Tibetan monks self-immolate in anti-China protest

BEIJING (AP) ? Two Tibetan monks in their early 20s set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule near dozens of pilgrims who had gathered for prayers to mark the end of the Tibetan New Year festival, a Tibet rights group said. Both died. A third monk was taken to a hospital after setting himself alight in a separate incident, another group reported. His condition and whereabouts weren't immediately known.

The self-immolations bring the total reported since 2009 to 107.

One of the monks, Tsesung Kyab, self-immolated Monday outside a temple in Luqu county in northwestern Gansu province while the other, Phagmo Dundrup, set himself ablaze Sunday at a monastery in neighboring Qinghai province, the Washington, D.C.-based International Campaign for Tibet reported.

It said large numbers of religious pilgrims had gathered at both monasteries for prayer ceremonies to commemorate the end of the Tibetan new year festival, Losar. The group said it received images of the self-immolation in Luqu in which pilgrims watched as Tsesung Kyab burned.

The third monk, Sandhag, set himself on fire in the main street in the town of Aba in an ethnically Tibetan area of Sichuan province on Monday morning, according to London-based Free Tibet.

Police extinguished the flames and took Sandhag to a hospital, the group said. A resident of the local Dhupu monastery, he has since been moved to another unknown location, it said.

Last week, two Tibetan teenagers set themselves on fire in a double self-immolation in Aba prefecture, Tibet rights advocacy groups said. Seventeen-year-old Richen and his childhood friend Sonam Dargye, 18, were among the youngest to have died in the fiery protests.

The protests have continued despite an intensified crackdown in Tibetan areas by Chinese authorities hoping to stop the self-immolations. Authorities have detained and jailed Tibetans they accuse of helping others self-immolate, an act that Beijing now considers a crime. Tibet and adjoining ethnically Tibetan regions have been sealed-off to most outsiders, making independent confirmation of the self-immolations virtually impossible.

A woman who answered the phone at the Communist Party's propaganda department in Gannan prefecture, which oversees Luqu county, said she was unaware of the reported self-immolation, while county officials could not be reached. Authorities in Qinghai's Haidong prefecture, where the second protest took place, either could not be reached or said they had no information on the case.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tibetan-monks-self-immolate-anti-china-protest-011846664.html

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S.Africa's Budget needs to raise revenue to support spending

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's chronic joblessness is eroding the tax base and swelling the number of dependants on state funds, goading the government to increase revenues and economic growth to cut a budget gap.

In his 3-year budget plan on Wednesday, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will try to reassure bond investors worried about increased issuance, and also appease key ratings agencies who have downgraded South Africa's credit rating.

Economists say Gordhan is unlikely to announce a much wider deficit than October's 4.5 percent projection for 2012/13. The consensus among 14 economists polled by Reuters is for a slight upward revision to 4.7 percent of GDP.

In his State of the Nation address two weeks ago, President Jacob Zuma said government would focus on creating jobs, and reducing poverty and inequality this year.

Violent labour strife in the mining and farming sectors in the last six months, coupled with public protests against a lack of basic services like water and housing, point to rising tensions as social divides persist nearly 20 years after white minority rule ended.

Gordhan could tweak tax policies to increase revenue, while markets will want to see evidence of a clear plan to induce higher economic growth.

TAXES SHRINK ON JOB LOSSES

The Treasury has seen its tax base shrink as the economy loses jobs while the government's social welfare programme, which gives out grants to 16 million people, has been a drag on state coffers.

"The balancing act is becoming harder to maintain with each budget. We have too few taxpayers supporting too many grant recipients. This is simply unsustainable," Ettiene Retief of accounting group SAIPA said.

With the government struggling to make headway in its job creation targets, Zuma said earlier this month Gordhan would be reviewing tax policies to support public spending.

Mining royalties are likely to be the main focus of the review, and Gordhan may increase personal income taxes and value added tax (VAT), which has been capped at 14 percent for two decades.

But likely resistance from powerful labour union and government ally COSATU, could see Gordhan holding off on raising personal taxes until after national elections due in 2014.

The market also wants clarity from Gordhan on a 3-year old plan in which the government would subsidise wages for new entrants to the job market. COSATU has rejected the plan, saying employers could use it to push out long-serving employees while exploiting new workers.

Given South Africa's history of under spending on infrastructure, investors also want to see concrete spending plans for 845 billion randworth of funds put aside last year.

At the same time, Gordhan will want to assure investors that he is committed to prudent spending, following downgrades from Standard & Poor's and Fitch which have left South Africa's sovereign rating just one level above the speculative grade. Moody's rating is two levels above.

While South Africa's debt-to-GDP ratio remains manageable at nearly 40 percent, ratings agencies are looking for the Treasury to reverse the trend of rising public debt.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africas-budget-needs-raise-revenue-support-spending-153805578--business.html

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Panel questions value of calcium, vitamin D pills

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Popping calcium and vitamin D pills in hopes of strong bones? Healthy older women shouldn't bother with relatively low-dose dietary supplements, say new recommendations from a government advisory group.

Both nutrients are crucial for healthy bones and specialists advise getting as much as possible from a good diet. The body also makes vitamin D from sunshine. If an older person has a vitamin deficiency or bone-thinning osteoporosis, doctors often prescribe higher-than-normal doses.

But for otherwise healthy postmenopausal women, adding modest supplements to their diet ? about 400 international units of D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium ? don't prevent broken bones but can increase the risk of kidney stones, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said Monday.

It isn't clear if those doses offer bone protection if taken before menopause, or if they help men's bones, the guidelines said.

What about higher-dose supplements that have become more common recently? There's not enough evidence to tell if they would prevent fractures, either, in an otherwise healthy person, the panel concluded. It urged more research to settle the issue.

It's a confusing message considering that for years, calcium and vitamin D supplements have been widely considered an insurance policy against osteoporosis, with little down side to taking them.

"Regrettably, we don't have as much information as we would like to have about a substance that has been around a long time and we used to think we understood," said Dr. Virginia Moyer of the Baylor College of Medicine, who heads the task force. "Turns out, there's a lot more to learn."

The main caution: These recommendations aren't for people at high risk of weak bones, including older adults who have previously broken a bone and are at risk for doing so again, said Dr. Sundeep Khosla of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Those people should consult a doctor, said Khosla, a bone specialist at the Mayo Clinic who wasn't part of the panel's deliberations.

Calcium and vitamin D work together, and you need a lifetime of both to build and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D also is being studied for possibly preventing cancer and certain other diseases, something that Monday's guidelines don't address and that other health groups have cautioned isn't yet proven.

For now, national standards advise the average adult to get about 1,000 mg of calcium, 1,300 for postmenopausal women, every day. For vitamin D, the goal is 600 IUs of vitamin D every day, moving to 800 after age 70, according to the Institute of Medicine, which set those levels in 2010. The nutrients can come from various foods, including orange juice fortified with calcium and D; dairy foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese; certain fish including salmon; and fortified breakfast cereals. Harder to measure is how much vitamin D the body also produces from sunshine.

Most people should get enough calcium from food, said Mayo's Khosla. But while he cautions against too high doses, he frequently tells his patients to take a multivitamin because it's harder to get vitamin D from food and during the winter.

While supplement science gets sorted out, the task force's Moyer advises healthy seniors to exercise ? proven to shore up bones and good for the rest of the body, too.

___

Online:

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/recommendations.htm

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/panel-questions-value-calcium-vitamin-d-pills-000112291.html

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Kantar: Android back on top of US smartphone share in January with Sprint's help

Most US smartphone market share estimates last fall saw Apple retake the lead as it rode a wave of iPhone 5 sales. While there was always a question as to how long that trend would last, new data from Kantar Worldpanel supports beliefs that it was really more of a momentary pop. Android reportedly took back the lead at 49.4 percent of American sales between November and January, improving its overall position versus the same month last year. Not that everyone else was necessarily hurting -- iOS still had a 45.9 percent slice of the pie, and the continued Windows Phone 8 rollout took Microsoft up to 3.2 percent. The real wounds were dealt to a pre-transition BlackBerry and Nokia's outgoing Symbian.

We seldom get an explanation as to why such shifts take place, but the researchers suggest that a significant chunk of the January switch-up can be assigned to one carrier: Sprint. Its decision to cut the Galaxy S III's contract price to $99 supposedly helped Samsung's flagship climb from 14 percent of Sprint sales in October to 39 percent over the more recent 3-month span. The Galaxy S III didn't play as much of a role elsewhere, Kantar says. Sprint's average contract pricing for Android also dipped to $95 at the same time, helping Samsung alone get 60.3 percent of the network's business as customers snapped up bargains. Big Yellow only played a small part in the overall US market, as you'll see in the detailed charts after the break, but it may have been large enough to tip the balance in OS preferences at the start of 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Google, Blackberry

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Source: Kantar Worldpanel

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1xF7Gc03YQE/

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White House details budget fallout amid blame game

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House has detailed the potential fallout in each state from budget cuts set to take effect at week's end, while congressional Republicans and Democrats keep up the sniping over who's to blame.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said on "Fox News Sunday" that there was little hope to dodge the cuts "unless the Republicans are willing to compromise and do a balanced approach."

No so fast, Republicans interjected.

"I think the American people are tired of the blame game," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Yet just a moment before, she was blaming President Barack Obama for putting the country on the brink of massive spending cuts that were initially designed to be so unacceptable that Congress would strike a grand bargain to avoid them.

The $85 billion budget mechanism could affect everything from commercial flights to classrooms to meat inspections. With Friday's deadline nearing, few in the nation's capital were optimistic that a realistic alternative could be found.

And, yes, those cuts will hurt.

They would slash from domestic and defense spending alike, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of government workers and contractors.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said travelers could see delayed flights. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said 70,000 fewer children from low-income families would have access to Head Start programs. And furloughed meat inspectors could leave plants idled.

White House officials pointed to Ohio ? home of House Speaker John Boehner ? as one state that would be hit hard: $25.1 million in education spending and another $22 million for students with disabilities. Some 2,500 children from low-income families would also be removed from Head Start programs.

Officials said their analysis showed Kentucky would lose $93,000 in federal funding for a domestic abuse program, meaning 400 fewer victims being served in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's home state. Georgia, meanwhile, would face a $286,000 budget cut to its children's health programs, meaning almost 4,200 fewer children would receive vaccinations against measles and whooping cough.

The spending cuts have frustrated governors attending the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. They contend it has created widespread uncertainty in the economy and hampered economic recovery in their states.

"The No. 1 risk, in my view, to the continuing economic comeback of Michigan is the federal government," Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican and former business executive, said in an interview. Snyder said many companies remain in limbo on whether to invest in their business because of the financial uncertainty.

"What's the likely outcome? Are they going to put in a solution that's set for two or three years or are they simply going to say now it's going to move to the fall? It's not good," he said.

The White House compiled its state-by-state reports from federal agencies and its own budget office. The numbers reflect the impact of the cuts this year. Unless Congress acts by Friday, $85 billion in cuts are set to take effect from March to September.

As to whether states could move money around to cover shortfalls, the White House said that depends on state budget structures and the specific programs. The White House did not have a list of which states or programs might have flexibility.

Republican leaders were not impressed by the state-by-state reports.

"The White House needs to spend less time explaining to the press how bad the sequester will be and more time actually working to stop it," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: https://twitter.com/philip_elliott

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-25-Budget%20Battle/id-72bd32f0d69c46fd80d9e4921341cefe

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Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Collectibles - Video Games Blogger

25 February 2013

Leave A Comment Posted by:Ferry Groenendijk

Take a look at the Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Collectibles locations guide wrapup, so you can find all Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Collectibles in the hack ?n slash game for PS3 & Xbox 360.

From weird Left Arms to funny Men Hiding In Cardboard Boxes, cool VR Mission Laptops, as well as Data Storage Devices, Costumes, Weapons and more, there is a lot to find out there and you will be rewarded in-game for each new discovery.

VR Mission Laptops:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance VR Missions Locations Guide

Left Arm IDs:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Left Arms Locations Guide.

Data Storage Devices:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Data Storage Devices Locations Guide.

Men In Boxes:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Men In Boxes Locations Guide.

Unlockable Costumes:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Costumes.

Unlockable Weapons:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Weapons Guide.

Humanoid Dwarf Gekkos To Destroy:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Humanoid Dwarf Gekkos Locations Guide.

Civilians To Rescue:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Civilians Locations Guide.

Gun Cameras To Destroy:

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Gun Cameras Locations Guide.

Other Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Guides:

• Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Walkthrough
• Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Cheats

Which collectibles are you chasing down in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance?

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Tags: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Categories: Guides, News, PS3 Guides, Xbox 360 Guides

About the author

By Ferry Groenendijk: He is the founder and editor of Video Games Blogger. He loved gaming from the moment he got a Nintendo with Super Mario Bros. on his 8th birthday. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and at Google+.

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Images of next Apple iPad case leaks, suggests slimmer body and thinner bezels

Apple is already working on its next generation iPad and the design has allegedly already leaked in China. As a result we get these images of a case, which is supposedly a custom fit for the upcoming fifth generation of the iPad. The popular accessory maker MiniSuit claims to have got the specifications and the design from a reliable source.

Judging by the case, the next-generation iPad will have a design, which is very much alike that of the iPad mini.The slate should have a narrower design with thinner bezels on either side of the display.

Apple?s iPad in the making will feature the microphone at the back of the device unlike its fourth-generation iPad, which had the microphone on the top. Apple?s rumored iPad is expected to launch in the month of June but as usual take all this with a grain of salt.

Via

Source: http://blog.gsmarena.com/images-of-next-generation-apple-ipad-case-leaks-suggests-slimmer-body-and-thinner-bezels/

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NCAA president Emmert gets vote of confidence

Mark Emmert has been president of the NCAA since October 2010.

LM Otero/AP

NCAA President Mark Emmert still has the confidence of the association's executive committee, despite several indicators in recent days that some schools are questioning his effectiveness.

The NCAA released a statement Saturday, revealing that the executive committee has "unanimously affirmed" its ongoing support of Emmert. Both the decision to make such a statement - and to do so, without warning, over a weekend - are highly unusual for the NCAA, which has been under fire for some time over the way many high-profile cases have been handled, most recently the long investigation of Miami.

Still, the committee also wants the NCAA to move forward with a total review of the association's policies, and said "subsequent improvement ... is necessary." Their statement comes five days after Emmert himself said he wondered if the committee would consider disciplinary action against him after all this recent tumult involving the association.

"Mark Emmert was hired to lead a major transformation of the NCAA," said Michigan State President and executive committee chair Lou Anna K. Simon. "Much has been accomplished without fanfare, such as academic reforms, enhanced fiscal accountability and organizational transparency. The Executive Committee and President Emmert recognize there is much yet to do and that the road to transformational change is often bumpy and occasionally controversial."

And there is no shortage of controversy right now.

In the past few days alone, University of Miami President Donna Shalala called the NCAA's probe of the Hurricanes "unprofessional and unethical," and presidents of schools in the Mountain West Conference reportedly questioned Emmert's leadership.

The dialogue between Mountain West presidents was reported Friday by CBSSports.com.

"Is it time for the presidents to seek new NCAA leadership or a new organization?" read the Mountain West memo, according to CBSSports.com. "The NCAA has evidenced decisions that focus on trivial and penalize our athletes. The salaries for the NCAA leadership are excessive and an embarrassment to the Mountain West schools. Their decision making is cumbersome and oblique."

Also, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford said in recent days that his league remains supportive of Miami as its relationship with the NCAA - at least related to the investigation of the Hurricanes - appeared to take a hostile turn.

"Miami's cooperation throughout this process should be commended and they have self-imposed significant sanctions," Swofford wrote in a statement released Thursday. "They've been forthright and diligent in their efforts to fully cooperate with the NCAA and it's time for this case to be brought to closure."

Now, attorney Kenneth Wainstein - who oversaw the review that found major missteps made during the NCAA's investigation of Miami - can begin looking at ways to prevent another rogue case. Emmert has said if they find evidence of wrongdoing is found in other cases, the NCAA will "deal with that."

Either way, the NCAA's move on Saturday was another strange chapter in a strange week.

It started Monday, when Emmert said Julie Roe Lach, the vice president of enforcement - its top cop - would be replaced by private attorney Jonathan Duncan after her role in the botched Miami investigation. That was the same day the NCAA acknowledged it could not use certain findings of the Miami probe, because investigators working the case got information through depositions that were taken under subpoena power, a tool the NCAA does not have.

Miami received its notice of allegations from the NCAA one day later, and Shalala lashed out at the association in response, saying she hopes the Committee on Infractions "will provide the fairness and integrity missing during the investigative process."

The way the Miami investigation went has been just the latest embarrassing blow to the NCAA, which is fending off a number of lawsuits and is the target of sharp criticism in some quarters for the penalties it handed to Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.

On Friday, the NCAA said its executive committee held a conference call and decided to reiterate its support of Emmert. The committee meets regularly each quarter, the most recent being at the national convention last month. And on Saturday, they released that support through a three-paragraph statement.

"In short, we demand the highest level of integrity and accountability not only from our peers but also from the national office," the statement said. "While progress has been made, additional important work remains."

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130223/mark-emmert-ncaa-vote-of-confidence.ap/?xid=si_ncaaf

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UALR MBB Stays Cold, Falls 73-59 at Florida Atlantic - http://ow.ly/hZu9s

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/UALRTrojans/posts/355227551257136

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Genomic detectives crack the case of the missing heritability

Feb. 22, 2013 ? Despite years of research, the genetic factors behind many human diseases and characteristics remain unknown. The inability to find the complete genetic causes of family traits such as height or the risk of type 2 diabetes has been called the "missing heritability" problem.

A new study by Princeton University researchers, however, suggests that missing heritability may not be missing after all -- at least not in yeast cells, which the researchers used as a model for studying the problem. Published in the journal Nature, the results suggest that heritability in humans may be hidden due only to the limitations of modern research tools, but could be discovered if scientists know where (and how) to look.

"The message of our study is that if you look hard enough you will find the missing heritability," said the senior researcher, Leonid Kruglyak, Princeton's William R. Harman '63 and Mary-Love Harman Professor in Genomics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Kruglyak worked with first author Joshua Bloom, a Princeton graduate student; Wesley Loo, a 2010 Princeton graduate now a graduate student at Harvard University; Thuy-Lan Lite, Class of 2012, who is working at the National Institutes of Health for a year before starting graduate school; and Ian Ehrenreich, a past Princeton postdoctoral researcher now at the University of Southern California.

"We don't think there is some fundamental limitation -- such as that there are things we don't understand about how genes behave -- that is holding us back," Kruglyak said. "Instead, we should be able to detect the heritability in humans if we use the right tools."

Passed down from parent to child, genes determine not only eye color and other physical characteristics but also the risk of diseases. Some inherited diseases are caused by a mutation in a single gene. These single-gene disorders have well-defined patterns of inheritance that can be used to predict the chances that an individual will inherit the disease.

However, many diseases and physical traits arise due to multiple genes, multiple locations within genes, and even the regions of DNA between genes. Across the genome -- which is an individual's total genetic content -- small variations in DNA code can, when added together, increase or decrease the likelihood that a person will develop a disease or characteristic.

Height, for example, results from variations in DNA at multiple locations on the genome. Researchers have detected about 180 locations in the human genome where small alterations in the DNA code can have an influence on how tall or short a person is. Nonetheless, these locations account for only 13 percent of the expected contribution genetic code has on a person's height.

Type 2 diabetes also has missing heritability: About 40 identified genome locations are associated with the risk of developing the condition, but those account for only 10 percent of the estimated genetic influence. Finding the missing heritability for diseases like type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease and schizophrenia could help inform prevention and treatment strategies.

In the present study, the researchers scanned the genomes of yeast cells for DNA variations -- which can be thought of as spelling errors in the four-letter DNA code -- and then matched those variations with qualities or characteristics inherited from the cells' parents. The researchers detected numerous DNA variations that, when added together, accounted for almost all of the offsprings' inherited characteristics, indicating that there was very little missing heritability in yeast.

Although the search for heritability was successful in yeast, finding missing heritability in humans is far more complicated, Kruglyak said. For example, interactions between genes can contribute to heritable traits, but such interactions are difficult to detect with genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which are the primary means by which geneticists look for DNA variations associated with diseases or traits. In addition, environmental factors such as nutrition also can influence gene activity, and these influences can be elusive to the genome-wide study. GWAS also may be inadequate at detecting common DNA spelling errors that have only small effects, or it may fail to find DNA variations that have a large effect but are rare.

The study sheds light on the role of nature (genetic factors) versus nurture (environmental factors) in determining traits and disease risk, according to Bert Vogelstein, director of the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

"The nature versus nurture argument has been brewing for decades, both among scientists and the lay public, and 'missing heritability' has been problematic for the 'nature' component," said Vogelstein, who was not involved in the Princeton study.

"This beautiful study demonstrates that the genetic basis for heritability (nature) can be precisely defined if extensive, well-controlled experiments can be performed," Vogelstein said. "Though the results were obtained in a model organism, I would be surprised if they didn't apply, at least in part, to higher organisms, including humans."

Kruglyak said that one approach to finding the missing heritability in humans might be to apply genome-wide scans to large families, rather than focusing on large populations as is currently done. Family studies take advantage of the fact that the same genetic variations will be more common in families -- and thus easier to detect. However, the disadvantage of family studies is that the detected genetic variations may not be widespread in the population.

For the study in yeast, the team examined the offspring of two yeast cells, one that is commonly used in laboratory studies and the other in wine making. Although yeast usually reproduce asexually, under certain conditions, such as lack of food, two yeast cells will mate and produce offspring that, like human children, receive roughly half their genetic material from each parent. "Our study involves thousands of 'kids' from a single set of parents," Kruglyak said.

The team first sequenced the genomes of the two parent cells and then conducted scans for DNA variations in the genomes of 1,008 offspring. Yeast do not inherit height or disease risk from their parents, but they can inherit the ability to survive in adverse conditions. The researchers tested the parents and their offspring for the ability to grow under various conditions, including different temperatures, acidity levels, food sources, antibiotics, metal compounds, and in drugs such as caffeine.

The researchers then looked for associations between the DNA variations inherited from the parents and growth ability, and determined that the DNA variations accounted for nearly all of the resilience noted in the offspring.

The paper, "Finding the sources of missing heritability in a yeast cross," was published in Nature on Feb. 3, 2013. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R37 MH59520 and R01 GM102308; a James S. McDonnell Centennial Fellowship (L.K.); the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (L.K.); a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship (J.S.B.); an NIH postdoctoral fellowship F32 HG51762 (I.M.E.); and NIH grant P50 GM071508 to the Center for Quantitative Biology at the Lewis-Sigler Institute of Princeton University.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Princeton University. The original article was written by Catherine Zandonella.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Joshua S. Bloom, Ian M. Ehrenreich, Wesley T. Loo, Th?y-Lan V? Lite, Leonid Kruglyak. Finding the sources of missing heritability in a yeast cross. Nature, 2013; 494 (7436): 234 DOI: 10.1038/nature11867

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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/~3/bcvfBHxI58A/130222121047.htm

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Robotic bat wing engineered: Researchers uncover flight secrets of real bats

Feb. 21, 2013 ? The strong, flapping flight of bats offers great possibilities for the design of small aircraft, among other applications. By building a robotic bat wing, Brown researchers have uncovered flight secrets of real bats: the function of ligaments, the elasticity of skin, the structural support of musculature, skeletal flexibility, upstroke, downstroke.

Researchers at Brown University have developed a robotic bat wing that is providing valuable new information about dynamics of flapping flight in real bats.

The robot, which mimics the wing shape and motion of the lesser dog-faced fruit bat, is designed to flap while attached to a force transducer in a wind tunnel. As the lifelike wing flaps, the force transducer records the aerodynamic forces generated by the moving wing. By measuring the power output of the three servo motors that control the robot's seven movable joints, researchers can evaluate the energy required to execute wing movements.

Testing showed the robot can match the basic flight parameters of bats, producing enough thrust to overcome drag and enough lift to carry the weight of the model species.

A paper describing the robot and presenting results from preliminary experiments is published in the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics. The work was done in labs of Brown professors Kenneth Breuer and Sharon Swartz, who are the senior authors on the paper. Breuer, an engineer, and Swartz, a biologist, have studied bat flight and anatomy for years.

The faux flapper generates data that could never be collected directly from live animals, said Joseph Bahlman, a graduate student at Brown who led the project. Bats can't fly when connected to instruments that record aerodynamic forces directly, so that isn't an option -- and bats don't take requests.

"We can't ask a bat to flap at a frequency of eight hertz then raise it to nine hertz so we can see what difference that makes," Bahlman said. "They don't really cooperate that way."

But the model does exactly what the researchers want it to do. They can control each of its movement capabilities -- kinematic parameters -- individually. That way they can adjust one parameter while keeping the rest constant to isolate the effects.

"We can answer questions like, 'Does increasing wing beat frequency improve lift and what's the energetic cost of doing that?'" Bahlman said. "We can directly measure the relationship between these kinematic parameters, aerodynamic forces, and energetics."

Detailed experimental results from the robot will be described in future research papers, but this first paper includes some preliminary results from a few case studies.

One experiment looked at the aerodynamic effects of wing folding. Bats and some birds fold their wings back during the upstroke. Previous research from Brown had found that folding helped the bats save energy, but how folding affected aerodynamic forces wasn't clear. Testing with the robot wing shows that folding is all about lift.

Studying an animal with unique abilities

Over the years, Kenneth Breuer, an engineer, and Sharon Swartz, a biologist, have developed a large archive of bat data, from wind tunnels to field studies and slow-motion video.In a flapping animal, positive lift is generated by the downstroke, but some of that lift is undone by the subsequent upstroke, which generates negative lift. By running trials with and without wing folding, the robot showed that folding the wing on the upstroke dramatically decreases that negative lift, increasing net lift by 50 percent.

Data like that will not only give new insights into the mechanics of bat flight, it could aid the design of small flapping aircraft. The research was funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation..

Inspired by the real thing

Bat wings are complex things. They span most of the length of a bat's body, from shoulder to foot. They are supported and moved by two arm bones and five finger-like digits. Over those bones is a super-elastic skin that can stretch up to 400 percent without tearing. The eight-inch robot mimics that anatomy with plastic bones carefully fabricated on a 3-D printer to match proportions of a real bat. The skin is made of a silicone elastomer. The joints are actuated by servo motors that pull on tendon-like cables, which in turn pull on the joints.

The robot doesn't quite match the complexity of a real bat's wing, which has 25 joints and 34 degrees of freedom. An exact simulation isn't feasible given today's technology and wouldn't be desirable anyway, Bahlman said. Part of why the model is useful is that it distills bat flapping down to five fundamental parameters: flapping frequency, flapping amplitude, the angle of the flap relative to the ground, the amount of time used for the downstroke, and the extent to which the wings can fold back.

Experimental data aside, Bahlman said there were many lessons learned just in building the robot and getting it to work properly. "We learned a lot about how bats work from trying to duplicate them and having things go wrong," he said.

During testing, for example, the tongue and groove joint used for the robot's elbow broke repeatedly. The forces on the wing would spread open the groove, and eventually break it open. Bahlman eventually wrapped steel cable around the joint to keep it intact, similar to the way ligaments hold joints together in real animals.

The fact that the elbow was a characteristic weak point in the robot might help to explain the musculature of elbows in real bats. Bats have a large set of muscles at the elbow that are not positioned to flex the joint. In humans, these muscles are used in the motion that helps us turn our palms up or down. Bats can't make that motion, however, so the fact that these muscles are so large was something of a mystery. Bahlman's experience with the robot suggests these muscles may be adapted to resist bending in a direction that would break the joint open.

The wing membrane provided more lessons. It often tore at the leading edge, prompting Bahlman to reinforce that spot with elastic threads. The fix ended up looking a lot like the tendon and muscle that reinforce leading edges in bats, underscoring how important those structures are.

Now that the model is operational, Bahlman has lots of plans for it.

"The next step is to start playing with the materials," he said. "We'd like to try different wing materials, different amounts of flexibility on the bones, looking to see if there are beneficial tradeoffs in these material properties."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Brown University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Joseph W Bahlman, Sharon M Swartz, Kenneth S Breuer. Design and characterization of a multi-articulated robotic bat wing. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 2013; 8 (1): 016009 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/8/1/016009

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/mH5WJdkNVC4/130221143942.htm

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Palestinian director held briefly at LA airport

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Immigration officials briefly detained the Palestinian director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "5 Broken Cameras" on his way into town for Sunday's Academy Awards.

Emad Burnat says that when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from Turkey with his wife and 8-year-old son late Tuesday, agents told them they didn't have the proper proof that he was a nominee and would send them back if they couldn't verify the reason for their visit. After about an hour of questioning, the agents allowed Burnat and his family to enter the country.

Burnat had just been in the United States two weeks earlier doing interviews about the film alongside his co-director, Israeli activist Guy Davidi, including some with The Associated Press.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it is prohibited from discussing specific cases, but noted that in general, "travelers may be referred for further inspection for a variety of reasons to include identity verification, intent of travel and confirmation of admissibility."

Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore, a friend of Burnat's and a champion of his work, wrote on his website, michaelmoore.com, that Burnat texted him from an airport holding area seeking help. Moore said he made a few calls to leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who contacted some attorneys to clear up the matter. The Academy did not respond to a request for comment on Burnat's detainment.

"5 Broken Cameras," the first Palestinian documentary ever nominated for an Oscar, already has won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cinema Eye Honors. It features footage that the olive farmer-turned-filmmaker shot using five cameras in his occupied West Bank village of Bil'in, from everyday activities with his family to protests and shootings. The son with whom he is traveling, Gibreel, was the inspiration for buying the first of these cameras in 2005; like so many parents, Burnat wanted to document the boy's first steps and smiles.

But he also found himself wanting to capture the tension and fighting that are daily occurrences in the struggle for territory. In the film, his cameras keep getting destroyed in the violence.

Because of his experiences, Burnat said in a statement Wednesday, he's gotten used to the kind of questioning he and his family underwent at LAX.

"There are more than 500 Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks, and other barriers to movement across our land, and not a single one of us has been spared the experience that my family and I experienced yesterday," he said. "Ours was a very minor example of what my people face every day."

___

Contact AP Movie Writer Christy Lemire through Twitter: http://twitter.com/christylemire

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palestinian-director-held-briefly-la-airport-221142651.html

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Queen's study shows psychotropic drug dispensing increases on entry to care homes

Public release date: 21-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Claire O'Callaghan
c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk
Queen's University Belfast

A study by Queen's University Belfast has found that the dispensing of psychotropic drugs to older people in Northern Ireland increases on entry to care homes.

According to the study, due to be published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, antipsychotic drug dispensing in older people more than doubled from 8.2 per cent before entry to care homes to 18.6 per cent after entering care.

The study was carried out by researchers from Queen's Centre for Public Health in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. It analysed prescribing data for over 250,000 people, aged 65 years and over living in Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2010, and looked at drug uptake within the older population during the transition from community to care.

The study revealed that psychotropic drug use was higher in care homes than the community, with 20.3 per cent of those in care homes dispensed an antipsychotic in January 2009, compared with 1.1 per cent of those in the community.

Lead researcher on the Queen's study, Aideen Maguire, who is based in the Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland said: "Although drug dispensing is high in older people in the community, we have found that it increases dramatically on entry to care. This study showed that the high uptake of psychotropic drugs observed in care homes in Northern Ireland cannot be explained by a continuation of drug use initiated in the community prior to entering care.

"With an ageing population globally it is important that we look at the reasons behind this type of increase following admission to care. Antipsychotic uptake in Northern Ireland is similar to that in the rest of the UK and Ireland, and this study highlights the need for routine medicines reviews especially during the transition into care."

Other key findings of the study included:

• Of the 250,617 people studied, 6,779 (2.7 per cent) experienced a transition into care during 2008-2010.
• The psychotropic drugs prescribed to patients included in the study were being prescribed for the first time for many.
• Six months after admission, 37.1 per cent of all new residents had received at least one prescription for a hypnotic drug, 30.2 per cent for an antipsychotic, and 24.5 per cent for an anxiolytic.
• 1.1 per cent of those living in the community were dispensed at least one prescription for an antipsychotic in January 2009, (7.3 per cent for a hypnotic, and 3.6 percent for an anxiolytic).
• Hypnotic drug dispensing increased from 14.8 per cent to 26.3 per cent after entering care.
• This study shows that use of psychotropic medication in a small proportion of residents of care homes was a continuation of a prescription that had been started before entry, but one in six individuals with no history of psychotropic drug use in the six months before entry had been exposed to at least one antipsychotic prescription within six months of entering care.

Professor Carmel Hughes from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's added: "This is an important study of national and international relevance, as with an ageing population, quality of care for older people is an ongoing public health concern.

"The number of older people entering care across Ireland is predicted to increase in the next 10 years, and studies further predict a 69 per cent increase in the Irish population aged over 65 years from 2006-2021, and a 40 per cent increase in the those aged over 65 years in Northern Ireland in the same time frame. With a globally ageing population, it is vitally important that we look at the reasons behind the increase in the prescription of psychotropic drugs in care homes."

###

For further information on the Centre for Public Health and Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland is available online at http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforPublicHealth/

For media enquiries please contact Claire O'Callaghan on +44 (0) 28 9097 5391 or 07814415451 or at c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

1. Aideen Maguire is available for interview. Interview bids to Claire O'Callaghan on +44 (0) 28 9097 5391 or 07814415451 or at c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk

2. A photograph of Aideen Maguire has been issued to picture desks and is available on request.

3. Audio interview clips of Aideen Maguire and an online 'WhatQneedtoknow' video will be available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/ceao/Qtv/

4. The full report is available for 'early view' at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.12101/pdf

5. Other studies have looked at drug uptake in care and in the community separately.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 21-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Claire O'Callaghan
c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk
Queen's University Belfast

A study by Queen's University Belfast has found that the dispensing of psychotropic drugs to older people in Northern Ireland increases on entry to care homes.

According to the study, due to be published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, antipsychotic drug dispensing in older people more than doubled from 8.2 per cent before entry to care homes to 18.6 per cent after entering care.

The study was carried out by researchers from Queen's Centre for Public Health in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. It analysed prescribing data for over 250,000 people, aged 65 years and over living in Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2010, and looked at drug uptake within the older population during the transition from community to care.

The study revealed that psychotropic drug use was higher in care homes than the community, with 20.3 per cent of those in care homes dispensed an antipsychotic in January 2009, compared with 1.1 per cent of those in the community.

Lead researcher on the Queen's study, Aideen Maguire, who is based in the Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland said: "Although drug dispensing is high in older people in the community, we have found that it increases dramatically on entry to care. This study showed that the high uptake of psychotropic drugs observed in care homes in Northern Ireland cannot be explained by a continuation of drug use initiated in the community prior to entering care.

"With an ageing population globally it is important that we look at the reasons behind this type of increase following admission to care. Antipsychotic uptake in Northern Ireland is similar to that in the rest of the UK and Ireland, and this study highlights the need for routine medicines reviews especially during the transition into care."

Other key findings of the study included:

• Of the 250,617 people studied, 6,779 (2.7 per cent) experienced a transition into care during 2008-2010.
• The psychotropic drugs prescribed to patients included in the study were being prescribed for the first time for many.
• Six months after admission, 37.1 per cent of all new residents had received at least one prescription for a hypnotic drug, 30.2 per cent for an antipsychotic, and 24.5 per cent for an anxiolytic.
• 1.1 per cent of those living in the community were dispensed at least one prescription for an antipsychotic in January 2009, (7.3 per cent for a hypnotic, and 3.6 percent for an anxiolytic).
• Hypnotic drug dispensing increased from 14.8 per cent to 26.3 per cent after entering care.
• This study shows that use of psychotropic medication in a small proportion of residents of care homes was a continuation of a prescription that had been started before entry, but one in six individuals with no history of psychotropic drug use in the six months before entry had been exposed to at least one antipsychotic prescription within six months of entering care.

Professor Carmel Hughes from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's added: "This is an important study of national and international relevance, as with an ageing population, quality of care for older people is an ongoing public health concern.

"The number of older people entering care across Ireland is predicted to increase in the next 10 years, and studies further predict a 69 per cent increase in the Irish population aged over 65 years from 2006-2021, and a 40 per cent increase in the those aged over 65 years in Northern Ireland in the same time frame. With a globally ageing population, it is vitally important that we look at the reasons behind the increase in the prescription of psychotropic drugs in care homes."

###

For further information on the Centre for Public Health and Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland is available online at http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforPublicHealth/

For media enquiries please contact Claire O'Callaghan on +44 (0) 28 9097 5391 or 07814415451 or at c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

1. Aideen Maguire is available for interview. Interview bids to Claire O'Callaghan on +44 (0) 28 9097 5391 or 07814415451 or at c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk

2. A photograph of Aideen Maguire has been issued to picture desks and is available on request.

3. Audio interview clips of Aideen Maguire and an online 'WhatQneedtoknow' video will be available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/ceao/Qtv/

4. The full report is available for 'early view' at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.12101/pdf

5. Other studies have looked at drug uptake in care and in the community separately.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/qub-qss022013.php

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New material interface improves functioning of non-silicon-based electronic devices

Feb. 17, 2013 ? For the first time, researchers have designed a special material interface that has been shown to add to and to improve the functioning of non-silicon-based electronic devices, such as those used in certain kinds of random access memory (RAM). According to Qi Li, a professor of physics at Penn State University and the leader of the research team, the new method could be used to design improved, more-efficient, multilevel and multifunctional devices, as well as enhanced nanoelectronic components -- such as non-volatile information storage and processing; and spintronic components -- an emerging technology that uses the natural spin of the electron to power devices.

The research has been accepted for publication in the journal Nature Materials.

Li explained that most modern-day electronic chips -- integrated circuits that serve as the building blocks for semiconductor electronic devices such as solar cells, personal computers, and cell phones -- use silicon transistors to process "logical states," or the binary system of ones and zeros used by computers. This binary information is stored for fast access in RAM and also permanently in a magnetic form on hard disks. In this system, the numeral 1 can be understood as "on" -- with a current of electrons flowing freely -- and the numeral 0 as "off" -- with a current blocked. However, in recent years, Li said, researchers in laboratories across the world have been experimenting with different, non-silicon materials that "can toggle between a multilevel state system and can bring the memory into logic operation," and also function with greater speed and less power consumption than are possible with current technology.

Now, in a new research study, Li and her colleagues have designed and tested an alternative way of creating a device that is compatible with non-silicon technology and that combines into one device both an electronic and a magnetic junction. "Magnetic tunnel junctions -- which include two magnetic metallic layers with a very thin insulator barrier in between -- have been used for binary-state devices, such as magnetic random-access memories (MRAM). Tunneling itself is a quantum-mechanical effect," Li said. "Our goal was to create a multifunctional device with improved function by adding what we call a ferroelectric-magnetic interface -- a ferroelectric layer replacing the insulator barrier and a special interface layer, less than one nanometer thick, built into the device that acts to change from metal to insulator as well as from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic in response to the negative or positive charge polarization of the barrier." Thanks to this interface and through a phenomenon called the tunneling electroresistance effect, Li said, "we have found that the binary-state resistance difference, or the 1/0 system, is enhanced by up to 10,000 percent. This device is considered a quaternary-state device because we have integrated ferroelectric tunneling -- which can be used as a switch or memory -- into magnetic tunnel junctions, a type of magnetic memory."

Li added that her team's newly designed interface is special because the oxide materials used to build it are "multiferroic" -- one side magnetic and the other ferroelectric, with the magnetic layer changing with the ferroelectric switching. Ferroelectric materials, which are used in the capacitors built into medical ultrasound machines, as well as in other memory devices such as hotel key cards, have a spontaneous electric polarization of negative and positive charges that can be reversed. On the other hand, ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, form permanent magnets with magnetization direction also reversible. "Because our new interface combines both magnetic and ferroelectric properties and because we utilize the coupling effect between the two, we can reproduce a similar binary system with a much larger resistance difference between the two charge-polarization directions. With future modifications, faster switching and storage, or toggling, between 1 and 0 with the information also stored in the same device (or between the states of 1, 2, 3, and 4) may be possible," Li said. "With a 10,000-percent enhancement, the 1 is a stronger 1 and the 0 is a stronger 0, thanks to the physical properties of the materials used to build the interface structures. Stronger 1s and 0s mean sharper switching or fewer memory errors and better and faster information processing and storage power."

Li said that non-silicon materials that use enhanced tunneling-electroresistance-effect technology may be many years away from being available in personal computers and cell phones. However, her research is a next step toward demonstrating the feasibility of this technology. "A few of the exciting outcomes of a multiferroic interface built into tunnel junctions would be doubling the memory states from two to four, a switch and a memory in one chip, and electrical control of the magnetic devices. For example, a new generation of non-volatile multilevel data processing and storage would be possible with the combined memory of MRAM and ferroelectric RAM (fRAM) or logic operation." Li said.

Li explained that memory is considered non-volatile if it is stored even when it is not powered. "Most computers use dynamic random-access memory (dRAM) -- a form of computer data storage in which stored information fades from the capacitor unless it is refreshed periodically," Li said. "But with both MRAM and fRAM, if you shut down your computer while you are watching a video, then the video would pop back up on the screen immediately as soon as you powered the computer back on again. No restart of the window in your personal computer would be necessary."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Katrina Voss.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Y. W. Yin, J. D. Burton, Y-M. Kim, A. Y. Borisevich, S. J. Pennycook, S. M. Yang, T. W. Noh, A. Gruverman, X. G. Li, E. Y. Tsymbal, Qi Li. Enhanced tunnelling electroresistance effect due to a ferroelectrically induced phase transition at a magnetic complex oxide interface. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3564

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/y6DP6h-chS4/130219091012.htm

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Safety Council: Traffic deaths surged in 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Traffic fatalities rose 5 percent last year, according to an analysis of preliminary state data, reversing a seven-year decline in which the number of annual traffic deaths reached their lowest level in more than six decades.

An estimated 36,200 people died motor vehicle accidents in 2012, the National Safety Council said Tuesday. That's up from 34,600 deaths the previous year. It's the first increase since 2004 to 2005.

Crash injuries requiring medical care also rose 5 percent last year to 3.9 million, the council said. The estimates are based on monthly fatality data the council receives from every state and the District of Columbia.

The council and other safety advocates attributed the increase in part to more driving due to an improved economy and a mild winter last year.

While that may explain some of the increase, the rate of deaths also increased 4 percent to 1.23 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The estimated annual population death rate was 11.49 deaths per 100,000 people, also an increase of 4 percent.

One explanation is that not only are people driving more as the economy improves, but they're also driving differently, said Michael Sivak, a professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

During the economic downturn, people tended to drive slower to conserve gas; there was less driving on rural roads, which are more risky than urban roads, and there were fewer freight shipments and thus fewer heavy trucks on the road, he said.

"Improvements in road safety that are based on economic factors are transient," Sivak said. "We should not be surprised that a part of the recent gain in road safety is beginning to disappear."

Increases in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths ? a reflection of more people walking and biking in urban areas ? may also be a factor, said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices.

Distracted driving is also suspected to be a factor, "but the distraction data is very, very difficult to get," she said.

Cars are safer than ever, with an array of new high-tech safety systems beginning to permeate the new car market. But many of the causes of highway deaths remain unchanged: Drivers not wearing seatbelts, drunk driving, inexperienced teen drivers, unsafe trucks and motorcyclists not wearing helmets, said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

"I don't buy this theory that, 'Oh, we have safer cars, what else can we do?'" Gillan said. "There are many more things we can do. It's not rocket science. We know what the cure is."

The estimated cost of motor vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage in 2012 was $276.6 billion, the council said. The costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs, and property damage.

___

Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

___

Online:

National Safety Council http://www.nsc.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-19-Traffic%20Deaths/id-8cd857378d1546309c65153a56b09d9c

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Baby wash does not damage baby's skin barrier function, study finds

Feb. 15, 2013 ? New research has found washing newborn babies in a specific baby wash is just as safe as using water alone in terms of maintaining healthy skin.

The findings by academics at The University of Manchester, published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, compared Johnson's Baby Top-to-Toe wash against plain bath water on 307 newborn babies over a four week period.

The findings challenge the current advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, that baby wash should be avoided in the first 6-8 weeks after birth.

Newborn skin is different to adult skin. The skin barrier on newborn babies is less mature and likely to be more vulnerable to environmental threats. But the study found no difference in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which indicates the amount of water that escapes from the skin, between newborns bathed in water alone or with the wash product. Skin hydration increased in the wash product group compared to water alone when a babies' hydration at two weeks was analysed.

Project lead Professor Dame Tina Lavender said this offered reassurance that the wash product was not affecting the infant's natural skin barrier integrity.

Professor Lavender, Professor of Midwifery at The University of Manchester, said: "Whilst internationally it has been accepted that appropriate cleansing practices are important, a dearth of good quality clinical trials has led to variations in baby skin care regimens. However, women can now be confident that using this specific baby cleansing product on newborn skin is equivalent to bathing in water alone.

"This trial adds to the existing but limited evidence in the area and provides healthcare professionals with the strongest level of evidence available to date. Therefore we should no longer base our practice on tradition and experience alone. We should share the evidence from this study with parents, so they are able to make their own informed choices." This research follows another recently published study conducted by The University of Manchester in which the use of Johnson's Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes was found to be equivalent to the use of water and cotton wool in terms of skin hydration. Mums taking part in the study also reported nappy rash as being higher in the water and cotton wool group.

The findings from both studies should offer reassurance to parents who choose to use these particular baby cleansing products. "These results should provide healthcare professionals and parents with much needed evidence-based information giving them the option to support the skin care cleansing regime chosen by individual parents for their newborn babies," Professor Lavender added.

Note: The study, funded by Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Johnson?s Baby but carried out under strict, independent scientific protocols, including blind testing and peer review. Over a three year period Professor Dame Tina Lavender led a multidisciplinary health team comprising of a neonatologist, paediatric dermatologist, statisticians and midwives. The trial was conducted with a total of 307 newborns and their mums over a four week period at Liverpool Women?s NHS Foundation Trust who were randomised into two groups: bathing with water alone, and bathing with Johnson?s Baby Top-to-Toe Bath. Mums were advised to bathe their newborn three times a week and not to use any other products on their babies? skin to ensure robust methodology.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Manchester University.

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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/top_health/~3/uJzMK1TQI14/130218201515.htm

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02/18/2013 - Oil Painting Techniques

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