Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/271615311?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Mind-controlled robotic arm has skill, speed of human limb
LONDON (Reuters) - A paralyzed woman has been able to feed herself chocolate and move everyday items using a robotic arm directly controlled by thought, showing a level of agility and control approaching that of a human limb.
Jan Scheuermann, 53, from Pittsburgh, was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder 13 years ago and is paralyzed from the neck down.
"It's so cool," said Scheuermann during a news conference. "I'm moving things. I have not moved things for about 10 years ... It's not a matter of thinking which direction anymore it's just a matter of thinking ?I want to do that'."
She was shown feeding herself string cheese and chocolate unaided as well as moving a series of objects in tests designed for recovering stroke victims, and she was able to do it with speeds comparable to the able bodied.
Experts are calling it a remarkable step forward for prosthetics controlled directly by the brain. Other systems have already allowed paralyzed patients to type or write in freehand simply by thinking about the letters they want.
In the past month, researchers in Switzerland also used electrodes implanted directly on the retina to enable a blind patient to read.
The development of brain-machine interfaces is moving quickly and scientists predict the technology could eventually be used to bypass nerve damage and re-awaken a person's own paralyzed muscles.
In the meantime, they say, systems like the one developed by the U.S. researchers could be paired with robotic "exoskeletons" that allow paraplegics and quadriplegics to walk.
For Scheuermann, the experience has already been transforming.
"It's given her a renewed purpose," Michael Boninger, who worked on the study published in The Lancet, told Reuters. "On the first day that we had her move the arm, there was this amazing smile of joy. She could think about moving her wrist and something happened."
COMPLEX ALGORITHM
The research team from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center implanted two microelectrode devices into the woman's left motor cortex, the part of the brain that initiates movement.
The medics used a real-time brain scanning technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging to find the exact part of the brain that lit up after the patient was asked to think about moving her now unresponsive arms.
The electrodes were connected to the robotic hand via a computer running a complex algorithm to translate the signals that mimics the way an unimpaired brain controls healthy limbs.
"These electrodes are remarkable devices in that they are very small," Boninger said. "You can't buy them in Radio Shack."
But Boninger said the way the algorithm operates is the main advance. Accurately translating brain signals has been one of the biggest challenges in mind-controlled prosthetics.
"There is no limit now to decoding human motion," he said. "It gets more complex when you work on parts like the hand, but I think that, once you can tap into desired motion in the brain, then how that motion is effected has a wide range of possibilities."
It took weeks of training for Scheuermann to master control of the hand, but she was able to move it after just two days, and over time she completed tasks - such as picking up objects, orientating them, and moving them to a target position - with a 91.6 percent success rate. Her speed increased with practice.
The researchers plan to incorporate wireless technology to remove the need for a wired connection between the patient's head and the prosthesis.
They also believe a sensory loop could be added that gives feedback to the brain, allowing the user to tell the difference between hot and cold, or smooth and rough surfaces.
Gr?goire Courtine, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, hailed the project. "This bioinspired brain-machine interface is a remarkable technological and biomedical achievement."
"Though plenty of challenges lie ahead, these sorts of systems are rapidly approaching the point of clinical fruition," Courtine, who was not involved in the study, said in a comment piece in the Lancet linked to the study.
ETHICAL QUESTIONS
Although using technology to restore movement, sight or hearing in the disabled would for many seem uncontroversial, some disability rights groups and ethicists are wary.
They argue that restoring hearing, for instance, could fuel a prejudice that a deaf life is less rich, or less well lived.
Andy Miah, a professor at the University of the West of Scotland who has written extensively about human enhancement in the context of the Paralympics, says it is far from straightforward.
"For instance, a few years ago, there was a case of a deaf lesbian couple who sought to use in vitro fertilization to select for deafness," he said.
"They argued that absence of hearing is precisely not an impairment, but allows access to a rich community."
The ethics become more complex with the prospect of using these technologies to enhance the able-bodied.
"It's quite likely that therapy is the back door to enhancement in these kinds of technological interventions," says Miah. "People will question whether this is desirable, but we already live in a society that tolerates such modifications.
"Laser eye surgery interventions have grown astronomically over the last decade and nobody complains that it is making people superhuman."
(Editing by Alison Williams)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mind-controlled-robotic-arm-gets-closer-ever-human-011916152.html
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Monday, December 17, 2012
Should physicians prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals?
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Public release date: 17-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Julie Langelier
julie.langelier@ircm.qc.ca
514-987-5555
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal
Neuroethics researchers at the IRCM argue that physicians should consider refusing to prescribe the medication to healthy people
Physicians should not prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals, states a report being published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Dr. Eric Racine and his research team at the IRCM, the study's authors, provide their recommendation based on the professional integrity of physicians, the drugs' uncertain benefits and harms, and limited health care resources.
Prescription stimulants and other neuropharmaceuticals, generally prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), are often used by healthy people to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and mood, a phenomenon described as cognitive enhancement.
"Individuals take prescription stimulants to perform better in school or at work," says Dr. Racine, a Montral neuroethics specialist and Director of the Neuroethics research unit at the IRCM. "However, because these drugs are available in Canada by prescription only, people must request them from their doctors. Physicians are thus important stakeholders in this debate, given the risks and regulations of prescription drugs and the potential for requests from patients for such cognitive enhancers."
The prevalence of cognitive enhancers used by students on university campuses ranges from 1 per cent to 11 per cent. Taking such stimulants is associated with risks of dependence, cardiovascular problems, and psychosis.
"Current evidence has not shown that the desired benefits of enhanced mental performance are achieved with these substances," explains Cynthia Forlini, first author of the study and doctoral student in Dr. Racine's research unit. "With uncertain benefits and clear harms, it is difficult to support the notion that physicians should prescribe a medication to a healthy individual for enhancement purposes."
"Physicians in Canada provide prescriptions through a publicly-funded health care system with expanding demands for care," adds Ms. Forlini. "Prescribing cognitive enhancers may therefore not be an appropriate use of resources. The concern is that those who need the medication for health reasons but cannot afford it will be at a disadvantage."
"An international bioethics discussion has surfaced on the ethics of cognitive enhancement and the role of physicians in prescribing stimulants to healthy people," concludes Dr. Racine. "We hope that our analysis prompts reflection in the Canadian medical community about these cognitive enhancers."
###
About the study
ric Racine's research is funded through a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). The report's co-author is Dr. Serge Gauthier from the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging.
About Dr. Eric Racine
Eric Racine obtained his PhD in applied human sciences and bioethics from the Universit de Montral. He is an Associate IRCM Research Professor and Director of the Neuroethics research unit. Dr. Racine is an associate professor-researcher in the Department of Medicine (accreditation in social and preventive medicine) at the Universit de Montral. He is also adjunct professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Experimental Medicine) and the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. In addition, he is an affiliate member of the Biomedical Ethics Unit at McGill University. For more information, visit www.ircm.qc.ca/racine.
About the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montral (IRCM)
Founded in 1967, the IRCM is currently comprised of 37 research units in various fields, namely immunity and viral infections, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer, neurobiology and development, systems biology and medicinal chemistry. It also houses three specialized research clinics, eight core facilities and three research platforms with state-of-the-art equipment. The IRCM employs 425 people and is an independent institution affiliated with the Universit de Montral. The IRCM clinic is associated to the Centre hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM). The IRCM also maintains a long-standing association with McGill University.
About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and enable its translation into better health, more effective health services and products, and a stronger Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
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: 17-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Julie Langelier
julie.langelier@ircm.qc.ca
514-987-5555
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal
Neuroethics researchers at the IRCM argue that physicians should consider refusing to prescribe the medication to healthy people
Physicians should not prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals, states a report being published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Dr. Eric Racine and his research team at the IRCM, the study's authors, provide their recommendation based on the professional integrity of physicians, the drugs' uncertain benefits and harms, and limited health care resources.
Prescription stimulants and other neuropharmaceuticals, generally prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), are often used by healthy people to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and mood, a phenomenon described as cognitive enhancement.
"Individuals take prescription stimulants to perform better in school or at work," says Dr. Racine, a Montral neuroethics specialist and Director of the Neuroethics research unit at the IRCM. "However, because these drugs are available in Canada by prescription only, people must request them from their doctors. Physicians are thus important stakeholders in this debate, given the risks and regulations of prescription drugs and the potential for requests from patients for such cognitive enhancers."
The prevalence of cognitive enhancers used by students on university campuses ranges from 1 per cent to 11 per cent. Taking such stimulants is associated with risks of dependence, cardiovascular problems, and psychosis.
"Current evidence has not shown that the desired benefits of enhanced mental performance are achieved with these substances," explains Cynthia Forlini, first author of the study and doctoral student in Dr. Racine's research unit. "With uncertain benefits and clear harms, it is difficult to support the notion that physicians should prescribe a medication to a healthy individual for enhancement purposes."
"Physicians in Canada provide prescriptions through a publicly-funded health care system with expanding demands for care," adds Ms. Forlini. "Prescribing cognitive enhancers may therefore not be an appropriate use of resources. The concern is that those who need the medication for health reasons but cannot afford it will be at a disadvantage."
"An international bioethics discussion has surfaced on the ethics of cognitive enhancement and the role of physicians in prescribing stimulants to healthy people," concludes Dr. Racine. "We hope that our analysis prompts reflection in the Canadian medical community about these cognitive enhancers."
###
About the study
ric Racine's research is funded through a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). The report's co-author is Dr. Serge Gauthier from the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging.
About Dr. Eric Racine
Eric Racine obtained his PhD in applied human sciences and bioethics from the Universit de Montral. He is an Associate IRCM Research Professor and Director of the Neuroethics research unit. Dr. Racine is an associate professor-researcher in the Department of Medicine (accreditation in social and preventive medicine) at the Universit de Montral. He is also adjunct professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Experimental Medicine) and the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. In addition, he is an affiliate member of the Biomedical Ethics Unit at McGill University. For more information, visit www.ircm.qc.ca/racine.
About the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montral (IRCM)
Founded in 1967, the IRCM is currently comprised of 37 research units in various fields, namely immunity and viral infections, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer, neurobiology and development, systems biology and medicinal chemistry. It also houses three specialized research clinics, eight core facilities and three research platforms with state-of-the-art equipment. The IRCM employs 425 people and is an independent institution affiliated with the Universit de Montral. The IRCM clinic is associated to the Centre hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM). The IRCM also maintains a long-standing association with McGill University.
About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and enable its translation into better health, more effective health services and products, and a stronger Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
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/2012-12/idrc-spp121712.php
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RI man, wife charged with DUI on same night
LINCOLN, R.I. (AP) ? Rhode Island State Police say a husband and wife both face charges of driving under the influence after they were stopped separately on the same night.
Police say 43-year-old Stephanie Souza, of Warwick, was stopped in Cranston on Friday, and a chemical test on her at the Lincoln barracks indicated she'd been driving under the influence.
They say 44-year-old Michael Souza was pulled over for a motor vehicle violation in Lincoln while driving to get his wife, then taken into custody. They say a chemical test on him at the Lincoln barracks indicated he was also driving under the influence.
A number for the Souzas could not be located Sunday and they could not be reached for comment.
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Sunday, December 16, 2012
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty given power to pay for returned pennies
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
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Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds the last penny struck in Canada at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, Friday, May 4, 2012. Flaherty has been given the power to redeem the lowly penny. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
OTTAWA - The minister in charge of billions of dollars in government spending now has been given the power to redeem the lowly penny.
A cabinet order this month gave Finance Minister Jim Flaherty the authority to pay financial institutions for the mountains of pennies they'll begin to return to the Royal Canadian Mint early next year.
In his March budget, Flaherty unexpectedly announced the demise of the one-cent piece, saying pennies cost too much to manufacture and are a nuisance to many Canadians.
The last new penny was struck May 4 at a Winnipeg plant. And starting on Feb. 4 next year, the mint will stop distributing any remaining stock and instead start collecting pennies from banks and other financial institutions.
Under the Currency Act, however, there was no mechanism to reimburse the banks for the rolls of copper and copper-plated pieces until cabinet passed an order-in-council Dec. 6 in order to "support an orderly pace of withdrawal of pennies from the economy."
The order will also compensate the Royal Canadian Mint for its handling costs.
The mint has stamped an estimated 35 billion pennies from metal plates over the last century.
"Based on the experience of other countries, the amount of pennies returned by the public should be a fraction of this amount, and be spread mainly over the next few years," said David Barnabe, a Finance Canada official.
The penny will remain perfectly legal tender even after Feb. 4, though the number in circulation will begin to decline sharply. Financial institutions have been given no deadlines for surrendering their one-cent coins.
A spokeswoman for the mint, Christine Aquino, says officials are still "finalizing the logistics" for the final disposition of the returned coins, though they are expected to be melted down and the metal recycled.
Under the Currency Act, only persons licensed by the finance minister are permitted to melt down coins, others face a penalty of a $250 fine and-or a maximum year in jail.
The federal government initially intended to stop distribution of pennies this fall, but postponed the process until February after pushback from retailers and small businesses, who wanted the jingling coins for holiday shoppers.
Flaherty also said he wanted to give charities more time to launch so-called "penny drive" campaigns, in which Canadians will be asked to donate their one-cent pieces to good causes.
As the coins are withdrawn, cash transactions will begin to be rounded off to the nearest five cents, but there are no government-imposed rules or policing. Electronic transactions, such as those on debit cards or credit cards, would still be registered in cents.
A spokeswoman for RBC Royal Bank says the bank, like other financial institutions, will stop paying out or issuing pennies on Feb. 4 and is working with the mint on the efficient "repatriation" of the coins.
"Unfortunately, due to the anticipated high volume of pennies delivered to RBC branches by the public and charities, there could be some incremental costs for delivery to the various RBC distribution centres for which RBC will not be compensated," Suzanne Willers said from Toronto.
The Royal Canadian Mint had been spending 1.6 cents to stamp out each one-cent coin, with the annual bill to government at about $11 million for production and other costs.
Many other countries have already withdrawn their lowest-denomination coins, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia. The Bank of Canada in a 2005 study said that scrapping the penny would have little or no impact on inflation.
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Obama to speak Sunday at Connecticut vigil for shooting victims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama plans to travel to Newtown, Connecticut, on Sunday to meet with families of the victims of a Friday school shooting that was one of the deadliest such incidents in the nation's history.
The White House said in a statement Obama will speak at a 7 p.m. EST Sunday interfaith vigil for families of the victims and other students from Sandy Hook Elementary School, which was attacked on Friday by a heavily armed gunman.
In his weekly radio and internet address earlier on Saturday, Obama said it was time to "take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this."
But he stopped short of specifically calling for tighter gun-control laws.
(Reporting By David Alexander; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-speak-sunday-connecticut-vigil-shooting-victims-003740338.html
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MONTESSORIMUM.COM ? >Stationary & Craft Supplies
Dec 15 2012
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Having three school going kids at home and one of them who is really into art and craft, my house has a mini collection of stationary and craft supplies. In fact it is like a mini stationary and craft supply shop. We have all sort of pencils , erasers, various sizes of tapes and even labels from rectangular to circle labels, we have different sizes of scissors and so many more. When we were away from home, staying with daddy in his rented apartment, we felt so handicap without these supply as we got so bored at home and they kids can?t do their art and craft to kill time.
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
Drug to treat opioid addiction places children at risk for accidental exposure
Dec. 14, 2012 ? Buprenorphine is a safe and effective drug for treating opioid addiction. But as the prescribed use of buprenorphine has dramatically increased in recent years, accidental exposure of children to the drug has risen sharply, placing them at risk for serious injury, and in extremely rare cases even death, according to researchers at the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC), U School of Medicine's Department of Family and Preventive Health, and the Utah Department of Health (UDOH).
In a study published Dec. 13, 2012, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Utah experts urge physicians to carefully educate their patients about the proper storage and use of buprenorphine, which is available under the names of Suboxone? (a combination with another drug) and Subutex?, about the proper storage and use of the drug. Karen C. Thomas, Pharm.D., Ph.D., certified poison information specialist at the UPCC and adjunct professor of pharmacotherapy, and Christina A. Porucznik, Ph.D., assistant professor of family and preventive medicine, led the study.
"A toddler or child who ingests buprenorphine can become extremely sick," says Thomas. "Therefore, it is critical that patients prescribed this drug understand how dangerous it can be for children and how to properly store it."
The dangers of buprenorphine exposures in children include:
? If a child "mouths" or sucks on the tablet, the absorption increases dramatically compared to if a child immediately swallows a tablet.
? Buprenorphine has the potential to cause delayed and persistent respiratory depression for more than 24 hours following ingestion. Even if the majority of the tablet or film packaging was immediately removed from a child's mouth, the risk for respiratory depression remains.
? In children younger than 6, clinical effects include drowsiness, vomiting, miosis (contraction of the pupil), agitation, tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat), and respiratory depression.
As opioid addiction has become an increasing problem in recent years, the number of buprenorphine prescriptions has risen markedly. A UDOH analysis of data from the Utah Controlled Substance Database shows that since 2002 the number of Utah patients prescribed buprenorphine has increased 444-fold while the number of providers prescribing the drug increased 67-fold.
In that same period, the number of accidental exposures to buprenorphine reported to the UPCC increased 13-fold and averaged 36 a year from 2009-2011. The majority of exposures of children younger than 6 required evaluation and treatment at a health care facility. Three people -- one teenager and two adults -- died from accidental exposure to Suboxone?.
In a letter to Utah physicians and other prescribers, UDOH and the UPCC are advising them to educate their patients in the following ways regarding accidental exposures to buprenorphine:
? If a child is exposed to buprenorphine call the Utah Poison Control Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.
? Keep buprenorphine in a locked box, bag, or cabinet for safe storage out of sight and out of reach of children.
? Keep buprenorphine in its original, labeled prescription container with child-resistant closure.
? Do not place buprenorphine tablets or films on counters, sinks, dressers or nightstands for later use.
? Discard used buprenorphine film wrapping immediately after use by folding the package and disposing of it in the trash. Residue from the medication that remains in the packaging can be absorbed when placed in a child's mouth.
? Do not store buprenorphine in pockets, bags, purses, backpacks or other carrying cases.
? Do not leave buprenorphine in the bathroom, car or any publicly accessible space.
Robert Rolfs, M.D., deputy director of UDOH, says educating buprenorphine users about the potential risk to children can prevent serious injuries.
"Buprenorphine has benefits for treating addiction to heroin and prescription opioids, but it also has risks if used or stored improperly," Rolfs says. "It is important to educate the patient on proper use and storage of the medication to protect children from the dangers described in this study."
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NKorea rocket launch shows young leader as gambler
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? A triumphant North Korea staged a mass rally of soldiers and civilians Friday to glorify the country's young ruler, who took a big gamble this week in sending a satellite into orbit in defiance of international warnings.
Wednesday's rocket launch came just eight months after a similar attempt ended in an embarrassing public failure, and just under a year after Kim Jong Un inherited power following his father's death.
The surprising success of the launch may have earned Kim global condemnation, but at home the gamble paid off, at least in the short term. To his people, it made the 20-something Kim appear powerful, capable and determined in the face of foreign adversaries.
Tens of thousands of North Koreans, packed into snowy Kim Il Sung Square, clenched their fists in a unified show of resolve as a military band tooted horns and pounded on drums.
Huge red banners positioned in the square called on North Koreans to defend Kim Jong Un with their lives. They also paid homage to Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.
Pyongyang says the rocket put a crop and weather monitoring satellite into orbit. Much of the rest of the world sees it as a thinly disguised test of banned long-range missile technology. It could bring a fresh round of U.N. sanctions that would increase his country's international isolation. At the same time, the success of the launch could strengthen North Korea's military, the only entity that poses a potential threat to Kim's rule.
The launch's success, 14 years after North Korea's first attempt, shows more than a little of the gambling spirit in the third Kim to rule North Korea since it became a country in 1948.
"North Korean officials will long be touting Kim Jong Un as a gutsy leader" who commanded the rocket launch despite being new to the job and young, said Kim Byung-ro, a North Korea specialist at Seoul National University in South Korea.
The propaganda machinery churned into action early Friday, with state media detailing how Kim Jong Un issued the order to fire off the rocket just days after scientists fretted over technical issues, ignoring the chorus of warnings from Washington to Moscow against a move likely to invite more sanctions.
Top officials followed Kim in shrugging off international condemnation.
Workers' Party Secretary Kim Ki Nam told the crowd, bundled up against a winter chill in the heart of the capital, that "hostile forces" had dubbed the launch a missile test. He rejected the claim and called on North Koreans to stand their ground against the "cunning" critics.
North Korea called the satellite a gift to Kim Jong Il, who is said to have set the lofty goal of getting a satellite into space and then tapped his son to see it into fruition. The satellite, which North Korean scientists say is designed to send back data about crops and weather, was named Kwangmyongsong, or "Lode Star" ? the nickname legendarily given to the elder Kim at birth.
Kim Jong Il died on Dec. 17, 2011, so to North Koreans, the successful launch is a tribute. State TV have been replaying video of the launch to "Song of Gen. Kim Jong Il."
But it is the son who will bask in the glory, and face the international censure that may follow.
Even while he was being groomed to succeed his father, Kim Jong Un had been portrayed as championing science and technology as a way to lift North Korea out of decades of economic hardship.
"It makes me happy that our satellite is flying in space," Pyongyang citizen Jong Sun Hui said as Friday's ceremony came to a close and tens of thousands rushed into the streets, many linking arms as they went.
"The satellite launch demonstrated our strong power and the might of our science and technology once again," she told The Associated Press. "And it also clearly testifies that a thriving nation is in our near future."
Aside from winning him support from the people, the success of the launch helps his image as he works to consolidate power over a government crammed with elderly, old-school lieutenants of his father and grandfather, foreign analysts said.
Experts say that what is unclear, however, is whether Kim will continue to smoothly solidify power, steering clear of friction with the powerful military while dealing with the strong possibility of more crushing sanctions. The United Nations says North Korea already has a serious hunger problem.
"Certainly in the short run, this is an enormous boost to his prestige," according to Marcus Noland, a North Korea analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.
Noland, however, also mentioned the "Machiavellian argument" that this could cause future problems for Kim by significantly boosting the power of the military ? "the only real threat to his rule."
Successfully firing a rocket was so politically crucial for Kim at the onset of his rule that he allowed an April launch to go through even though it resulted in the collapse of a nascent food-aid-for-nuclear-freeze deal with the United States, said North Korea analyst Kim Yeon-su of Korea National Defense University in Seoul.
The launch success consolidates his image as heir to his father's legacy. But it could end up deepening North Korea's political and economic isolation, he said.
On Friday, the section at the rally reserved for foreign diplomats was noticeably sparse. U.N. officials and some European envoys stayed away from the celebration, as they did in April after the last launch.
Despite the success, experts say North Korea is years from even having a shot at developing reliable missiles that could bombard the American mainland and other distant targets.
North Korea will need larger and more dependable missiles, and more advanced nuclear weapons, to threaten U.S. shores, though it already poses a shorter-range missile threat to its neighbors.
The next big question is how the outside world will punish Pyongyang ? and try to steer North Korea from what could come next: a nuclear test. In 2009, the North conducted an atomic explosion just weeks after a rocket launch.
Scott Snyder, a Korea specialist for the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote recently that North Korea's nuclear ambitions should inspire the U.S., China, South Korea and Japan to put aside their issues and focus on dealing with Pyongyang.
If there is a common threat that should galvanize regional cooperation, "it most certainly should be the prospect of a 30-year-old leader of a terrorized population with his finger on a nuclear trigger," Snyder said.
____
Jon Chol Jin in Pyongyang, and Foster Klug and Sam Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Follow Jean H. Lee on Twitter: (at)newsjean.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-rocket-launch-shows-young-leader-gambler-062131194.html
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Americans for the Arts Job Bank: Academic Staff jobs, Education ...
- Saturday, December 15, 2012
- Performing Arts
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- Americans for the Arts Job Bank: Education jobs, Germantown jobs, Maryland jobs, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
- Americans for the Arts Job Bank: Education jobs, Other jobs, Dayton jobs, Ohio jobs, Education
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Calls for greater gun control after mass shooting at school
The horrific shooting at the Newtown, Conn., elementary school that left multiple people dead, including, it's believed, 20 children, has re-ignited the gun control debate.
Public figures immediately jumped in to offer condolences, while others called for new restrictions. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was "shocked and saddened" by the tragic shooting. He said society should "unify" to "crack down on the guns." And New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "immediate action" was needed.
Mark Kelly, husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was gravely injured by a gunman in Tucson in 2011, wrote on Facebook: "The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws?and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ?(@NancyPelosi) tweeted, "No words can console the parents of the children murdered at Sandy Hook. We share our prayers and our grief over these horrifying events."
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey of New York added to the call for gun limits, saying in a statement, "Our expressions of sympathy must be matched with concrete actions to stop gun violence."
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, whose state experienced both the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 and the shooting at the Aurora, Colo., movie theater in 2012, offered his support in a statement:?"The shooting in Connecticut is absolutely horrific and heartbreaking. We know too well what impact this kind of violence has on a community and our nation. Our thoughts and prayers are immediately with the families of those killed. We can offer comfort, but we all know the pain will stay forever."
The debate in social media was fast and furious. Trending topics on Twitter included "2nd Amendment," "NRA" and "Columbine."
Ross McCall ?(@maccageezer) wrote, "Senseless. The 2nd Amendment is NOT what it was originally set up to be. HAS to be more gun control."
Daniel Stewart ?(@dnstewart67) tweeted, "Any American who would prefer to see this on their TV rather than lose the 2nd amendment have no humanity. Sheer horror."
Comedian Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) wrote, "Band-Aids-on-Band-Aids @NRA people want MORE access to guns to combat all the people w access to guns."
Mediaite tweeted about MSNBC host's Andrea Mitchell's editorializing on air, who said, "When we talk about gun violence in this country, we're not talking about Second Amendment rights." She also called gun violence an "epidemic."
Filmmaker Michael Moore (@MMFlint), who made a documentary about the Columbine school shooting, "Bowling for Columbine," tweeted,? "Too soon to speak out about a gun-crazy nation? No, too late. At least THIRTY-ONE school shootings since Columbine."
Assif Manvi (@aasif) of "The Daily Show,"? posted, "The #NRA politicians will now tell us that this tragedy could have been prevented if children carried guns! #WAKEUPAMERICA."
Plenty of people also defended gun rights. SamEwinks (?@SamEwinks), for instance, wrote, "The only gun reform we need is to allow people the ability to defend themselves, not provide nut jobs with easy targets #nra."
josefsmith2011 (@josefsmith2011) posted, "Guns don't kill people people do! Practice the 2nd amendment?keep your gun loaded with you at all times?the younger you are the better."
And Cutty (@LilCutty) tweeted, "Changing the 2nd Amendment wont stop ppl from doin foolishness."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gun-control-debate-erupts-twitter-195914529.html
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Online Business Consulting Guidelines ? Darul Uloom Newcastle
If your objective is always to earn money online, start a home-based Internet business or only enhance your current Internet marketing or e-marketing business, Internet business consulting must certanly be an important element included in your game plan. The guru recommendations with Internet marketing strategies, how to start an business, online e-marketing, e-marketing strategies, search engine optimization, keyword study and back linking are a few of the special guidelines you?re going to need to understand in order to succeed online. Look for a FREE online reference movie library created by reputable legitimate Internet gurus who also presented affordable instruments with Free support and a FREE income building website.Internet marketing approach isn?t child?s play, however it isn?t rocket science, possibly. You do not have to invest a king?s ransom on hiring Internet business consulting, even if you?ve no prior knowledge and wish to begin internet business. A lot of the valuable guidance you can find online is obviously available for free or at very affordable cost.Below really are a handful of methods you can use as pointers for working towards your online success:You do not need to do all of the work yourselfTrying to complete all the work yourself will keep you little because you can only stretch yourself to date. After a budget has been created by you to work from, you can utilize specialists or expert groups to complete the work for you at affordable prices. One of the areas that an business consulting strategist may do is guide you toward the best choices.You really do not require a lot of technical know-how to startAny online business consultant will tell you that being a technical expert isn?t a need to cultivate a profitable online business. It?s more important to have the ability to place options as a manager and a marketer instead of trying to study every part of the business and trying to accomplish it all your self. Supporting you to map out where you wish to go with your business and then guide you towards the resources linked to the tools and services you have to make it happen is another purpose of an business consulting specialist.The appropriate tools, techniques and direction make all the differenceInternet regulations and the techniques of on the web communication are changing all of that time period with search engines change their formulas frequently. The proper tools and practices are essential and this may involve some targeted research and a business manager attitude. Anticipate to learn how to leverage your efforts with automated instruments so you do the work just once and then reap the good fresh fruit of one?s job over and over again. Also, be prepared as you meet the continuing challenges that are included with gradual internet expansion to stretch. That is yet another area where a professional internet business consulting consultant can be very helpful.Many pro posers continuing to sell their around listed and out-of-date internet offers. Be cautious not to fall prey to buying their hyped up services and goods, as they continuously bombard your email box with the latest precise presents. This is where in actuality the services of a professional online business advisor can help. Look for a genuine internet business visiting specialist who includes an established history and updated strategic internet formulas.
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Male bushcrickets are in charge when it comes to sex
Dec. 14, 2012 ? All a question of timing: When bushcrickets mate, the male attaches a sticky package, the so-called spermatophore, to the female's abdomen. Alongside the sperm themselves, this 'bridal present' consists of a protein-rich mass that the female eats after mating. It then takes several hours for the sperm to find their way into the female's reproductive tract. But, who decides when that will happen? A study by the Bielefeld biologists Professor Dr. Klaus Reinhold and Dr. Steven Ramm suggests that it is the male who determines the dynamics of this process even when he has long 'hopped off' somewhere else.
They published their results at the beginning of December in the online first version of the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology.
In contrast to direct sperm transfer, the use of a spermatophore could grant the female more influence over the fertilization or non-fertilization of her eggs. However, the results of the Bielefeld study cast doubt on this assumption. They suggest a high degree of male control over this decisive stage in reproduction. For their study, Professor Dr. Klaus Reinhold and Dr. Steven Ramm from Bielefeld University paired males and females from two subspecies of the bushcricket Poecilimon veluchianus in whom the time between pairing and sperm transfer differ. Whereas in the subspecies Poecilimon veluchianus minor, sperm are transferred within the first three hours, the transfer in Poecilimon veluchianus veluchianus starts only after four hours. If the two subspecies are interbred -- the researchers thought -- then the number of transferred sperm after three hours would indicate whether it is the male or the female who determines how long this transfer takes.
The researchers mated nine to twelve pairs in each of the four possible combinations of Poecilimon veluchianus minor and Poecilimon veluchianus veluchianus. Three hours after mating, they examined how many sperm they could find in the female's reproductive tract. The result: the sperm from the males of the 'faster' subspecies Poecilimon veluchianus minor could be found in the females of both subspecies. In contrast, the males in the 'slower' sub-species Poecilimon veluchianus veluchianus had transferred almost no sperm at all to either type of female.
The researchers conclude from this experiment that the males control the speed of transfer over the sperm package. However, this does not automatically lead to the conclusion that the female is powerless. Females can also influence whether sperms are transferred by how quickly they eat the spermatophore. In addition, the larger the male, the larger the size of the sperm package, and this influences how long the females need to consume the protein. As a result, the sperm have more time to transfer to the female -- and the female's eggs have a greater chance of being fertilized by a 'high-quality' male. Professor Reinhold stresses, 'Our findings show that the females do not determine the transfer -- not that they could not do so.'
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universitaet Bielefeld, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Klaus Reinhold, Steven A. Ramm. Male control of sperm transfer dynamics in a spermatophore-donating bushcricket. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1459-4
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Crock Pot Eggnog Lattes | Kitchen Treaty
 |
I guess there?s no hiding it. I?m pretty much obsessed with hot drinks made in the Crock Pot.
I can?t help myself. They?re so wonderfully hands-off, especially when it comes to this recipe. Pour all the ingredients in, give ?em a stir, wait a couple of hours. Then turn your Crock Pot to low and enjoy wonderful hot drink after hot drink all day long if you want. All day! For a heckuva lot less than it costs for the same thing at Starbucks! Yay Crock Pot!
Sorry. I?m a little caffeinated. Because Crock Pot eggnog lattes? Yeah, they?re really, really addictingly delicious. Super rich, creamy, full of warming nutmeg and vanilla ? (and coffee! Yay coffee!)
Thank goodness eggnog is only a December affair.
No whipped cream on these; I think they?re plenty rich without. But if you want to sneak some on top, I won?t stop you. In fact, I?ll cheer you on.
By the way, I stopped in at Starbucks to grab one of their eggnog lattes at the same time I was testing this recipe. Quality comparisons, it?s what I?m all about. This Crock Pot version is spot-on except the lattes are just a tad sweeter thanks to the 1/4 cup sugar I?ve added. If you like your lattes less sweet, consider reducing the sugar or leaving it out altogether.
Unrelated to this recipe specifically, I feel the need to point out that I?ve given in and started using ?Crock Pot? in recipe titles instead of ?Slow Cooker.? I know some slow cookers aren?t Crock Pots and I feel like I ?slow cooker? is more ? technically accurate (which is why I?ve been using that term instead of ?Crock Pot? in the title). But you know what? Everyone calls it a Crock Pots! So I?m going to go with it. I?m rebelling against myself! Viva la ? cooking things slow and using whatever words you want to describe them, self!
(Ahem. Less caffeine, maybe?)
Crock Pot Eggnog Lattes
?
Total time
?
Author: Kitchen Treaty
Recipe type: Beverage
Yield: About 6 cups
- 2 cups coffee, brewed triple strength
- 3 cups eggnog
- 1 cup milk
- ? cup vanilla sugar or regular granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ? teaspoon grated nutmeg plus additional for topping the drink, if desired
- Add all ingredients to a 2.5-quart or larger Crock Pot.
- Cook on low for two hours, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
- Reduce heat to warm setting to keep hot all day.
3.1.09
Source: http://www.kitchentreaty.com/crock-pot-eggnog-lattes/
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Rocket sirens pierce the Tel Aviv 'bubble'
Tel Aviv is a city that symbolizes efforts by Israelis to maintain a sense of normalcy despite the Arab-Israeli conflict. But now the new normal here includes the opening of municipal bomb shelters.
Israelis take cover as an air raid siren warns of incoming rockets from Gaza, next to an Iron Dome defense system in Tel Aviv, Saturday. Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with nearly 200 airstrikes early Saturday, the military said, widening a blistering assault on Gaza rocket operations to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.
Oded Balilty/AP
EnlargeIsrael?s cosmopolitan capital has developed a reputation over the past decade for residents leading lives removed from the rest of Israel and the Middle East, but this weekend's rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip have burst the infamous Tel Aviv bubble.
Skip to next paragraph Joshua MitnickCorrespondent
Joshua Mitnick has reported on Israel and the Palestinian territories for the Monitor since 2004. He lives in Tel Aviv.?
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Video footage showing bathers sprinting from a hotel beach on Saturday?with rocket intercepts overhead served as a jarring contrast to the city?s image as a destination for carefree pleasure seekers. On Sunday, Tel Aviv was targeted by two separate rocket salvos, though all of them were shot down.
Not only does Tel Aviv symbolize Israel?s capital city for business and culture, it?s also a city that symbolizes efforts by Israelis to maintain a sense of normalcy despite the daily feuding of the Arab-Israeli conflict. But now the new normal in Tel Aviv includes the opening of municipal bomb shelters to the public.
"People here hold up the banner of freedom," says Motti Haimovich, the owner of a French bakery in central Tel Aviv. "When there are rockets, then there isn't any freedom."
On the morning after the first siren last Thursday evening, weekend caf? goers at the Le Moulin bakery showed for their usual coffee and croissant to check in with one another, says owner Motti Haimovich. But when a siren sounded at the height of the midday rush on Friday, the caf? emptied quickly.
That type of blow to the daily routine is being held up by Palestinian militants as an achievement. For Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip the very success of placing Tel Aviv under attack ? even if there are no casualties ? is a symbolic milestone matched by no one else in the region since Saddam Hussein fired Scuds at the Jewish state in the first Gulf War in 1991. Because of that, many Israeli commentators say that the prime minister may want to prolong the fighting.
Israelis derisively refer to the city as "the State of Tel Aviv" to impugn it as a mecca for out of touch armchair liberals who still insist on pushing the peace process with the Palestinians. The plight of rocket attacks could remake the attitudes of Israelis who dismiss the city and its residents as na?ve peaceniks.
"Now maybe we are even," said Israeli author Etgar Keret, referring to the dividing lines between armchair liberals and mainstream Israelis.?"Now we can start talking." (The original version of this story misstated the source of the quote.)
Residents of Tel Aviv often are nostalgic about that period around the first Gulf War, which left the city virtually unscathed. They have more serious and pained memories of the second Palestinian intifada, which unleashed a wave of bombings around the city.
So far, rockets haven?t turned Tel Aviv into a ghost town like Israeli cities in southern Israel. Part of the reason is that none of the rockets have hit buildings so far, giving people more confidence to keep their daily routine.
"Has the world stopped?" asked Madaleine Koger, a retired shopowner, who was forced by a siren to interrupt a bike ride on the sea promenade to take cover in a hotel basement. "For this I should stop all of our life?"
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