Artificial heart to pump human waste into future robots

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7-Nov-2013

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Contact: Michael Bishop
michael.bishop@iop.org
01-179-301-032
Institute of Physics

A new device capable of pumping human waste into the "engine room" of a self-sustaining robot has been created by a group of researchers from Bristol.

Modelled on the human heart, the artificial device incorporates smart materials called shape memory alloys and could be used to deliver human urine to future generations of EcoBot a robot that can function completely on its own by collecting waste and converting it into electricity.

The device has been tested and the results have been presented today, 8 November, in IOP Publishing's journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics.

Researchers based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory a joint venture between the University of the West of England and University of Bristol have created four generations of EcoBots in the past 10 years, each of which is powered by electricity-generating microbial fuel cells that employ live microorganisms to digest waste organic matter and generate low-level power.

In the future, it is believed that EcoBots could be deployed as monitors in areas where there may be dangerous levels of pollution, or indeed dangerous predators, so that little human maintenance is needed. It has already been shown that these types of robots can generate their energy from rotten fruit and vegetables, dead flies, waste water, sludge and human urine.

A video of microbial fuel cells, fed on urine, charging a mobile phone can be viewed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LTprRQTKAw

Lead author of the study Peter Walters, from the Centre for Fine Print Research, University of the West of England, said: "We speculate that in the future, urine-powered EcoBots could perform environmental monitoring tasks such as measuring temperature, humidity and air quality. A number of EcoBots could also function as a mobile, distributed sensor network.

"In the city environment, they could re-charge using urine from urinals in public lavatories. In rural environments, liquid waste effluent could be collected from farms."

At the moment conventional motor pumps are used to deliver liquid feedstock to the EcoBot's fuel cells; however, they are prone to mechanical failure and blockages.

The new device, which has an internal volume of 24.5 ml, works in a similar fashion to the human heart by compressing the body of the pump and forcing the liquid out. This was achieved using "artificial muscles" made from shape memory alloys a group of smart materials that are able to 'remember' their original shape.

When heated with an electric current, the artificial muscles compressed a soft region in the centre of the heart-pump causing the fluid to be ejected through an outlet and pumped to a height that would be sufficient to deliver fluid to an EcoBot's fuel cells. The artificial muscles then cooled and returned to their original shape when the electric current was removed, causing the heart-pump to relax and prompting fluid from a reservoir to be drawn in for the next cycle.

A stack of 24 microbial fuel cells fed on urine were able to generate enough electricity to charge a capacitor. The energy stored in the capacitor was then used to start another cycle of pumping from the artificial heart.

"The artificial heartbeat is mechanically simpler than a conventional electric motor-driven pump by virtue of the fact that it employs artificial muscle fibres to create the pumping action, rather than an electric motor, which is by comparison a more complex mechanical assembly," continued Walters.

The group's future research will focus on improving the efficiency of the device, and investigating how it might be incorporated into the next generation of MFC-powered robots.

###

From Friday 8 November, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-3190/8/4/046012

Notes to Editors

Contact

1. For further information, a full draft of the journal paper or to contact one of the researchers, contact IOP Press Officer, Michael Bishop:

Tel: 0117 930 1032

E-mail: Michael.Bishop@iop.org

IOP Publishing Journalist Area

2. The IOP Publishing Journalist Area gives journalists access to embargoed press releases, advanced copies of papers, supplementary images and videos. In addition to this, a weekly news digest is uploaded into the Journalist Area every Friday, highlighting a selection of newsworthy papers set to be published in the following week.

Login details also give free access to IOPscience, IOP Publishing's journal platform.

To apply for a free subscription to this service, please email Michael Bishop, IOP Press Officer, michael.bishop@iop.org, with your name, organisation, address and a preferred username.

Artificial heartbeat: Design and fabrication of a biologically-inspired pump

3. The published version of the paper "Artificial heartbeat: Design and fabrication of a biologically-inspired pump" Bioinspir. Biomim. 8 046012 will be freely available online from Friday 9 November at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-3190/8/4/046012.

Bioinspiration and Biomimetics

4. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics publishes research which applies principles abstracted from natural systems to engineering and technological design and applications.

IOP Publishing

5. IOP Publishing provides a range of journals, conference proceedings, magazines, websites, books and other services that enable researchers and research organisations to achieve the biggest impact for their work.

We combine the culture of a global learned society with highly efficient and effective publishing systems and processes. We serve researchers in the physical and related sciences in all parts of the world through our offices in the UK, US, Germany, China and Japan, and staff in many other locations including Mexico and Russia.

IOP Publishing is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute of Physics. The Institute is a leading international scientific society with over 55 thousand members promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all.

Surplus generated by IOP Publishing is gift aided to the Institute to support science and scientists in both the developed and developing world.

The Institute of Physics

6. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 45,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications. Go to http://www.iop.org

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Nov-2013

[


| E-mail

]


Share

Contact: Michael Bishop
michael.bishop@iop.org
01-179-301-032
Institute of Physics

A new device capable of pumping human waste into the "engine room" of a self-sustaining robot has been created by a group of researchers from Bristol.

Modelled on the human heart, the artificial device incorporates smart materials called shape memory alloys and could be used to deliver human urine to future generations of EcoBot a robot that can function completely on its own by collecting waste and converting it into electricity.

The device has been tested and the results have been presented today, 8 November, in IOP Publishing's journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics.

Researchers based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory a joint venture between the University of the West of England and University of Bristol have created four generations of EcoBots in the past 10 years, each of which is powered by electricity-generating microbial fuel cells that employ live microorganisms to digest waste organic matter and generate low-level power.

In the future, it is believed that EcoBots could be deployed as monitors in areas where there may be dangerous levels of pollution, or indeed dangerous predators, so that little human maintenance is needed. It has already been shown that these types of robots can generate their energy from rotten fruit and vegetables, dead flies, waste water, sludge and human urine.

A video of microbial fuel cells, fed on urine, charging a mobile phone can be viewed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LTprRQTKAw

Lead author of the study Peter Walters, from the Centre for Fine Print Research, University of the West of England, said: "We speculate that in the future, urine-powered EcoBots could perform environmental monitoring tasks such as measuring temperature, humidity and air quality. A number of EcoBots could also function as a mobile, distributed sensor network.

"In the city environment, they could re-charge using urine from urinals in public lavatories. In rural environments, liquid waste effluent could be collected from farms."

At the moment conventional motor pumps are used to deliver liquid feedstock to the EcoBot's fuel cells; however, they are prone to mechanical failure and blockages.

The new device, which has an internal volume of 24.5 ml, works in a similar fashion to the human heart by compressing the body of the pump and forcing the liquid out. This was achieved using "artificial muscles" made from shape memory alloys a group of smart materials that are able to 'remember' their original shape.

When heated with an electric current, the artificial muscles compressed a soft region in the centre of the heart-pump causing the fluid to be ejected through an outlet and pumped to a height that would be sufficient to deliver fluid to an EcoBot's fuel cells. The artificial muscles then cooled and returned to their original shape when the electric current was removed, causing the heart-pump to relax and prompting fluid from a reservoir to be drawn in for the next cycle.

A stack of 24 microbial fuel cells fed on urine were able to generate enough electricity to charge a capacitor. The energy stored in the capacitor was then used to start another cycle of pumping from the artificial heart.

"The artificial heartbeat is mechanically simpler than a conventional electric motor-driven pump by virtue of the fact that it employs artificial muscle fibres to create the pumping action, rather than an electric motor, which is by comparison a more complex mechanical assembly," continued Walters.

The group's future research will focus on improving the efficiency of the device, and investigating how it might be incorporated into the next generation of MFC-powered robots.

###

From Friday 8 November, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-3190/8/4/046012

Notes to Editors

Contact

1. For further information, a full draft of the journal paper or to contact one of the researchers, contact IOP Press Officer, Michael Bishop:

Tel: 0117 930 1032

E-mail: Michael.Bishop@iop.org

IOP Publishing Journalist Area

2. The IOP Publishing Journalist Area gives journalists access to embargoed press releases, advanced copies of papers, supplementary images and videos. In addition to this, a weekly news digest is uploaded into the Journalist Area every Friday, highlighting a selection of newsworthy papers set to be published in the following week.

Login details also give free access to IOPscience, IOP Publishing's journal platform.

To apply for a free subscription to this service, please email Michael Bishop, IOP Press Officer, michael.bishop@iop.org, with your name, organisation, address and a preferred username.

Artificial heartbeat: Design and fabrication of a biologically-inspired pump

3. The published version of the paper "Artificial heartbeat: Design and fabrication of a biologically-inspired pump" Bioinspir. Biomim. 8 046012 will be freely available online from Friday 9 November at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-3190/8/4/046012.

Bioinspiration and Biomimetics

4. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics publishes research which applies principles abstracted from natural systems to engineering and technological design and applications.

IOP Publishing

5. IOP Publishing provides a range of journals, conference proceedings, magazines, websites, books and other services that enable researchers and research organisations to achieve the biggest impact for their work.

We combine the culture of a global learned society with highly efficient and effective publishing systems and processes. We serve researchers in the physical and related sciences in all parts of the world through our offices in the UK, US, Germany, China and Japan, and staff in many other locations including Mexico and Russia.

IOP Publishing is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute of Physics. The Institute is a leading international scientific society with over 55 thousand members promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all.

Surplus generated by IOP Publishing is gift aided to the Institute to support science and scientists in both the developed and developing world.

The Institute of Physics

6. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 45,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications. Go to http://www.iop.org

---

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| E-mail


Share

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-11/iop-aht110513.php
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Voters reward pragmatic, but limited government

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks at at an election party for Amendment 66 in Denver, Tuesday Nov. 5, 2013. Voters in Colorado voted down Amendment 66 that would have created wholesale changes for how Colorado funds public education. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks at at an election party for Amendment 66 in Denver, Tuesday Nov. 5, 2013. Voters in Colorado voted down Amendment 66 that would have created wholesale changes for how Colorado funds public education. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

DENVER (AP) — From the libertarian West to the conservative South to the liberal Northeast, Americans struck a moderate chord in a smattering of elections this week by signaling a willingness to accept government playing a role in their lives, provided it's not too dominant.

While there were too few races to suggest a national trend, the results do indicate that at least pockets of voters are seeking middle ground and rejecting two extremes: conservatives' staunch anti-government pitch and liberals' view that government is the best problem solver.

That could be instructive for lawmakers as a dysfunctional and divided Washington wrestles with philosophical questions about the federal budget and President Barack Obama's health care law heading into the 2014 midterm election year.

In New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie won as a Republican in a strong Democratic state by pitching himself as a practical conservative. He used his — and the federal government's — response to Hurricane Sandy to his benefit. Christie called his re-election a boon for voters "who didn't believe that government could work for them anymore."

His easy victory came just weeks after New Jersey voters elected Democrat Cory Booker, the Newark mayor who pitched himself as a non-ideological problem solver, to the U.S. Senate.

Virginians awarded their governor's job to Democrat Terry McAuliffe over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, a tea party favorite. McAuliffe is a longtime partisan power broker, but he emphasized government's role in helping create jobs to boost the economy, while hammering Cuccinelli's hardline conservatism on abortion, same-sex marriage and the recent government shutdown driven partly by GOP opposition to the health care overhaul.

In a south Alabama congressional district, Republicans voting in a special primary runoff rejected Dean Young, a combative tea party conservative, in favor of Bradley Byrne, a buttoned-down, longtime politician endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many local civic leaders. Almost defensively, Byrne called himself a "true conservative," but he talked about the need for a congressman to make government work and help with the district's economic development.

The middling trend carried over to ballot initiatives.

By a 2-to-1 margin, Colorado voters rejected a billion-dollar-a-year income tax hike in exchange for dramatic education changes that had U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan calling the state a national role model. But by the same margin, Colorado approved a 25 percent tax as part of regulating newly legal marijuana sales. And several local tax measures passed, with the notable exception of a proposed levy on sugary drinks.

Meanwhile, several Colorado counties rejected a symbolic referendum on seceding from the state because of dissatisfaction with policies from its more liberal, urban power centers.

Colorado political analysts the voters showed they share a national preference for pragmatic government action but are hesitant about the biggest, ideologically driven ideas with uncertain consequences.

Elsewhere, voters in Portland, Maine, and three Michigan cities adopted new legal protections for recreational amounts of marijuana. One of the last dry cities in Mormon-dominated Utah opted to allow beer sales, though they capped the alcohol content at 3.2 percent. Again, the results were moderation: Voters want freedom, but still give room for some regulation.

And several communities in Ohio and Colorado voted to suspend fracking, a burgeoning oil production technique, in their towns until lingering safety questions are answered, bucking arguments for free enterprise and development in an expensive ad campaign from the oil and gas industry. They essentially endorsed government being a check on the private sector.

Texas voters, meanwhile, voted to put a check on government by letting the private sector advance convention business in Houston and rejecting a bond sale that would have refurbished the Houston Astrodome into exhibition space.

On the philosophical question of whether the government is doing too much or taking about the right amount of action to solve problems, a slim majority of voters in Virginia and New Jersey exit polls said "too much," as they opted for candidates who tried to convince voters they are striking the right balance.

Those results mirror the 2012 presidential exit polls, when "too much" was the winner, even as Obama, the namesake of the sweeping health care law, won a second term.

The question is just what politicians do for voters with those seemingly contradictory preferences.

Purely for electoral purposes, Christie and McAuliffe clearly navigated the landscape, so well in Christie's case that some Republicans, like Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, praised him as a 2016 White House contender who can overcome the GOP's struggles with women and non-white voters.

And many Democrats running in Republican-leaning states next year — Georgia governor candidate Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's grandson; Kentucky Senate candidate Alison Lundergran Grimes; South Carolina governor candidate Vincent Sheheen — have embraced the "problem-solver" label saying that, of course, government plays a strong role in American life and the economy, particularly through schools and infrastructure.

Still, settling the policy questions is always harder.

Says James Thurber, a political science professor at American University: "It's especially difficult for Republicans with primaries" controlled by the most conservative voters. "But people are still looking for answers."

In Colorado, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper gave a nod to the challenge when talking about voters' rejection of the tax plan for education spending.

"This was the voters looking at an initiative that had the potential to transform public education," he said. "But it came with a price tag and people felt the price tag was too high. I don't think it's anything further than that."

___

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-11-07-US-Election-Government's-Role/id-58d18e691d8642fc807a34bed621ed7e
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Daily Roundup: Vivo Xplay review, Star Wars Episode VII, Expand NY prizes and more!

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/U8DfSEmvvho/
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Hubble spots strange asteroid with six tails of dust

This combination of Sept. 10 and 23, 2013 photos provided by NASA shows six comet-like tails radiating from a body in the asteroid belt, designated P/2013 P5. The Hubble Space Telescope discovered it in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. A research team led by the University of California at Los Angeles believes the asteroid is rotating so much that its surface is flying apart. It’s believed to be a fragment of a larger asteroid damaged in a collision 200 million years ago. (AP Photo/NASA, ESA, D. Jewitt - UCLA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — This is one strange asteroid.

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a six-tailed asteroid in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Scientists say they've never seen anything like it. Incredibly, the comet-like tails change shape as the asteroid sheds dust. The streams have occurred over several months.

A research team led by the University of California, Los Angeles, believes the asteroid, designated P/2013 P5, is rotating so much that its surface is flying apart. It's believed to be a fragment of a larger asteroid damaged in a collision 200 million years ago.

Scientists using the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii spotted the asteroid in August. Hubble picked out all the tails in September.

The discovery is described in this week's issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

• Science
• asteroid belt
• Hubble Space Telescope

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hubble-spots-strange-asteroid-6-tails-dust-192208237.html
Category: new orleans saints   Paula Patton   Pope Francis   New Girl   Zayn Malik  

TWITTER IPO LIVE: Contrasts near Twitter HQ

Specialist Glenn Carell, who will handle the Twitter IPO, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. Twitter set a price of $26 per share for its initial public offering on Wednesday evening and will begin trading Thursday under the ticker symbol "TWTR" in the most highly anticipated IPO since Facebook's 2012 debut. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Glenn Carell, who will handle the Twitter IPO, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. Twitter set a price of $26 per share for its initial public offering on Wednesday evening and will begin trading Thursday under the ticker symbol "TWTR" in the most highly anticipated IPO since Facebook's 2012 debut. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Twitter Chairman and co-founder Jack Dorsey, co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams and, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo pose for a group photo after their company's IPO began trading, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. If Twitter's bankers and executives were hoping for a surge on the day of the stock's public debut, they got it. The stock opened at $45.10 a share on its first day of trading, 73 percent above its initial offering price. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Chairman and co-founder Jack Dorsey, and co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone, front row left to right, applaud as they watch the the New York Stock Exchange opening bell rung, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. If Twitter's bankers and executives were hoping for a surge on the day of the stock's public debut, they got it. The stock opened at $45.10 a share on its first day of trading, 73 percent above its initial offering price. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, center, and Mike Gupta, chief financial officer of Twitter, wait for shares to begin trading during the IPO, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. If Twitter's bankers and executives were hoping for a surge on the day of the stock's public debut, they got it. The stock opened at $45.10 a share on its first day of trading, 73 percent above its initial offering price. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Twitter signage is draped on the facade of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013 in New York. Twitter set a price of $26 per share for its initial public offering on Wednesday evening and will begin trading Thursday under the ticker symbol "TWTR" in the most highly anticipated IPO since Facebook's 2012 debut. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter had a strong public stock debut Thursday in the most highly anticipated initial public offering since Facebook's last year. That doesn't mean the people in the neighborhood near Twitter's headquarters are doing well.

Twitter is trading under the ticker symbol "TWTR." Twitter's stock opened at $45.10, or 73 percent above its $26 IPO price. The opening price values Twitter at more than $31 billion based on its outstanding stock, options and restricted stock that'll be available after the IPO. Expect some changes throughout the day, though: It has traded as high as $50.09 and is now at $48.21.

The high price comes despite the fact that Twitter has never turned a profit in seven years of existence. Revenue has been growing, but the company is also investing heavily in more data centers and hiring more employees.

Here's a running account of Twitter's first day of trading, presented in reverse chronological order. All times are EST.

___

— 3:05 p.m.: AP's @liedtkesfc explores the neighborhood outside @Twitter HQ and sees contrasts.

The San Francisco neighborhood outside Twitter's headquarters provides a forlorn contrast to the suddenly rich people working inside the building.

These are among the meaner streets in downtown San Francisco, long populated with the destitute who have no place to live and the miscreants who resort to crime to make ends meet. In hopes of cleaning the area up, the city of San Francisco gave Twitter local tax breaks on employee stock options to help persuade the company to move into the neighborhood two years ago.

But times are still tough here. Scruffy-looking people gathered against the wall of a post office across the street from Twitter's headquarters. Four of them had just spent the night in a homeless shelter. All of them said that they wished that they owned Twitter stock, yet they maintained that they didn't really envy Twitter employees becoming wealthier as the stock soared Thursday.

There was a clump of litter just a few feet away. Amid the empty coffee cups, cigarette butts and empty liquor bottles, there were two scratch-off games for the California lottery that had been discarded because they didn't pay off. #LandofBrokenDreams

— Michael Liedtke, San Francisco, @liedtkesfc

___

— 2:50 p.m.: In Asia, @Twitter has competition from local companies, reports AP's @YKLeeAP

Led by Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and India, Asia was the fastest growing region for Twitter in summer 2010, according to Semiocast, a Paris-based social media research company. But growth has slowed in South Korea and Japan, a red flag for Twitter as both countries are wealthy and have high rates of mobile device usage — now the predominant way Twitter is accessed.

New mobile applications from companies such as South Korea's Kakao Corp. and Japan's Line Corp., have experienced explosive growth, making them potent competitors for eyeballs and advertising.

Why are people leaving Twitter or spending less time on it?

Too open. Too crowded. Too difficult.

"In South Korea and Japan, open type social networking services like Twitter and Facebook are losing steam," said Justin Lee, an analyst of mobile messengers and games at BNP Paribas. "Closed social networking services where messages are shared among a small group of people will become more popular."

Twitter remains blocked from China's vast market but another giant, India, is open to Twitter. It has amassed 27 million users there, according to Semiocast. Yet Twitter acknowledged in IPO filings that low use of smartphones in emerging markets such as India could hamper the ability of advertisers to deliver compelling advertisements and hurt its earnings potential.

International users accounted for about three quarters of Twitter's members but only a quarter of revenue in the first nine months of this year. About 25 percent of Twitter's 232 million active users are in Asia.

— Youkyung Lee, Seoul, South Korea, @YKLeeAP

___

— 2:30 p.m.: @Twitter now among the most valuable media companies, notes AP's @rnakashi

Like Twitter, the other large media companies in the country rely to some extent on advertising revenue. As of mid-afternoon, Twitter's value is nearly $33 billion, after including options and restricted stock that'll be available after the IPO.

The market value of other media companies: CBS Corp., $34.7 billion; Discovery Communications Inc., $30 billion; Viacom Inc., $38.8 billion; The Walt Disney Co., $120 billion; Time Warner Inc. $60.3 billion.

— Ryan Nakashima, Los Angeles, @rnakashi

___

— 2:10 p.m.: @NYSEEuronext has congratulated @Twitter "on a successful #NYSEIPO! We're excited to be your partner."

___

— 1:55 p.m.: Looking back at Twitter's IPO price, here are some quick facts from @Dealogic

Twitter priced its IPO at $26, raising $1.82 billion. If the offering's underwriters fully exercise their option to buy more shares, the IPO's value will rise to $2.09 billion. That would make it the second-largest Internet IPO by an American company on record, following Facebook Inc.'s $16 billion, but beating Google Inc.'s $1.92 billion.

The research firm Dealogic says Twitter's IPO is set to be the third-largest U.S.-listed IPO so far this year, behind Plains GP Holdings at $2.9 billion and Zoetis' $2.6 billion.

Including Twitter, U.S.-listed tech industry IPOs have raised $7.8 billion through 41 deals so far this year. That's down from $20.5 billion generated by 35 deals during the same period of 2012, though Facebook accounted for $16 billion of the 2012 total.

Tech companies tend to post bigger first-day jumps than the overall market. The average one-day jump for tech industry IPOs this year is 35 percent, compared with an average gain of 17 percent for 2013 IPOs overall. Twitter's stock opened at 73 percent above the IPO price.

— Bree Fowler, New York, @APBreeFowler

___

— 1:40 p.m.: @Twitter soars while drop in overall market pulls down rest of Internet cos.

Twitter shares are flying high, but other Internet companies are having a tough time getting off the ground.

While Twitter's debut likely helped send shares of Facebook Inc. down, the overall tech industry also took a hit as the markets pulled back from record levels on worries that the Federal Reserve could soon start curtailing its economic stimulus program.

Facebook shares fell $1.07, or 2.2 percent, to $48.05 after dropping as low as $47.41 earlier in the day. Other Internet companies such as LinkedIn Corp., AOL Inc., Google Inc., Pandora Media Inc. and Zillow Inc. all posted small to moderate losses.

— Bree Fowler, New York, @APBreeFowler

___

— 1:20 p.m.: Will Twitter's stock keep going up? There is risk of Twitter burnout. #TwitterHaters

There's plenty of evidence online about the celebrities who tire of Twitter. The long list of Twitter quitters includes everyone from Alec Baldwin to Miley Cyrus to "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof, though some eventually return.

Some get overwhelmed by followers spewing hatred. Others get addicted to interacting with huge fan bases and need to pull away. Even non-celebrity users complain of the amount of time spent posting and replying and vow to close accounts to get on with their lives.

With its public stock debut, the company has been selling potential investors on the idea that its user base of 232 million will continue to grow along with the 500 million tweets that are sent each day. The company's revenue depends on ads it inserts into the stream of messages.

But Wall Street could lose its big bet on social media if prolific tweeters lose their voice.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/user-burnout-could-threaten-twitters-prosperity

— Ryan Nakashima, Los Angeles, @rnakashi

___

— 1:05 p.m.: Twitter chairman @jack makes reference to first tweet in Vine video post

About two hours ago, Twitter chairman and co-founder Jack Dorsey tweeted this: "just setting up our $twtr —https://vine.co/v/hI1nP3vQOBI" The link is to video on Twitter's Vine app, showing traders shouting on NYSE trading floor.

The tweet, of course, is a reference to the world's first tweet, which was sent by Dorsey on March 21, 2006, and read "just setting up my twttr." Dorsey uses "$twtr" in Thursday's post in a reference to the stock's ticker symbol. Putting a dollar sign before it is a common way to refer to stocks on Twitter.

— Barbara Ortutay, New York, @BarbaraOrtutay

___

— 12:50 p.m.: @Twitter is trading very heavily in its first day on @NYSE.

About 82 million shares of Twitter have exchanged hands already. To put that in perspective, Twitter only sold 70 million shares in its IPO. One way to think about it, every share issued in Twitter's IPO has been traded more than once, and the session isn't half over yet.

Of course, not every investor who got shares of Twitter at the $26 IPO price is selling Thursday. Many large institutional investors are buy-and-hold firms. If every investor had sold at the debut, the stock would not have opened at 73 percent above the IPO price.

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 12:35 p.m.: @TDAmeritrade official says stock debut is flawless

"It's gone on pretty flawlessly," says JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at online brokerage TD Ameritrade.

For one, he says, the broader market's downturn isn't affecting Twitter much. Trading is also tight, rather than volatile, which indicates that people feel like it was "pretty fairly priced," he says.

— Barbara Ortutay, New York, @BarbaraOrtutay

___

— 12:15 p.m.: Learn more about @vivienneharr, @sirpatstew and @bostonpolice official who rang @NYSEEuronext opening bell

Crediting its success to its users, Twitter gave the honor of ringing Thursday's opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to three high-profile tweeters: a child activist, a legendary British actor and a Boston Police official.

Nine-year-old Vivienne Harr used a lemonade stand to raise more than $100,000 to support efforts to eliminate child slavery around the world. Her pink lemonade, along with a ginger-infused version, is now being bottled and sold online. A portion of the profits is donated to groups that work toward ending child slavery. More than 22,000 people follow @vivienneharr on Twitter.

Patrick Stewart is known both for his Twitter presence and his stage and screen careers. His highest profile roles have included Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" movies. About 722,000 people follow @sirpatstew. Stewart tweeted a picture of himself on Halloween dressed as a lobster in a bathtub. It was retweeted nearly 39,000 times.

Cheryl Fiandaca has been chief of public information for the Boston Police Department since July 2012. Fiandaca spearheaded the department's social media efforts, and her department used Twitter to get information to the public in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. More than 266,000 people follow @bostonpolice.

Bree Fowler, New York, @APBreeFowler

___

— 11:55 a.m.: @Wedbush analyst @MichaelPachter says high debut price suggests #TwitterIPO was managed well.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter says the surge "clearly shows that demand exceeds supply of shares."

"It's impossible to know what the real value is," he says.

Still, he acknowledges that the price is "pretty high" and not something he was expecting.

— Barbara Ortutay, New York, @BarbaraOrtutay

___

— 11:45 a.m.: It's #BusinessAsUsual at @Twitter headquarters, though employees seem happy.

Although Twitter's fortunes are already soaring on Wall Street, there haven't been any audible whoops of joy emanating from the company's San Francisco headquarters yet. But almost every employee walking in and out of the building is grinning.

Twitter seems to know that it needs to accelerate its revenue growth to support its lofty stock price. A few employees just came out to usher in a group of advertising agency representatives. #TheNewReality

--Michael Liedtke, San Francisco, @liedtkesfc

___

— 11:30 a.m.: @Barclays official in charge of stock debut speaks with AP's @KenSweet, admits being "a little nervous."

It was the biggest IPO of the year for Glenn Carell, the Barclays Capital official in charge of Twitter's stock debut. He has been doing it for 21 years and says, "I was a little nervous, but it went well."

Twitter hired Barclays to be its "designated market maker," which supervises the trading of a company's stock on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO process itself was managed by three other investment banks.

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 11:05 a.m.: RT @KenSweet: Twitter took a long time to open due to the deal size. Goldman also likes to take its time.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase are the three investment banks in charge of Twitter's IPO.

After debuting at $45.10, the stock is now trading at $47.85, or 84 percent above the IPO price.

___

— 10:55 a.m.: AP's @BarbaraOrtutay notes that the $31 billion value puts Twitter in the ballpark of Yum Brands and Deere & Co.

It's also slightly below State Street Corp.

___

— 10:53 a.m.: The opening price values Twitter at $31.3 billion.

To calculate its value, the AP is using 694.8 million shares that Twitter is expected to have outstanding after the IPO, counting restricted shares and stock options it plans to issue to employees. At the $26 IPO price, the value was more than $18 billion.

___

— 10:51 a.m.: Twitter stock opens at $45.10, 73 percent above IPO price

___

— 10:50 a.m.: Range is now $45 to $45.25, or up to 74 percent above IPO price. Very close to debut.

RT @KenSweet: They're closing the book.

___

— 10:45 a.m. AP's @KenSweet says current bid is $45.25. The debut is near in #TwitterIPO.

___

— 10:40 a.m.: Patrick Stewart tweets on #Ring of opening bell as Twitter trade debut imminent.

RT @SirPatStew: Honored to join @ev @jack @biz @dickc & the @Twitter team at their historic IPO this morning. #Ring! pic.twitter.com/XaJpYW2kIh

___

— 10:35 a.m.: It's getting close to Twitter's stock debut. First indication for opening price is even narrower: $45.50-$46.50.

The high end would be 79 percent above its IPO price.

___

— 10:30 a.m.: AP's @KenSweet now says opening price narrowed: $45-$47.

He reports: "This is a good sign. Could mean we're finding the right price. Progress."

___

— 10:20 a.m.: AP's @KenSweet says opening price is expected even higher: $43-$47.

The range for first indication means Twitter could start trading at up to 81 percent above its IPO price.

___

— 10:15 a.m.: RT @KenSweet: I've heard some traders mention that this may not open until 1030, maybe 11. But things are changing rapidly.

___

— 10:10 a.m.: AP market reporter @KenSweet explains the role @Barclays has in #TwitterIPO.

Trading for Twitter's stock is under the supervision of Barclays Capital. Twitter hired the bank to be its "designated market maker." A DMM supervises the trading of a company's stock. He or she is an experienced trader in charge of ensuring that buying and selling go smoothly. If trading becomes volatile, the DMM can step in and buy shares using his or her firm's own money.

DMMs are especially important the day a company goes public, because the DMM coordinates between Twitter, the company's investment banks and NYSE's floor traders to get a stock trading. If technical problems arise, the NYSE uses DMMs to bypass electronic trading systems, allowing humans to trade a company's stock. That is not possible on all-electronic stock exchanges such as the Nasdaq, which had technical problems during Facebook's IPO last year.

Barclays' role as Twitter's DMM does not mean it is in charge of the entire IPO process. That role falls to Twitter's investment banks: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/twitter-picks-barclays-coordinate-ipo-trading

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 10 a.m.: #TwitterIPO first indication for opening price: $42-46.

That means Twitter could start trading at up to 77 percent above its IPO price. Trading is to begin soon as representatives from Barclays continue negotiations to find the right price.

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 9:50 a.m.: With the #Ring of the #NYSEBell past, what will happen? @KenSweet reports.

Traders gather around Twitter's booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. At Twitter's post, the company's "designated market maker" starts taking orders from the traders, who are representing dozens of firms and hundreds of investors.

The goal of the DMM, who used to be known as the NYSE's specialists, is to figure out what is the best price to start trading Twitter's shares.

Due to massive investor and media interest in Twitter, the actual negotiation over what are the right price for Twitter's now-public shares will take some time. It could take as little as 20 minutes, or it could take an hour. The NYSE wants to avoid the trading debacle that Nasdaq faced with last year's Facebook's IPO, so it's going to be careful.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/going-public-how-twitters-ipo-will-work

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 9:40 a.m.: The market is open at @nyse, though Twitter's stock won't trade right away.

RT @NYSEEuronext: #RING! Markets OPEN. #NYSEBell has rung, now begins #TwitterIPO price discovery. Wait for it . pic.twitter.com/gPxGgB6QWa

The opening bid is $35, reports AP's @KenSweet. It's the first indication of where the stock will open later in the morning.

As the NYSE's opening bell was rung, the graphic below displayed the hashtag #Ring!

Who rang the bell?

RT @NYSEEuronext: @Twitter owes success to its users, so gives #NYSEBell to @SirPatrickStew, @VivienneHarr & @Bostonpolice #TwitterIPO pic.twitter.com/fAprlGV8Vs

— Bree Fowler, New York, @APBreeFowler

__

— 9:25 a.m.: What's being said on Twitter? IPO is the 10th most popular trending topic in the U.S.

IPO is behind Thanksgiving, Texas, NFL and #throwbackthursday.

Worldwide, it doesn't make into the Top 10. Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus does. It's his birthday, after all.

— Barbara Ortutay, New York, @BarbaraOrtutay

___

— 9:05 a.m.: RT @KenSweet: Floor trader Kenneth Polcari thinks twitter's $26 share price is pretty fair. Doesn't expect it to double on the open.

___

— 8:50 a.m.: Busy morning at @nyse trading floor, reports AP's @KenSweet

RT @KenSweet: Orders for Twitter have been coming in since 8 am, floor trader Jonathan Corpina tells me. Very busy.

RT @KenSweet: Corpina expects a smooth opening. The NYSE does IPOs all the time, he says. The difference here is volume and media attention.

RT @KenSweet: Traders use these handheld wireless computers to send orders. Paper orders ended a long time ago: pic.twitter.com/bwz8UK4xcB

___

— 8:40 a.m.: Why Twitter went to @nyse. Pressure is on with opening bell less than an hour away. #lessonsfromFB

Twitter chose to go public on the NYSE over the all-electronic Nasdaq. One of the reasons why Twitter likely chose the NYSE over the Nasdaq has to do with problems Facebook faced with its Nasdaq-listed IPO last year. A glitch in Nasdaq's trading software led to trading delays and order failures on Facebook's first day of trading.

The NYSE isn't taking any chances with Twitter. The exchange tested its trading software on Oct. 26 to prepare for Twitter's debut. If the NYSE faces technical problems with its ordering software, the exchange can switch over the traditional human-based stock trading that dominated Wall Street for decades.

RT @KenSweet: NYSE traders and execs are really playing up the human element to this IPO. It's a shot across the bow at the Nasdaq.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/twitter-list-new-york-stock-exchange

— Ken Sweet, New York, @KenSweet

___

— 8:20 a.m.: AP markets reporter @KenSweet says media outnumber traders 5:1 @nyse trading floor

It's a media madhouse. But it's still more than an hour before the opening bell, so more traders should be coming. Expect a big crowd.

RT @KenSweet: The NYSE is decorated head to toe. with twitter logos. They went big here to promote: pic.twitter.com/pnwRQ9e6QG

___

— 8 a.m.: After #TwitterIPO pricing, market debut comes Thursday.

It should come as no surprise that Twitter used Twitter to announce its public stock debut.

It began with a tweet on Sept. 12: The 7-year-old company posted on its official Twitter account that it has "confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO." Details about offering emerged after the IPO documents were released publicly later.

On Oct. 24, Twitter set its IPO price target at $17 to $20 per share. It raised that to $23 and $25 per share, signaling an enthusiastic response from prospective investors. The actual price on Wednesday night was even higher, at $26. That bodes well for the company's stock when trading begins.

Twitter also took to Twitter to announce that price: https://twitter.com/twitter/status/398235511254298624/photo/1

The company is offering 70 million shares in the IPO, plus an option to buy another 10.5 million. If all shares are sold, the IPO will raise $2.09 billion, making it the biggest IPO for an Internet company since Facebook raised $16 billion last year.

Of course, Facebook made its debut with high hopes, only to see its stock fall below the IPO price by the second day of trading. Twitter has valued itself at just a fraction of Facebook and sought to cool expectations in the months and weeks leading up to the offering.

— Barbara Ortutay, New York, @BarbaraOrtutay

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-11-07-Twitter%20IPO-Running/id-5f87c41248124d44bef6ca50e8343dab
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Apple posts two EFI updates for late 2013 MacBook Pros with Retina Displays

Apple on Thursday posted two firmware updates for the late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display - MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.2 and MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.3.

The 1.2 update is specifically aimed at models equipped with Nvidia graphics, and updates a problem that, "in rare cases, may limit the performance of the discrete graphics processor after a system wake or boot."

The 1.3 update is recommended specifically for 13-inch models, and fixes an issue that cause the built-in keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad to become unresponsive.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/rCY9I4GiLO0/story01.htm
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Sony confirms five devices will get Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade, 4.3 to roll out to ten next month

After taking a week to crunch the numbers, look at the data points and put together some fancy pie charts (we assume), Sony's finally ready to reveal its initial firmware upgrade plans. Five devices in the lineup made the cut to receive Android 4.4 KitKat at a to-be-determined future date, and ten ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/iV1y5oFjv-4/
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Fruits of Republican Folly

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Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/11/07/fruits_of_republican_folly_319482.html
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Doctors Slow To Embrace Recommended HPV Testing

The human papilloma virus causes most cervical cancers. That's why HPV testing is now recommended for women ages 30 to 65.

Science Photo Library

For decades the annual Pap test was women's chief protection against cervical cancer. That all changed when a test for human papillomavirus, the cause of most cervical cancer, was approved in 2003.

With the HPV test, women don't need to get Pap tests as often. But that message hasn't gotten through to many doctors.

Just 39 percent of clinicians ordered HPV tests for women when they went in for a checkup in five Michigan clinics, researchers found. Other doctors were ordering the HPV test too often. Many still performed annual Pap tests even though women can wait for five years if they tested free of HPV.

And some doctors were prescribing annual Pap tests and HPV tests. "That is really excessive," says Dr. Mack Ruffin, a cancer prevention researcher at the University of Michigan. He is a coauthor of the report, which was published Thursday in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Most people are infected with HPV at some point in their lives; it's sexually transmitted. In most cases our bodies clear the virus, but some women can have infections that linger for years. That puts them at much higher risk of cervical cancer.

The Pap test looks for precancerous cells on the cervix, and is recommended for women starting at age 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the Pap returns a lot of false positives; a simple bacterial infection can make cells look abnormal. So women with an abnormal Pap have to go through a lot of retesting, and anxiety over whether they might have cancer, before finding out they're fine.

Adding in the HPV test to cervical cancer screening helps reduce the number of false positives. If a woman over age 30 tests negative for HPV, she's much less likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. So she can wait five years until the next round of combined HPV and Pap testing, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups. That saves time, money and the risks of false positives.

Sounds good. But is it working? Sort of.

This study looked at the experiences of 833 women between the ages of 30 and 65 who went to five Michigan family medicine clinics from 2008 to 2011.

The good news is that the clinicians' requests for HPV tests increased over time, going up 46 percent. They were getting the message about the new protocol.

But the fact that less than half of clinicians were ordering HPV tests suggests that either word hasn't gotten out, or it's gotten garbled. Others ordered that women repeat both the Pap and HPV test annually.

Pap tests are currently recommended every three years for women in their 20s. Women ages 30 and above who don't do the HPV/Pap combo should get a Pap test every three years, too, according to the guidelines.

Mack and his colleagues figured that the younger clinicians would be better at this, since they wouldn't be stuck in their ways. But they were wrong. Older and younger clinicians were equally indifferent when it came to ordering HPV tests.

The real stars of the show were women. Female doctors were twice as likely as their male peers to properly prescribe the HPV test.

Female physicians may just be paying more attention to women's health issues, Ruffin says. Or they may be better at discussing a sensitive issue like testing for a sexually transmitted virus. "They may be more aware, more attuned," he tells Shots.

Ruffin doesn't blame his fellow doctors for doing a less than stellar job at cervical cancer screening. "We're in transition," he says. "This is just one step."

Five years from now, he says, we might be talking about women being able to do HPV tests at home, popping a swab in an envelope and mailing in their results. That method is already being explored in other countries, and may someday be expanded to include tests for other common STDs, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. Ruffin says: "The best way to screen for cervical cancer is really going to change."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/07/243731105/doctors-slow-to-embrace-recommended-hpv-testing?ft=1&f=1001
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Apple releases fix for Gmail problems in Mavericks Mail

Apple has released an update that fixes some bugs with Gmail. The update fixes the following issues, according to an Apple support article:

• Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings
• Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate
• Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail

You can download the update by going to the Mac App Store and navigating to the Updates section, then clicking Update.

Source: Apple Support article

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/HAtlxbeoh_M/story01.htm
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Star Wars: Episode VII launch date confirmed for December 18th 2015

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/07/star-wars-episode-vii-launch-date-december-2015/?ncid=rss_truncated
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Jaguars, Buccaneers halfway to NFL history

Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Mark Barron rests on the field after the Buccaneers lost 27-24 to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Mark Barron rests on the field after the Buccaneers lost 27-24 to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Corey Lemonier (96) tries to knock the ball out of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne's hand during the first half of an NFL football game at Wembley Stadium, London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon walks off the field after the Buccaneers lost 27-24 to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts (84), right, evades the tackle of San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (35) during the NFL football game between San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Jacksonville and Tampa Bay are halfway to history — and not the kind anyone wants to celebrate, chronicle or recall.

Winless through eight games, the Jaguars and Buccaneers could join the 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16) and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) as the only winless teams in NFL history.

It's not a spot either Florida franchise thought it would be in when the season began two months ago.

The Bucs finished 7-9 in 2012, and despite losing five of their final six games, were widely expected to show improvement in coach Greg Schiano's second year. They spent more than $130 million on cornerback Darrelle Revis and safety Dashon Goldson.

The Jags were coming off the worst season in the franchise's 18 years, a 2-14 debacle the led to the firing of general manager Gene Smith and coach Mike Mularkey. Under new GM Dave Caldwell and first-year coach Gus Bradley, it was a clear rebuilding project in Jacksonville. Nonetheless, the Jaguars figured things couldn't possibly get any worse.

Think again.

Now, at the midway point of the season, the teams located about 175 miles apart are making headlines and highlights as they approach history one loss at a time.

"Things happen for a reason, so obviously going 0-8 happened," Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. "But you have to learn from that. We're not going to run away from anything. That happened, and we have to face it head on."

There's still plenty of football remaining, with both teams getting eight more chances to avoid ending up in an elusive club that would make them a punch line for a lifetime.

But until one of them notches that first victory, the question lingers: Who has the best shot at going 0-16?

___

WHY THE BUCS: Their locker room could become as messy as a MRSA infection. Schiano botched quarterback Josh Freeman's benching, getting accused of rigging the captains vote and then of releasing confidential information about Freeman being in the league's substance-abuse program. Eventually, players might give up on Schiano, who is widely perceived as just another college coach in over his head since leaving Rutgers to take over a team that lost its final 10 games in 2011. The Bucs have dropped 13 of 14 dating to last season.

WHY THE JAGS: They have been bad — really bad. Jacksonville is the first team since the 1984 Houston Oilers to lose its first eight games by double digits, a stunning display of ineptitude on both side of the ball. The Jaguars can, however, point to having the league's toughest schedule so far. They played Kansas City, Seattle, Indianapolis, Denver and San Francisco — teams at or near the top of every power poll. There may be hope, though. Jacksonville's next seven games are against teams currently .500 or worse.

___

WHY THE BUCS: They can't seem to win close games. Tampa Bay has led in the fourth quarter four times, dropping all four in final 89 seconds of regulation or overtime. The Bucs led 21-0 at Seattle — one of the toughest places for visiting teams — last week before fading down the stretch. "At times, we've snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, which is really frustrating," said Schiano, whose team is 0-7 in games decided by three points or less during his tenure.

WHY THE JAGS: They won't have their best offensive player for the rest of the season. Receiver Justin Blackmon's latest violation of the league's substance-abuse policy landed him an indefinite suspension. Despite his troubles, countless roster moves and the surprising trade of left tackle Eugene Monroe, the Jaguars have a cohesive locker room. Even Jones-Drew, who's in the final year of his contract, appears fully vested in the new regime. "What else can you be?" Jones-Drew said. "It's a choice. You could be moping around and down if you want, but that's not going to solve anything."

___

WHY THE BUCS: They have a rookie quarterback. Although third-round draft pick Mike Glennon set NFL rookie records for the most completions and attempts over his first four starts, he's now 0-5, has been sacked 13 times and has failed to mount a game-winning drive. Glennon has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,165 yards, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He's also gotten little help from the team's sputtering ground game. "The guy can make every throw," receiver Vincent Jackson said. "He is very decisive. He puts balls in places, usually where you can make a play on it. If it's not catchable, he's going to throw it away. He's not going to take a lot of chances. That just helps us as an offense when we're taking care of the football."

WHY THE JAGS: They have the worst quarterback situation in the league. The Jags already benched former first-round draft pick Blaine Gabbert in favor of backup Chad Henne. Together, they have four TD passes and 12 INTs, and have been sacked a whopping 28 times. Gabbert's struggles under pressure and his inability to stay healthy prompted the Jaguars to move on after he played just three games this season. No matter what happens the rest of the way, Jacksonville is surely to draft another quarterback in April — likely with one of the first few picks.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-11-07-FBN-Florida-Flops/id-7750e951d5a0447c9b0367cbc03041fe
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