Briefly

BASEBALL

- The Arizona Diamondbacks have exercised a $12 million option toretain Randy Johnson for the 2003 season, when he will be 39 yearsold. In his two seasons with Arizona, Johnson is 36-16 with a 2.56ERA. He has 711 strikeouts and 146 walks in 5201/3 innings.

- Jeromy Burnitz and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a $20million, two-year contract extension through 2003.

Burnitz, 31, was an All-Star in 1999. He hit .232 with 31 homersand 98 RBI last year, his worst season with the Brewers.

GOLF

- Every golfer should experience Tiger Woods' "slump."

Woods birdied the final two holes today for his second straight 8-under 64, giving him a …

Patents

BC has a long history of companies that have built value around their developed patents, and many companies today are carrying on this tradition of innovation. The following article provides a brief overview of the potential opportunities for companies that develop, acquire, and commercialize patents.

Developing patents-maximizing ITCs

Developing a patent may involve incurring Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) expenditures, which qualify for tax credits (ITCs). BC offers a 10% provincial SR&ED ITC, which, combined with the 35% federalSRSiED ITC, can signify a cash return of up to 68% on qualifying labour costs for a BC Canadian Controlled …

Last Ethiopian troops leave Somali capital

The last Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's fragile government left the Somali capital Thursday, the prime minister said, as Islamist forces took control of bases that the Ethiopians had vacated.

An extremist Islamic group said Wednesday that it now will focus its attacks on the about 2,400 African Union peacekeepers based in Mogadishu, underscoring fears the country could collapse into further chaos.

Ethiopia's prime minister said he could not predict what would happen when his troops leave Somalia completely, but he expected the extremist Islamic group, al-Shabab, and others to try to seize power.

"It would be strange if the Shabab and …

At Oberweis, it's full speed ahead

If you don't have things figured out, you have company thesedays.

In fact, says Ronald A. Alghini, a veteran of the investmentwars, the trouble in Wall Street today is that "the market isconfused."

Rarely, he says, have there been so many "strong" people arguingopposite sides of the same issue.

There are those who think we're headed straight into new wavesof inflation. And those who think the trend is deflation, a replayof 1981-82.

Some analysts see interest rates skyrocketing, while othersthink rates are peaking out and headed downhill. Economists,academic and otherwise, see new economic growth ahead or a recessionof varying degrees of …

The Crystal Structure at 1.5 [Angstrom] Resolution of an RNA Octamer Duplex Containing Tandem G.U Basepairs

ABSTRACT

The crystal structure of the RNA octamer, 5'-GGCGUGCC-3' has been determined from x-ray diffraction data to 1.5 [Angstrom] resolution. In the crystal, this oligonucleotide forms five self-complementary double-helices in the asymmetric unit. Tandem 5'GU/3'UG basepairs comprise an internal loop in the middle of each duplex. The NMR structure of this octameric RNA sequence is also known, allowing comparison of the variation among the five crystallographic duplexes and the solution structure. The G.U pairs in the five duplexes of the crystal form two direct hydrogen bonds and are stabilized by water molecules that bridge between the base of guanine (N2) and the sugar (O2') of …

Wind-driven wildfires strike Malibu again, destroying dozens of homes in wealthy enclave

A fast-moving wildfire pushed by seasonal winds raced through the canyons and over the mountains of the wealthy enclave of Malibu for the second time in little more than a month, destroying dozens of homes and forcing as many as 14,000 residents to flee.

The fire erupted in the wee hours after the long-predicted Santa Anas finally returned, and it quickly grew before the winds died down. Forty-nine homes were destroyed and another 27 damaged, said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman.

By midafternoon the fire was estimated at 4,500 acres (1,800 hectares), or about 7 square miles (18 square kilometers), with 25 percent containment.

…

NBA Playoff Preview

Rarely have the NBA playoffs seemed so wide open, especially in the Western Conference, where only seven games separated first place from eighth. Expect a few upsets along the way -- and plenty of hotly contested series. But when the smoke clears, it says here the top-seeded Celtics and Lakers will meet in a turn-back-the-clock NBA Finals.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND

BOSTON CELTICS (1) vs. ATLANTA HAWKS (8)

The skinny: The Hawks should feel proud for making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but when this series is over, they may wish they were back in the draft lottery.

Prediction: Celtics in four.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4) vs. …