শনিবার, ২৭ জুলাই, ২০১৩

মঙ্গলবার, ২৩ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Baby buzz proves celeb power of Britain's royals

A British police officer, backdropped by members of the media, stands outside St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing in London, Monday, July 22, 2013. Buckingham Palace officials say Prince William's wife, Kate, has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour. Royal officials said that Kate traveled by car to St. Mary's Hospital in central London. Kate _ also known as the Duchess of Cambridge _ is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry.The baby will be third in line for the British throne _ behind Prince Charles and William _ and is anticipated eventually to become king or queen.(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

A British police officer, backdropped by members of the media, stands outside St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing in London, Monday, July 22, 2013. Buckingham Palace officials say Prince William's wife, Kate, has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour. Royal officials said that Kate traveled by car to St. Mary's Hospital in central London. Kate _ also known as the Duchess of Cambridge _ is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry.The baby will be third in line for the British throne _ behind Prince Charles and William _ and is anticipated eventually to become king or queen.(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Members of the broadcast media give live reports across from St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing in London, Monday, July 22, 2013. Buckingham Palace officials say Prince William's wife, Kate, has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour.Royal officials said that Kate traveled by car to St. Mary's Hospital in central London. Kate _ also known as the Duchess of Cambridge _ is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry.The baby will be third in line for the British throne _ behind Prince Charles and William _ and is anticipated eventually to become king or queen. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Members of broadcast media give live reports across St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing in London, Monday, July 22, 2013. Buckingham Palace officials say Prince William's wife, Kate, has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour. Royal officials said that Kate traveled by car to St. Mary's Hospital in central London. Kate _ also known as the Duchess of Cambridge _ is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry.The baby will be third in line for the British throne _ behind Prince Charles and William _ and is anticipated eventually to become king or queen. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

British police officers discuss outside St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing in London, Monday, July 22, 2013. Buckingham Palace officials say Prince William's wife, Kate, has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour. Royal officials said that Kate travelled by car to St. Mary's Hospital in central London. Kate _ also known as the Duchess of Cambridge _ is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry.The baby will be third in line for the British throne _ behind Prince Charles and William _ and is anticipated eventually to become king or queen. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Royal supporter Terry Hutt sits on a bench near the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London, Monday, July 15, 2013. Britain's Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge plans to give birth to her first child who will be third-in-line to the throne at the hospital in mid-July. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

(AP) ? In London, the royal birth is a tale of two cities ? a moment of history unfolding amid the frenzy of daily urban life.

Outside the London hospital where Prince William's wife, Kate, was in labor Monday, Londoners slowed their daily rush on a scorching summer day to take a quick picture and wonder at the vast media throng, then moved on.

Two miles away at Buckingham Palace, the news seemed more momentous, an extra jolt of history to the royal pomp and pageantry that attracts tourists in their thousands each day. They may no longer wield political power, but Britain's royals are unsurpassed as celebrities and cultural icons.

"They're sort of the celebrities of the world," said Anne Frey, a beautician from Madison, Wisconsin, watching the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony with her husband.

Excitement for the imminent royal baby was strong among the crowds lining the black iron gates to watch soldiers in high bearskin hats, sweating stoically under their scarlet tunics, march behind a brass band into the palace grounds.

"We can tell our kids one day that we were here when it happened," said Jill Muencz, a tourist from Cleveland, Ohio.

"It's fantasy," she added. "We don't get to experience all that" as Americans.

The royal labor dominated British news bulletins Monday, as media from around the world provided nonstop comment, color and speculation from outside the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital, around the corner from London's Paddington Station.

Prime Minister David Cameron said "the whole country is excited" ? and while that may be politician's hyperbole, there was a sense that the birth of a future monarch was a feel-good event to add to a long spell of hot, sunny weather and British sports successes at Wimbledon, the Tour de France cycling race and in the Ashes cricket competition.

Few Britons were willing to go as far in their royalism as Terry Hutt, a 78-year-old carpenter from Cambridge in eastern England, who has camped outside the hospital for 12 days, sleeping outside the hospital on a bench covered with a Union Jack blanket.

Hutt, who is proud to have met every royal from the late Queen Mother on, said he was doing his bit for Britain by camping outside the hospital in his red, white and blue Union Jack suit, holding flags and congratulatory banners.

"To me, the royal family play a very, very important role," he said. "Visitors from all over the world haven't got a king and queen. It's a plus for us."

As London commuters rushed past the hospital to work, Pascal Faure, a maintenance contractor originally from South Africa, stopped to snap a picture on his phone for friends at home and in Australia.

"It's part of their heritage, I guess, their culture," said Faure, who claimed his own tenuous royal connection: "Apparently my third cousin once removed is Chelsy" Davy, Prince Harry's former girlfriend.

He also had more insight than most into the 5,000-pound ($8,000) -a-night private wing where the Duchess of Cambridge is giving birth. He fixed the air-conditioning there last week ? a good thing, too, as Monday was scheduled to be the hottest day of the year in London.

"If the air-con stops working, I'll probably be the one to go in," he said.

The outpouring of affection for the royal infant is a sign of how thoroughly Britain's royal family has rebuilt its image in the eyes of its subjects since the low point that followed the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997. Diana had been popular, glamorous and ? in the eyes of many ? badly treated by the royal "Firm."

Sixteen years on, support for the monarchy is riding high after William and Kate's 2011 wedding and last year's Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne.

For non-Britons, the emergence of an attractive young generation that includes William, Kate and soldier-socialite Prince Harry has given the clan a mix of glamour and celebrity that is hard to resist.

"We like to pretend we have a king and queen," said 17-year-old Maddie Cruse, from Helena, Montana, as she stood outside Buckingham Palace. "Since we don't have a king and queen, we borrow yours."

Like many visitors, Cruse was well versed about recent changes to royal rules that mean a daughter will not lose her place in the royal succession if William and Kate later have a son. Boy or girl, the baby will be third in line to the throne behind Prince Charles and Prince William and is likely to be monarch one day ? a fact that is lending an extra sense of history to the birth.

"I hope it's a girl, because it's the first royal that could assume the throne as a girl," Cruse said. "And she'll be a princess, and we'll get to see all the cute little clothes."

___

Associated Press Writer Raphael Satter contributed to this report.

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-22-EU-Britain-Royal-Baby-Scene/id-6de8694b628244a39b7b08a047988e67

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রবিবার, ২১ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Open Golf: Jimenez leads from big gun quartet

Spaniard leads going into the weekend

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Miguel Angel Jimenez

MIGUEL Angel Jimenez will take a one-shot lead into the weekend of the 142nd Open Championship.The 49-year-old added a 71 to his opening 68 to sit one shot ahead of a very tasty quartet of Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson. The Spaniard has only dropped four shots in 36 holes.Should he hold his position come Sunday night he will become the oldest Major champion ? Julios Boros currently holds that distinction now, his PGA win in 1968 coming at the age of 48.Jimenez only returned to action in April after breaking his leg in a skiing accident in December, not long after becoming the oldest winner on the European Tour with his victory in Hong Kong."Of course I feel pressure, anything that is important to you makes you feel pressure, but as long as I can handle it there is no problem. I have been playing golf for 25 years and sometimes you think maybe it's too many, but it's OK."

'Of course I feel pressure but as long as I can handle it there is no problem' - Jimenez

It had looked like Angel Cabrera would lead, having got to four under but he then fell foul of Muirfield?s bruising closing stretch, dropping three shots from the 14th.First-round leader Zach Johnson was also on minus four but a double at the 15th, and two bogeys, saw him drop back to one under after a 75.Stenson would become the first Scandinavian to lift a Major trophy and his two rounds of 70 mean he is the only player to break par in both rounds. The Swede was third at both Birkdale in 2008 and St Andrews in 2010."I think I've got the experience to do well in these championships. Tough conditions is something that I enjoy and suits my game, as well.

"I might still look for a bit more confidence and a bit more trust in my long game. I feel like I've been a bit wishy-washy these two days. But at times I've hit some nice ones and committed to some good shots as well.??

By Mark Townsend
on 19 July 2013

Source: http://nationalclubgolfer.com/features/articles/open-golf-jimenez-leads-from-big-gun-quartet.html

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শনিবার, ২০ জুলাই, ২০১৩

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

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Source: www.nytimes.com --- Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Department of Defense has identified 2,233 American service members who have died as a part of the Afghan war and related operations. ? ? ? ? ...

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/us/us-military-deaths-in-afghanistan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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বুধবার, ১৭ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Japan's former premier sues PM Abe for defamation

TOKYO: Japan's premier at the time of the Fukushima crisis said Tuesday he was suing the current prime minister for defamation over online comments about the way the emergency was handled.

With less than a week to go before upper house elections, the now-opposition figure Naoto Kan said on his official website he would be taking legal action against Shinzo Abe.

Kan's office has said in the days immediately after a massive tsunami swamped Fukushima in March 2011, that his government pressed plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) to use seawater to cool overheating reactors and prevent a catastrophe.

TEPCO subsequently said Kan had wavered on allowing seawater to be used.

Kan's statement, posted Tuesday, said Abe has repeated this claim.

"Mr. Shinzo Abe in his email magazine ran a story entitled 'Mr. Kan's instructions on using seawater (to cool reactors) are made-up,' and despite my request for a correction and apology... the story remains," Kan said on his official website.

Abe "is responsible for carrying out a fair election campaign... I strongly demand he immediately admit his misconduct, delete the stories and apologise for this", Kan said.

Management of the crisis at Fukushima -- the world's worst atomic disaster in a generation -- has been picked over in the more than two years since the tsunami rolled ashore.

Last year, an independent panel on the Fukushima disaster said Kan played a key role in preventing the crisis from worsening further.

The panel said that as the situation on Japan's tsunami-wrecked coast deteriorated, TEPCO had wanted to abandon the plant and evacuate its workers, but that Kan had ordered them to keep their men on site.

Experts concluded that if the premier had not stuck to his guns, Fukushima would have spiralled further out of control, with catastrophic consequences. The utility did not co-operate with the study.

Kan's brief tenure as prime minister ended in September 2011. He has since become an anti-nuclear campaigner.

Japan goes to the polls on Sunday in an election for half the seats in the upper chamber.

Abe's Liberal Democratic Party is expected to win comfortably after a campaign where nuclear power as an issue has been largely absent, has been displaced by talk of a rejuvenated economy.

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-s-former-premier/746198.html

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ১১ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Bloomingdale Basketball Coach, Cousin Charged With 5 Counts of CSC

Screen shot 2013-07-11 at 3.03.34 PM

Adrian Ledesma

Jaime Ledesma

Jaime Ledesma II

BLOOMINGDALE, Mich. ? The 23-year-old junior varsity boy?s basketball coach for Bloomingdale High School was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct Thursday.? His cousin was also charged.

Adrian Ledesma and his cousin, 24-year-old Jaime Ledesma II, were arraigned in Allegan County District Court on a total of five counts of criminal sexual conduct.

According to Michigan State Police, parents discovered text messages of a sexual nature from the coach on their 14-year-old girl?s cellphone and filed a police report June 18.? He is charged with two counts of first- and one count of second-degree CSC.? Jaime Ledesma II faces third- and fourth-degree CSC charges.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or similar incidents is encouraged to contact the Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post at 269-657-5551.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wxmi-news/~3/4dLawg3qT1Y/

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Upper Darby mayor explains decision to terminate two officers

UPPER DARBY ? Mayor Thomas Micozzie explained how he reached the decision to fire the two Upper Darby police officers for misconduct at council?s committee session Wednesday.

Prior to the meeting the mayor met with council members in executive session to discuss the personnel matter.

Micozzie terminated the employment of patrol officers Michael Givens, 39, and Ryan Wiseley, 32, on July 5 for a violent incident June 15 involving a 17-year-old in custody with two 14-year-olds for retail theft.

The officers self-reported their actions to a supervisor and were immediately placed on administrative leave with pay until the in-house investigation was completed.

?As mayor, I have a number of responsibilities, including executing township ordinances and the day-to-day administration of the township,? Micozzie said. ?With those responsibilities comes the duty to make tough decisions.

?Following the incident, the matter was referred to the Upper Darby Police Department?s Office of Professional Standards for review to determine whether the police officers violated Upper Darby?s policies and procedures.?

According to Micozzie, the Office of Professional Standards conducted a thorough investigation and took statements from the officers, the three juveniles, two civilian personnel and reviewed the video.

?The UDOPS then developed an investigative report, which found that the two police officers had in fact violated police department policy and procedures,? Micozzie said. ?The report recommended that further disciplinary action of the two officers was warranted. Superintendent Michael Chitwood then recommended to me that the two police officers should be relieved of duty.?

Micozzie accepted the recommendation and terminated the veteran officers.

?My decision was based on the internal investigation, my review of numerous witness statements and the videotape and the recommendation of Superintendent Chitwood,? Micozzie said. ?There was no rush to judgment as the officers in question were afforded due process, with counsel, and were given the opportunity to present their case.? Continued...

Source: http://delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de06b72fa05505738305.txt

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শুক্রবার, ১০ মে, ২০১৩

Crackdown on military sex assault may have unintended consequences

WASHINGTON ? The scales of military justice might tilt as the Pentagon, Congress and the White House mobilize against sexual assault among the troops.

Put another way, it will get tougher for defendants; maybe, some fear, unlawfully so.

?What we are seeing now is the complete politicization of military justice in a way that would have shocked the members of Congress who passed the Uniform Code of Military Justice,? Marine Corps Reserves Maj. Babu Kaza, a prominent military attorney, said in an interview.

Largely unseen by the public, dozens of Marine Corps sexual assault cases already have been roiled by defense claims of unlawful command influence due to tough talk by military leaders. The claims, some directly reviewed by McClatchy and some described by lawyers, target the unique vulnerability of military courts to a superior officer?s will.

A McClatchy review further shows that out of the public eye, military judges are questioning an Air Force program that provides alleged victims with special legal assistance. Even the scope of the military sexual assault problem is an issue, as it?s subject to both underreporting and overstatement.

?If commanders, military judges, military lawyers and members of a military jury must now accept that politically unpopular military-justice decisions will draw the condemnation of our civilian leadership, and possibly have a negative impact on their careers, then the entire system is fraudulent,? Kaza said

After a series of high-profile episodes that culminated with the release of a Defense Department study that said 3,374 military sexual assaults were reported in fiscal 2012, the talk is escalating.

In recent days, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called for actions that would change ?the perception that there is tolerance? of sexual assault in the military. Military leaders, Hagel added, ?will be held accountable for preventing and responding to sexual assault.?

Hagel echoed President Barack Obama, the commander in chief, who mandated Tuesday that people ?engaging in this stuff, they?ve got to be held accountable: prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period.?

Key lawmakers have been equally adamant.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said ?the military justice system needs to change to hold sexual predators accountable.? McCaskill further said that the arrest Sunday on sexual battery charges of the Air Force officer who?s in charge of sexual assault prevention was ?one of those times you can send a message? through the appointment of a replacement. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate defense appropriations panel, added that ?the culture? must change.

The Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, was arraigned in civilian court Thursday, after Northern Virginia prosecutors declined the military?s request to take over the case.

?Sexual assault,? Hagel said, ?is a despicable crime.?

Similarly strong words last year by the Marine Corps commandant and a former top military judge underscored the unlawful command influence problem that some fear may now be exacerbated.

Unlawful command influence is what happens when military authorities unduly influence their underlings, or appear to. The authoritative text, ?The Military Commander and the Law,? published by the Air Force Judge Advocate General?s School, specifies, as an example, that ?superior commanders must not make comments that would imply they expect a particular result in a given case or type of cases.?

Attorneys dispute whether this covers civilians.

The Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, clearly was covered when he addressed sexual assault last year in a series of speeches. He denounced lenient officers as ?soft,? and declared that ?80 percent? of sexual assault allegations are ?legitimate.?

?I want the staff NCOs in here and I want the officers in here, the commanding officers and the sergeants major to take a hard look at how we are doing business,? Amos said at Parris Island, S.C., on April 19, 2012, a transcript shows.

In the aftermath, McClatchy has learned, Marine Corps defendants in more than 60 sexual assault cases filed unlawful command influence claims. Judges in nearly all the cases that have been litigated found the appearance of unlawful command influence, providing the defendants relief on matters such as jury selection.

Last September, for instance, a trial judge ruled in a sexual assault case at Parris Island that the commandant?s speech gave at least the appearance of unlawful command influence. Similar claims have been litigated at many other Marine Corps or Navy facilities, including Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Camp Pendleton in California and in Jacksonville, Fla., among others.

In the top-down military, moreover, the boss?s words may amplify across the ranks.

Last June, Marine Corps Lt. Col. R.G. Palmer, serving as a military judge, delivered an incendiary talk to junior officers.

?Congress is saying that we need more convictions,? Palmer said, according to the sworn accounts of junior officers. ?As trial counsel, we need to go after these scumbags. ? We need to crush these Marines and get them out.

?The commandant is ordering us to be more strict on criminal cases,? Palmer added, according to sworn statements. ?We need more convictions.?

Palmer subsequently left the military bench, and some of his trial rulings are now under appeal.

The increasing attention, moreover, doesn?t always clarify the extent of the problem. Sexual assault certainly happens more often than people know. The new Pentagon report that identified 3,374 military sexual assaults in 2012 also estimated that only about 11 percent of assaults were reported.?Sexual assault is a vastly underreported crime,? noted Army Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, the director of the Pentagon?s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.

Amid political debate, though, ambiguous details get overstated. A survey released this week, based on answers from about 2 percent of active-duty military personnel, led to the extrapolated conclusion that 26,000 troops may have been sexually assaulted last year. A previous extrapolation estimated that 19,000 were sexually assaulted in 2010, an estimate that covered many behaviors and spurred exaggerated summaries.

?The Department of Defense still testifies that there are 19,000 rapes that occur in the military every year,? Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said in a speech at the House of Representatives on June 15, 2011, ?and we have done nothing about it.?

Speier has introduced three bills since January that address military sexual assault. One, supported by 108 House co-sponsors, would remove sexual assault cases from the usual military chain of command and place them with a special prosecutor?s office, whose director would be appointed by a new civilian-dominated council.

Pentagon officials are coming up with ideas of their own, some with unforeseen consequences.

Hagel, for instance, voiced interest in expanding a new Air Force ?special victims counsel? program. But a trial judge in a New Mexico court-martial last year, in a case McClatchy reviewed, limited the courtroom authority of the special victims counsel, citing in part the need to retain the appearance of an impartial judiciary.

An appeal in the case will be heard next month.

Source: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/crackdown-on-military-sex-assault-may-have-unintended-consequences-1.220382

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Solar Eclipse PHOTOS: 'Ring Of Fire' Crosses Australia, Pacific On May 9, 2013

SYDNEY -- Skygazers across the Australian Outback were among the lucky few to witness a solar eclipse on Friday as the moon glided between Earth and the sun, blocking everything but a dazzling ring of light.

The celestial spectacle, known as a "ring of fire" eclipse, is the second solar eclipse visible from northern Australia in six months. In November, a total solar eclipse plunged the country's northeast into darkness, delighting astronomers and tourists who flocked to the region from across the globe to witness it.

Friday's eclipse, also called an annular solar eclipse, is not considered as scientifically important or dramatic as November's, because the moon is too far from Earth ? and therefore appears too small ? to completely black out the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse, which essentially turns day into night, an annular eclipse just dims the sunlight.

"A total eclipse is overall far more spectacular, far more emotional," said Andrew Jacob, an astronomer at Sydney Observatory. Still, he said, Friday's eclipse "will give you a nice ring of sunlight in the sky ? it will be quite different."

At remote outposts across Australia, scientists and spectators gathered to watch as the eclipse began casting its approximately 200-kilometer-wide (120-mile-wide) shadow at dawn over Western Australia, before moving east through the Northern Territory and the top of Queensland state. The shadow was drifting across Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the tiny island nation of Kiribati, and will eventually end in a largely uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean.

The eclipse lasted between three and six minutes, depending on its location, and blacked out around 95 percent of the sun at its peak. A partial eclipse was visible to people in other parts of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

U.S. astronomer Jay Pasachoff, who traveled to Australia to view his 57th solar eclipse, drove to a remote hill in the Outback about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek, where he and around 100 others enjoyed one of the best and longest views of the eclipse in Australia.

Amateur astronomers clicked away on cameras and local high school students measured the drop in temperature as the moon moved in front of the sun and blocked out much of the light. The moment, Pasachoff said, was magical.

"The color of the light changes in an eerie fashion, and you sense that something very strange and weird and wonderful is going on," said Pasachoff, an astronomy professor at Williams College in Massachusetts.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/solar-eclipse-photos-ring-of-fire-australia-may-2013_n_3249732.html

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The Bachelorette Spoilers 2013: Desiree Hartsock Final Four, Winner Revealed?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/the-bachelorette-spoilers-2013-desiree-hartsock-final-four-winne/

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মঙ্গলবার, ৭ মে, ২০১৩

The World's Tallest Chair Swing Is Actually Quite Tall

Stockholm's 130-year-old amusement park, Gr?na Lund, just opened the tallest chair swing in the world, and it's 397 feet tall. For context the tallest steel roller coaster in the U.S., Kingda Ka, is 456 feet at its tallest point. So yeah, for a humble chair swing this thing is pretty lofty.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MI6ajoaj30Q/the-worlds-tallest-chair-swing-is-actually-quite-tall-492561534

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সোমবার, ৬ মে, ২০১৩

Cancer treatment could target inflammation in CVD

May 5, 2013 ? Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs, an established treatment for cancer patients, could offer a novel therapeutic approach to decrease levels of inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaques of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), reported an abstract? study at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT, May 5 to 8 in Berlin, Germany.

"Our results should act as a stimulus for further exploration of radionuclide based interventions in atherosclerosis. Ultimately such therapies might be used to lower the degree of inflammation in atherosclerosis which has the potential to reduce the occurrence of heart attacks," said Imke Schatka, the first author of the study from the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Hannover Medical School, Germany.

PRRT is a technique currently used to treat patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETS), a diverse group of malignancies deriving from the neuroendocrine cell system (the most frequent locations being pancreas, small intestine and lung).

The discovery of over expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTR) on NET tumours first opened the way for development of radiolabelled somatostatin analogs to image tumours during PET/CT scans. DOTATATE is a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) ligand targeting SSTR-2, a receptor known to be expressed on 70% of NET tumours. Once tumours have been visualized, it is possible to target therapy by attaching the beta-emitter ??? Lutetium (???Lu) to the ligand.

Active inflammation has been widely implicated in the initiation, progression and disruption of vulnerable plaques, and consequently offers an emerging target for the imaging and treatment of atherosclerosis. "Since SSTR-2 receptors are also expressed on macrophages we speculated that DOTATATE-PET/CT might be used to detect vulnerable plaques and that a PRRT procedure could reduce inflammation in the arterial wall," explained Schatka.

For the current study, 11 patients (from a group of 165 undergoing PRRT for NET tumours) were retrospectively identified because they met the criteria of only receiving the beta emitter???Lu treatment after undergoing two consecutive scans, with a third scan following treatment.

For each of the three scans, vessel wall uptake of the DOTATATE ligand was measured in six arterial segments of PET images (carotid, aortic arch, ascending, descending, abdominal aorta, and iliac arteries) and then the overall vessel uptake was determined for each individual patient.

Results showed that for the first scan the overall vessel uptake of the ligand correlated with the age of the patient (P<0.01), the number of calcified plaques (P<0.001) and furthermore was higher in subjects with hypercholesterolemia (p=0.04). No significant differences in overall vessel uptakes were found between scans 1 and 2, confirming reproducibility in the absence of treatment.

However, when treatment with the beta-emitter ??? Lu-DOTATATE was delivered following scan 2, scan 3 showed significant reductions in the overall vessel uptake of the ligand when compared with both scan 1 (p=0.001) and scan 2 (p=0.004).

"Uptake of the ligand can be considered to be a measure of the quantity of SSTR receptors, which in turn is likely to correlate with the number of activated macrophages and the extent of the inflammatory process," explained Schatka. "Our results suggest that treatment has had a beneficial effect in reducing inflammation."

The next step, said Schatka, would be to get histological proof that reductions in inflammation really had been imaged with DOTATATE-PET/CT by looking at carotid artery samples removed from patients during routine surgery.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/kSFPN-PLCog/130505073744.htm

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Hair Dryers Used to Look Like Alien Mind-Control Helmets

Back in the day, hair dryers and perm machines looked like they would eat your brain. Dark Roasted Blend has a nice roundup of photos of the vintage devices that makes you think think we sure did?and still do?some absolutely insane things for beauty.

How wouldn't some of these scare you off from the salon? Many of the apparatuses resemble some crazy machines from sci-fi movies that are meant to hurt you not curl your hair. Some look more like vacuums than dryers. You'd have to be kind of daring to stick your head in one of them.

But despite the menacing aspect of these vintage machines, it's pretty neat to see how far we've come in 80 or so years. The whole photoset?worth a look over at Dark Roasted Blend?will make you glad our beauty tech has evolved so much. [DarkRoastedBlend via BoingBoing]

Image credit: LIFE Magazine Archive

Source: http://gizmodo.com/hair-dryers-used-to-look-like-alien-mind-control-helmet-493114804

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Another Thing to Thank the NRA For (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/303652423?client_source=feed&format=rss

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রবিবার, ৫ মে, ২০১৩

Lindsay Lohan: Rehab is a Joke, I've Only Done Cocaine 4-5 Times, Ecstasy is Better Anyway

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EDB committed to providing multiple pathways for secondary school ...

??EDB committed to providing multiple pathways for secondary school graduates

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The Education Bureau (EDB) is committed to providing flexible and multiple study pathways which offer secondary school graduates a variety of entry and exit points, the Under Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, said today (May 4).

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the Information Expo on Multiple Pathways 2013, Mr Yeung said, "To enable students to have a good grasp of comprehensive and updated information on programmes and study pathways, the EDB and the post-secondary sector have made a series of pertinent arrangements."

These include the updating of programme information on the Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes (iPASS) website and enhancement of the Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes (E-APP). The Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education (FSTE) also recently announced the establishment of a set of guidelines drawn up by its member institutions on enrolment and admission arrangements for their programmes, he said.

On post-secondary places in the 2013/14 academic year, Mr Yeung said, "We expect that various institutions will offer a total of 61 760 post-secondary places, including 22 260 undergraduate places and 39 500 sub-degree places."

"In addition, these institutions can also provide a total of 11 300 places for students studying the Yi Jin Diploma programme, continuing education programmes and vocational training programmes. It is expected that post-secondary institutions will offer sufficient places for qualified students," he said.

At the exhibition, more than 30 exhibition booths were mounted to provide information on locally accredited post-secondary programmes not covered by the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), Yi Jin Diploma programme, vocational education programmes as well as iPASS, E-APP, and the e-Navigator.

In addition, Hok Yau Club, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association offer advisory services to students.

There are also talks on multiple study pathways for school graduates and career planning.

The information expo is being held today and tomorrow (May 4 and 5) from 10am to 6pm at Rotunda 1 of Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive. The event is organised by the EDB, with the FSTE, Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters and Hong Kong Education City as supporting organisations. Admission is free.

Source: HKSAR Government

Published on: 2013-05-04

Limited copyright is granted for you to use and/or republish any story on this site for any legitimate media purpose as long as you reference 7thSpace and any source mentioned in the story above. Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.
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Source: http://7thspace.com/headlines/437167/edb_committed_to_providing_multiple_pathways_for_secondary_school_graduates.html

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Obama says he won't comment on Israeli airstrike

President Barack Obama listens a question as he participates in an economic forum in San Jose, Costa Rica, Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

President Barack Obama listens a question as he participates in an economic forum in San Jose, Costa Rica, Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama says he won't comment on an Israeli airstrike against Syria that targeted a shipment of advanced missiles believed to be headed for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli officials on Saturday confirmed the strike, which took place early Friday.

Obama told the Spanish-language network Telemundo in an interview that he will defer to the Israeli government for comment. He also repeated his view that the Israelis justifiably have to guard against the transfer of advanced weapons to organizations like Hezbollah. The U.S. considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Obama conducted the interview Saturday, and a portion of the president's answer to a question about the airstrike was broadcast on MSNBC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-05-04-LT-Obama-Israel-Syria/id-b9cc29b6bb494510bb495926d7937651

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Mystery LG smartphone spied with no front buttons, many unanswered questions

Mystery LG phone spied with no buttons, many unanswered questions

Hello, what's this? While many of us were out enjoying the spring weather, @evleaks was busy posting photos of an unknown LG smartphone that, if real, represents a notable shift in the Korean company's design language. The device shares the Nexus 4's slightly curvy outline and lack of front-facing hardware buttons, but appears to have a taller screen, a new speaker grille and a different sensor layout. It's not very likely to be part of the Nexus program with that conspicuous LG logo at the front, but there are few other clues as to where it would fit in LG's phone family -- is it an Optimus G sequel, an Optimus LTE2 follow-up, or something entirely fresh? We may well see more of this mystery hardware in the near future, though, and there's already a close-up of the top bezel to be found after the break.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: @Evleaks (Facebook), (Twitter)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_UryTs49DXE/

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Buffett says he won't sell shares of IBM: CNBC

May 1 (Reuters) - Post position for Saturday's 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after Wednesday's draw (listed as barrier, HORSE, jockey, trainer) 1. BLACK ONYX, Joe Bravo, Kelly Breen 2. OXBOW, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas 3. REVOLUTIONARY, Calvin Borel, Todd Pletcher 4. GOLDEN SOUL, Robby Albarado, Dallas Stewart 5. NORMANDY INVASION, Javier Castellano, Chad Brown 6. MYLUTE, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss 7. GIANT FINISH, Jose Espinoza, Tony Dutrow 8. GOLDENCENTS, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill 9. OVERANALYZE, Rafael Bejarano, Todd Pletcher 10. PALACE MALICE, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher 11. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/buffett-says-wont-sell-shares-ibm-cnbc-114006612.html

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Catamaran revenue miss, contract concerns weigh on shares

(Reuters) - Pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran Corp's first-quarter revenue miss and concerns about the renewal of a major contract sent its shares down as much as 11 percent.

Investors were looking for clarity on Catamaran's contract with Medicare provider HealthSpring, which was acquired by U.S. health insurer Cigna Corp .

The contract, which brought in about a third of Catamaran's 2012 revenue of $9.94 billion, is up for renewal this year.

In a call with analysts, Chief Executive Mark Thierer said the company had "good business relationship" with Cigna but did not provide any details on the renewal of the contract.

"The markets were a little disappointed that there was no resolution around Cigna," said Paradigm Capital analyst Gabriel Leung.

Pharmacy benefit managers such as Catamaran Express Scripts Holding Co and CVS Caremark Corp administer health plans and drug benefits for employers and run mail-order pharmacies.

The company's first-quarter revenue jumped 88 percent to $3.22 billion but still missed analysts' expectations due to lower-than-expected sales volumes and the exit of some of its health plan customers.

Analysts on average had estimated revenue of $3.51 billion.

"This is a high-multiple stock and sometimes small misses can have a material effect on the stock. We think its way overdone," said analyst Tom Liston of Cantor Fitzgerald.

Shares of the company trade at a multiple of 30.7 to its forward earnings, well above rival Express's multiple of 13.9, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.

Catamaran shares were trading down 5 percent at C$53.77 on Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Its Nasdaq-listed shares fell more than 6 percent.

Catamaran's net income in the quarter rose 95 percent to $51.4 million, or 25 cents per share.

On an adjusted basis, it earned 42 cents per share, topping analysts' average estimate of 40 cents per share.

The company maintained its full-year adjusted profit forecast of $1.81-$1.88 per share. It still expects revenue of $14.2 billion to $14.6 billion for the year.

(Reporting by Krithika Krishnamurthy in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/catamaran-revenue-miss-contract-concerns-weigh-shares-174541310.html

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শুক্রবার, ৩ মে, ২০১৩

Samsung Galaxy S4 approved for use on U.S. Dept. of Defense networks

Galaxy S4

Samsung's latest smartphone gets the Pentagon's stamp of approval

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been approved for use on the U.S. Department of Defense's secure networks, Korea's Yonhap news agency reports. The news follows announcements by the DoD indicating plans to open its networks up to Android and iOS-based smart devices by next February.

Samsung has been keen to advance into the secure smartphone market in recent months, a space traditionally dominated by BlackBerry devices. The company's new Samsung Knox security system for BYOD, aimed at enterprise and government customers, is a major part of this push.

In related news, BlackBerry's latest BlackBerry 10 phones and its PlayBook tablet were also approved for DoD use yesterday. The Next Web reports that Apple's iPhone and iPad should gain DoD approval later this month.

Source: Yonhap; via: The Next Web

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/JVDX__Dcho0/story01.htm

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Tyler, The Creator&#39;s Mountain Dew Goat Ad - Business Insider

YouTube

Felicia, The Mountain Dew Goat

When Mountain Dew?released its first "Felicia the Goat" commercial back on March 20, PepsiCo thought it had a good thing going. The spot is bizarre: An angry caprine (voiced by rapper Tyler, The Creator) beats up a waitress after she fails to give him enough fluorescent green soda.

The ad press loved it: Adweek immediately said, "Mountain Dew makes the best ad ever with a violent talking goat," and eagerly awaited Tyler's next "nasty goat" installment in the three-part series.

The second video was posted on April 8, and it showed Felicia escaping the cops after getting pulled over for a "DewUI."

On the 24th, Tyler's hip hop collective Odd Future posted the last part of the trilogy,?asking, "Will Felicia get caught by the waitress he attacked in the first commercial?"

The goat is shown in a lineup with five black men and viewers can hear Tyler's voice intimidating the injured, terrified waitress,?"Snitches get stitches, foo," and?"Keep ya mouth shut, I'm going to get out of here and Dew you up!" She runs out, near tears. (You can watch all the ads below.)

Things looked alright for Mountain Dew for a couple days. Tyler angrily responded to some confusion as to who the woman in the last ad was:

?

But the press was neutral. Tyler tweeted out "Da Goat" with a Youtube link to his 1.6 million-plus followers, and the mission seemed accomplished.

Then on May 1, finance scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins wrote an article titled, "Mountain Dew Releases Arguably the Most Racist Commercial in History" that went viral, and PepsiCo found itself in the midst of a PR meltdown it probably should have seen coming.

Damage Control

Youtube

Felicia the Goat in a lineup.

Watkins wrote a scathing review of the "racist" elements in the ad:

"Of course, in the world of Mountain Dew, every single suspect is black. Not just regular black people, but the kinds of ratchety negroes you might find in the middle of any hip-hop minstrel show. Mountain Dew has set a new low for corporate racism. Their decision to lean on well-known racial stereotypes is beyond disgusting. This doesn't even include the fact that the company has put black men on par with animals."

Watkins fears, "Even worse is that Mountain Dew probably thinks this ad is acceptable because they got the OK from a black man."

Headlines about racism spread to almost every major media outlet across the country. Mountain Dew was also harshly criticized normalizing and downplaying violence against women ? disturbingly trying to turn intimidating the abused into a joke.

In crisis mode, Mountain Dew quickly issued the statement:?"We apologize for this video and take full responsibility.? We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and Tyler is removing it from his channels as well."

But when Business Insider asked if they planned on having Tyler, The Creator apologize, a rep declined to comment.

Although Tyler hasn't personally addressed the issue head on, he has written a few tweets brushing on the topic that have been defensive and unapologetic.

Twitter

He even seems to enjoy the media attention.

Twitter

Without fully saying sorry, Tyler's manager Christian Clancy posted on his Tumblr, "It was never Tyler's intention to offend however offense is personal and valid to anyone who is offended."

Even though Mountain Dew said it was only removing the final video, it removed the others as well.

When trying to play the second video on Odd Future's blog, a message comes up that reads: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by PepsiCo."

But it's impossible to erase a video from the internet, so some are still available on rogue YouTube accounts.

How It Happened

The real question everyone is asking is how on earth this ad got approved in the first place.

PepsiCo spokesperson Jen Ryan said that Tyler had "final approval" over the ad but did not know the details of PepsiCo's involvement. The ad was never intended to run on TV." (The first commercial did air on television.)

But even if Mountain Dew did give Tyler free reign, it definitely knew what to expect.

YouTube Screengrab

Tyler, the Creator triumphantly explaining pitching his concept to Mountain Dew.

Rap Radar posted a video on April 29, after the last ad was released but before the controversy spread, in which Tyler explained to a crowded audience (including Mountain Dew reps) how the soda company approached him to tap into his creative talent and loved his concept.

He excitedly recalled the pitch:?"Alright, it's a f***ing goat, right? It's a goat and he's going to drink the f***ing Mountain Dew, and he's gonna yell at the lady, and the cops are going to pull him over, and then he's going to be in jail and then he gonna do PCP."

Tyler admitted that he didn't think that Mountain Dew would love "some stupid idea I come up with five minutes before the meeting ...?I'm so used to people saying, 'That's f***ing retarded, and I'm looking at Clancy like, 'Yo are they serious' and they actually?liked?it."

Mountain Dew was was him when he went to the Valley in LA to look at goats.

Why It Happened

Adweek reckons that the fiasco is a sign of how "brands desperately want street cred."

Mountain Dew Commercial, Screengrab

Another shot from the pulled commercial.

A Bloomberg article from April 2012 noted PepsiCo's explicit attempts to "bring urban cool to [the] Mountain Dew image."?While it had a handle on cities like Nebraska and Kentucky, Mountain Dew was aiming to target a younger and more diverse audience in New York, LA, Miami, and New Orleans.

?It?s been a matter of messaging,? VP of marketing Brett O?Brien told Bloomberg. ?We haven?t really talked to this differentiated, emerging teen base as much as we have that heartland consumer.?

So Mountain Dew signed rapper Lil Wayne as a spokesperson to tap into that market.

But Lil Wayne also caused problems for Mountain Dew this week over lyrics in his song "Karate Chop," about how he wanted to "beat the p***y up like Emmett Till." Till is a civil rights figure who was beaten to death for allegedly whistling at a white woman in 1955.

Although Till's family complained about the lyrics months ago, Wayne only apologized Wednesday after the family released a video asking supporters to go after his endorsement deal.

"Don't do the Dew. His biggest endorsement is through Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Stop buying it, stop lining his pockets. People are outraged because they feel that he should apologize to our family," a Till representative said to camera."

One of the risks of signing with edgy artists with a young following is that they received their edgy reputation by pushing the limits and ignoring social norms.

Even though Tyler told Spin that?"talking about rape and cutting bodies up, it just doesn't interest me anymore," his past lyrics have described how he would?"Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome."

Tyler told Rap Radar he was gratified that Mountain Dew had put that aside and was willing to give his new, adult self a shot: "Finally someone looked past the rape or the devil worshiping or the immaturity which is evident in the ad, and they gave me a chance and let me be f***ing seven years old with their product."

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/tyler-the-creators-mountain-dew-goat-ad-2013-5

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Breakthrough Bioengineered Blood Vessels Enter Clinical Trials

It's been a busy year-and-a-half for bioengineer Laura Niklason and her partners at the biotech firm Humacyte. Since winning a 2011 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award, the team's lab-grown blood vessels were transplanted into primates for a six-month trial, where they were found to be safe. Now they're being tested in Poland in a small group of humans with kidney failure, and the FDA has just approved a similar trial in the U.S.

Patients with kidney failure need to have their blood cleaned every week by a dialysis machine. That requires two big needles: One to draw blood out of the artery and a second to put the filtered blood back into a vein. But for the blood to flow through the dialysis machine quickly, doctors have to slightly rearrange the body's plumbing by linking up a vein and artery in the patient's forearm. The increased blood flow to the vein makes it larger and easier to prick with a needle.

Often, doctors must make the link using an artificial blood vessel made out of Teflon. Unfortunately, Teflon grafts are prone to infection, blood clotting, and immune rejection. On average, 40 percent of Teflon grafts fail within a year, says Niklason, a Yale University bioengineer and founder of Humacyte.

Humacyte's lab-grown blood vessels don't use synthetic materials. They rely on a biodegradable scaffolding of tiny fibers interwoven into the shape of the target blood vessel. The scientists seed the scaffold with blood vessel cells, then place it into a bioreactor for eight to ten weeks. Eventually the cells grow over the entire scaffold, building their own collagen matrix. The scaffolding later disintegrates, and the scientists wash away the cells (which would trigger an immune response if they entered the patient's body). What's left is a tubular collagen matrix?an all-natural, non-immunogenic blood vessel replacement.

"This collagen matrix graft was made by blood vessel cells, so it's sort of like the ideal home," Niklason says. "After it gets implanted, cells from the recipient actually repopulate it and turn it into a living vein."

So far the bioengineered blood vessels have succeeded in dogs and primates, where they were found to be durable and didn't cause the side effects of Teflon blood vessels. The U.S. trials?which commence next month?will test the safety of the artificial blood vessels in 20 human patients. If the trial goes well, Humacyte will move on to bigger, long-term studies to determine whether their blood vessels perform better than the alternatives.

Niklason couldn't say much about the preliminary results of the ongoing trial, but she says the team has gotten good feedback from patients.

"All of these patients have been on dialysis for a while, and they've all had multiple graft failures," Niklason says. When grafts fail, surgeons have to go in and replace the patient's graft or remove blood clots, neither of which is pleasant for the patients. "So we've had a few that are delighted that they have a shot with this new technology."

The bioengineered blood vessels have many potential applications beyond kidney dialysis, including bypass surgeries to get around clogged arteries. The collagen scaffolding system one day could help to build replacement intestines, airways, and other tubular structures in the body. If the trials continue to be successful, Niklason estimates the ready-made blood vessels could be FDA-approved by 2017.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/breakthrough-bioengineered-blood-vessels-enter-clinical-trials-15417532?src=rss

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২ মে, ২০১৩

Health News - Aphasia patients may soon get help using a virtual ...

When asked about her stroke, Debi L. Green pulls a worn scrap of paper out of her purse and points to ?October 15, 2004.? The paper is a collection of dates, diagnoses and vital facts that helps her communicate when she can?t find the right words.

Temple researchers are creating a virtual therapist for people with aphasia. Conducting the two-year study are, from left, Justin Shi, associate professor of computer science; Nadine Martin, professor of communication sciences; and Emily Keshner, professor and chair of physical therapy.

The 49-year-old former mortgage adjuster suffers from aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the language center in the brain as a result of stroke or other head trauma. She has spent the last ten years re-learning how to talk, read and write.

Temple researchers are developing a virtual speech therapist that could someday help people like Green by providing a more accessible and cost-effective tool for the repetition and practice exercises that are crucial to recovery.

The two-year study, which is being conducted by Temple?s Nadine Martin, professor of communication sciences; Emily Keshner, professor and chair of physical therapy; and Justin Shi, associate professor of computer science; along with Alex Rudnicky, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, is supported by a new $275,000 R21 NIH grant.

Currently, economics and the structure of the health care system limit the number of speech therapy sessions people with aphasia can undergo. After the sessions expire, they?re sent home with scripts to practice on their own or with a family member. While therapy doesn?t cure aphasia, it does improve language abilities ? generally, those who stay stimulated through practice, therapy and feedback will continue to improve.

It?s the last part ? feedback ? that?s missing from simply practicing at home on one?s own, says Keshner. Without it, people with aphasia are likely to continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. A speech therapist, and someday a virtual clinician, can help the person catch and correct the mistakes.

Feedback has also not yet been perfected in the virtual world. Current computer-based speech therapy programs are built on rigid scripts. They?re unable to respond to patient mistakes, and there?s no allowance for disordered speech. If a patient uses the wrong word or makes an unfamiliar sound, the computer gets confused.

?That?s the real stumbling block ? speech recognition,? said Martin. ?We want to develop a virtual clinician that can be more flexible. We are developing scripts, but we?re incorporating possible utterances that the system will have to recognize. How far can we take that? That?s the big challenge for us.?

Another goal of the project is to determine how people with aphasia will respond to a virtual vs. a real therapist. This is where Shi and graduate assistant Greg Teodoro come in. They are creating different versions of the avatar for the virtual therapist ? according to gender, ethnicity and even voice texture ? that they will test using what is called the ?Wizard of Oz? technique. As in the movie, a real person will be stationed behind a curtain and will respond to, in this case, a patient, who is interacting with the avatar of the virtual therapist.

?Ultimately, we?ll be able to program a virtual therapist to creatively respond to almost anything a patient says,? said Keshner. More specifically, she explains, the computer will be able to select content from what the patient says, restructure it and bring it back to the client who can then figure out what to say next.

?That?s the whole process of neural relearning: error recognition, then the generation of a speech plan and a motor plan,? said Keshner.

Rudnicky, of Carnegie Mellon, will focus on the language recognition capability of the virtual clinician, using a natural language processing system that he?s already developed. Shi describes it as the machine or the engine behind the avatar.

?We are putting the face to Rudnicky?s machine,? said Shi. ?Our face will reflect what the machine is thinking so it has to be perceptive and expressive.?

Green visits Temple?s Speech and Language Clinic often, both for therapy and support. She also practices on her own, for instance, by talking on the phone with her cousin. But she wants to be able to do more, like make her own doctor?s appointment over the phone. Despite her struggles to find the right words, she stays positive, often tossing her head back and laughing when she has trouble answering a question, like, ?What does it mean to be able to speak??

?A lot! It means a lot of things,? she exclaims. ?I will do anything to learn how to speak more,? she said. ?I just can?t make a point. Words don?t come out. I want to speak legibly.??

Martin underlines the vital importance of the ability to communicate.

?If you lose your ability to communicate as you used to, you lose power ? in your relationships and in yourself,? said Martin. ?You are, or at least think you are, perceived differently.?

The researchers are already preparing to apply for more funding to continue their work. In addition to developing a cost-effective virtual speech therapist, they believe their work could someday lead to broader applications for virtual therapy in many areas of rehabilitation.

Source: http://www.healthcanal.com/disorders-conditions/38238-aphasia-patients-may-soon-get-help-using-a-virtual-speech-therapist.html

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