans to reorganize.

Around the same time, Erica announced she was pregnant. The new general manager, an Italian, bombarded Erica and another pregnant employee with questions about U.S. policies on maternity leave and whether the two expected to take long work breaks after giving birth. She added, ?Wow, all these pregnant girls, what are we going to do with all of them.?

Shortly after, Erica was terminated in a reduction in force and the other pregnant employee was demoted.

Erica sued, alleging pregnancy discrimination. She showed the court that although her job was technically eliminated, a new position with almost identical duties was created and filled by a nonpregnant employee with much less experience.

The company argued its RIF was legitimate, but the court said a jury should decide whether it was merely an excuse to get rid of a pregnant employee. (Crisses v. Gucci America, No. 10-Civ-8393, SD NY, 2012)

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Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33480/tell-bosses-careless-comments-cause-lawsuits

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Say Cheese! Mars Rover Curiosity Snaps Amazing Self-Portrait

NASA has snapped its most amazing self-portrait yet of the Curiosity rover on Mars, showing the robot posing with its ultimate destination: a huge Martian mountain.

The new view of Curiosity on Mars is actually a mosaic of dozens of high-definition color photos taken by the rover between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The image shows Curiosity surrounded by the tracks of its wheels, with the 3-mile-high (5 kilometers) Mount Sharp rising into the sky in the distance.

NASA featured the latest Curiosity portrait as its image of the day Thursday (Dec. 27) after releasing the photo earlier this month.

The prominent Mount Sharp is the central peak of Curiosity's vast Gale Crater landing site. Another mountain in the image, on the rover's left, makes up the northern wall of the expansive crater.

To create the eye-popping Mars photo, Curiosity used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a powerful camera mounted at the end of the rover's robotic arm. Curiosity turned the camera on itself much like a human tourist might when traveling alone, snapping a series of photos that rover team members then stitched together into a high-definition composite view.

The rover had to move its robotic arm through more than 50 positions in a single day to capture its entire car-size body on camera. ?NASA scientists used a test version of Curiosity on Earth to practice the Martian photo session.

NASA unveiled an earlier version of Curiosity portrait, composed out of 55 separate images, in early November, but the latest view includes significantly more detail and a wider view.

The Mars rover Curiosity is headed toward a spot near the base of Mount Sharp called Glenelg, and will continue to perform experiments along the way. The $2.5 billion rover's primary mission is to determine if its Gale crater landing site could have ever supported primitive microbial life.

Follow SPACE.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cheese-mars-rover-curiosity-snaps-amazing-self-portrait-172022583.html

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The factor that could influence future breast cancer treatment

Australian scientists have shown in the laboratory how a 'transcription factor' causes breast cancer cells to develop an aggressive subtype that lacks sensitivity to estrogen and does not respond to known anti-estrogen therapies. The research, which has significant implications for breast cancer treatment, is published December 27 in the open access journal PLOS Biology.

Transcription factors are molecules that switch genes on or off. In this case, the transcription factor known as 'ELF5' inhibits sensitivity to estrogen very early in the life of a breast cancer cell. In 2008, Professor Chris Ormandy from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, showed that ELF5 was responsible for the development of breast progenitor cells into the estrogen-receptor-negative cells that produce milk in the breast during pregnancy.

In the current study, a team led by Ormandy in collaboration with Drs Maria Kalyga and David Gallego-Ortega, has shown that the same molecular decision occurs in breast cancer and that ELF5 has the ability to change an existing tumour into an estrogen-insensitive tumour.

"This work tells us that cancers which become refractory to anti-estrogen treatment often do so by elevating their levels of ELF5 and becoming functionally estrogen receptor negative," said Ormandy.

The team has also described the genetic mechanisms by which ELF5 opposes the action of estrogen, and has shown that it is possible to alter the subtype of breast cancer by manipulating ELF5 levels in cancer cells in the laboratory.

"This raises the therapeutic option of manipulating ELF5 levels to treat breast cancer. As ELF5 is intracellular, this could possibly be done with small molecule therapies that penetrate cells and target protein-to-protein interactions, or with small inhibitory RNAs. There is also the possibility of testing ELF5 levels in tumours to predict response to treatment and therefore guide treatment decisions."

"Our key discovery here is that by simply manipulating one transcription factor we can change the subtype of breast cancer."

More information: Kalyuga M, Gallego-Ortega D, Lee HJ, Roden DL, Cowley MJ, et al. (2012) ELF5 Suppresses Estrogen Sensitivity and Underpins the Acquisition of Antiestrogen Resistance in Luminal Breast Cancer. PLoS Biol 10(12): e1001461. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001461

Journal reference: PLoS Biology

Provided by Public Library of Science

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Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-factor-future-breast-cancer-treatment.html

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White House urges dockworkers, shippers deal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is urging dockworkers and shipping companies to reach agreement "as quickly as possible" on a contract extension for East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers whose existing pact expires this week.

Obama spokesman Matt Lehrich says the White House is monitoring the situation closely and urges the parties to "continue their work at the negotiating table to get a deal done as quickly as possible."

Talks between the dockworkers and shipping companies broke down Dec. 18 amid unresolved issues such as wages and container royalties ? the payments to union workers based on cargo weight. The International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance are expected to meet this week.

The National Retail Federation has asked the Obama administration to use "all means necessary" to prevent a strike.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-urges-dockworkers-shippers-deal-172630998--politics.html

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Starvation Didn't Wipe Out Sabertooth Cats

Saber-toothed cats apparently did not go extinct for lack of prey, contradicting a popular explanation for why they died off, fossil evidence now suggests.

Even near their extinction, saber-toothed cats likely had enough to eat, researchers noted.

Saber-toothed cats, American lions, woolly mammoths and other giant creatures once roamed across the American landscape. However, at the end of the late Pleistocene about 12,000 years ago, these "megafauna" went extinct, a die-off called the Quaternary extinction.

"The popular theory for the megafaunal extinction is that either the changing climate at the end of the last ice age or human activity, or some combination of the two, killed off most of the large mammals," said researcher Larisa DeSantis, a vertebrate paleontologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "In the case of the great cats, we expect that it would have been increasingly difficult for them to find prey, especially if had to compete with humans. We know that when food becomes scarce, carnivores like the great cats tend to consume more of the carcasses they kill. If they spent more time chomping on bones, it should cause detectable changes in the wear patterns on their teeth."

Tale of the teeth

To learn more about saber-toothed diets, the researchers analyzed the fossil teeth of 15 saber-toothed cats (Smilodon fatalis) and 15 American lions (Panthera atrox) recovered from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. These specimens ranged from about 11,500 to 35,000 years in age.

To study the fossils, the scientists used dental microwear texture analysis, developed by anthropologist Peter Ungar at the University of Arkansas. This involves using generating three-dimensional images of a tooth's surface. The image is then analyzed for microscopic grooves ? devouring red meat produces small parallel scratches, while biting on bones lead to larger, deeper pits.

The investigation found the pattern of wear on the teeth of the saber-toothed cat most closely resembled those of present-day African lions, which sometimes crush bone when they eat. The wear pattern on American lion teeth, on the other hand, echoed that of the present-day cheetah, which deliberately avoids bones when it feeds. [Photos: A Lion's Life]

Analysis of both older fossils and more recent ones did not reveal any evidence that patterns of wear changed over time, and none had extreme microwear like living hyenas, which consume entire carcasses, bones included. This suggests that prey for these carnivores was not scarce ? the animals were not gnawing their victims to the bone.

"Tooth wear patterns suggest that these cats were not desperately consuming entire carcasses, as was expected, and instead seemed to be living the 'good life' during the late Pleistocene, at least up until the very end," DeSantis said.

Big predator extinction

Past research of teeth from American lions, saber-tooth cats, dire wolves and coyotes from La Brea revealed they experienced three times the number of broken teeth of contemporary predators, hinting that these species were having trouble finding prey and were thus urgently devouring or "processing" whole carcasses. This led scientists to suspect that climate change and human competition were making life tough for the big predators.

Instead, DeSantis and her colleagues argue this high rate of damage seen in teeth more likely resulted during capture of prey instead of feeding on carcasses.

"We expected extinct carnivores to show evidence for extreme bone processing, based on the high number of broken teeth determined from prior research. Finding the complete opposite pattern was shocking!" DeSantis said.

The researchers noted that saber-toothed cats were about the size of today's African lion, while the American lion was about 25 percent larger. They fed on giants such as mammoths and four-ton giant ground sloths. The fact these ancient carnivores and their prey were bigger than contemporary predators and their victims could help explain why the extinct cats had more broken teeth than their living brethren, the investigators said. . [Gallery: Today's Threatened Mammals]

Specifically, larger teeth break more easily than smaller teeth, so larger carnivores may be likely to break more teeth when attempting to take down larger prey. The researchers noted past studies that found the canines of a predator the size of fox can support more than seven times the fox's weight before breaking, while a carnivore the size of lion can only support about four times its weight and the curved teeth of saber-toothed cats could only support about twice the animal's weight.

"The net result of our study is to raise questions about the reigning hypothesis that 'tough times' during the late Pleistocene contributed to the gradual extinction of large carnivores," DeSantis said. "While we can not determine the exact cause of their demise, it is unlikely that the extinction of these cats was a result of gradually declining prey."

Currently, the scientists are examining other carnivores at the La Brea tar pits, "including the extinct giant short-faced bear and the extant mountain lion that is found both during the Pleistocene at La Brea and in southern California and elsewhere today," DeSantis told LiveScience. "Essentially, we are trying to clarify the biology and diets of these carnivores during the past to further evaluate why the short-faced bear went extinct and, potentially, why the mountain lion did not."

DeSantis and Ungar, with their colleagues Blaine Schubert and Jessica Scott, detailed their findings online Dec. 26 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/starvation-didnt-wipe-sabertooth-cats-155503846.html

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Ryan wants to be Jets coach for 'next 15 years'

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:42 p.m. ET Dec. 28, 2012

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Rex Ryan has no plans to go anywhere.

Doesn't want to, he said.

The feisty New York Jets coach opened his news conference Friday by denouncing a published report that said he would welcome being fired if owner Woody Johnson doesn't make significant personnel and coaching changes to the offense.

"There was a report that was untrue," Ryan said. "The fact is, and it's simple: This is the only team that I want to coach. Period. This is my team. These are my players. I don't want to coach somebody else's players. This is the team I want to coach."

With the Jets (6-9) out of the playoffs for the second straight season, Ryan's job status has become somewhat tenuous in his fourth year. But Ryan said he was "mad as a hornet" when he read the Daily News story, and immediately called Johnson to deny it.

The paper, which quoted unidentified sources, said it stood by the report. The back page carried a picture of Ryan and a headline that said: "Rex Wants Out ... Unless Woody spends on Jets' woeful offense."

"It's a very solid report," said Teri Thompson, managing editor for sports at the Daily News.

Ryan said he was contacted by the reporter Thursday night, but his response wasn't included. Thompson said it was an off-the-record comment and as such was not published.

"There's no bigger Jet than me," Ryan insisted. "I want to be the Jets' head coach for the next 15 years."

Several Jets players said Ryan talked about the story with them in the team meeting earlier in the day, but declined to elaborate on what was said.

The Jets are preparing to finish their season at Buffalo on Sunday. In limbo are the futures of Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, offensive coordinator Tony Sparano and quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez.

"Let's face it, I wear Jets stuff every single day," Ryan said. "I'm proud to be a Jet. Sometimes I'm proud to be a Jet more than others. I mean, this season has been a rough one. But this is my team that's how I approach it. I believe that we can accomplish what I set out to do when I took the job. And that's the truth."

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