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Posts for November, 2010
Wake Forest scientists create mini-livers in lab
In a step toward, some day growing replacement livers for humans, scientists have successfully constructed miniature working livers in the lab.
A team from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center claims to have accomplished the feat using human liver cells. The researchers hope that engineered human livers will provide a remedy for the shortage of donor livers available for patients in need of a transplant.
The Wake Forest team built the mini-livers by taking animal livers and removing all of the liver cells. All that remained was the collagen skeleton that provides a support structure for the cells. Scientists then replaced the animal cells with two types of human liver cells: very early liver cells called progenitors and endothelial cells that line blood vessels. »Read Full Blog Post
Gentlemanly behavior from a male worm
How many women would direct their boyfriends or spouses to the lowly worm for a lesson in considerate behavior?
Well it turns out, the male worm may be a little more thoughtful than previously suspected, according to a new paper in the journal Frontiers in Zoology. Authors of the new paper write that male nematode worms plug their mates after copulation, not to prevent the female from mating, but as a "gift." »Read Full Blog Post
Fish oil doesn't slow Alzheimer's decline
An 18-month clinical trial of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease found that fish oil capsules did not slow the rate of cognitive decline compared with people who got a placebo.
Observational research had suggested the DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, might be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer's.
However, when people with the disease were given two grams of DHA a day for 18 months they did not do any better on cognitive tests than those who got a placebo, according to the study published in JAMA. »Read Full Blog Post
In the would-have-been-nice dept.:A voting machine method that reduces waiting
We'll have to wait for the next election for this inovation, but a University of Cincinnati researcher says he has come up with a method of allocating voting machines that would reduce the time voters spend waiting in line by 36%.
During the 2004 presidential election, some voters waited in lines for 10 hours in order to cast their ballots. Muer Yang, a PhD candidate at the university's College of Business, set out to design a system that would provide voters with roughly the same wait regardless of where they vote. »Read Full Blog Post
Baby dinosaur footprints found
In foothills west of Denver, researchers have discovered the footprints of an infant dinosaur that lived some 148 million years ago.
The discovery, made by staff at the Morrison Natural History Museum, involves tracks of a baby Apatosaurus, the massive dinosaur more popularly known as Brontosaurus. The Apatosaurus belongs to the group of long-necked herbivores known as sauropods.
The footprints were found near the town of Morrison, Colo. They are on display in the Morrison Natural History Museum. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Anger makes us want things more
Is there an up side to anger? A new study in the journal Psychological Science explains that when we associate an object with anger we want the object more, a motivation usually linked to positive emotions.
Anger actually activates an area on the left side of the brain that is associated with positive emotions. »Read Full Blog Post
The high cost of swallowing pens, batteries, knives
Some people swallow pens. Some swallow batteries. Some swallow knives, or razor blades.
Such cases are highly unusual, but costly for the hospitals that deal with them. Now a new study from Rhode Island Hospital finds that 33 people in an eight-year period were responsible for 305 cases of medical intervention to remove foreign objects that were swallowed intentionally. Total cost of the hospital care: more than $2 million.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, reports that only two of the 305 cases required surgical extraction to remove an object. None led to a death. »Read Full Blog Post
Map of the sickle cell gene may explain why it has survived
One of the more fascinating aspects of evolution is the question of how harmful genes have avoided disappearing through the process of natural selection.
A new study in the journal Nature Communications has produced the first global map showing the distribution of the sickle cell gene, and adds support to a theory that the gene has survived because it provided protection against malaria.
The study, which was funded by Wellcome Trust in England and involved geographers, biologists and statisticians, built on an observation first made more than 60 years ago -- that the sickle cell gene appears to be more prevalent in areas with high levels of malaria. The so-called malaria hypothesis suggests that although the sickle cell gene is deadly when inherited from both parents it provides malaria protection in children who have inherited it from one parent. »Read Full Blog Post
Our ability to pay attention begins to retire as we grow old
University of Toronto scientists have found that the brain's capacity for selectively filtering out unwanted information diminished with age.
The findings, detailed in an article in the Journal of Neuroscience , also show that this weakened filter affects the way visual information is encoded in our memory. The result is that older men and women who have impaired visual attention end up having a much better memory for irrelevant information.
For their study, the scientists looked at brain images using functional magnetic resonance imaging. They compared groups of young adults with a mean age of 22 and older adults with a mean age of 77. The study participants looked at pictures of overlapping faces and houses and buildings, but were asked only to pay attention to the faces and to identify the gender of each. The places they were seeing were irrelevant to the task of identifying the gender of the faces.
"In young adults, the brain region for processing faces was active while the brain region for processing places was not," said Taylor Schmitz , a doctoral student and lead author of the paper. "However, both the face and place regions were active in older people. This means that even at early stages of perception, older adults were less capable of filtering out the distracting information."
New undersea robot can travel hundreds of kilometers
A new undersea robot called Tethys can travel hundreds of kilometers, hover in the water for weeks at a time and carry a variety of instruments through the ocean.
The robot, an autonomous underwater vehicle, was developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and should aid oceanographic research. During experiments in October, Tethys crisscrossed Monterey Bay tracking paths of microscopic algae as they were carried by the currents.
Researchers hope the torpedo-shaped device will eventually travel from California to Hawaii thanks to high-power disposable batteries. The robot uses power-saving software and has been designed to be as energy-efficient as possible. »Read Full Blog Post
Out of pages of Harry Potter: scientists claim advance toward 'invisibility' clothing
Harry Potter's invisibility cloak may not be so far-fetched, according to new work by researchers from St. Andrew University in Scotland.
Scientists have theorized that it should be possible to develop flexible materials that manipulate light, shielding them from view. The team from Scotland reports in New Journal of Physics that a new material called Meta-flex overcomes two key challenges.
The scientists say they have made meta-atoms small enough to interact with visible light. They also claim to have made metamaterials that can be removed from the hard surfaces they're developed on and used in more flexible products. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
E. coli can live next to plant's roots, good harvesting minimizes threat
E. coli, the much-feared bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other mammals, can survive for weeks around the roots of produce plants and penetrate the edible portions.
However, a new report by researchers at Purdue University says the danger can be minimized if growers do not harvest plants too soon. Their study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, examined what happened when E. coli was added to soil through manure and water treated with manure.
The researchers found that the E. coli lived around the roots of lettuce and radishes and even reached the above ground surfaces of the plants. »Read Full Blog Post
Solving the cosmic riddle of Hanny's Voorwerp
Two years ago a Dutch school teacher and volunteer astronomer discovered a strange-looking object while sorting through hundreds of galaxy images as part of a project called Galaxy Zoo.
The school teacher Hanny van Arkel discovered the object which became known as Hanny's Voorwerp, Dutch for Hanny's object.
Now a new report in The Astrophysical Journal Letters explains the object that had previously mystified astronomers. Hanny's Voorwerp is a vast cloud of glowing gas illuminated by the light from a quasar. The surprise is that the quasar lighting up this gas has burned out almost entirely, though the light it emitted in the past continues to travel through space illuminating Hanny's discovery. Imagine a kind of echo of light coming from a dead quasar. »Read Full Blog Post
CT scans reduce lung cancer deaths, new study finds
For the first time, a rigorous study has showed that lung cancer deaths were reduced by 20% in a large group of former and current smokers who had CT scans, compared with those who got standard X-rays.
The study offered the first clear evidence of a significant reduction in lung cancer deaths as the result of a screening test. Researchers say it has the potential to prevent thousands of deaths from lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
In an intriguing secondary finding, deaths from any cause also were reduced by 7%, which may have been due to a reduction in deaths from other cancers, respiratory diseases or cardiovascular disease. »Read Full Blog Post(18)
English are more healthy, but Americans live as long or longer
Older Americans have higher rates of chronic diseases than their peers in England, but die at about the same rate, according to a new study by researchers at the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London.
The study, published in the journal Demography, found that Americans ages 55 to 64 had higher rates of disease than English citizens of the same age, although their death rates were the same. »Read Full Blog Post
Scientists pinpoint gene responsible for spread of melanoma
Scientists seeking to understand why some tumors spread while others don't have identified a gene linked to the spread of deadly eye melanoma.
Reporting in the journal Science Express, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine found a mutation in a gene called BAP1 in 84% of the metastatic eye tumors they examined. The same mutation, however, was rare in tumors that did not spread or metastasize.
Although metastasis is the most common cause of death in cancer patients, up to this point scientists knew relatively little about how cancer cells develop the ability to spread to other parts of the body. Researchers now say that there is increasing evidence suggesting that a major explanation may be mutations in genes that play a role in suppressing metastasis. So far few of these genes have been found. »Read Full Blog Post
Purdue creates website to calculate damage from comets, asteroids
More than 100 tons of material from asteroids and comets shower Earth every day, according to Jay Melosh, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and physics at Purdue University.
Now Melosh and his colleagues have developed a tool that will allow people around the world to calculate the potential camage from a comet or asteroid strike.
They have used the tool to create "Impact: Earth!", an interactive website that they say is scientifically accurate enough for use by NASA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. »Read Full Blog Post
Evolution led to different natural killer cell receptors in humans and chimps
A new study by Stanford University researchers focuses on an important difference in the immune systems of humans and chimpanzees.
Researchers report in the journal PloS Genetics that while human and chimpanzee immune systems have many similarities, some important differences involve receptors for the white blood cells known as natural killer cells. »Read Full Blog Post
New study explains why cancer vaccines fail
Researchers have tried before to harness the human immune system as a means of treating cancerous tumors, but they have failed.
Now scientists at University of Cambridge in England believe they have discovered a prime reason these efforts have not succeeded. In a paper published in the journal Science, the University of Cambridge team reveals that a type of stromal cell found in many cancers plays an important role in suppressing the immune system response to cancerous tumors, thus thwarting vaccines.
The scientists found also that if they destroyed these cells in tumors, the immune system is freed to begin controling the tumor. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Former UW students awarded Lancelot Berkeley Prize in astronomy
William J. Borucki and David G. Koch, both of whom received degrees from University of Wisconsin-Madison before going on to leadership positions with the Kepler space mission, were joint recipients of the first Lancelot M. Berkeley-New York Community Trust Prize for Meritorious Work in Astronomy.
Both men work at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Borucki, who earned a master's degree in physics from UW in 1962, is the principal investigator for the Kepler mission.
Koch, who earned his bachelor of science degree from UW, is the deputy principal investigator. He was born and raised in Milwaukee and attended Milwaukee Lutheran High School. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
World's oldest ground-edge axe discovered in northern Australia
Archeologists in Australia have found what they say is the earliest tool that was sharpened by grinding.
Although early hominid ancestors used stone tools 3.4 million years ago, the grinding of tools such as axes in order to sharpen them is clearly associated with modern humans.
"This suggests that axe technology evolved into the later use of grinding for the sharper, more symmetrical and maintainable edges this generates," said Bruno David, an archeologist from Monash University and a member of the team that discovered the ground-edge tool. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
New strategy protects cotton from pink bollworm
Cotton growers may have a way of gaining high crop yields without spraying pesticides to control the pink bollworm.
The new strategy, detailed in an article in the journal Nature Genetics, employs two measures: planting pest-resistant cotton and releasing large numbers of sterile moths. Caterpillars of the pink bollworm pose a major problem for cotton production worldwide.
In 1996, scientists introduced a genetically engineered crop called Bt cotton, which gave the cotton plants a protein that kills some of the insects but not all of them. Bt cotton has been effective, killing the pink bollworm caterpillars before they reach an age when they can reproduce. However, pests have been evolving and developing resistance to the Bt toxin, Bacillus thuringensis. »Read Full Blog Post
Canadian scientists turn skin cells into blood cells
Following up on the cell-reprogramming breakthroughs of the last four years, a team of scientists at McMaster University in Canada has succeeded in turning human skin into blood directly. Many previous reprogramming experiments have involved turning adult cells, such as skin or blood, into something similar to embryonic stem cells.
Reporting in the journal Nature, the McMaster researchers said the finding could one day allow doctors to create blood for patients by taking a patch of skin and reprogramming it. The technique could help patients who have blood conditions or are undergoing surgery or cancer treatment.
The scientists induced the skin cells to change by turning on the Oct4 gene and treating the cells with protein molecules called cytokines. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
NASA director to speak at Marquette on water in solar system
Anne Kinney, director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Division, will discuss the different forms water takes throughout the solar system at a talk 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Marquette University's Tony and Lucille Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The talk, which is the sixth annual Rev. George V. Coyne, S. J. Lecture in Astronomy and Astrophysics, is free.
Kinney will talk about various forms of water found from Greenland to the moons of Saturn. She'll also discuss water on Mars and the moons of Earth and Jupiter.
Kinney, who comes from Wisconsin, is an expert in extragalactic astronomy and was an instrument scientist for one of the original instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope.
The generous gene discovered
The decision to contribute to a Haitian relief fund or to drop money into a Salvation Army kettle may be encoded in our DNA.
Researchers at the University of Bonn say they have found that a very small change in a specific gene is linked to a willingness to engage in generous acts. Writing in the journal Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, the researchers said that people with this gene change gave twice as much money on average to charitable causes as those who did not. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Italian scientists are first to detect Hawking radiation
By firing a laser beam into a chunk of glass, scientists in Italy said they were able to produce Hawking radiation, the radiation believed to be emitted from a black hole.
The scientists described their work in the current issue of the journal Physical Review Letters. The radiation is named for the English physicist Stephen Hawking who predicted the radiation in 1974, hypothesizing that photos could be spontaneously generated from the vacuum at the edge of a black hole. »Read Full Blog Post
Canadian scientists: Speaking two languages appears to delay onset of Alzheimer's
Speaking two languages appears to arm our brains to resist or compensate for the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
A new study published in the journal Neurology examined more than 200 patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease. Study authors found that patients who had spoken two or more languages consistently over many years experienced as much as a five-year delay in the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.
"We are not claiming that bilingualism in any way prevents Alzheimer's or other dementias, but it may contribute to cognitive reserve in the brain, which appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms for quite some time," said Fergus Craik, a cognitive researcher at the Rotman Research Institute and lead investigator for the study. »Read Full Blog Post
Comparing the early human and Neanderthal brains
Although the brains of newborn humans and Neanderthals are about the same size and appear roughly similar, differences develop in the first year of life, according to a new study in the journal Current Biology.
Philipp Gunz, one of the authors and a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said that the differences in early brain development most likely reflect changes in underlying brain circuitry. »Read Full Blog Post
Carnegie Mellon scientists to create 'flying car'
Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute has been awarded a 17-month, $988,000 government contract to build a flight system for a project aimed at developing a ground vehicle with the ability to fly.
The funding comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the research and development branch of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The "flying car" project, dubbed the Transformer (TX) Program, is described as a four-person vehicle that could carry 1,000 pounds of cargo up to 250 miles by land or air. Because it would have the ability to make vertical takeoffs and landings, the developers believe the vehicle would be less predictable and harder to target. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Astronomers detect previously unseen structure in Milky Way
A large, previously unseen structure in the Milky Way has been discovered by astronomers using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
"What we see is are two gamma-ray-emitting bubbles that extend 25,000 light years north and south of the galactic center," said Doug Finkbeiner, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who first noticed the feature. "We don't fully understand their nature or origin."
The structure, which covers more than half of the sky from the constellation Virgo to the constellation Grus, may be millions of years old. An article in a forthcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal will describe the discovery in detail. »Read Full Blog Post
New essay challenges Darwin's theory of gradual evolution
A geologist at New York University says Charles Darwin's theory of gradual evolution is not backed up by geological history.
Writing in the journal Historical Biology, geologist Michael Rampino argues that Scottish horticulturalist Patrick Matthew (1790-1874) suggested a more accurate theory before Darwin's work was published. The Matthew theory held that there have been long periods of evolutionary stability that have been interrupted by catastrophic mass extinctions of life.
Rampino's own research has focused on such catastrophic events as volcanic eruptions and asteroid strikes. In April, he wrote an article on, " Mass extinctions of life and catastrophic flood basalt volcanism," in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Whales suffering from sunburn, scientists say
Scientists studying the effects of rising levels of ultraviolet radiation, report that whales are showing skin damage of the kind found in humans suffering from acute sunburn.
The new findings, described in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, are based upon work by researchers from the Zoological Society of London, Queen Mary, University of London and a marine research institution in Mexico, CICIMAR.
Scientists had been observing blisters on the skin of whales. In the new study, they used high-quality photos to quantify and analyze the damage. They looked at blue whales, fin whales and sperm whales in the Gulf of California. »Read Full Blog Post
Researchers pinpoint key mutation in acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer, kills about 9,000 Americans each year, and researchers now say they have discovered an important reason. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that a mutation in a single gene called DNMT3A dooms treatment of a significant number of patients.
Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discovered the mutation when they sequenced the entire genome of one patient with acute myeloid leukemia. The researchers then used targeted sequencing to check the same gene in nearly 300 more patients.
About 21% of the patients they sequenced had mutations in the DNMT3A gene; 34% of those classified as having an intermediate risk of treatment failure also had mutations in the gene. Patients with the mutation survived for a median of just over a year; those without the mutation survived a median of nearly three and a half years. »Read Full Blog Post
Can an electronic sensor put bomb-sniffing dogs out of work?
In the war on terrorism, bomb-sniffing dogs have been a key line of defense, one we've grown accustomed to seeing. But scientists at Tel Aviv University believe they have created a new electronic sensor that can out-perform the trusted hound.
In a new paper published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the scientists report that they have used nanotechnology to build a small, portable sensor that is more sensitive and reliable in detecting explosives than any dog. »Read Full Blog Post
Playing video game Tetris appears to reduce trauma flashbacks, scientists say
If you've played Tetris you know the video game can be almost hypnotic, but now comes evidence that the game can reduce flashbacks caused by traumatic images.
In a new paper in the journal PLoS ONE, scientists from Oxford University describe a series of experiments that appear to show that playing Tetris after traumatic events reduced memory flashbacks. »Read Full Blog Post
The mind is a sad wanderer, except when we're making love
Almost half of our waking hours, our bodies are doing one thing while our mind thinks of something else. Apparently this mental restlessness is a sign of unhappiness, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
"A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind," write the authors of the study, Harvard University psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert. "The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost."
The researchers at Harvard developed an iPhone web app that contacted 2,250 volunteers at random intervals to ask how happy they were, what they were currently doing and whether they were thinking about their current activity or about something else. They could choose between 22 different activities to describe what they were doing, including walking, eating, watching television and shopping. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
With whooping cough on rise, report offers ideas on prevention
Once considered to be under control, whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is now increasing in the U.S. and several other countries.
In a new paper in the journal Science, researchers noted that the illness appears to be showing up in fewer preschool children and more teenagers. Although there is a theory that this change might reflect either genetic changes in the bacterium or the wearing off of immunity in people who were vaccinated years ago, epidemiologists from the University of Michigan suggested that the shift can be explained by age-specific contact patterns.
They examined two different data sets and found that children interacted far more often with other children than they did with adults. Researchers constructed a mathematical model of whooping cough transmission. The model accurately predicted declines in cases of the illness among Swedish infants and adults and increases among teenagers that occurred after the nation resumed a policy of vaccinating for the illness in 1996. »Read Full Blog Post
Humans, flies and mice share the pain gene
Reporting in the journal Cell, scientists from the U.S., Australia, Germany, Austria and India say they have found a single gene that plays a role in pain in humans, mice and flies.
The international team of researchers conducted a genome-wide screen in flies, silencing thousands of genes using tiny bits of RNA. Flies were then tested in order to learn how they responded to noxious heat. If the flies did not move away from the heat they would die. »Read Full Blog Post(412)
Modeling autism shows developmental defect affecting brain cells
Scientists have studied autism in a lab dish, obtaining new information that raises hope the condition can one day be treatable.
In the journal Cell, scientists at the University of California, San Diego described how they were able to reprogram skin cells from patients with a mutation in the MeCP2 gene which has been implicated in one of the autism spectrum disorders, Rett syndrome.
Rett syndrome affects primarily girls. Early symptoms appear just after a child has learned to walk and say a few words. Normal development slows down and children lose speech and motor skills. »Read Full Blog Post
Vitamin D and stroke risk
Deficient levels of vitamin D were associated with increased risk of fatal stroke in whites, but not blacks.
The study involved an analysis of health records for nearly 8,000 blacks and whites and covered a period of 14 years.
Whites who had lower vitamin D levels had twice the risk of dying from a stroke as whites with higher levels. However, no such relationship was found for blacks. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Fish oil doesn't cut irregular heart beat
Chicago - High-dose prescription fish oil did not reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heart beat that affects 2 million Americans.
The study involved 663 people with either persistent atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal AF (sudden attacks).
They got either 8 grams of fish oil or a placebo a day for the first seven days and then 3 grams a day or placebo for through 24 weeks. »Read Full Blog Post
Scientists describe RNA's structure
Scientists from Northwestern UNiversity have painted an atomic-level picture of how ribonucleic acid, RNA, functions.
In an article published in the journal Nature , researchers describe how two RNAs interact with each other: RNase P, which is formed by a large RNA core and a small protein; and transfer RNA, a small molecule that carries an amino acid. The scientists were able to watch the interactions between the two RNAs using powerful X-rays made by the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.
"RNA is an ancient molecule, but it is pretty sophisticated," said Alfonso Mondragon, professor of molecular biosciences at Northwestern who led the research. "Our crystal structure shows that it has many of the properties we ascribe to modern molecules. RNA is a catalyst that has much of the versatility and complexity of modern-day proteins." »Read Full Blog Post
Study of bats offers insight into how humans focus on certain sounds
In an effort to learn how humans focus on some sounds and filter out others, a researcher from Georgetown University Medical Center turned to the mustached bat.
While the visual processing part of the brain is large in humans, it is the auditory processing area that is large in bats.
"Humans operate predominantly by sight so a huge portion of our brain is devoted to vision processing. Bats, however, operate by sound," said Bridget Queenan, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Georgetown who worked on the bat study. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
New technique developed for reading the genome
Since the Human Genome Project produced the first complete blueprint of a human being a decade ago, scientists have been developing methods of accomplishing the task faster and for less cost. The rapid progress has fostered hopes that genomic screening could one day become a routine method for diagnosing illnesses and engineering custom-made medications.
Now a biophysicist at Arizona State University has demonstrated a new technique that could lead to rapid, low-cost reads of the whole genome.
In an article in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Stuart Lindsay, who works at the university's Biodesign Institute, described a method that involves quantum tunneling, which functions at the sub-atomic level. Lindsay and his colleagues have created "recognition molecules" that can clutch and read each of the 3.2 billion chemical bases in the genome. »Read Full Blog Post
Taking the guesswork out of growing embryonic stem cells
Since James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison became the first person to derive and grow human embryonic stem cells in 1998, the accomplishment has remained a considerable challenge for labs. The cells, which can become any cell in the human body, are notoriously finicky.
Now, a team from UW-Madison has developed a fully defined culture system that should result in more uniform cells, according to an article in the journal Nature Methods. Although human embryonic stem cells are not yet approved for use in therapy, the new culture system should also make them safer for such a use.
At present, scientists grow human embryonic stem cells on surfaces of mouse cells or mouse proteins. However, this method runs the risk that the human cells will be contaminated by animal pathogens or viruses. »Read Full Blog Post
A faster, cheaper test for genetic cause of deafness
Up to now, finding the genetic cause of inherited deafness was a cumbersome, gene-by-gene process that took up to a year and cost as much as $75,000.
But a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that researchers from the University of Iowa and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a better test. The new test screens for all of the genes linked to inherited deafness at once. As a result patients would need just a single test. The process would take one to three months and cost about $2,000.
"We will be the first laboratory in the world to offer a genetic testing for all known hearing loss genes simultaneously, which will significantly increase efficiency and decrease cost," said Eliot Shearer, a University of Iowa doctoral student and co-lead author of the study. »Read Full Blog Post
First stem cell trial for stroke patients begins
An English company, ReNeuron, has launched the first human trial of a possible stem cell treatment for people who have suffered strokes.
In the trial now under way, scientists are injecting neural stem cells into the brains of stroke patients. The trial is primarily to test the safety of the treatment, but researchers hope the neural stem cells will help repair damage in the brains of stroke patients.
At present, patients can be treated within several hours of a stroke with anti-clotting agents aimed at dissolving clots that block blood flow to the brain. But only a small percentage of patients reach the hospital in time to receive such a treatment. The stem cell treatment could restore some functions lost to stroke.
"Stroke is a common and serious condition that leaves a large number of people with significant disability," said Keith Muir, a professor of clinical imaging at the University of Glasgow, and the principal investigator for the trial. "In this trial, we are seeking to establish the safety and feasibility of stem cell implantation, which will require careful followup of the patients who take part."
The power of pink: Color of pill influences how we view medicine
Pink is sweeter than red when it comes to pills. Blue is bitter and orange is sour. At least that how some patients feel about the pills they take.
Reporting in the International Journal of Biotechnology, researchers from the University of Bombay describe the color preferences they found in a survey of 600 people. The findings offer an interesting view of how something as seemingly trivial as color can influence the way we view something as important as medicine.
The researchers found that two times more middle-aged people than younger adults preferred red tablets. About 14% of those surveyed said they think of pink tablets as sweeter than red tablets. Yellow tablets, on the other hand, were perceived as salty regardless of the ingredients. About 11% said white or blue tablets tasted bitter and 10% described orange tablets as sour.
"Patients undergo a sensory experience every time they self-administer a drug, whether it is swallowing a tablet or capsule, chewing a tablet, swallowing a liquid or applying a cream or ointment," the scientists write. "The ritual involving perceptions can powerfully affect a patient's view of treatment effectiveness." (1)
Compound found in strawberries slows Huntington's disease
Researchers have found that a naturally occurring compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables appears to slow the onset of motor problems and even delays death in models of Huntington's disease.
The compound called fisetin had been shown to improve memory in mice. In previous studies, Pamela Maher, a senior staff scientist at the Salk Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, had discovered that fisetin showed neuroprotective and memory-enhancing effects.
The new study, which appears in the online edition of the journal Human Molecular Genetics, used nerve cells that expressed the mutant protein found in Huntington's disease. Without treatment about 50% of the nerve cells die within a few days. But adding fisetin prevented cell death. »Read Full Blog Post
Migrating geese return to places their parents took them
A six-year study of migrating Brent geese found that youngsters learned their migratory destinations from their parents.
Reporting in the journal Molecular Ecology, researchers said the pattern of young geese returning to the same destinations their parents took them could have both positive and negative implications for the species.
"If most offspring settle in the places they were shown in their first year of life, it means there can be a high risk of inbreeding between relatives, which isn't good for the reproductive future of that group," said Xavier Harrison, from the Centre for Ecology & Conservation at the University of Exeter. "Because of this, it was quite unexpected to find such a high concentration of related birds. »Read Full Blog Post
Powder antibiotic effective weapon against tuberculosis
Researchers at the University of Colorado have developed a new, inhalable dry powder that appears to be effective in treating tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis, caused by mycobacteria, remains a significant health concern. The disease, which often attacks the lungs, killed an estimated 1.7 million people worldwide in 2009 and generated 9.4 million new cases, according to the World Health Organization.
The new inhalable powder is composed of fine particles of antibiotics and is designed to go deep into the lungs where tuberculosis enters in the early stages of infection. Traditional treatments can take between six months and a year for tuberculosis and as long as two years for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
"Combining this novel treatment with more traditional methods may increase the targeted dose to the lung airspace and tissue, potentially reducing treatment time and systemic side effects," said J'aime Manion, lead researcher in the development of the powder. "As an inhalable powder, it eliminates the storage, disposal and contamination challenges that developing countries face with a needle delivery method."
Another health concern: smoke from fireworks
The metals that produce dazzling colors and special effects when we watch fireworks can enter our lungs and present a health risk, according to a new paper in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Researchers led by Teresa Moreno of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research in Barcelona reported that a fireworks display releases considerable smoke, freeing tiny metallic particles -- just a few microns or less in size. These particles are so small that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
The research team focused on the San Juan fiestas on the evening of June 23, 2008, and the following morning in the Spanish city of Girona. They analyzed levels of more than 30 chemical elements and compounds in in May and June to confirm that levels of lead, copper, strontium, potassium and magnesium soared after the fireworks display. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Blasting kidney nerves leads to drop in blood pressure, study finds
Chicago — Blasting nerves in the kidneys with high-frequency energy led to a major drop in blood pressure in people whose hypertension could not be controlled with several medications, a new study found.
The first rigorous study of the technology known as therapeutic renal denervation produced an average 32-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the upper reading) and a 12-point drop in diastolic blood pressure.
The minimally invasive procedure was done using a catheter probe that was threaded into the renal artery. The trial was presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting and published online in The Lancet. »Read Full Blog Post
Scientists take aim at potato famine culprit
Researchers from Singapore say they have taken an important step toward developing a way to fight the disease that caused the Irish potato famine, which killed almost a million people in the mid-1840s.
The culprit was a species of the Phytophthora fungi. »Read Full Blog Post
In cell division, researchers find a new approach to targeting diseases
A key process involved in cell division may hold clues to new approaches to targeting diseases such as cancer, according to a team of researchers from Britain and Germany.
In a paper published online in the journal Nature Cell Biology, the scientists described the way cells during the process of division separate their genetic material onto the two poles of a scaffolding structure known as a mitotic spindle. »Read Full Blog Post
Good news for a critically endangered tree frog
While the spread of the disease chytridiomycosis has hurt frog populations around the world, an organization reported some good news for the La Loma tree frog.
The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project announced the first successful breeding in captivity of this critically endangered tree frog.
"We were warned that we might not be able to keep these frogs alive, but through a little bit of guesswork, attention to detail and collaboration with other husbandry experts we've managed to breed them," announced Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the project and a research biologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo, one of nine partners on the project. "The lessons we're learning have put us on target to save this incredible species and our other priority species in Panama." »Read Full Blog Post
Weekend admissions more deadly for kidney patients
People with end-stage renal disease who go into the hospital on weekends are 17% more likely to die than if they are admitted on a weekday, according to a Medical College of Wisconsin analysis presented this week.
The study looked at 800,000 national hospital admissions in 2007, nearly one-fifth of which took place on weekends.
Patients admitted on weekends experienced more delay in starting dialysis, about one-third of a day longer, than those admitted on weekdays. »Read Full Blog Post
Scientists find genes linked to anorexia nervosa
In the largest study seeking genetic links to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, scientists have found common and rare genetic variations that may play a role.
Reporting in the online edition of the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said they studied the genes of more than 1,000 anorexia patients, most of them women, and compared them with 3,733 people who do not have the eating disorder. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
In the deepest ocean crust, a busy microbial world is revealed
In one of the hardest places on earth to explore, scientists have found a thriving microbial world.
A new paper in the journal PLoS One reports that in the deepest layer of ocean crust, bacteria eat hydrocarbons and natural gas and fix or store carbon. Bacterial forms were even found in temperatures that neared the bioling point of water.
"This is a new ecosystem that almost no one has ever explored," said Martin Fisk, a professor in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. "We expected some bacterial forms, but the long list of biological functions that are taking place so deep beneath the Earth is surprising." »Read Full Blog Post
Second company approved for clinical trial involving embryonic stem cells
A Massachusetts-based company has received U.S. government approval to begin a clinical trial using retinal cells derived from embryonic stem cells to treat patients with a disease called Stargardt's macular dystrophy.
The company, Advanced Cell Technology, becomes only the second to receive Food and Drug Administration approval. Earlier this year, Geron began the first human clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells. Cells derived from the embryonic stem cells are being used to help treat specific spinal cord injuries.
Stargardt's macular dystrophy usually appears in children between 10 and 20 and causes progressive loss of vision. Eventually degeneration in the pigmented layer of the retina leads to the loss of photoreceptors and then blindness. »Read Full Blog Post
A search to discover what makes hummingbird hover
In the midst of gusty winds, hummingbirds retain their remarkable ability to hover. How do they do it?
The question has attracted a group of researchers from New Mexico State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands and a New Jersey-based company Continuum Dynamics Inc.
The scientists built a robotic hummingbird wing for their research and have learned that hummingbirds do not fly like other birds. Instead of flapping their wings up and down as other birds do, the humming bird oscillates its wings in a figure eight pattern, said B.J. Balakumar of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This motion allows the hummingbird to generate lift on both the upstroke and downstroke. »Read Full Blog Post
Scientists study what makes a good cell become a cancer cell
Researchers from various Texas institutions have managed to replay in a test tube the first step a cell takes on its way to shifting from normal to cancerous.
The work is described in a new paper in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology .
Molecules of DNA get broken, then repaired all the time under the stress of the body's metabolic activities or environmental factors (for example exposure to ultraviolet light). When the repair goes wrong --is absent or deficient-- the result is cancer. »Read Full Blog Post
Another antioxidant, another hopeful finding
Years ago researchers thought the antioxidant beta-carotene might help ward off diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Then rigorous clinical trials showed that supplementation with beta-carotene was of no value.
Now another observational study involving 15,000 people is suggesting that a related substance, alpha-carotene, might extend life. »Read Full Blog Post
UW signs $34.5 million pact to run detector buried in Antarctic ice
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which lies buried in the Antarctic ice sheet, records the collision of elusive sub-atomic particles called neutrinos.
The National Science Foundation has signed a five-year, $34.5 million agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to run the observatory located beneath the ice at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Although managed by UW, the observatory's construction included contributions from Germany, Belgium and Sweden.
It is the largest neutrino detector in the world. The size is significant because neutrino collisions are rare and a larger facility can witness more potential collisions. Scientists watch for neutrinos colliding with atoms of ice, contact that produces a particle called a muon. Muons radiate blue light that is detected by the optical sensors at the observatory. »Read Full Blog Post(5)
Jeepers creepers! Snakes that fly captured on tape
For those uncomfortable with the general concept of snakes, biology offers a nightmarish twist. Picture snakes that dwell in trees, then launch themselves into the air and glide to the ground.
Five species of tree-dwelling, flying snakes have been found and filmed in Southeast and South Asia. The flying snakes were filmed to help researchers answer a fundamental question. How do they do it?
Virginia Tech biologist Jake Socha studied the snakes and created three-dimensional reconstructions of their bodies in flight in order to understand the process. What Socha found was that although the snakes can travel up to 24 meters from their launch point, they never achieve an "equilibrium state" in which their bodies generate a force sufficient to exactly counteract the downward pull of gravity. Nor do the snakes simply plummet. »Read Full Blog Post
Ancient bacteria revived by researchers
Scientists at Binghamton University have revived bacteria that sat trapped for thousands of years inside water droplets encased in salt crystals.
Researchers have been interested in these water droplets called fluid inclusions, but had not been certain whether the organisms inside salt crystals were truly ancient or simply modern-day contaminants.
Tim Lowenstein, a professor of geological sciences and environmental studies at Binghamton, and his colleague J. Koji Lum, a professor of anthropology and biological sciences, say they have answered the question. The organisms appear to be ancient. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
The fight for love, fruit-fly-style
When the male fruit fly encounters another fruit fly, his response differs radically depending on whether the other fruit fly is male or female. If the other fruit fly is female, he proceeds to courting mode; if male, it's fighting mode.
In a new paper published in PLoS Biology, scientists at Harvard Medical School explore what triggers these sex-specific responses. The researchers probed this question by manipulating a gene that determines the sex-specificity of the hydrocarbons on the fruit fly's body as well as sex-linked behavioral cues that emerge through the nerve cell network of the fly's brain.
The scientists found they could alter the "maleness" or "femaleness" of a fruit fly's pheromones (secreted factors) by blocking the expression in females of the so-called transformer gene. This gene is active in females but not in males. »Read Full Blog Post
Field of view may determine whether we perceive face as male or female
Are our minds playing tricks on us?
Our brains apparently can perceive the same face as male when it appears in one section of our field of vision, but female when it appears in another, according to neuroscientists at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"It's the kind of thing you would not predict -- that you would look at two identical faces and think they look different," said Arash Afraz, a postdoctoral associate at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research and lead author of a new paper reporting this discovery in the journal Current Biology. »Read Full Blog Post
Watching your mate take a beating not a turn-on for female fish
The female shows a fondness for her mate--then the poor fellow loses a fight with another male. We males might hope this scenario will prompt a display of female loyalty or comforting. We're dreaming.
At least that is the finding of Stanford biologists who conducted experiments with the African cichlid fish. Reporting in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists said that areas of the female brain that are linked to anxiety kick up a notch after witnessing an altercation. »Read Full Blog Post
Overweight children face health risks unless they shed the pounds
A study of over 5,000 children in Britain adds to the evidence that children with serious weight problems are digging themselves into a hole as far as their future health.
The study, published online by the British Medical Journal, found that children who had high body mass indexes between ages 9 and 12 were more likely to develop high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-insulin levels by the time they reached adolescence. Body Mass Index is a measure of body weight that takes into account both height and weight.
The research, led by Debbie Lawlor, a professor at the University of Bristol, offered some encouraging news. If children with elevated body mass indexes shed the excess weight by adolescence they have less risk of heart disease than others who remained overweight.
The British study is part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children which has been tracking the health of more than 14,000 children since birth. (1)
U.S. urged to develop an emergency stockpile of cholera vaccine
As cholera outbreaks surface in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, health experts are urging the U.S. to build an emergency stockpile of cholera vaccine that would be available for humanitarian use in the future.
Writing in The New England Journal of Medicine , the experts from Harvard Medical School, George Washington University and the International Vaccine Institute said, "The costs to the U.S. of creating and maintaining a stockpile of several million doses of cholera vaccine would be low. But the humanitarian benefits of rapid deployment of cholera vaccines to areas at high risk for major cholera outbreaks -- such as earthquake-wracked Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital where 1.3 million people live in unsanitary refugee camps--could be enormous." »Read Full Blog Post
Whale flippers provide idea for new underwater turbines
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Academy have taken a lesson from the humpback whale as they try to develop underwater turbines that will turn the energy from an ocean's tidal flow into electricity.
One of the challenges facing developers of underwater turbines has been the low speed of many tidal flows and the difficulty of extracting good energy from a low-speed flow.
"We designed a novel blade modification for potential turbine performance improvement which was inspired by hampback whale flippers, with the addition of tubercles, or bumps, to the leading edge of each blade," said Mark Murray, an engineering professor at the Naval Academy. »Read Full Blog Post
Gene appears to prevent memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's
A gene therapy strategy has helped mice engineered to simulate Alzheimer's disease.
Reporting in Nature, scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco say that they improved levels of an enzyme in the memory centers of the brain. The enzyme, called EphB2, is found in abnormally low amounts in people with Alzheimer's disease.
When the scientists boosted the enzyme in mice with Alzheimer's disease, the change appeared to fix their memory problems. »Read Full Blog Post
Childhood heart risks predict disease in adults
Children as young as nine who had several risk factors for heart disease went on to develop thickness in their carotid arteries as adults, a sign they had heart disease, a new study found.
The research involved four studies that pooled data from 4,380 people.
At age nine, those who had high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure and a high body mass index, were 37% more likely to have thickened carotid arteries as measured by ultrasound when they were adults. »Read Full Blog Post
In mice, overexpression of a microRNA causes leukemia
Scientists in Cambridge, Mass. have discovered that when it is overexpressed, a microRNA (a very short stretch of ribonucleic acid) causes leukemia in mice. The work by researchers at the Whitehead Institute is described in a paper in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"MicroRNAs are elevated in many cancers, but in humans and mice, can upregulation of a microRNA actually cause a cancer? That's the question," said Harvey Lodish, a founding member of the Whitehead Institute. »Read Full Blog Post
Insomnia tied to vets' brain injuries
A University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health study of brain-injured Vietnam veterans found that damage to a certain part of the brain may be the cause of their insomnia.
The study involved 192 vets who were part of a national study looking at several issues, including insomnia. Earlier the vets had undergone CT scans that pinpointed where they had suffered brain damage, most of which had been caused by shrapnel.
The study found a strong correlation between moderate to severe insomnia and damage to a part of the brain known as the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. »Read Full Blog Post
From brains of locusts, scientists search for clues to human neurosystem
Scientists at Tel Aviv University have cultured cells from desert locusts in order to look more deeply into the workings of the human neurosystem.
Why look at locust brain cells, you might ask.
Insect neurons are easier to work with than the human cells. »Read Full Blog Post
20th century medical education won't be enough, experts say
Authors of a new report say that changes are needed in the education and training of doctors in order to equip them for the demands of 21st century medicine.
The authors, including Julio Frenk, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, and Lincoln Chen of the China Medical Board, write in a Lancet Commission report: "The problems are systemic: mismatch of competencies to patient and population needs; poor teamwork; persistent gender stratification of professional status; narrow technical focus without broader contextual understanding; episodic encounters rather than continuous care..."
The authors suggest a number of possible reforms, including: »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Evidence doesn't support vitamin D mega doses
Despite a flurry of reports in recent years that vitamin D may prevent diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease, there is insufficient evidence to support those claims, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine.
"Rigorous trials that yield consistent results are vital for reaching conclusions," according to the report.
The IOM noted that vitamin E was long thought to prevent heart disease until studies disproved those beliefs. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Scientists hunt genes linked to obesity
It has been quite a year for studies in genomics. Researchers have published lists of genes that appear to be implicated in autism, anorexia nervosa, psoriasis, stuttering, puberty and many other characteristics and diseases.
Now, scientists at University of California, San Diego, Scripps Translational Science Institute and Sanofi-Aventis have published a study identifying two DNA variants that are linked to excessively high body mass indexes. The new study in the journal Genome Biology involved sequencing a suspect area of the genome in a large number of people.
The scientists sequenced two areas that encode enzymes called FAAH and MGLL. These enzymes adjust the levels of of endocannabinoids in brain and peripheral tissue. Levels of endocannabinoids have been found to be high in obese patients.
"This is one of the first studies to use the new sequencing technologies to link rare and low frequency variants to a complex trait such as obesity and will be of particular interest to understand more comprehensively the role of inheritance in obesity, a rapidly rising serious health issue across the world," said Kelly Frazer, a professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego and one of the authors of the new paper.
DNA may provide pathway to defeat deadly 'honey fungus'
The agricultural parasite known as "honey fungus" is a prolific killer of hundreds of different species of trees and shrubs, including those used for orchards, vine fruits and timber.
Now, an international team of scientists is developing a means of combatting honey fungus by screening for natural resistance to it and artificially introducing DNA. The work, described in the December issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, represents a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and the University of Bristol in England.
The fungus, also known as Armillaria mellea, attacks the roots of plants and can spread through the soil. It leads to slower growth, premature wilting, lower harvests and eventually plant death. The process is marked also by the growth of honey-colored toadstools. »Read Full Blog Post
Walking may slow cognitive decline
Walking five or six miles a week was associated with reduced cognitive decline and loss of less brain volume in people with memory problems and healthy adults, according to a new study.
The study involved 229 healthy adults with an average age of 78 and 127 cognitively impaired people with an average age of 81. They were followed for up to 10 years.
Among those who already were having mild memory problems, walking 58 blocks a week, about five miles, was associated with a reduction of memory problems based on cognitive tests and less loss of brain cells based on MRI scans. »Read Full Blog Post


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Hewlett-Packard: Lane Says Meg Whitman = Ronald Reagan
Meg Whitman, in a follow-up from last night's Hewlett-Packard conference call, is now sitting in on a CNBC interview. So far, Ray Lane has done most of the talking, however.
The stock is doing a little better, now down just 3.5%, though it hasn't budged during this interview. It's likely benefiting from the broader market recovery.
David Faber asks her, "Why in the world…would you want to take this job?" He cites board dysfunction as a big turn-off.
"I think we have a great board today," Ms. Whitman replies. "We work well together."
"Over history, I don't think the board has been run as effectively…as it should be," she admits, but "I don't think you're going to see future problems with the HP board."
"Why did I take the job? H-P matters" to the country, and the world, she says.
Mr. Faber says there's no outpouring of affection for Ms. Whitman's appointment, quoting some harsh critics of her. What's her reaction?
She passes the question off to Mr. Lane. Not a great response.
Mr. Lane goes on for a while about how great the board is.
"This was our best choice. Full stop," he insists. He says they've spent two months thinking about this.
Update: Mr. Lane says H-P has no intention of getting out of the PC business. He says instead they might spin it out "to move at a different dynamic," whatever that means. They say they're going to study it hard for a while, though they also say they don't want to create uncertainty.
"We'll get through this, and … the PC division will be a very successful entity," she says. She's saying they just "didn't communicate clearly" what their plans were about the PC unit.
Update 2: Now they're talking again about all the greatness of the Whitman appointment. They're calling her an "insider" in the company, though being a board member isn't quite like working up from the mailroom or anything.
In response to doubts about Ms. Whitman's qualifications to run H-P, Ray Lane compares Meg Whitman to Ronald Reagan! He says "Ronald Reagan was an actor. He turned out to be a pretty good president."
Yes, but, he was also a governor before he became president.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Microsoft Internet Explorer is incorrectly recognizing websites as unsafe, including Billhighway. Until Microsoft resolves the issue with their SmartScreen technology, please use an alternative web browser when visiting Billhighway. We expect Microsoft will have this issue resolved quickly.
Please be assured your account information with Billhighway is safe and there is no threat to your computer or your personal or financial information.
To get around the SmartScreen Filter error (the red screen), turn off SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer.
In IE, click on Safety – SmartScreen Filter – Turn Off SmartScreen Filter.
Click OK on the pop-up window.
To follow progress regarding this issue, please click here: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=SmartScreen


text:
Connor Wickham inspired Sunderland to a 4-0 win over Cardiff to boost the Black Cats' chances of Premier League survival - and inflict a hugely damaging defeat on Cardiff.
Sunderland opened the scoring through the recently prolific Wickham, who skilfully headed in Sebastian Larsson's corner.
The game's big moment came on the stroke of half time, when Wickham was tugged back by Juan Cala just inside the box. Referee Phil Dowd let play continue for a moment, before going back to award Sunderland a penalty and send off the Cardiff defender.
While the award of the red card seemed harsh, the penalty was not - and Fabio Borini calmly slotted it past David Marshall to double the Black Cats' lead.
Cardiff rarely threatened the Sunderland goal, with the best chance coming to Jordon Mutch, who headed over Peter Whittingham's corner when he should have scored.
Sunderland put the result beyond doubt when substitute Emanuele Giaccherini scored three minutes after coming off the bench, with a smart left-footed finish, before Wickham rounded off the win with his second of the game, nodding in from close range.
26' GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Cardiff - Wickham stoops to head in an awkward Larsson corner, giving Sunderland the lead.
32' Sunderland chance! Almost a second for Wickham as Alonso's long ball is teed up for Wickham by Borini, but Caulker makes a vital block.
45' RED CARD AND PENALTY! Controversy as Wickham is tugged back by Cala in the box. Wickham stays on his feet as play goes on, only for referee Phil Dowd to award a penalty and send Cala off.
45'+1 GOAL! Sunderland 2-0 Cardiff - Borini fires in the resulting penalty and Sunderland double their lead.
59' Cardiff chance! Mutch loses his marker, but can only head Whittingham's corner over. Had to score.
66' Cardiff chance! Whittingham's free-kick clips off the Sunderland wall and Mannone re-adjust his body to push the ball away. Good stop.
76' GOAL! Sunderland 3-0 Cardiff - Borini slips a through ball into the path of Giaccherini, who doesn't have to break stride as he finishes well with his left foot.
86' GOAL! Sunderland 4-0 Cardiff - The rout is complete as Wickham gets his second of the game, nodding in from Giaccherini's corner.
Connor Wickham has scored five goals in his last three league appearances after netting just once in his first 37.
Cardiff City were the only team in Premier League history (46 teams in total) never to receive a red card. That record has gone today.
Only Norwich City have taken fewer away points this season (eight) than Cardiff City (10).
Can Sunderland stay up? Momentum has a lot to do with things at this stage of the season as the Black Cats certainly have the wind in their sails. With Cardiff almost certainly down and Norwich sinking like a stone, Sunderland will feel they can pull off a great escape.
Connor Wickham (Sunderland) - Who else? Scored two and made one with the strong run that led to the penalty. A new player under Poyet, Wickham could be the man to keep Sunderland up.
Sunderland: Mannone 8; Vergini 6, O'Shea 7, Brown 7, Alonso 7; Cattermole 6; Johnson 8, Larsson 7, Colback 7, Borini 6; Wickham 9 Subs: Gardner N/A, Giaccherini 8.
Cardiff: Marshall 5; Theophile-Catherine 5, Caulker 7, Cala 4, Fabio 4; Cowie 5, Medel 5, Whittingham 7, Dæhli 6; Mutch 6; Campbell 5. Subs: Jones 5, Zaha 6, Bellamy N/A
Sunderland Phil their boots
- Sports & Recreation
- Connor Wickham
- Cardiff City


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Secretarial Officials
Heads of Operating Units
Heads of Department Offices
FROM: Donald L. Evans
Secretary of Commerce
DATE: February 16, 2001
SUBJECT: Congressional Testimony, Hill Visits, Views on Legislation, and Other Miscellaneous Congressional Correspondence
This memorandum provides guidance to all Department of Commerce employees on procedures to be followed on matters related to Congressional relations, including visits to the Hill, the presentation of views on legislation, and correspondence and telephone calls to and from the Hill. I appreciate your full cooperation in ensuring that all members of your respective organizations comply with this guidance.
(1) Testimony. The Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA) is the focal point for all matters dealing with Congressional relations. All requests (whether written or oral) for a witness from the Office of the Secretary to appear before a Congressional Committee shall immediately be brought to the attention of OLIA. Based on consultation with other Departmental officials, OLIA shall make a recommendation to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary whether to accept an invitation to testify, and if not, whether any other official shall represent the Department at a hearing. It shall be the responsibility of agency heads to respond to Congressional requests for an agency witness to testify. Those decisions should be made in consultation with the agency Congressional Affairs director. In addition, OLIA must be consulted before an agency's decisions to testify is conveyed to the Hill.
With the exception of appropriations hearings, the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), in consultation with OLIA, will continue to coordinate the preparation of testimony and briefing materials for all hearings at which the Secretary or Deputy Secretary will appear. OGC will also
coordinate the clearance of testimony given by all Departmental witnesses. In the case of appropriations hearings, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration, in consultation with OLIA and OGC, will coordinate the preparation of testimony and briefing materials, and the clearance of testimony. Deadlines established by OGC and OLIA for preparation of testimony and briefing materials shall be given top priority and be strictly followed.
(2) Congressional Visits/Inquiries on DOC Business. No official of the Department shall visit or brief a member of Congress, or the staff of a member of Congress or a Congressional Committee, on matters involving the Department of Commerce without first informing OLIA. All Congressional scheduling requests should be coordinated with your agency's Congressional Affairs director. Any official who visits or meets with a member of Congress shall be accompanied by a representative of OLIA. Any telephone conversation with a member of Congress or Congressional staff is to be reported to the agency's Congressional Affairs Office.
(3) Legislative Views. Requests from all sources for the views of the Department on pending or proposed legislation are to be referred to the OGC and directed to the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation. OGC, in consultation with OLIA, will be responsible for the preparation and clearance of any letter or report that expresses the view of the Department on legislative matters. Unless otherwise specified, any letter or report to the Congress, or another Executive Branch agency, including OMB, that expresses the Department's views on pending or proposed legislation will be signed by the General Counsel. In addition, no person shall provide advice to the Congress formally or informally on the legal adequacy or sufficiency of provisions in appropriations bills that has not been personally cleared by the General Counsel or his designee.
(4) Congressional Phone Calls. All requests for the Secretary or Deputy Secretary to place a phone call to a member of Congress shall first be referred to OLIA for consideration. Agency heads should make every effort to alert OLIA to phone calls that members of Congress may intend to place to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary with regard to pending Commerce matters.


text:
Carl Eike Hofmeister
>I tried...
>- xaddconnectionwatch. the callback function never gets called.
>- xinternalconnectionnumber. it returned 0 as number of connections.
>- xconnectionnumber. selecting on them blocks forever.
>Any ideas what might be going wrong?
You really should say what you are trying to do ...
As an Xlib user, you open a connection to a display with XOpenDisplay.
You can get the fd associated with that connection using
XConnectionNumber(dpy), and that is what you set in the select mask.
There are a few situations in which Xlib may open a connection itself;
one example would be the input method for an Asian language. (It needs
a separate connection because grabs are done on a per-connection basis.)
It is these internal connections that are reported by XAddConnectionWatch
and XInternalConnectionNumber -- you likely have none.
So, I would suggest that you re-read the select manpage to ensure that
you are indeed using select properly.


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Yoga & Music in the Mountains: Hanuman Festival, June 8-10, 2012
This June, dust off your travel yoga mat and head to beautiful Boulder, Colo., for the second annual Hanuman Festival! More than your typical yoga retreat, Hanuman combines yoga, music and community, all for some great causes.
When: June 8-10, 2012
Where: Boulder, Colorado, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
The yoga: The all-star instructor lineup includes classes with Kathryn Budig, Tommy Rosen, Kia Miller, Amy Ippoliti and many more.
The music: Enjoy concerts featuring Desert Dwellers, Jim Beckwith, Ashlee K Thomas, David Newman (Durga Das), Vamadeva Jaya, DJ Drez, The Pushpams, David "Duke Mushroom" Schommer and many more. Artists will perform during select yoga classes as well as at scheduled concerts.
The causes:
- Off the Mat and Into the World, a program that "uses the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change."
- The Wellness Initiative, which seeks to "improve the physical health, social and emotional development, and academic performance of low-income youth through yoga-based wellness programs."
- Give Back Yoga Foundation supports and fund certified yoga teachers in all traditions to offer the teachings of yoga to under-served and under-resourced socio-economic segments of the community.
Gaiam is especially excited for this event because it's one of the only yoga festivals to take place right in our own backyard — less than eight miles from our Louisville, Colorado headquarters! Gaiam and Gaiam TV will each have booths at the festival, where participants will be able to check out our newest yoga mats, DVDs and other gear, as well as meet some of your favorite yoga instructors who will be stopping by to say hello or help you perfect your poses.
We chatted with Cara Fogel Ferrick, Hanuman's sales and marketing director, who gave us the scoop on what sets Hanuman apart (and where that name came from!).


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Global News: AIG Begins to Sell Rest of Stake in Asian Insurer
By Prudence Ho and Fiona Law
American International Group Inc. began selling its remaining stake in its pan-Asian life insurer Monday, in a deal that could raise as much as $6.5 billion for the U.S. insurer.
AIG's exit from AIA Group Ltd. is being done through a block sale. The sale comes just days after the U.S. Treasury held another round of share sales in the U.S. insurer, chalking up $22.7 billion in profit from the bailout. AIG began selling 1.65 billion shares of AIA at a price range of HK$29.65 ($3.82) to HK$30.65 ($3.95), which will allow AIG to raise $6.31 billion-$6.53 billion, according to a term sheet.


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BLOOMFIELD - Freemond "Bud" Fuwell, 66, died Feb. 15, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.
Born May 9, 1937, in Portageville, son of the late Roy Gilbert and Icy Marie Jerls Fuwell, he lived in Bloomfield most of his life. He worked in machine repair for Arvin Automotive for 18 years. In 1982, he and his wife opened their home for foster care and since 1996 they have owned and operated Hilda Fuwell's Residential Care Facility near Bloomfield.
On July 14, 1956, at Chicago, he married Hilda Gauldin who survives of the home.
Other survivors include: two daughters, Deborah Graebner of Pacific and Teresa Allen of Bloomfield; two brothers, Leamond Fuwell of Puxico and Bufford Fuwell of Bloomfield; and seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter where services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Rev. Robert Bentley of Dexter will officiate.
Burial will follow in the Essex Cemetery.


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American English: /ˈrɛɡjəˌleɪdər/ British English: /ˈrɛɡjʊleɪtə/
Translation of regulator in Spanish:
- 1 (mechanism)Example sentences
- The supply of oxygen cylinders and regulators has been increased to support more than one patient in a single room should the need arise.
- Also you can install tap flow aerators or regulators to decrease the amount of water used when washing your hands or brushing your teeth.
- The company made regulators for gas cylinders.
- 2 (person, body)(persona u organismo que regula una institución)Example sentences
Example sentences
- And once federal regulators are involved, industry executives are much more likely to examine their own corporate behavior.
- The Public Accounts Committee is urging the industry regulator to carry out a new review into whether the market is anti-competitive.
- Fearing a public crisis of confidence in the industry, regulators were quick to move in.
- They called for urgent action to address the problems, including a referral to the forensic science regulator.
- We begin with two more California banks shut down by federal regulators.
- The Darby Mine has been cited 10 times in the last month by federal regulators.
- 3 (clock)reloj (masculine) patrónExample sentences
- An extremely accurate clock, called a regulator, is used to measure the time it occurs.
Definition of regulator in:
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Grammar and usage help for Spanish:
= trending


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The Sexiest Outdoor Date Spots in America
Whether you're dating or married, at the five-year mark, you're more aware of the things that are tripping up your relationship, says Bethany Marshall, PhD, author of Deal Breakers. Of course, no relationship is perfect, but if things are dysfunctional, you might realize that you're working harder than he is to fix things. A good sign: When you're both trying hard to make things better.
Everyone does it, says Marshall—you kind of lose yourself in the relationship for the first few years because a) it's exciting and b) you want to work hard to make it work. But after five years or so, you realize that you need to have your own life, too. If your man is supportive of that, great; if he isn't, that's pretty telling.
The Best Relationship Advice Ever


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Paros Naoussa Relaxing Villa
Size150 m²
Floor No.1
- Balcony/terrace
- Towels
- Family/child friendly
- Kitchen
- Parking available
- Pets allowed
- Washer/dryer
|Kolimpithres, 84401 Paros Naousa, Greece
|Property type
|Holiday home
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|A month ago
If you are no more than 8 persons you are using only the one level at the 1 st floor and the Garden
1st LEVEL AT SEMI FIRST FLOOR
1 living room with dining area and balcony
1 fully equipped kitchen
4 bedrooms with double or single beds
4 bathrooms
Each bedroom has its own bath & balcony
1 single sofa bed located in living room.
Bed linen and towels provided.
Garden,View of the sea, Garage
TV, VIDEO,CD player, Internet and telephone for incoming calls
If you are more than 8 person , you also have access to the semi ground floor.
2nd LEVEL AT SEMI GROUND FLOOR
There is no view from the ground floor
1 living room with dining area
1 fully equipped kitchen
3 bedrooms with double or single beds
3 bathrooms
Each bedroom has its own bathroom
It is situated at Kolimpithres area, 200 m. from the sea site and 15' walk from the cosmopolitan capital of Naoussa.
Its fenced garden promises a secure and tranquil stay. It also provides a parking area.
It is a comfortable and ideal shelter for families and companies.
Suitable for pets ( The property has a vast garden and a balcony where the pet can be hosted. The guest-pet owner is responsible for removing any waste of the pet. )
Not suitable for wheelchairs
The entire apartment and its amenities are at your exclusive use.
This is not a hotel, after midnight arrivals are not accepted.
PLEASE NOTE That we are living in Athens, so our assistant in the island will show you around. If you are a making a stop in Athens take the chance and use one of our apartments or services.
By making a reservation with us, you are getting access to many suggestions for tours or accommodations, in many islands and places of interest all over Greece.
Naoussa is the capital and the most cosmopolitan area with taverns, cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants. You may also find there the bus terminal that is connected with most of the beaches.
There is also a super market in 10' walk.
In 200 m. there is a sea site clean enough to swim. The famous 'Kolimpithres' beach is 30' walk or 15' cycling!
Depending on the wind, choose the area of the island where the sea is calm or beaches are not overcrowded (although this mission is impossible during July - August)
Ideally you need to rent a car/scooter to reach the villa and explore the island.
FROM AIRPORT Taxi costs approx. 30 euros
FROM PORT Taxi costs approx. 15 euros
BUS from port costs approx 3 euros per person, takes 18 minutes drive
Bus stop is 6 minutes walking from the house.
Naoussa TOWN is 3 minutes by car
NEAREST BEACH is 7 minutes on foot
Family friendly, Gay friendly, Lesbian friendly, Pet friendly, single women friendly.
After your booking, we are sending to your email, a document with options of reaching the apartment and a map of the area.
Respect environment and the Greek seas. Please recycle and do not throw anything in the toilet.
After your booking, we are sending to your email, a document with all the different options of reaching the apartment and a map of the area.
By making this reservation, you accept that this not a hotel. This is a house and you are a guest.
The host cannot be held responsible for any accidents or injuries that occur to guests on the premises.
Guests are held responsible for their own actions if they break the law. Use of drugs inside the apartment is prohibited.
The Greek law covers this agreement and any civil difference should be held in Athenian courts.
|Monthly rate for up to 2 guests
|£ 2409
|Price for > 2 guests
|£ 14 per guest/night extra
|Check-in After
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out Before
|Cancellation Policy
Very nice house for a group of friends or a big family with many conveniences such as many bathrooms, rooftop, terrace. The kitchen is well equipped in general, but a few utensils are lacking. The house is in perfect condition and well built for keeping it cool on hot days. The location is very good, near beaches and Naousa town where bars and restaurants can be found. We rented cars and there is sufficient parking space in the driveway for 2-3 cars and motorbikes. The island is small so getting to places is quite quick no matter where you are.
The place had minor defects like the tiny bathroom and the bed which was a bit broken but for a short stay of about a week it is great, the huge veranda is the best place to drink something looking at the acropolis, which was very near, the neighbourhood was probably the one with the best nightlife of athens full of clubs and restaurants, and the house was very near the center of athens, you could make the whole way from syntagma visiting places in between like the flea market in about 30 mins, the air coinditioning is a huge plus.
We were two persons having holiday in Athens and enjoyed very much! The apartment is very nice and clean. There is an air-condition in one bedroom and a kitchen. Location is good, 10 - 15 minutes walk to metro station. You can take a bus on your home street but we could not find the timetables or route map.
The staff is very friendly. If there is something wrong in your appartment they try to fix it at once!
There is no TV in appartment.
It was very nice to stay at this apartment. Chryssa and the team was very kind and ready to help and support whenever there's a problem. The apartment was very clean and the location was good too. Although it was a bit far to the subway, there are buses and it's very close to downtown. We had a car and parking was not too difficult. We parked on the street like everybody else but there are also a lot of paid parking lots nearby (not so expensive, ca. 5 Euros per day).
The host cancelled the booking, this review is automated.
It was fantastic and fully profesional expierience. The apartment was in the perfect part of Athens, we were close to the Acropol and Plaka. Thanks to support of Helena & Vasalli we were able to have magniefecent time during the one day trip to three islands. I highly recomend!
Spending time with Helena's apartment was very nice. The place is clean and cosy and very close to the centre. There was no problems with time of arrival. Also when we have a small "door-problem" the hosts help us quickly. Thank you for your hospitality!
Very central location, nice, helpful hosts, clean and quiet Apartment!
Helena and Chryssa are very nice and helpful persons. The Flat was very nice and charming. We feeled ery welcome and like at home. We would stay there again next time if we are in Athens.
Great place!!! 5-minute walking distance to Acropolis and Plaka district where all restaurants and shops are. Apartment has a rooftop deck or terrace with excellent view of the Rock and can accommodate a large group of people. Place itself is modern with tons of natural light. Owned and designed by an architect, it offers everything a family might need on a trip.
Helena and her team did excellent work including providing transfer from and to the airport. It was true pleasure dealing with professionals who know how to accommodate visitors.
At the time of writing (April 2016) we were first to book and second to stay in the place. It is (was) brand new and few things were probably just not tested under "heavy" use by the visitors. Team Helena and the owner came over to address everything in person, which was very comforting.
Overall, it could not have been any better, thank you.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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You have searched for Louis Amberg
- Gladys Louis
DOB : 20/10/1931 Left for Heavenly Abode peacefully onDecember 8, 2015. Deeply Mourned By Hariette/Roven Misquitta Violet/Edwin NunesGrandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Relatives & Friends. Funeral leaves residence Timber Green, 'ELM ' E - 102,Before Dahisar Toll Naka, Near Diamond Industries, Dahisar East, Mumbai 68 on 20/12/2015 at 10:30AM for Mass at St. Louis Church, Y. Tawde Road, Dahisar (W) at 11:00 AM followed by Burial at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, I C Colony, Borivali (W), Mumbai 103 Family thanks all Religious, Neighbours,Colleagues, Relatives and Friends for their support. during this time of grief.
25th Death Anniversary,. 07/07/1935 26/02/1991. A light from ourhousehold is gone A voice we loved to hear is still A place is vacant in our hearts, That never can be filled. We Miss you Dear Appachan Fondly remembered by, Wife Ruby Johnny, Son Louis, DaughterinLaw Ligi, Grandchildren Joel & JustinDaughter Treesa, Son in Law Joy Thomas, Grandchildren Terry & JimmyAll Relatives & Friends.
- Louis kicks off tribal fair to mark World Indigenous Day
A tribal fair to mark World Indigenous Day (August 9) was inaugurated by state welfare (including minority welfare), social welfare, women and child development minister Louis Marandi on Monday. The three-day fair is being hosted by the Jharkhand Tribal Development Society (JTDS).


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Education > K-12 Education > Online Resources for K-12 Statistics Teachers
Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM)
Statistics Workshop for K-12 Mathematics and Science Teachers
Sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA)
2011 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)*
Based on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
and Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction of Statistics Education (GAISE)
A Pre-K–12 Curriculum Framework
|Tuesday, August 2 and Wednesday, August 3, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
|Miami Beach Convention Center, located at 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139-1820. (workshop meeting room location to be announced)
|K-12 Mathematics and Science Teachers. Multiple mathematics/science teachers from the same school are especially encouraged to attend. Note: Experienced AP statistics teachers should register for the Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) workshop. See www.amstat.org/education/baps for more information.
|Enhance understanding and teaching of statistics within the mathematics/science curriculum through conceptual understanding, active learning, real-world data applications, and appropriate technology.
|Teachers will explore problems that require them to formulate questions, collect, organize, analyze, and draw conclusions from data and apply basic concepts of probability. The MWM program will include examining what students can be expected to do at the most basic level of understanding and what can be expected of them as their skills develop and their experience broadens. Content is consistent with Common Core standards, GAISE recommendations, and NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
|GAISE Report authors and prominent statistics educators
Tuesday: Grades 9-12 sessions
Wednesday: Grades 5-8 session
One-day pass to attend activities at JSM (statistics education sessions, poster sessions, JSM exhibit hall)
Activity-based sessions, including lesson plan development
Complimentary one-day pass to attend the Joint Statistical Meetings
Lodging reimbursement (up to a specified amount) for teachers from outside the Miami area
Certificate of participation from the ASA certifying professional development hours
Optional graduate credit available
|The course fee for the two days is $50. Please note: Course attendees do not need to register for the Joint Statistical Meetings to participate in this workshop.
|Follow up:
|Follow-up activities and webinars
Network with statisticians and teachers to organize learning communities
|Online registration is available under the above MWM Registration tab. Space is limited. If interested in attending, please register as soon as possible
|Rebecca Nichols, email@example.com; (703) 684-1221, Ext. 1877
*The Joint Statistical Meetings are the largest annual gathering of statisticians, where thousands from around the world meet to share advances in statistical knowledge. The JSM activities include statistics education sessions, posters sessions, and the exhibit hall.
The primary goal of the MWM program in 2011 is to provide an opportunity for middle and high school teachers who teach math and science courses to discuss and apply the data analysis and statistical concepts embodied in Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Pre-K-12 Curriculum Framework and in the Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Teachers will explore problems that require them to formulate questions, collect, organize, analyze, and draw conclusions from data and apply basic concepts of probability. The MWM program will include examining what students can be expected to do at the most basic level of understanding and what can be expected of them as their skills develop and experience broadens.
|Program Chair: Katherine T. Halvorsen, Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics, Smith College
Program Schedule for Grades 9-12 Workshop
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
|Program Schedule for Grades 5-8 Workshop
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Optional Graduate Credit Available:
Optional 0.5 graduate credit hours is available from Adams State College for $55. Visit www.asa.adams.edu and click on the register button to register for either or both the grades 5-8 and/or grades 9-12 workshop sessions. We will need to verify your attendance at the MWM workshop sessions for you to receive graduate credit, so please make sure you sign in at the registration desk when you arrive at the workshop on Tuesday and/or Wednesday, August 2-3, 2011.
Pass to attend Joint Statistical Meetings
Teachers will be provided a complimentary one-day pass to attend the Joint Statistical Meetings. Joint Statistical Meetings activities include the following:
Statistics Education Sessions - Details of specific statistics education sessions will be provided when they become available.
Exhibit Hall - JSM exhibitors provide attendees with the opportunity to observe and learn about state-of-the-art products and services related to statistics.
JSM is the largest gathering of statisticians held in North America. It is held jointly by the American Statistical Association, the International Biometric Society (ENAR and WNAR), the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the Statistical Society of Canada, the International Chinese Statistical Association, and the International Indian Statistical Association. Attended by more than 5,000 people, activities of the meeting include paper and poster presentations, panel sessions, continuing education courses, an exhibit hall and career placement service, society and section business meetings, committee meetings, social activities, and networking opportunities.
MWM 2011 Workshop Registration:
Online registration is now closed. If you missed the registration deadline
and are still interested in registering, contact email@example.com.
Past Meeting Within a Meeting Workshops
2010 Meeting Within a Meeting Workshop
August 4 - 5, 2010
Vancouver, B.C.
2009 Meeting Within a Meeting Workshop
August 3 - 4, 2009
Washington, D.C.
2008 Meeting Within a Meeting Workshop
August 4 - 5, 2008
Denver, Colorado
2007 Meeting Within a Meeting Workshop
July 31, 2007
Salt Lake City, Utah


text:
Shop By Designer
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join Us
With it's radiant yellow coloring and grinning Jack-O-Lantern face, this harness will be a hit at your next Halloween celebration! A harness doesn't have to be a necessary evil when it comes to your dog. They can actually be comfortable and stylish for your dog. Harnesses take the pressure off your dog's trachea that can be caused when attaching a leash to a collar, and this series includes an adorable Jack-O-Lantern face!
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Blockbuster Magadheera in Tamil
Earlier, the producer had talks with few leading filmmakers to remake the film in Tamil. When he felt that it wasn"t happening in Kollywood, he just dropped that idea and has now decided to dub the film in Tamil.
The film is directed by SS Raja Mouli and features Ram Charan Teja-Kajal Agarwal-Dev Gill in lead roles. Well, if the film hits the screens for Pongal 2010, then it would be the biggest clash at box office as the most expected big tickets– Vettaikaran, Asal and Aayirathil Oruvan will also be released on the same occasion.


text: This deal is expired! The deal below has expired, but no worries. You can still check out available coupons and "follow" the store to receive alerts for future offers. Mrpearl11 Coupons » Xbox and PS2 Game Manager by APC - GM6 Flag this deal What's the matter? Choose a reason Dead deal Duplicate Bad link Spam Inaccurate No value Alive again Edit deal


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Specialized 13: Sun, Helmets, and Shoes
by Byron on Jul. 10, 2013 at 6:31 AM
Sun, Helmets, and Shoes
At Copper Canyon, CO for Specialized's Global Product Launch of the 2014 line. So far all the media has seen are these 2013 helmets and shoes available now with much more today. Then test rides for the rest of the…» Read More »


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NYAMA Member Profile: Jeremy Martelle/CHA Consulting
Jeremy P. Martelle says he is often amazed but never surprised by the unselfishness of NYAMA members when they advocate for government resources.
Association News
Celebrating 40 Years!
This year we're celebrating our 40th year of advocacy and education on...
Aviation Jobs Act Tax Reform in New York Budget
NYAMA has worked for years advocating for the passage of the Aviation ...
Read More
Tue Sep 13, 20162016 Fall Conference
Category: Events


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The mission of the Brenau BBQ is to host a community wide event bringing awareness for Brenau University as a positive educational and community partner, and it serves as a fundraiser for local student scholarships.
Two such beneficiaries of the Brenau BBQ scholarships include seniors Cassey Wyatt and Katie Barth. These two students have volunteered for past BBQ championships and have agreed to have a much larger role in the planning for this year's event. Katie will head up the children's area activities and Cassey will be heading up the student volunteers by setting their schedules and assigning tasks throughout the event. Both say it is the least they could do to give back to their University.
So what is it about barbecue that instantly causes remembrances of family outings and fond cooking experiences? Indeed, in the South, barbecue, and its cooking methods, slow with low temperatures, is a cultural icon. It used to be that when families and churches had homecomings, you could count on there being a large barbecue associated with it.
It is in the spirit of this cultural heritage, combined with the mission of Brenau University, that we gladly present the sixth annual Brenau Barbecue Championship on May 23 to 24, 2014. Inasmuch as this event serves as a fundraiser for the local student scholarship fund, it also serves as a catalyst for the community, neighbors and families to gather and enjoy each other's company as we collectively kickoff summer.
Believe it or not, there are actually several different barbecue cooking circuits around the United States and the one we're associated with is the Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN), an organization that grew out of the famous Memphis in May event – the superbowl of all things barbecue, and the Georgia Barbecue Association. Professional cook teams from throughout the southeast will be coming to Brenau to cook in three different divisions, Whole Hog, Shoulder Shank and Ribs, and GBA teams cook Boston Butt, Ribs, and Pork Loin Both groups will have bragging rights and cash prizes on the line.
The MBN and GBA circuit has specific criteria for judging, and all judges at this event have been trained and certified to know what to look for. To a casual observer, it may just look like barbecue that they have seen before. Trust us, this is world class barbecue, barbecue that you could never find in a restaurant anywhere.
Because it is a competition, cookers may have samples for the public as the day goes along, but not at first, because they are preparing their entries to be judged. Therefore, there will be vendors, again world class vendors, who will be selling barbecue as soon as the gates open during our Friday preview party and on Saturday. Additionally, we have scouted out and recruited some of the best vendors that we've seen in the last year who will be offering summertime gifts and wares for your enjoyment, but we could still use more if you are interested. See the link for vendor sign-up. Several local artists through local galleries will be selling their works. This also is a kid-friendly event and we will have inflated playground structures that will keep them active and the balloon lady back.
So whether you are going to join us on Friday night for the preview party featuring great regional music, or on Saturday to watch professional and local barbecue cooking at its best and enjoy the incredible community camaraderie, we guarantee you'll have a good time.