Early brain responses to words predict developmental outcomes in children with autism
May 29, 2013 ? The pattern of brain responses to words in 2-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder predicted the youngsters' linguistic, cognitive and adaptive skills at ages 4 and 6, according to a new study.
The findings, to be published May 29 in PLOS ONE, are among the first to demonstrate that a brain marker can predict future abilities in children with autism.
"We've shown that the brain's indicator of word learning in 2-year-olds already diagnosed with autism predicts their eventual skills on a broad set of cognitive and linguistic abilities and adaptive behaviors," said lead author Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the University of Washington's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.
"This is true four years after the initial test, and regardless of the type of autism treatment the children received," she said.
In the study, 2-year-olds -- 24 with autism and 20 without -- listened to a mix of familiar and unfamiliar words while wearing an elastic cap that held sensors in place. The sensors measured brain responses to hearing words, known as event-related potentials.
The research team then divided the children with autism into two groups based on the severity of their social impairments and took a closer look at the brain responses. Youngsters with less severe symptoms had brain responses that were similar to the typically developing children, in that both groups exhibited a strong response to known words in a language area located in the temporal parietal region on the left side of the brain.
This suggests that the brains of children with less severe symptoms can process words in ways that are similar to children without the disorder.
In contrast, children with more severe social impairments showed brain responses more broadly over the right hemisphere, which is not seen in typically developing children of any age.
"We think this measure signals that the 2-year-old's brain has reorganized itself to process words. This reorganization depends on the child's ability to learn from social experiences," Kuhl said. She cautioned that identifying a neural marker that predicts future autism diagnoses with assurance is still a ways off.
The researchers also tested the children's language skills, cognitive abilities, and social and emotional development, beginning at age 2, then again at ages 4 and 6.
The children with autism received intensive treatment and, as a group, they improved on the behavioral tests over time. But the outcome for individual children varied widely and the more their brain responses to words at age 2 were like those of typically developing children, the more improvement in skills they showed by age 6.
In other studies, Kuhl has found that social interactions accelerate language learning in babies. Infants use social cues, such as tracking adults' eye movements to learn the names of things, and must be interested in people to learn in this way. Paying attention to people is a way for babies to sort through all that is happening around them and serves as a gate to know what is important.
But with autism, social impairments impede children's interest in, and ability to pick up on, social cues. They find themselves paying attention to many other things, especially objects as opposed to people.
"Social learning is what most humans are about," Kuhl said. "If your brain can learn from other people in a social context you have the capability to learn just about anything."
She hopes that the new findings will lead to brain measures that can be used much earlier in development -- at 12 months or younger -- to help identify children at risk for autism.
"This line of work may lead to new interventions applied early in development, when the brain shows its highest level of neural plasticity," Kuhl said.
Coauthors are Jeffrey Munson and Annette Estes, both at UW; Sharon Coffey-Corina, University of California, Davis; and Geraldine Dawson, Autism Speaks and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The research was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Assad says Syria received Russian missile shipment: Lebanese media
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has received the first shipment of an air defense system from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad was quoted as saying, sending a signal of military strength days before an EU arms embargo on the war-torn country lapses.
"Syria has received the first shipment of Russian anti-aircraft S-300 rockets," Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Assad as saying in an interview due to be broadcast later on Thursday.
More of the missiles would arrive soon, he was quoted as saying.
Russia has said it would deliver the missile system to the Syrian government over Western objections, saying the move would help stabilize the regional balance.
A staunch ally of the Assad government, Moscow has appeared to grow more defiant since the European Union let its arms embargo on Syria expire, opening up the possibility of the West arming the rebels battling to topple the president. The embargo lapses on June 1.
The United States, France and Israel have all called on Russia to stop the missile delivery.
An interview with Assad will be released on Thursday on Al Manar, a television station linked to Assad's ally, the Shi'ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah.
More than 80,000 people have died in Syria since peaceful protests against four decades of Assad family rule led to a civil war that has pitted the president's forces and his ally, Hezbollah, against Syrian rebels and a flow of Sunni Islamist militants who have come to help them from abroad.
Moscow says the lapsing of the EU embargo complicates U.S. and Russian-led efforts to set up a peace conference between the Syrian government and its opponents, who want an immediate end to four decades of Assad family rule.
The Syrian leader said he planned to go to the "Geneva 2" conference, al-Akhbar reported, though he was unconvinced of a fruitful outcome and said he would continue to fight the militants.
THREATS AGAINST ISRAEL
Officials in Israel, the United States' main ally in the region, say the S-300 could reach deep into the Jewish state and threaten flights over its main commercial airport near Tel Aviv.
Al-Akhbar said Assad also stressed ties between his forces and Hezbollah militants now openly fighting on the Syrian side of the Lebanese-Syrian frontier.
"Syria and Hezbollah are part of the same axis," al-Akhbar quoted him as telling al-Manar.
"The Syrian army is the one fighting and leading the battles against the armed group, and this fight will continue until all those who are called terrorists are eliminated."
Syria sits along the faultlines of several regional and ethnic conflicts, and violence in the country is increasingly seeping across its borders.
Israel, wary of any Syrian weapons being sent to Hezbollah in Lebanon, has already launched three air strikes against Damascus to stop suspected transfers.
A recent string of strikes in the capital Damascus, which shook the entire city, stoked an angry reaction from Syria. State media outlets said Syria would respond to any further attacks, and would also allow militant groups to attack Israel from a shared border on the Golan Heights.
Israel captured much of Syria's Golan Heights in a 1967 regional war and occupies the territory today, but Assad and his father, the deceased president Hafez al-Assad, had kept the border quiet for decades.
"The Syrian government will not stand in the way of any Syrian groups that want to wage a war of resistance to liberate the Golan," Assad was quoted as saying in the upcoming interview.
Hezbollah has stated it would be willing to support groups that chose to launch operations from the Golan.
Israel has become particularly wary of the S-300 shipments. Its defense minister Moshe Yaalon said on Tuesday, however, that the shipments were not yet on their way.
Sources close to the Russian weapons export monopoly Rosoboronexport said last year that an earlier agreed S-300 deal had been frozen due to concerns over violence in Syria. But one of the sources said Syria had already paid 20 percent of the contract price.
Earlier this month, Israel was reported to have told Washington that Syria had begun payments for a $900 million purchase of S-300s, with an initial deliver due within three months.
The man worth at least a few billion tweets is about to take the stage here at D11, and we'll be covering Dick Costolo's every utterance as he's interviewed in one of these famed red chairs. The sit-down comes just hours after Facebook's own Sheryl Sandberg took the stage, and we're expecting quite the wide range of questions. Twitter has evolved into a global communications platform, not just for individuals looking to rise up against an oppressive regime, but for brands looking to better address their audiences. How to balance all of that? Join us after the break as we find out in real time.
Surprising no one, Motorola chief Dennis Woodside revealed at D11 that Motorola is tooling a new flagship Android device. This device, cleverly named Moto X, will be widely distributed and most likely the device that slipped through the FCC’s test labs last week. The phone is going to be made, at least in part, in the United States. Surprise surprise. Look for the Moto X along with several other high-end Android phones this fall. As Ryan detailed yesterday, Woodside revealed little else about the Moto X at his talk yesterday. He mentioned that the phone will be “contextually aware” meaning that the phone will know when it’s inside a pocket and when it’s taken out, when it’s inside a car and when it’s on a desk. Clever but hopefully Motorola has more tricks in the works too. The Android scene is expecting big things from Motorola. The American company is the only one most feel can stand up to the boring industrial machine that Samsung is quickly turning becoming. HTC is dying, LG doesn’t support its phones, and Google still can’t figure out how to get people its Nexus phones. What the Android world needs is a phone as exciting as the original RAZR with the magic of a StarTAC. Motorola’s upcoming phone has been playing well on fansites and blogs for weeks now. The phone is hyped on the back of blue-sky expectations. Android fans want it to be something special. Motorola has had its share of Android hits. The Droid line kicked the Android movement into high-gear and Motorola was responsible for the majority of Verizon’s early Android hits. The rebirth of the RAZR brought big screens and big battery’s to Android. Yet with these successes, Motorola never achieved the same sort of success as Samsung. Hopefully with Google’s tutelage, the Moto X and its stable mates, will be the big hit Motorola has yet to see. Hopefully Motorola and Google took notes on Samsung’s single brand strategy and will only release a small product line of quality devices. Hopefully Motorola won’t over advertise that this phone will be made in the USA. It’s clear that high-tech manufacturing is coming back to the United States. For the longest time, Motorola, and Apple for that matter, built their wares in U.S. factories. Cheap labor and improved supply chain management drove these companies overseas. Motorola will need to carefully walk
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (5)
'Gimme the Loot' is ... meandering and a little shallow. And even at 79 minutes it feels a little too long for what's essentially the film equivalent of a short story.
A thousand-watt jolt of mischief, a spunky, funky, ebullient indie that packs its 81 minutes with cinematic exhilaration.
It may be a slight movie, but it has its sunny charms.
A movie about teenage taggers in the Bronx should be fast and raw, scruffy and loose, and Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot is just that.
As it lopes along, the movie offers a warm but very sharp portrait of New York's have-nots and their uneasy relationship with the haves.
"Gimme the Loot" shouldn't be as appealing and exuberant as it is, it really shouldn't.
First-time feature director Adam Leon's shots are precise and full of detail.
The film's strong suit is its use of locations.
The film is episodic and determinedly offbeat, funny at its best, boring at its worst.
Shot on the streets of New York in a loose, freeform style, this lively comedy-drama feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving us doubtful about its realism.
It's a great deal of fun, emotionally touching, and even surprisingly old-fashioned.
Some of the movie doesn't exactly convince, and some of the scenes have an actors-improv feel to them, but there's always plenty of humour and energy.
Endlessly entertaining, refreshingly light-hearted and bursting with summer soul, Gimme The Loot joins the pantheon of great New York movies.
It's a shaggy dog story with a certain amount of charm but not nearly enough drama.
The movie is unpolished, and it matters not a jot, because Leon has written super roles for these kids and invests their relationship with such sly feeling.
Hickson walks the line between bravado and vulnerability, while Washington has a charisma, spark and beauty that should ensure this won't be the last we see of her.
Bolstered by a low-key but assured aesthetic and a soundtrack of vintage soul and doo-wop, the film is infectiously enjoyable, with frequently amusing insights and an affable shagginess.
Out of nowhere, Adam Leon might just have delivered the first great New York film of the decade.
Charming and engaging low-budget indie with a witty script, likeable characters, a strong sense of time and place and a pair of terrific performances from its two young leads.
Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.
A slim, low-budget coming-of-age tale whose richness lies entirely in its interstices. A keenly observed work that celebrates the unfettered joys of youth, and rewards by reminding of the power of a simple tale told well.
Simultaneously real and hopeful, "Loot" has almost no plot, but when the setting is so fresh and the characters feel so raw and alive, who needs one?
Ghetto laughs with a sophisticated point of view.
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Microsoft's Surface Pro Gets A 256GB Storage Option When It Hits The Japanese Market In June
Microsoft's Surface Pro, the tablet/laptop amalgam device designed to perfectly showcase Windows 8, is getting a 256 SSD internal storage option, the biggest yet for the device. Previously, Microsoft has shipped the Surface Pro with either a 64GB or 128GB internal drive, but when it arrives in Japan June 7, it'll come in 128GB and for the first time, 256GB flavors.
America has a lot of energy, but it's not distributed evenly. Various types of energy are concentrated in different parts of the country. To better?visualize?it,?Saxum, an Oklahoma City-based advertising and communications firm, has developed a portrait of the country's vast oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, and other resources:
- David J. Unger,?Correspondent
1. Oil, gas, and coal
American runs on fossil fuels: 82 percent of US energy consumption comes from oil, gas, and coal, formed hundreds of millions of years ago?from the remains of living organisms. Innovative new drilling techniques suggest these carbon-heavy fuels will remain a significant part of the energy mix for a long time to come.
The US holds the world's largest estimated recoverable reserves of coal, in dark blue on the map (click image for larger version). Much of it lies in?the Appalachian states and central and southern Illinois. After losing ground to cheap natural gas, coal has been staging a comeback recently, accounting for?40 percent or more of the nation's electricity since November 2012, compared with 25 percent from natural gas.?
The breakout story of the past 10 years is oil (blue) and natural gas (light blue). Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have opened up previously inaccessible sources of so-called "unconventional" oil and gas in the Bakken formation of North Dakota, the Marcellus formation of Pennsylvania, and other formations of shale rock. The dots above show just the sites of active wells. The total recoverable resources cover even greater areas.
Sources:?US Geological Survey, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Saxum, Energy Information Administration
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So you're in a bar with a few good friends reminiscing about the good ol' days when a song plays in the background. Not any song, that song. Unfortunately, that song's artist and lyrics reside in the dusty, cobweb-covered parts of your brain. Shazam was made for those kinds of nights.
Shazam, the free Android and iOS app that helps befuddled music fans identify songs, has undergone a recent revamp which adds numerous features including auto-tagging, interactive maps, television interaction, and more. If you find yourself frequently guessing song names or their performers, Shazam should be a part of your app library.
You Got the Look Shazam for iPad has a new look to accompany its new features. The home screen acts a discovery portal where you can view the top tracks (divided into the "Top TV," "Top Tracks," and "USA Chart" categories) across the Shazam network in real time.
A menu bar at the bottom of the screen has icons that let you quickly access favorites, see your friends list, explore tags on an interactive map, tinker with settings, and manually launch Shazam's song-recognition technology. Shazam makes excellent use of the real estate afforded by the iPad .
How It Works Shazam works by processing a very small sound snippet (called a fingerprint) in your environment, and matching it against sounds in its database. You can prompt Shazam to do that by tapping the spinning Shazam icon, or by toggling on the new iPad-exclusive auto-tagging feature. Auto-tagging places the app into a hand-free listening mode, which is visually represented by a red bar across the top of the screen.
I tested Shazam's ability to pick up songs by playing an iTunes playlist which featured a mix of popular and underground tracks. Shazam recognized The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," The Dirtbombs' "Ever Lovin' Man," Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," and even MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," which I thought would prove problematic due to the "Super Freak" sample. Impressive. Portishead's "Sour Times" was the lone song that Shazam didn't recognize.
Playback and Maps When Shazam makes an audio match, it opens an artist's page that showcases a discography, interactive map, YouTube videos, lyrics, and an iTunes store link. Tapping the play button (or the Rdio icon should you have the app installed) lets you listen to a song snippet. Each song listing has a star in the upper-right corner that favorites tracks when tapped. Album art from discovered songs lives on the home screen in a Cover Flow-like manner, so that you can quickly return to them.
Shazam's map is easily one of the coolest new additions, as it lets you see what's popular around the globe. The map shows a handful of songs icons when you view it from a worldwide perspective, but as you drill down by continent, country, city, and neighborhood, more song and listening options appear. "Power Trip" by J. Cole and Miguel was the most tagged song in East New York, Brooklyn, when I last fired up Shazam. It's really cool to see how song popularity varies as you move from location to location.
TV's Second Screen Shazam picks up and recognizes audio coming from your TV, too. The app identifies not only music, but actual TV/movie information as well. I fired up Shazam as I watched a Castle episode, and was pleased to see my iPad transformed into a second screen that displayed show information culled from IMDB and Wikipedia. Shows with highly recognizable music?virtually everyything from MTV and VH-1?caused Shazam to feed my iPad with music information and helped me discover new tunes.
In addition, you'll find Shazam logos featured in select TV commercials, sporting events, and movie trailers. Shazaming when those logos appear on-screen lets read product information, purchase tickets, enter contents, and more.
Shazam! Shazam for iPad is an app you should download simply to avoid being "that guy"?the person who bombards everyone in range with questions when a song you can't identify pumps through a party. Shazam's song recognition technology is surprisingly accurate, only failing to ID a single track during my time with the app. Give it a download.?
Soccer training improves heart health of men with type 2 diabetes
May 30, 2013 ? A new study from the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, demonstrates that soccer training improves heart function, reduces blood pressure and elevates exercise capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Soccer training also reduces the need for medication.
The study, recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, investigated the effects of soccer training, consisting of small-sided games (5v5), on 21 men with type 2 diabetes, aged 37-60 years.
Soccer training makes the heart ten years younger
"We discovered that soccer training significantly improved the flexibility of the heart and furthermore, that the cardiac muscle tissue was able to work 29% faster. This means that after three months of training, the heart had become 10 years 'younger'," explains Medical Doctor, PhD Student, Jakob Friis Schmidt, who co-authored the study alongside with PhD student, Thomas Rostgaard Andersen. He adds:
"Many type 2 diabetes patients have less flexible heart muscles which is often one of the first signs of diabetes' effect on cardiac function, increasing the risk of heart failure."
Advanced ultrasound scanning of the heart also demonstrated that the heart's contraction phase was improved and that the capacity of the heart to shorten was improved by 23% -- a research result that had not been reported with other types of physical activity.
Blood pressure greatly reduced
At the start of the study, 60 percent of the participants had too high blood pressure and had been prescribed one or more pressure reducing medications. Soccer training reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 8 mmHg, which is greater than the achievements of prior training studies. These effects are as pronounced as those achieved by taking high blood pressure pills and the need for medication was significant reduced.
Great functional improvements
The study also showed that the participants' maximal oxygen uptake was increased by 12% and that their intermittent exercise capacity was elevated by 42%. "An improved physical condition reduces the risk for other illnesses associated with type 2 diabetes and makes it easier to get along with daily tasks and maintain a physically active life" says Thomas Rostgaard.
Professor Jens Bangsbo, head of the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health at University of Copenhagen, adds that, "The results of the study, coupled with participants' interest in continuing to play after the study, show that soccer has a great potential to help diabetic patients. This does not only gain the patients, but also contribute socio-economically."
Spielberg discovery Zach Lipovsky to direct 'Leprechaun' reboot
By Jeff Sneider
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Lionsgate and WWE Studios have set visual-effects veteran Zach Lipovsky to direct "Leprechaun," the long-awaited reboot of the successful horror franchise that launched the career of Jennifer Aniston.
Lipovsky was discovered as a contestant on Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett's short-lived reality series "On the Lot," which saw 16 aspiring filmmakers compete for a development deal with DreamWorks.
WWE superstar Hornswoggle will play the title character, which was made famous in the original 1993 movie by Warwick Davis ("Willow").
The original "Leprechaun," which featured comedic elements, followed an evil leprechaun searching for his pot of gold while avoiding four-leaf clovers. But producers are keeping details of Harris Wilkinson's script under wraps to keep the franchise's new direction a secret.
Lionsgate execs Erik Feig, Michael Paseornek and John Sacchi will oversee the project for the studio, along with co-producing partners Michael Luisi and Richard Lowell of WWE Studios.
Since his "On the Lot" win, Lipovsky has written and directed numerous short films and TV movies, and he also produced the upcoming found-footage action-thriller "Ends of the Earth," which CBS Films will release in the U.S. and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will distribute overseas.
He's currently developing a Canadian movie about the War of 1812 in the vein of "300."
He is represented by Verve Talent and Literary Agency and IAM Entertainment.
Lebanon parliament set to extend term amid turmoil
BEIRUT (AP) ? Lebanon's parliament moved Wednesday to extend its term, skipping scheduled elections because of the country's deteriorating security linked to the civil war next door in Syria.
The decision is a blow to Lebanon's tradition of free elections in a region known for autocratic governments, but it may help lower tensions at a critical time for the fragile and deeply divided country.
The extension of the 128-seat legislature's term by up to 18 months, which was set for a vote Friday, marks the first time that parliament has had to extend its term since Lebanon's own civil war ended in 1975-90, and underlines the growing turmoil as a result of the Syrian conflict.
Sectarian clashes tied to Syria's war have broken out with increasing regularity in Lebanon, a country with a religious divide that mirrors that of its neighbor. Rockets fired across the frontier have struck Lebanese border villages with growing frequency, killing several people ? including a 20-year-old student this week.
At least 28 people have been killed and more than 200 wounded in battles in the northern city of Tripoli recently as supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad lobbed mortar shells and fired heavy machine guns at each other.
That violence, coupled with the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group's direct intervention in the Syrian conflict on the side of the Assad regime, has deeply shaken Lebanon, and it threatens to throw off the country's precarious sectarian balance.
The conflict also has forced some 500,000 Syrians to seek refuge in Lebanon, putting a severe strain on the country of 4 million to cope with the influx.
"We live in a very dangerous moment in our history. We have little civil wars going on in parts of the country. Logistically, it's not feasible to have elections take place right now," said Kamel Wazne, founder and director of the Center for American Strategic Studies in Beirut.
He said extending parliament's mandate removes one logistical issue and will prevent a power vacuum from forming in a country already divided along sectarian and regional lines.
Although most political factions agreed on the action as a way out of the crisis, President Michel Suleiman said he was deeply opposed to it.
"Arab countries are experiencing bloodshed so that they may have elections, and we go and do the opposite? This is not the message that we want to send to the world," he told Future TV in an interview Wednesday night.
In addition to the security situation, Lebanese politicians have been bickering for months, unable to agree on a law to govern elections, originally set for June 16.
Outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati abruptly resigned in March over a political deadlock between Lebanon's two main political camps and infighting in his government, dominated by Hezbollah.
Lebanon effectively has been without a government since then, although Mikati's Cabinet stayed on in a caretaker role.
The decision by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday to call for a plenary session to extend parliament's mandate Friday followed an agreement between most political factions that the worsening security situation has made campaigning and voting impossible, and that postponing it may ease soaring tensions.
Parliament's current term ends June 20.
"The reason for the extension is the current security situation, which does not allow the polls to be held not only in some areas, but also it does not allow freedom of movement for candidates and voters in more than one area," Berri told The Daily Star newspaper Wednesday.
On Tuesday, three Lebanese soldiers were killed in a drive-by shooting on a checkpoint near the Syrian border in the second attack targeting the army this year. Moreover, the overt involvement of Hezbollah fighters in the war in Syria alongside Assad's forces has further raised sectarian tensions. Most of the rebels fighting Assad are Sunnis, and many Lebanese Sunni fighters have also joined the fight.
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, in a weekend speech, urged the Lebanese to keep the fight restricted to Syria.
"We can fight each other there, but keep Lebanon out of the fray," he said. His opponents accused him of involving Lebanon in the fight.
The increasing violence has raised fears that Lebanon would slide into civil war, and the decision to extend parliament's mandate brought back memories of that conflict.
Although presidents continued to be elected during the 1975-90 war, Lebanon had the same parliament from 1972 until 1992 ? two years after the civil war ended.
The decision to delay the parliamentary election was received mostly with apathy on the street, where most people are angry over worsening security and economic conditions and don't expect much from lawmakers anyway.
"What do I care if they hold elections or not?" asked Ibrahim Matar, a retired civil servant. "A new parliament won't bring me electricity, food or security. Better not waste our time with such meaningless things."
Others warned that the move could hurt Lebanon's reputation as a country known for regular, relatively free elections.
"Some countries have Arab Spring revolutions to achieve democracy, while in Lebanon we are willingly throwing our democracy aside and taking up guns instead. That's absolutely tragic," said Hani Mortada, a clothing shop owner and father of two.
Most hope the extension will help maintain a semblance of peace until a solution to the Syrian crisis is reached.
Beirut-based political analyst Rami Khouri said it was unlikely that Lebanon's own sectarian conflict will be reignited.
"The differences over Syria will continue to play out in Lebanon, both in the political debate and in armed clashes, but the civil war will remain in Syria," said Khouri, director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.
___
Associated Press writers Barbara Surk in Beirut and Bassem Mroue in Hermel, Lebanon, contributed to this report.
Atheer?s Mobile 3-D Interface Is Augmented Reality on Steroids
A California company has answered a question few people have probably thought to ask: What would happen if you combined the wearability of Google Glass with the gesture-based control of Microsoft Kinect? The answer is a pretty cool wearable interface ...
Xbox One and Used Games: The Real Reason Everyone's So Mad
It's much easier to assign a bogeyman to explain away why you can't own something than it is to simply say you can't afford it. And this natural human tendency might explain why the backlash against Microsoft's reported treatment of Xbox One used games has become a moral imperative, instead of one about how goddamn expensive the platonic ideal of an Xbox One experience will be.
While it remains unclear exactly how the One will handle used and borrowed games?there are conflicting details coming out of Redmond every other day?they will likely involve licensing a game to your account. That means when you buy an activate a game, your account is the only one that can play it. And that has made people angry.
Rumors initially suggested that used games would either not exist, or that they would be sold at near-full-price by Microsoft, exclusively. Those have been disproven or denied, but the vitriol surrounding the situation?while easily to read as overreaction to the fairly unlikely outcome of No More Cheap Used Games?has remained. It goes deeper than just used games, though. Everything the Xbox One promises requires a heavy financial investment. And the same truth that's hit virtually every other medium has finally hit gaming: Everything is too damn expensive now, and that can be really depressing.
Cost of Doing Business
Yeah, you know everything is expensive. Sort of. But the slide we?ve been on for the past several years, ever since Apple created the premium-at-a-cost the standard for a variety of products, never quite made it to gaming. It?s been seven years since the last time we stared down gigantic price tags for new console hardware. That means it's time to pay up.
It's not just the box, either. While in the past we were always able to just casually sidestep the always-inept DRM, more and more of the central features of core games are being based on online, where they can be monitored more closely and effectively. Which introduces the threat of actually paying the sticker price.
So when we talk (yell) about the Xbox One?s restrictions on used and borrowed games?even though a very similar digital model has been in place on Steam and iTunes for years?what we?re really lashing out at is not the idea of digital licensing (though some folks do take umbrage with it). It?s the sense that all this new content, which will be made available solely and specifically through official, possibly full-priced menus, will simply cost too much to enjoy, and that begging, borrowing, or even pirating is being slowly stamped out by new centralized systems.
That threat to piracy in other media, or even a more benign borrowing of games here, is no small thing. The amount of content and services being produced for these systems has exploded in recent years. What used to be a manageable stream of new games and entertainment is now a firehose that, if you?re paying full price for everything, will leave the average member of the audience?still fairly young, typically?on the outside looking in for a ton of content. And if you know you can't afford the blades, you'll be hard-pressed to buy the razor.
This is true of everything, not just gaming, but the gamers might have the freshest set of eyeballs right now to call it like they see it. Why are people mad? Because the Xbox One and all of its associated content and services might just be too expensive for you to enjoy it.
A History of Wealth
And it doesn't stop there. On top of possibly spending more than you used to on games, already spending god-knows-what on the Xbox One in the first place, and likely slipping in a subscription to Xbox Live for the hell of it? To really get the most out of your new Xbox, you might have to load up your home with other things it can talk to. Your wallet's already ducking for cover.
The Xbox One?s central conceit?that the console can, should, and will become the motor powering smart appliances in modern homes?is almost a presumption. Of course everyone who owns an Xbox will also have and buy modern appliances that can be routed through the console. Is that really true, though? Microsoft might be building the centerpiece of the home of the future, but where does that leave the rest of us whose homes live in the present or recent past? As a piece of consumer electronic lust machine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a console evolving into the centerpiece of a modernized home. That?s just how new technologies build on each other. But in merging audiences?gamers and the people who spend $1500 on a new laptop every two years?it?s possible Microsoft overestimated how technologically advanced many of its users want to be.
Also remember, unlike the Xbox 360 and PS3 launches, the new generation arrives amidst an economic slump. When the PlayStation 3 was announced in early 2005, the world was still in the throes of the pre-housing-bubble economy, more than two years away from the global recession. In the intervening eight years, though, technology has become more opulent and we keep paying for it. Thrift, meanwhile, has ruled almost everywhere else. Like games.
It?s possible that this is a moment?a new console not just announcing its own expensive presence, but presuming that you will enter into and exist in its wider and more expensive universe?when everyone says, Man, that?s so much. And that's enough to make you yell.
Zaha Hadid's First Storefront Puts a Living Legend Up Close
Even if you don?t get down with her brand of extreme formalism, it?s hard to deny that Zaha Hadid is a living legend. Hadid is the only female architect to have ever won the Pritzker Prize (well, unless you count those who were mysteriously excluded by the Pritzker jury) and the force behind some of the more controversial buildings of the past decade?she?s as much an entrepreneur as she is a designer. In fact, it?s likely that her architecture, these days, serves as something of a loss leader for the business her brand does outside of the construction industry.
For a glimpse of Hadid?s business sense, look no further than her booming business selling things other than architecture: $160,000 tables, Louis Vuitton bags, and avant-garde haircuts. This week, in the tony London neighborhood of Clerkenwell, Hadid and her office opened a permanent gallery and showroom devoted to products, including a second floor where visitors can peruse architectural models. According to The Guardian, the space is a physical manifestation of the another bit of news from the Hadid universe: the registering of her brand's seventh company, Zaha Hadid Design.
Whatever your opinion of the excessive cost of the objects or the ethos they represent, it's hard not to admire Hadid's business accumen. For a closer look at Hadid's empire, check out this New Yorker profile from 2011. [The Guardian]
There are so many lessons to be learned from the IRS auditing scandal that has been lighting the tea party and their brethren on the hard right with indignation. For one, it turns out there might actually be something to that old cliche about even...
? continue reading article at source
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New alliance for European excellence and competitiveness in life sciences
New alliance for European excellence and competitiveness in life sciencesPublic release date: 28-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laia Cendr?s laia.cendros@crg.eu 34-933-160-237 VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
European research centers in life sciences gather to foster excellence in research, share knowledge, and influence policy
Tomorrow, at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), in Barcelona, directors and staff from ten top European research institutes will kick off a new alliance, called EU-LIFE, that will promote European research. The mission of EU-LIFE is to foster excellence, share knowledge, and influence policies in life sciences. Partners in EU-LIFE are renowned research centers that operate with similar principles of excellence, external reviews, independence, competiveness, and internationality. During difficult economic times and within a highly competitive international research landscape, they believe that they can join forces to better address complex questions, thereby contributing to pushing European science forward.
Why are we often not able to attract top students from the US? Why do many of our junior talents leave to other continents and don't return?", reflects Luis Serrano, director of the Centre for Genomics Regulation (CRG, Spain) and one of the co-founders of this initiative. "There are many excellent research institutes in Europe. By increasing our international visibility through EU-LIFE, we aim to raise awareness for European science. Instead of working independently, we want to coordinate our efforts to create added value for Europe. We envision, for example, to agree on common standards for Ph.D. and postdoctoral recruitment and training programmes, and to organize joint scientific events for young scientists.
During the official launch of EU-LIFE tomorrow, at the CRG, Fabienne Gautier, Head of Unit of the European Research Area at the European Commission, will discuss how a network like EU-LIFE can be a key player in fostering European excellence and competitiveness in research. During the meeting, more than 60 EU-LIFE members will actively work to define concrete actions needed to reach their ambitious goals. Specific working groups will brainstorm, share best practice, and design joint activities in technology transfer, international collaboration, translational research, science communication, competitive funding, recruitment, and training. The meeting will be an intensive and rewarding exercise to start building ties across institutes, countries, cultures, and areas of expertise.
Current partners of this association are the co-leaders CRG and VIB (Belgium), the Institut Curie (France), the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Netherlands), the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine; MDC, Berlin-Buch (Germany), Istituto Europeo di Oncologia (Italy), Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (Portugal), the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Austria), CEITEC (Czech Republic), and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (Finland).
###
FACTS & FIGURES OF THE NETWORK (data at the end of 2012)
Total number of scientists and support personnel: 7,039
Total number of publications: 2,551
Total number of running coordinated EU-Projects: 59
Total number of running ERCs: 75
EU-Life website: http://www.eulife.eu
MEMBERS COUNTRY DIRECTOR
Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
http://www.crg.eu
Spain - Luis Serrano
VIB
http://www.vib.be
Belgium - Jo Bury & Johan Cardoen
Institut Curie
http://www.curie.fr
France - Claude Huriet (president)
Daniel Louvard (director of the research centre)
The Netherlands Cancer Institute
http://www.nki.nl/Research/
The Netherlands - Ren Medema
Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine
http://www.mdc-berlin.de
Germany - Walter Rosenthal
Istituto Europeo di Oncologia
http://www.ieo.it
Italy - Pier Giuseppe Pelicci
Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia
http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt
Portugal - Jonathan Howard
CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
http://www.cemm.oeaw.ac.at
Austria Giulio - Superti-Furga
Central European Institute of Technology
http://www.ceitec.eu
Czech Republic - Markus Dettenhofer
Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
http://www.fimm.fi/
Finland - Olli Kallioniemi
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR GENOMIC REGULATION (CRG)
The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence whose mission is to discover and advance knowledge for the benefit of society, public health and economic prosperity.
The CRG believes that the medicine of the future depends on the groundbreaking science of today. This requires an interdisciplinary scientific team focused on understanding the complexity of life from the genome to the cell to a whole organism and its interaction with the environment, offering an integrated view of genetic diseases.
The CRG is a unique centre in Spain, based in an innovative organization research model. Group leaders at the CRG are recruited internationally and receive support from the centre to set up and run their groups. An external Scientific Advisory Board, made up of 12 world leaders in the different areas, evaluates them. The result of evaluations conditions the future of the CRG scientists, no matter whether they have open-ended or time-limited contracts. This ensures the mobility and the renewal of the workforce.
ABOUT VIB
VIB is a non-profit research institute in life sciences. About 1,300 scientists conduct strategic basic research on the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the functioning of the human body, plants, and microorganisms. Through a close partnership with four Flemish universities ? UGent, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel ? and a solid funding program, VIB unites the forces of 76 research groups in a single institute. The goal of the research is to extend the boundaries of our knowledge of life. Through its technology transfer activities, VIB translates research results into products for the benefit of consumers and patients and contributes to new economic activity. http://www.vib.be
ABOUT THE INSTITUT CURIE
The Institut Curie is a foundation of public interest, which combines the largest French oncology research center and two state-of-the-art hospitals. This hospital structure has pioneered many treatments. It is a center of excellence for the treatment of breast cancer, pediatric tumors and ocular tumors, and it disseminates medical and scientific innovations in France and abroad.
Founded in 1909 on a model devised by Marie Curie and still at the cutting edge: "from fundamental research to innovative treatments", the Institut Curie has 3,200 researchers, physicians, clinicians, technicians and administrative staff.
For more information: http://www.curie.fr
ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE
The Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital (NKI-AVL) was established on October 10, 1913; one hundred years ago. The founders wanted to build a cancer institute 'where patients suffering from malignant growths could adequately be treated and where cancer and related diseases could be studied'. So from the start we have taken a comprehensive approach to cancer.
Nowadays, the Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital accommodates approximately 550 scientists and scientific support personnel, 53 medical specialists, 180 beds, an out-patients clinic with 30,600 visits, six operating theaters, and eleven irradiation units. It is the only dedicated cancer center in the Netherlands, officially accredited as Comprehensive Cancer Center by the OECI, and it maintains an important role as national and international center of scientific and clinical expertise, development and training.
The three major areas of research are fundamental, clinical and translational research. A thorough understanding of the basic processes in cells is the foundation for understanding cancerous cells. The laboratory covers all major areas of cancer research, with special emphasis on cell-based screens, mouse tumor models, cell biology, structural biology and epidemiology. The institute coordinates and participates in many clinical trials; most of these studies of potential new treatments such as combinations of chemostatics, radiotherapy and/or surgery. Results obtained from fundamental research are translated into clinical applications as part of our translation research program.
From the day the NKI-AVL was established, close collaboration between scientists and clinicians was seen as an essential element in fighting cancer. Having a laboratory and hospital under one roof in a single independent organization with an open and collaborative atmosphere has led to many important discoveries and improved therapies.
ABOUT THE MAX DELBRCK CENTER FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE
The Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch was founded in 1992 to build the bridge between basic molecular research and clinical research. It is one of 18 research institutions of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the largest research organization in Germany. Under the umbrella of molecular medicine, MDC scientists focus on the research of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer as well as on diseases of the nervous system. Currently, 1 620 employees work at the MDC. Among the employees are also 468 guests from 56 countries. In recent years the MDC has developed into an internationally recognized research institute. In 2010 it ranked 14th on the Thomson Reuters list of the world's "top twenty" best research institutions in the field of molecular biology and genetics.
http://www.mdc-berlin.de
ABOUT THE ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI ONCOLOGIA (IEO)
The foundations of EIO strategies are: the centrality of the patient, the main importance of prevention, quick transfer of research results from laboratory to clinical research, increasingly earlier diagnoses, and increasingly conservative therapies with a focus on the quality of life.
Our institute devotes much attention to technology updates and to the development of new technologies. Since these activities demand ample investments and critical mass, IEO has decided to join efforts with IFOM (Firc Institute of Molecular Oncology) together they created a Consortium dedicated to the development of new technologies in the fields of Structural and Functional Genomics (Cogentech). The main areas of intervention are: DNA Services, Microarrays, Model Organisms, Molecular Pathology Unit, Mass Spectrometry Unit, Protein Chemistry Unit, Imaging Unit and Crystallization Unit. To accelerate translational research and to create an active interface between the basic research programs of the IFOM-IEO Campus and IEO clinical activities, IEO has launched a Molecular Medicine Program, whose laboratory activities are located within the IEO hospital building. We expect this new initiative to facilitate the rapid translation of the recent developments of Genomic Sciences into novel approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to its intense research activity, in collaboration with the University of Milan and the University of Naples, the campus has established three PhD programs at the European School of Molecular Medicine Foundation (SEMM). These are the Molecular Medicine Programme, the Medical Nanotechnology Programme and the Foundations and Ethics of the Life Sciences Programme. The school enrols over 150 PhD students from around the world. The laboratories of the Department of Experimental Oncology in the new site, adjacent to the IFOM research institute (the FIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology), represent one of the largest European centres for cancer research (the IFOM-IEO Campus), with 24,000/m2 and 450 researchers. The IFOM-IEO Campus was created with the aim of developing and applying genomic research to the field of oncology, providing a substantial contribution to the rapid translation of emerging scientific knowledge into new strategies for the prevention and treatment of tumors.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTO GULBENKIAN DE CINCIA (IGC)
The Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (IGC) is an international life science research center in Portugal. Established by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the IGC's mission is to carry out biomedical research and training. The IGC acts as a host institution to international research groups, providing state-of-the-art research facilities in a stimulating and autonomous environment. The IGC runs several ambitious graduate training programs and a dedicated outreach and public engagement in science program. More information at http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt.
ABOUT THE CeMM RESEARCH CENTER FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE OF THE AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
CeMM is a young, international, independent and interdisciplinary Research Center in Molecular Medicine, situated on the campus of the Medical University and the General Hospital in the heart of Vienna. "From the clinic to the clinic": driven by medical needs, CeMM integrates basic research and clinical expertise to pursue innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The work of 13 research groups with about 150 scientists focuses on cancer, inflammation and immune disorders. The goal of CeMM is to assist in preparing the predictive, preventive and personalized medicine of the future, and to be a training and teaching center for a new generation of researchers in molecular medicine. According to a survey from "The Scientist" CeMM is ranked as the best European place to work in Academia 2012. http://www.cemm.oeaw.ac.at
ABOUT THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (CEITEC)
CEITEC is a scientific centre in the fields of life sciences, advanced materials and technologies whose aim is to establish itself as a recognized centre for basic as well as applied research. CEITEC offers a state-of-the-art infrastructure and great conditions to employ excellent researches. We are a consortium whose partners include the most important universities and research institutes in Brno, Czech Republic: Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno and the Veterinary Research Institute. We work closely with the Region of South-Moravia and the City of Brno to help increase the innovative capacity of the region. http://www.ceitec.eu
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE FINLAND (FIMM)
FIMM is an international research institute in Helsinki focusing on human genomics and personalized medicine. FIMM is hosted by the University of Helsinki and is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership in Molecular Medicine. FIMM integrates molecular medicine research, technology center and biobanking infrastructures "under one roof" and thereby promotes translational research and adoption of personalized medicine in health care. FIMM researchers are involved in studying the medical impact of genome information from the Finnish population, development of individualized cancer medicine, as well as novel image-based molecular diagnostics. FIMM technology centre and biobanking infrastructures provide research services for local, national and international customers. The infrastructures operated by FIMM are networked with European ESFRI infrastructures BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR and EU Openscreen. In 2012, FIMM had a staff of 185 and an annual budget of 14 million euros, with competitive external funding accounting for 70% of the budget. http://www.fimm.fi/en/.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New alliance for European excellence and competitiveness in life sciencesPublic release date: 28-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laia Cendr?s laia.cendros@crg.eu 34-933-160-237 VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
European research centers in life sciences gather to foster excellence in research, share knowledge, and influence policy
Tomorrow, at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), in Barcelona, directors and staff from ten top European research institutes will kick off a new alliance, called EU-LIFE, that will promote European research. The mission of EU-LIFE is to foster excellence, share knowledge, and influence policies in life sciences. Partners in EU-LIFE are renowned research centers that operate with similar principles of excellence, external reviews, independence, competiveness, and internationality. During difficult economic times and within a highly competitive international research landscape, they believe that they can join forces to better address complex questions, thereby contributing to pushing European science forward.
Why are we often not able to attract top students from the US? Why do many of our junior talents leave to other continents and don't return?", reflects Luis Serrano, director of the Centre for Genomics Regulation (CRG, Spain) and one of the co-founders of this initiative. "There are many excellent research institutes in Europe. By increasing our international visibility through EU-LIFE, we aim to raise awareness for European science. Instead of working independently, we want to coordinate our efforts to create added value for Europe. We envision, for example, to agree on common standards for Ph.D. and postdoctoral recruitment and training programmes, and to organize joint scientific events for young scientists.
During the official launch of EU-LIFE tomorrow, at the CRG, Fabienne Gautier, Head of Unit of the European Research Area at the European Commission, will discuss how a network like EU-LIFE can be a key player in fostering European excellence and competitiveness in research. During the meeting, more than 60 EU-LIFE members will actively work to define concrete actions needed to reach their ambitious goals. Specific working groups will brainstorm, share best practice, and design joint activities in technology transfer, international collaboration, translational research, science communication, competitive funding, recruitment, and training. The meeting will be an intensive and rewarding exercise to start building ties across institutes, countries, cultures, and areas of expertise.
Current partners of this association are the co-leaders CRG and VIB (Belgium), the Institut Curie (France), the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Netherlands), the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine; MDC, Berlin-Buch (Germany), Istituto Europeo di Oncologia (Italy), Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (Portugal), the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Austria), CEITEC (Czech Republic), and the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (Finland).
###
FACTS & FIGURES OF THE NETWORK (data at the end of 2012)
Total number of scientists and support personnel: 7,039
Total number of publications: 2,551
Total number of running coordinated EU-Projects: 59
Total number of running ERCs: 75
EU-Life website: http://www.eulife.eu
MEMBERS COUNTRY DIRECTOR
Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
http://www.crg.eu
Spain - Luis Serrano
VIB
http://www.vib.be
Belgium - Jo Bury & Johan Cardoen
Institut Curie
http://www.curie.fr
France - Claude Huriet (president)
Daniel Louvard (director of the research centre)
The Netherlands Cancer Institute
http://www.nki.nl/Research/
The Netherlands - Ren Medema
Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine
http://www.mdc-berlin.de
Germany - Walter Rosenthal
Istituto Europeo di Oncologia
http://www.ieo.it
Italy - Pier Giuseppe Pelicci
Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia
http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt
Portugal - Jonathan Howard
CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
http://www.cemm.oeaw.ac.at
Austria Giulio - Superti-Furga
Central European Institute of Technology
http://www.ceitec.eu
Czech Republic - Markus Dettenhofer
Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
http://www.fimm.fi/
Finland - Olli Kallioniemi
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR GENOMIC REGULATION (CRG)
The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence whose mission is to discover and advance knowledge for the benefit of society, public health and economic prosperity.
The CRG believes that the medicine of the future depends on the groundbreaking science of today. This requires an interdisciplinary scientific team focused on understanding the complexity of life from the genome to the cell to a whole organism and its interaction with the environment, offering an integrated view of genetic diseases.
The CRG is a unique centre in Spain, based in an innovative organization research model. Group leaders at the CRG are recruited internationally and receive support from the centre to set up and run their groups. An external Scientific Advisory Board, made up of 12 world leaders in the different areas, evaluates them. The result of evaluations conditions the future of the CRG scientists, no matter whether they have open-ended or time-limited contracts. This ensures the mobility and the renewal of the workforce.
ABOUT VIB
VIB is a non-profit research institute in life sciences. About 1,300 scientists conduct strategic basic research on the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the functioning of the human body, plants, and microorganisms. Through a close partnership with four Flemish universities ? UGent, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel ? and a solid funding program, VIB unites the forces of 76 research groups in a single institute. The goal of the research is to extend the boundaries of our knowledge of life. Through its technology transfer activities, VIB translates research results into products for the benefit of consumers and patients and contributes to new economic activity. http://www.vib.be
ABOUT THE INSTITUT CURIE
The Institut Curie is a foundation of public interest, which combines the largest French oncology research center and two state-of-the-art hospitals. This hospital structure has pioneered many treatments. It is a center of excellence for the treatment of breast cancer, pediatric tumors and ocular tumors, and it disseminates medical and scientific innovations in France and abroad.
Founded in 1909 on a model devised by Marie Curie and still at the cutting edge: "from fundamental research to innovative treatments", the Institut Curie has 3,200 researchers, physicians, clinicians, technicians and administrative staff.
For more information: http://www.curie.fr
ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE
The Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital (NKI-AVL) was established on October 10, 1913; one hundred years ago. The founders wanted to build a cancer institute 'where patients suffering from malignant growths could adequately be treated and where cancer and related diseases could be studied'. So from the start we have taken a comprehensive approach to cancer.
Nowadays, the Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital accommodates approximately 550 scientists and scientific support personnel, 53 medical specialists, 180 beds, an out-patients clinic with 30,600 visits, six operating theaters, and eleven irradiation units. It is the only dedicated cancer center in the Netherlands, officially accredited as Comprehensive Cancer Center by the OECI, and it maintains an important role as national and international center of scientific and clinical expertise, development and training.
The three major areas of research are fundamental, clinical and translational research. A thorough understanding of the basic processes in cells is the foundation for understanding cancerous cells. The laboratory covers all major areas of cancer research, with special emphasis on cell-based screens, mouse tumor models, cell biology, structural biology and epidemiology. The institute coordinates and participates in many clinical trials; most of these studies of potential new treatments such as combinations of chemostatics, radiotherapy and/or surgery. Results obtained from fundamental research are translated into clinical applications as part of our translation research program.
From the day the NKI-AVL was established, close collaboration between scientists and clinicians was seen as an essential element in fighting cancer. Having a laboratory and hospital under one roof in a single independent organization with an open and collaborative atmosphere has led to many important discoveries and improved therapies.
ABOUT THE MAX DELBRCK CENTER FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE
The Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch was founded in 1992 to build the bridge between basic molecular research and clinical research. It is one of 18 research institutions of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the largest research organization in Germany. Under the umbrella of molecular medicine, MDC scientists focus on the research of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer as well as on diseases of the nervous system. Currently, 1 620 employees work at the MDC. Among the employees are also 468 guests from 56 countries. In recent years the MDC has developed into an internationally recognized research institute. In 2010 it ranked 14th on the Thomson Reuters list of the world's "top twenty" best research institutions in the field of molecular biology and genetics.
http://www.mdc-berlin.de
ABOUT THE ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI ONCOLOGIA (IEO)
The foundations of EIO strategies are: the centrality of the patient, the main importance of prevention, quick transfer of research results from laboratory to clinical research, increasingly earlier diagnoses, and increasingly conservative therapies with a focus on the quality of life.
Our institute devotes much attention to technology updates and to the development of new technologies. Since these activities demand ample investments and critical mass, IEO has decided to join efforts with IFOM (Firc Institute of Molecular Oncology) together they created a Consortium dedicated to the development of new technologies in the fields of Structural and Functional Genomics (Cogentech). The main areas of intervention are: DNA Services, Microarrays, Model Organisms, Molecular Pathology Unit, Mass Spectrometry Unit, Protein Chemistry Unit, Imaging Unit and Crystallization Unit. To accelerate translational research and to create an active interface between the basic research programs of the IFOM-IEO Campus and IEO clinical activities, IEO has launched a Molecular Medicine Program, whose laboratory activities are located within the IEO hospital building. We expect this new initiative to facilitate the rapid translation of the recent developments of Genomic Sciences into novel approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to its intense research activity, in collaboration with the University of Milan and the University of Naples, the campus has established three PhD programs at the European School of Molecular Medicine Foundation (SEMM). These are the Molecular Medicine Programme, the Medical Nanotechnology Programme and the Foundations and Ethics of the Life Sciences Programme. The school enrols over 150 PhD students from around the world. The laboratories of the Department of Experimental Oncology in the new site, adjacent to the IFOM research institute (the FIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology), represent one of the largest European centres for cancer research (the IFOM-IEO Campus), with 24,000/m2 and 450 researchers. The IFOM-IEO Campus was created with the aim of developing and applying genomic research to the field of oncology, providing a substantial contribution to the rapid translation of emerging scientific knowledge into new strategies for the prevention and treatment of tumors.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTO GULBENKIAN DE CINCIA (IGC)
The Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia (IGC) is an international life science research center in Portugal. Established by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the IGC's mission is to carry out biomedical research and training. The IGC acts as a host institution to international research groups, providing state-of-the-art research facilities in a stimulating and autonomous environment. The IGC runs several ambitious graduate training programs and a dedicated outreach and public engagement in science program. More information at http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt.
ABOUT THE CeMM RESEARCH CENTER FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE OF THE AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
CeMM is a young, international, independent and interdisciplinary Research Center in Molecular Medicine, situated on the campus of the Medical University and the General Hospital in the heart of Vienna. "From the clinic to the clinic": driven by medical needs, CeMM integrates basic research and clinical expertise to pursue innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The work of 13 research groups with about 150 scientists focuses on cancer, inflammation and immune disorders. The goal of CeMM is to assist in preparing the predictive, preventive and personalized medicine of the future, and to be a training and teaching center for a new generation of researchers in molecular medicine. According to a survey from "The Scientist" CeMM is ranked as the best European place to work in Academia 2012. http://www.cemm.oeaw.ac.at
ABOUT THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (CEITEC)
CEITEC is a scientific centre in the fields of life sciences, advanced materials and technologies whose aim is to establish itself as a recognized centre for basic as well as applied research. CEITEC offers a state-of-the-art infrastructure and great conditions to employ excellent researches. We are a consortium whose partners include the most important universities and research institutes in Brno, Czech Republic: Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno and the Veterinary Research Institute. We work closely with the Region of South-Moravia and the City of Brno to help increase the innovative capacity of the region. http://www.ceitec.eu
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE FINLAND (FIMM)
FIMM is an international research institute in Helsinki focusing on human genomics and personalized medicine. FIMM is hosted by the University of Helsinki and is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership in Molecular Medicine. FIMM integrates molecular medicine research, technology center and biobanking infrastructures "under one roof" and thereby promotes translational research and adoption of personalized medicine in health care. FIMM researchers are involved in studying the medical impact of genome information from the Finnish population, development of individualized cancer medicine, as well as novel image-based molecular diagnostics. FIMM technology centre and biobanking infrastructures provide research services for local, national and international customers. The infrastructures operated by FIMM are networked with European ESFRI infrastructures BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR and EU Openscreen. In 2012, FIMM had a staff of 185 and an annual budget of 14 million euros, with competitive external funding accounting for 70% of the budget. http://www.fimm.fi/en/.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Surprising no one, Motorola chief Dennis Woodside revealed at D11 that Motorola is tooling a new flagship Android device. This device, cleverly named Moto X, will be widely distributed and most likely the device that slipped through the FCC’s test labs last week. The phone is going to be made, at least in part, in the United States. Surprise surprise. Look for the Moto X along with several other high-end Android phones this fall. As Ryan detailed yesterday, Woodside revealed little else about the Moto X at his talk yesterday. He mentioned that the phone will be “contextually aware” meaning that the phone will know when it’s inside a pocket and when it’s taken out, when it’s inside a car and when it’s on a desk. Clever but hopefully Motorola has more tricks in the works too. The Android scene is expecting big things from Motorola. The American company is the only one most feel can stand up to the boring industrial machine that Samsung is quickly turning becoming. HTC is dying, LG doesn’t support its phones, and Google still can’t figure out how to get people its Nexus phones. What the Android world needs is a phone as exciting as the original RAZR with the magic of a StarTAC. Motorola’s upcoming phone has been playing well on fansites and blogs for weeks now. The phone is hyped on the back of blue-sky expectations. Android fans want it to be something special. Motorola has had its share of Android hits. The Droid line kicked the Android movement into high-gear and Motorola was responsible for the majority of Verizon’s early Android hits. The rebirth of the RAZR brought big screens and big battery’s to Android. Yet with these successes, Motorola never achieved the same sort of success as Samsung. Hopefully with Google’s tutelage, the Moto X and its stable mates, will be the big hit Motorola has yet to see. Hopefully Motorola and Google took notes on Samsung’s single brand strategy and will only release a small product line of quality devices. Hopefully Motorola won’t over advertise that this phone will be made in the USA. It’s clear that high-tech manufacturing is coming back to the United States. For the longest time, Motorola, and Apple for that matter, built their wares in U.S. factories. Cheap labor and improved supply chain management drove these companies overseas. Motorola will need to carefully walk
Microsoft's Surface Pro, the tablet/laptop amalgam device designed to perfectly showcase Windows 8, is getting a 256 SSD internal storage option, the biggest yet for the device. Previously, Microsoft has shipped the Surface Pro with either a 64GB or 128GB internal drive, but when it arrives in Japan June 7, it'll come in 128GB and for the first time, 256GB flavors.
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Public release date: 28-May-2013
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