This, unfortunately, really happened. A Southern California woman, unsatisfied with the preparation of her fast food hamburger, decided that the best and most reasonable solution would be to call the police. Thanks Obama.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-weirdest-thing-on-the-internet-tonight-hamburger-9-1443952701Windows XP users will get another 18 months free of worry from security holes in Google’s Chrome browser.
Google says it will support Chrome for Windows XP until at least April 2015, one year after extended Windows XP support from Microsoft is due to end. (Microsoft ended mainstream support for the aging operating system in 2009.)
“We recognize that hundreds of millions of users, including a good chunk of current Chrome users, still rely on XP,” a Google blog post said. “Moreover, many organizations still run dozens or even hundreds of applications on XP and may have trouble migrating.”
The blog post explained that malware often exploits unpatched security bugs in Web browsers to infect computers. By keeping Chrome up to date until 2015, Google can at least prevent browser-based attacks from wreaking havoc while organizations move to newer versions of Windows.
Google also noted that IT pros can use Legacy Browser Support in Chrome for specific Web apps that only work in a different browser such as Internet Explorer. That way, users won’t have to rely on an unpatched browser when accessing other websites.
Microsoft has already stopped supporting Windows XP support in Internet Explorer 9 and later, but continues to deliver security updates for Internet Explorer 8.
Given that Google and other Web services have been dropping support for IE8 and older versions, users might want a browser that’s still getting feature updates instead of just security patches. Windows XP still enjoys a roughly 20 percent market share according to StatCounter, so Google may see an opportunity to lock those users into its browser-based ecosystem.
Getty Images
BBC headquarters in London
LONDON – The BBC's commercial arm has reached a deal with the most-visited U.K. theme park to create a themed area that will feature rides and other offers based on shows and characters of the British public broadcaster's pre-school channel CBeebies.
While financial and creative details weren't disclosed, the Guardian reported that the planned CBeebies Land will include features based on such characters as Postman Pat, as well as Upsy Daisy and Igglepiggle from In The Night Garden.
STORY: BBC Director General Tony Hall Aims to Create a More 'Bespoke' Broadcaster
The themed area will be part of Alton Towers, a theme park and resort in Alton, England operated by Merlin Entertainments. In 2012, it drew 2.4 million visitors, making it the top U.K. theme park. Merlin also operates such U.K. attractions as Madame Tussauds and Legoland.
The deal with BBC Worldwide is expected to lead to the launch of CBeebies Land in the spring. The companies said the themed area will include rides, "immersive play areas," live experiences, character appearances and seasonal events.
"CBeebies Land will be a fun and exciting way for children and adults to immerse themselves in and explore the CBeebies environment and to enjoy their favorite characters," said Marcus Arthur, managing director U.K. at BBC Worldwide.
Joe Godwin, director BBC Children’s, added: "CBeebies has long been the number one TV channel for pre-school children and their families, but we also know that these days they want to be able to have days out and happy memories with their favorite characters in the real world as well.”
E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
Apple is cutting back production of its lower-cost iPhone 5C for the fourth quarter, according to sources close to the two Taiwanese companies that assemble the device. The news gives ammunition to analysts who questioned the company’s pricing strategy for the new addition to the iPhone line.
The colorful, plastic encased iPhone 5C debuted in September along with the high-end iPhone 5S, which costs $100 more and comes with the fastest mass market smartphone chips to date, along with a fingerprint sensor.
STORY: Apple iPhones Go on Sale in China, Posthaste
Apple told its Taiwanese assemblers Pegatron Corp. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. that it would be cutting shipments of the iPhone 5C in the fourth quarter, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
Pegatron, which the Journal says assembles two thirds of Apple’s iPhone 5Cs, was told orders would be cut by less than 20 percent. Hon Hai, which assembles the rest of Apple’s 5Cs, was told its orders would be reduced by a third.
Prior to Apple’s iPhone release event in September, investors had been anticipating, and arguing for, the company to release a lower cost model – with pricetag around $350 --to compete in developing markets, such as China, where the company has been losing market share, because many consumers don’t have the disposable income for its “affordable luxury” class products. The iPhone 5C was the company’s answer to this demand, but analysts were disappointed by the $550-plus price point for the device.
Consumer demand for the gold version of the 5S, however, has outstripped expectations, leading Apple to increase orders for that model.
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ShareContact: Jo Ann M. Eliason
jaeliason@thejns.org
434-982-1209
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
Charlottesville, VA (October 15, 2013). An incentive program to reduce the number of unnecessary diagnostic laboratory tests performed in neurosurgical patients at UC San Francisco (UCSF) was highly successful. Resident trainees in neurosurgery identified five frequently scheduled laboratory tests that rarely yield information that would change patient care. A new set of guidelines was developed to determine when these tests should be performed. The result was a 47% reduction in the number of targeted tests, which was attended by cost savings of $1.7 million in one year. Details on this program are discussed in "Targeted reduction in neurosurgical laboratory utilization: resident-led effort at a single academic institution. Clinical article," by Seunggu J. Han, M.D., Rajiv Saigal, M.D., Ph.D., John D. Rolston, M.D., Ph.D., Jason S. Cheng, M.D., Catherine Y. Lau, M.D., Rita I. Mistry, M.P.H., Michael W. McDermott, M.D., and Mitchel S. Berger, M.D., published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Given the ever-increasing costs of medical care, many health care institutions are seeking ways to keep costs down while maximizing patient care. Staff physicians are expected to aid in this goal, and residents are now called on to participate as part of their training. Dr. Han and colleagues tell us that at UCSF, the medical center and the office of graduate medical education leadership joined forces to produce a program-specific quality improvement program in 2008. Each fiscal year, small financial incentives are offered to residents to encourage them to identify areas in which quality of care in their specialty can be improved and to implement actions toward this goal.
According to the authors, in fiscal year (FY) 2011-2012, the 18 residents in the Department of Neurological Surgery identified five diagnostic laboratory tests that they deemed usually unnecessary. Although frequently performed in critical care patients, tests for serum levels of total calcium, ionized calcium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorus are unlikely to reveal abnormal findings in neurosurgical patients, and the findings that do appear usually don't lead to a change in treatment plans in these patients.
With input from UCSF neurosurgeons and hospital internists, the residents developed a new set of guidelines specifying when these tests should be ordered. The residents proposed that use of the five tests could be reduced by half and were offered a small financial incentive ($400 per resident) if they could achieve that goal.
The authors recount that in FY 2010-2011, one year before the project, the total number of tests for serum total calcium, ionized calcium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorus was 45,023 in the neurosurgical service. During FY 2011-2012, this number was reduced 47% to 23,660. Costs of these tests to health care payers and the institution also dropped substantially: there was a $1.7 million reduction in billable charges to health care payers (patients, insurance companies, Medicare/Medicaid) and a $75,000 decrease in direct costs to the medical center (for supplies used in performing the tests).
During the year of the project, quality metrics were carefully monitored to ensure that the quality of care delivered to neurosurgical patients was not compromised by the reduction in tests ordered. These quality metrics included a review of inpatient admissions, average length of stay in the hospital and time spent in the intensive care unit, the 30-day readmission rate, and other patient-related statistics. There was no indication that the reduced number of tests and consequent costs savings had a negative impact on patient care.
In describing the quality improvement program at UCSF, the authors state, "During the 4 years of the program, the medical center has been able to achieve its highest rankings in patient satisfaction, decrease the use of unnecessary laboratory tests, and improve the rates of hand washing and vaccination."
The authors discuss other studies that have shown the success of financial incentives in engaging physicians and residents in quality improvement efforts, particularly when the incentives are combined with an educational component. In the project described in this study, that component consisted of new guidelines on when to order the targeted tests as well as monthly feedback and reminders on how many tests were ordered.
The neurosurgical residents didn't quite make their proposed quota -- a 50% reduction in the number of targeted tests -- and thus they did not receive their financial reward of $400 each. Nevertheless, their accomplishment benefited patients, health care payers, and the hospital.
When asked about the importance of this paper, the authors replied, "We've shown that engaging residents can have a dramatic impact on the value of care being delivered at academic medical centers. In many ways the larger benefit of our experience is in the training program's perspective, as the trainees are now graduating with skills in quality improvement and practice-based learning through a system-based practice approach."
###
Han SJ, Saigal R, Rolston, JD, Cheng JS, Lau CY, Mistry RI, McDermott MW, Berger MS: Targeted reduction in neurosurgical laboratory utilization: resident-led effort at a single academic institution. Clinical article, Journal of Neurosurgery, published online, ahead of print, October 15, 2013; DOI: 10.3171/2013.8.JNS13512.
Disclosure: The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper. Dr. McDermott shared a patent with Integra for the medical device LimiTorr. The patent is now owned by UCSF, and Integra manufactures the device.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Jo Ann M. Eliason, Communications Manager
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
One Morton Drive, Suite 200
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Email: jaeliason@thejns.org
Telephone 434-982-1209
Fax 434-924-2702
For 69 years, the Journal of Neurosurgery has been recognized by neurosurgeons and other medical specialists the world over for its authoritative clinical articles, cutting-edge laboratory research papers, renowned case reports, expert technical notes, and more. Each article is rigorously peer reviewed. The Journal of Neurosurgery is published monthly by the JNS Publishing Group, the scholarly journal division of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Other peer-reviewed journals published by the JNS Publishing Group each month include Neurosurgical Focus, the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. All four journals can be accessed at http://www.thejns.org.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,300 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit http://www.AANS.org.
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.
ShareContact: Jo Ann M. Eliason
jaeliason@thejns.org
434-982-1209
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
Charlottesville, VA (October 15, 2013). An incentive program to reduce the number of unnecessary diagnostic laboratory tests performed in neurosurgical patients at UC San Francisco (UCSF) was highly successful. Resident trainees in neurosurgery identified five frequently scheduled laboratory tests that rarely yield information that would change patient care. A new set of guidelines was developed to determine when these tests should be performed. The result was a 47% reduction in the number of targeted tests, which was attended by cost savings of $1.7 million in one year. Details on this program are discussed in "Targeted reduction in neurosurgical laboratory utilization: resident-led effort at a single academic institution. Clinical article," by Seunggu J. Han, M.D., Rajiv Saigal, M.D., Ph.D., John D. Rolston, M.D., Ph.D., Jason S. Cheng, M.D., Catherine Y. Lau, M.D., Rita I. Mistry, M.P.H., Michael W. McDermott, M.D., and Mitchel S. Berger, M.D., published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Given the ever-increasing costs of medical care, many health care institutions are seeking ways to keep costs down while maximizing patient care. Staff physicians are expected to aid in this goal, and residents are now called on to participate as part of their training. Dr. Han and colleagues tell us that at UCSF, the medical center and the office of graduate medical education leadership joined forces to produce a program-specific quality improvement program in 2008. Each fiscal year, small financial incentives are offered to residents to encourage them to identify areas in which quality of care in their specialty can be improved and to implement actions toward this goal.
According to the authors, in fiscal year (FY) 2011-2012, the 18 residents in the Department of Neurological Surgery identified five diagnostic laboratory tests that they deemed usually unnecessary. Although frequently performed in critical care patients, tests for serum levels of total calcium, ionized calcium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorus are unlikely to reveal abnormal findings in neurosurgical patients, and the findings that do appear usually don't lead to a change in treatment plans in these patients.
With input from UCSF neurosurgeons and hospital internists, the residents developed a new set of guidelines specifying when these tests should be ordered. The residents proposed that use of the five tests could be reduced by half and were offered a small financial incentive ($400 per resident) if they could achieve that goal.
The authors recount that in FY 2010-2011, one year before the project, the total number of tests for serum total calcium, ionized calcium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorus was 45,023 in the neurosurgical service. During FY 2011-2012, this number was reduced 47% to 23,660. Costs of these tests to health care payers and the institution also dropped substantially: there was a $1.7 million reduction in billable charges to health care payers (patients, insurance companies, Medicare/Medicaid) and a $75,000 decrease in direct costs to the medical center (for supplies used in performing the tests).
During the year of the project, quality metrics were carefully monitored to ensure that the quality of care delivered to neurosurgical patients was not compromised by the reduction in tests ordered. These quality metrics included a review of inpatient admissions, average length of stay in the hospital and time spent in the intensive care unit, the 30-day readmission rate, and other patient-related statistics. There was no indication that the reduced number of tests and consequent costs savings had a negative impact on patient care.
In describing the quality improvement program at UCSF, the authors state, "During the 4 years of the program, the medical center has been able to achieve its highest rankings in patient satisfaction, decrease the use of unnecessary laboratory tests, and improve the rates of hand washing and vaccination."
The authors discuss other studies that have shown the success of financial incentives in engaging physicians and residents in quality improvement efforts, particularly when the incentives are combined with an educational component. In the project described in this study, that component consisted of new guidelines on when to order the targeted tests as well as monthly feedback and reminders on how many tests were ordered.
The neurosurgical residents didn't quite make their proposed quota -- a 50% reduction in the number of targeted tests -- and thus they did not receive their financial reward of $400 each. Nevertheless, their accomplishment benefited patients, health care payers, and the hospital.
When asked about the importance of this paper, the authors replied, "We've shown that engaging residents can have a dramatic impact on the value of care being delivered at academic medical centers. In many ways the larger benefit of our experience is in the training program's perspective, as the trainees are now graduating with skills in quality improvement and practice-based learning through a system-based practice approach."
###
Han SJ, Saigal R, Rolston, JD, Cheng JS, Lau CY, Mistry RI, McDermott MW, Berger MS: Targeted reduction in neurosurgical laboratory utilization: resident-led effort at a single academic institution. Clinical article, Journal of Neurosurgery, published online, ahead of print, October 15, 2013; DOI: 10.3171/2013.8.JNS13512.
Disclosure: The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper. Dr. McDermott shared a patent with Integra for the medical device LimiTorr. The patent is now owned by UCSF, and Integra manufactures the device.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Jo Ann M. Eliason, Communications Manager
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
One Morton Drive, Suite 200
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Email: jaeliason@thejns.org
Telephone 434-982-1209
Fax 434-924-2702
For 69 years, the Journal of Neurosurgery has been recognized by neurosurgeons and other medical specialists the world over for its authoritative clinical articles, cutting-edge laboratory research papers, renowned case reports, expert technical notes, and more. Each article is rigorously peer reviewed. The Journal of Neurosurgery is published monthly by the JNS Publishing Group, the scholarly journal division of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Other peer-reviewed journals published by the JNS Publishing Group each month include Neurosurgical Focus, the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. All four journals can be accessed at http://www.thejns.org.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,300 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit http://www.AANS.org.
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.
There have been a lot of headlines during the government shutdown suggesting that that our food supplies may be at risk as agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have furloughed workers. But food suppliers and processors increasingly rely on a large network of private companies to make sure food is safe.
ShareContact: Sasha Gruber
sgruber@popcouncil.org
212-339-0668
Population Council
BOSTON (15 October 2013) Today, the Population Council presented findings from a Phase 3 clinical trial that was designed to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR). The results were presented during an oral session at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
The study presented today (Study 300B) is part of an extensive clinical trial package that will be submitted as part of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The application will include two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials conducted with more than 2,000 women across 27 study sites worldwide. Study 300B evaluated the contraceptive efficacy, safety, and acceptability of the CVR, and Study CCN006/300A evaluated efficacy and safety. The studies were conducted in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); the World Health Organization (WHO); and the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contraceptive Discovery and Development Branch.
Study 300B was a multicenter, open-label trial that involved more than 1,100 healthy, normally ovulating women across 12 study sites in Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Preliminary results suggested that the CVRa type of long-acting, reversible contraceptive (LARC)is as effective as other combined hormonal contraceptives in preventing pregnancy when used as directed. Preliminary results also suggested that the safety profile is consistent with that of available combined hormonal contraceptives.
In addition to evaluating contraceptive efficacy and safety, Study 300B assessed women's acceptance of the CVR. The study found that women were highly satisfied with the ring, found it easy to use, and indicated that they would recommend it to other women. The ring was also well-accepted by their partners.
"These results add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring," said Ruth Merkatz, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Development for the Population Council's Reproductive Health Program. "If approved by regulatory authorities, the ring will offer a unique contraceptive option: a contraceptive that is effective for one full year, is under the woman's control, and does not require insertion by a health care professional."
Because the ring is effective for 13 consecutive cycles (one year) and is intended to not require refrigeration, it may be an attractive option for women in developing countries who lack convenient access to a health care facility or pharmacy, and in areas where access to reliable electricity is a challenge. Significant barriers prevent many women in developing countries from accessing a full range of contraceptive methods to meet their individual needs. These barriers may include a lack of trained providers, supply shortages, storage and electricity limitations, resistance from families or communities, and misconceptions about side effects.
"Our mission is to develop and help expand access to contraceptive technologies where high-quality, voluntary family planning services are scarce or nonexistent," said Peter Donaldson, President, Population Council. "The Council's one-year contraceptive vaginal ring is a promising new technology. We look forward to furthering its development to meet the needs of underserved women."
###
About the Population Council's One Year Contraceptive Vaginal Ring
The Council developed the Nestorone and ethinyl estradiol CVR, a one-year investigational contraceptive that delivers synthetic hormones and can provide a number of advantages compared with other methods of hormonal contraception. The ring contains ethinyl estradiol, an approved, marketed hormonal product, and Nestorone, an investigational new chemical entity.
The CVR is soft, flexible, and easily inserted into the vagina by the woman herself. It will not require insertion by a health care provider. Once in place, the CVR is designed to prevent ovulation by continuously releasing a low dose of hormones through the vaginal walls and into the bloodstream. It is left in place for 21 days and removed for seven days, for up to 13 cycles (one year).
About Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs)
More than 200 million women in the developing world want to prevent pregnancy but are not using modern forms of contraception. Highly effective LARCs are often out of reach for women in developing countries. While several methods have been developed for short- and long-term protection against pregnancy, each woman's needs are different and may change over the course of her lifetime.
The need for LARCs will continue to grow, and it is estimated that approximately 57 million women will be seeking LARCs by 2020. Research on policies and programs has demonstrated that the use of LARCs increases when women and health systems are provided with greater method choice. The success of these programs provides evidence for the continued expansion of such efforts.
If access to LARCs, such as intrauterine contraception (IUSs or IUDs), implants, and, in the future, longer-acting CVRs and injectables were increased, unintended pregnancies could be significantly reduced and women's health significantly improved. Meeting contraceptive needs would help increase women's economic empowerment and opportunities, their contributions to their families' well-being, and economic growth.
About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issuesfrom stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees.
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.
ShareContact: Sasha Gruber
sgruber@popcouncil.org
212-339-0668
Population Council
BOSTON (15 October 2013) Today, the Population Council presented findings from a Phase 3 clinical trial that was designed to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR). The results were presented during an oral session at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
The study presented today (Study 300B) is part of an extensive clinical trial package that will be submitted as part of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The application will include two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials conducted with more than 2,000 women across 27 study sites worldwide. Study 300B evaluated the contraceptive efficacy, safety, and acceptability of the CVR, and Study CCN006/300A evaluated efficacy and safety. The studies were conducted in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); the World Health Organization (WHO); and the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contraceptive Discovery and Development Branch.
Study 300B was a multicenter, open-label trial that involved more than 1,100 healthy, normally ovulating women across 12 study sites in Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Preliminary results suggested that the CVRa type of long-acting, reversible contraceptive (LARC)is as effective as other combined hormonal contraceptives in preventing pregnancy when used as directed. Preliminary results also suggested that the safety profile is consistent with that of available combined hormonal contraceptives.
In addition to evaluating contraceptive efficacy and safety, Study 300B assessed women's acceptance of the CVR. The study found that women were highly satisfied with the ring, found it easy to use, and indicated that they would recommend it to other women. The ring was also well-accepted by their partners.
"These results add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring," said Ruth Merkatz, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Development for the Population Council's Reproductive Health Program. "If approved by regulatory authorities, the ring will offer a unique contraceptive option: a contraceptive that is effective for one full year, is under the woman's control, and does not require insertion by a health care professional."
Because the ring is effective for 13 consecutive cycles (one year) and is intended to not require refrigeration, it may be an attractive option for women in developing countries who lack convenient access to a health care facility or pharmacy, and in areas where access to reliable electricity is a challenge. Significant barriers prevent many women in developing countries from accessing a full range of contraceptive methods to meet their individual needs. These barriers may include a lack of trained providers, supply shortages, storage and electricity limitations, resistance from families or communities, and misconceptions about side effects.
"Our mission is to develop and help expand access to contraceptive technologies where high-quality, voluntary family planning services are scarce or nonexistent," said Peter Donaldson, President, Population Council. "The Council's one-year contraceptive vaginal ring is a promising new technology. We look forward to furthering its development to meet the needs of underserved women."
###
About the Population Council's One Year Contraceptive Vaginal Ring
The Council developed the Nestorone and ethinyl estradiol CVR, a one-year investigational contraceptive that delivers synthetic hormones and can provide a number of advantages compared with other methods of hormonal contraception. The ring contains ethinyl estradiol, an approved, marketed hormonal product, and Nestorone, an investigational new chemical entity.
The CVR is soft, flexible, and easily inserted into the vagina by the woman herself. It will not require insertion by a health care provider. Once in place, the CVR is designed to prevent ovulation by continuously releasing a low dose of hormones through the vaginal walls and into the bloodstream. It is left in place for 21 days and removed for seven days, for up to 13 cycles (one year).
About Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs)
More than 200 million women in the developing world want to prevent pregnancy but are not using modern forms of contraception. Highly effective LARCs are often out of reach for women in developing countries. While several methods have been developed for short- and long-term protection against pregnancy, each woman's needs are different and may change over the course of her lifetime.
The need for LARCs will continue to grow, and it is estimated that approximately 57 million women will be seeking LARCs by 2020. Research on policies and programs has demonstrated that the use of LARCs increases when women and health systems are provided with greater method choice. The success of these programs provides evidence for the continued expansion of such efforts.
If access to LARCs, such as intrauterine contraception (IUSs or IUDs), implants, and, in the future, longer-acting CVRs and injectables were increased, unintended pregnancies could be significantly reduced and women's health significantly improved. Meeting contraceptive needs would help increase women's economic empowerment and opportunities, their contributions to their families' well-being, and economic growth.
About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issuesfrom stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees.
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.
ShareContact: Jasper Knight
Jasper.Knight@wits.ac.za
27-117-176-508
University of the Witwatersrand
Lightning strikes causing rocks to explode have for the first time been shown to play a huge role in shaping mountain landscapes in southern Africa, debunking previous assumptions that angular rock formations were necessarily caused by cold temperatures, and proving that mountains are a lot less stable than we think.
In a world where mountains are crucial to food security and water supply, this has vast implications, especially in the context of climate change.
Professors Jasper Knight and Stefan Grab from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits University used a compass to prove for the first time ever that lightning is responsible for some of the angular rock formations in the Drakensburg.
"A compass needle always points to magnetic north. But when you pass a compass over a land's surface, if the minerals in the rock have a strong enough magnetic field, the compass will read the magnetic field of the rock, which corresponds to when it was formed. In the Drakensburg, there are a lot of basalt rocks which contain a lot of magnetic minerals, so they've got a very strong magnetic signal," says Knight.
If you pass a compass over an area where a lightning strike occurred, the needle will suddenly swing through 360 degrees.
"The energy of the lightning hitting the land's surface can, for a short time, partially melt the rock and when the rock cools down again, it takes on the magnetic imprint of today's magnetic field, not the magnetic field of millions of years ago when the rock was originally formed," says Knight.
Because of the movement of continents, magnetic north for the newly formed rock will be different from that of the older rock around it. "You have two superimposed geomagnetic signatures. It's a very useful indicator for identifying the precise location of where the lightning struck."
Knight and Grab mapped out the distribution of lightning strikes in the Drakensburg and discovered that lightning significantly controls the evolution of the mountain landscapes because it helps to shape the summit areas the highest areas with this blasting effect.
Previously, angular debris was assumed to have been created by changes typical of cold, periglacial environments, such as fracturing due to frost. Water enters cracks in rocks and when it freezes, it expands, causing the rocks to split apart.
Knight and Grab are challenging centuries old assumptions about what causes mountains to change shape. "Many people have considered mountains to be pretty passive agents, just sitting there to be affected by cold climates over these long periods of time.
"This evidence suggests that that is completely wrong. African mountain landscapes sometimes evolve very quickly and very dramatically over short periods of time. These are actually very sensitive environments and we need to know more about them."
It is also useful to try and quantify how much debris is moved by these blasts which can cause boulders weighing several tonnes to move tens of metres.
"We can identify where the angular, broken up material has come from, trace it back to source, and determine the direction and extent to which the debris has been blasted on either side. Of course we know from the South African Weather Service how many strikes hit the land's surface, so we can estimate how much volume is moved per square kilometre per year on average," says Knight.
The stability of the land's surface has important implications for the people living in the valleys below the mountain. "If we have lots of debris being generated it's going to flow down slope and this is associated with hazards such as landslides," said Knight.
Mountains are also inextricably linked to food security and water supply. In Lesotho, a country crucial to South Africa's water supply, food shortages are leading to overgrazing, exposing the rock surface and making mountain landscapes even more vulnerable to weathering by lightning and other processes.
Knight hopes that this new research will help to put in place monitoring and mitigation to try and counteract some of the effects. "The more we increase our understanding, the more we are able to do something about it."
###
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.
ShareContact: Jasper Knight
Jasper.Knight@wits.ac.za
27-117-176-508
University of the Witwatersrand
Lightning strikes causing rocks to explode have for the first time been shown to play a huge role in shaping mountain landscapes in southern Africa, debunking previous assumptions that angular rock formations were necessarily caused by cold temperatures, and proving that mountains are a lot less stable than we think.
In a world where mountains are crucial to food security and water supply, this has vast implications, especially in the context of climate change.
Professors Jasper Knight and Stefan Grab from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits University used a compass to prove for the first time ever that lightning is responsible for some of the angular rock formations in the Drakensburg.
"A compass needle always points to magnetic north. But when you pass a compass over a land's surface, if the minerals in the rock have a strong enough magnetic field, the compass will read the magnetic field of the rock, which corresponds to when it was formed. In the Drakensburg, there are a lot of basalt rocks which contain a lot of magnetic minerals, so they've got a very strong magnetic signal," says Knight.
If you pass a compass over an area where a lightning strike occurred, the needle will suddenly swing through 360 degrees.
"The energy of the lightning hitting the land's surface can, for a short time, partially melt the rock and when the rock cools down again, it takes on the magnetic imprint of today's magnetic field, not the magnetic field of millions of years ago when the rock was originally formed," says Knight.
Because of the movement of continents, magnetic north for the newly formed rock will be different from that of the older rock around it. "You have two superimposed geomagnetic signatures. It's a very useful indicator for identifying the precise location of where the lightning struck."
Knight and Grab mapped out the distribution of lightning strikes in the Drakensburg and discovered that lightning significantly controls the evolution of the mountain landscapes because it helps to shape the summit areas the highest areas with this blasting effect.
Previously, angular debris was assumed to have been created by changes typical of cold, periglacial environments, such as fracturing due to frost. Water enters cracks in rocks and when it freezes, it expands, causing the rocks to split apart.
Knight and Grab are challenging centuries old assumptions about what causes mountains to change shape. "Many people have considered mountains to be pretty passive agents, just sitting there to be affected by cold climates over these long periods of time.
"This evidence suggests that that is completely wrong. African mountain landscapes sometimes evolve very quickly and very dramatically over short periods of time. These are actually very sensitive environments and we need to know more about them."
It is also useful to try and quantify how much debris is moved by these blasts which can cause boulders weighing several tonnes to move tens of metres.
"We can identify where the angular, broken up material has come from, trace it back to source, and determine the direction and extent to which the debris has been blasted on either side. Of course we know from the South African Weather Service how many strikes hit the land's surface, so we can estimate how much volume is moved per square kilometre per year on average," says Knight.
The stability of the land's surface has important implications for the people living in the valleys below the mountain. "If we have lots of debris being generated it's going to flow down slope and this is associated with hazards such as landslides," said Knight.
Mountains are also inextricably linked to food security and water supply. In Lesotho, a country crucial to South Africa's water supply, food shortages are leading to overgrazing, exposing the rock surface and making mountain landscapes even more vulnerable to weathering by lightning and other processes.
Knight hopes that this new research will help to put in place monitoring and mitigation to try and counteract some of the effects. "The more we increase our understanding, the more we are able to do something about it."
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Wayne Luceroni
Harris Corp. has won a $65 million contract modification to manage data and communications for the U.S. Air Force‘s satellite control network and GPS antennas worldwide.
A Harris-led team will manage incoming and outgoing information exchanges of more than 150 satellites for the Defense Department and oversee antenna and ground system framework maintenance and operations at 10 sites around the world for the network, Harris said Wednesday.
The modification is part of the company’s Network and Space Operations and Maintenance contract with the Air Force Space Command to support the 50th Space Wing.
“”The 50th Space Wing plays a vital role in our nation’s defense by managing a complex system of satellites,” said Wayne Lucernoni, president of Harris IT Services.
Based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., the wing is responsible for managing the Defense Department’s satellites.
In a sign of just how fevered -- and far-ranging -- the search for new scripted series has become, Fox has just inked a deal to acquire re-versioning rights to a drama from Turkey, the latest territory to make its mark on the international TV scene. The deal came to light on the Croisette on the last morning of the four-day Mipcom TV market in Cannes.
The End will be the first Turkish drama series to hit American screens in a deal between Sander Moses Productions and Fox with 20th TV producing. Eccho Rights represents the hit scripted format.
PHOTOS: MIPCOM: THR, A+E Networks Host Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch
Lined up to work on the show are Peter Horton as director and executive producer, and Michael Cooney as writer.
Fredrik af Malmborg, managing director at Eccho Rights, said that "the success of the ready made and now the way the scripted format is traveling testifies to the great ideas and inventiveness of the script."
Eccho Rights recently sold the Turkish drama as a format to Russia as well as licensing The End as a ready-made to over 40 countries including SVT in Sweden.
This last deal led to the first-ever subtitled Turkish drama to air on Western European screens.
The End comes from Turkish drama producer Ay Yapim and tells the story of a happy couple living in Istanbul. When the plane the husband is traveling on crashes, the wife is sent into a spiral of grief that stops when she finds out he never boarded the plane. She then has to find her way through a web of lies to find her husband.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A bomb planted inside a mosque killed the governor of Afghanistan's eastern Logar province as he was delivering a speech Tuesday morning to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, officials said.
The explosion at the main mosque in the provincial capital of Puli Alam killed Governor Arsallah Jamal and wounded 15 people — five of them critically, said the governor's spokesman, Din Mohammad Darwesh.
Jamal, 47, was a close confidant of President Hamid Karzai and served as his campaign manager during the 2009 presidential elections. He also served as governor of eastern Khost province until he was appointed to his current post in Logar in April.
A high-profile target, he had survived a number of assassination attempts in the past, including with suicide bombings.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the Taliban have been targeting Afghan officials, military and NATO troops as part of their campaign to retake territory as international troops draw down ahead of a full pullout at the end of 2014.
Tuesday's explosion took place as Jamal was speaking inside the mosque to worshippers gathered for one of Islam's holiest days, said Logar's deputy police chief, Rais Khan Abbul Rahimzai.
The bomb was apparently planted inside the microphone in the front part of the mosque, said two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Jamal was recently in the spotlight following his revelation that a senior commander of the Pakistani Taliban was taken into custody by American forces in Logar province on Oct. 5.
U.S. officials confirmed that Latif Mehsud, a leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, was captured by U.S. forces in a military operation.
At the time, Jamal told The Associated Press that Mehsud was captured as he was driving along a main highway in Mohammad Agha district. The road links the province with the Afghan capital, Kabul.
For more than a decade, Threadless has been the place to go to get interesting T-shirts and other apparel, all of which have been submitted and vetted by its own community. Now you'll be able to find and send those designs on greeting cards, thanks to a strategic partnership with a new player in the space called Open Me.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1DHOmIm75Q8/Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=232109103&ft=1&f=1015Nokia seems keen on pushing out as many devices this year as is possible. A new leak from the prolific tipster @evleaks has now shown that the company may be working on a new device titled the Lumia 1320. Intriguingly, the handset comes with the codename “Batman”.
A new report by the Verge has also helped to shed some light on the expected features of the new device. The report states that the Finnish company is planning the device to fit in its current portfolio just above the existing Lumia 625. The Lumia 625 comes with a 4.7-inch display and it can be estimated, according to the source, that Batman may come with a large-screen as well.
The handset is also pegged to be the “top low-end Windows Phone”, but the specifications may match what is seen in the Lumia 625. Nokia might also include a 5-megapixel primary camera as well as a front VGA shooter. While Batman is said to be a low-range device, it looks like the company may be planning to integrate the same with the new Nokia Camera app, which combines the Pro and Smart Cam features of its existing app.
Nokia may be working on a new Lumia device, codenamed '"Batman".
Batman aka the Lumia 1320 is expected to come to markets later in the year, along with devices like the 6-inch Lumia 1520. Nokia launched the Lumia 1020 in India, which will officially be available in India from October 11. There is no word yet on when these new devices will be seen in the country’s market. Earlier reports, though, suggested that Nokia is planning a launch event on October 22, where it may be planning to unveil the company's first phablet.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Suicide attackers blew up a car bomb and battled security forces outside Afghanistan's presidential palace Tuesday after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. The army said the attackers were killed but knew of no other deaths.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that came as reporters were gathering for a news event on Afghan youth at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to talk about ongoing efforts to open peace talks with the militant group.
The palace is in a large fortified area of downtown Kabul that also includes the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters for the NATO-led coalition forces and where access is heavily restricted. It houses Karzai's residence but it was not immediately clear whether the president was in the building at the time and his spokesman did not answer his phone.
Gunfire started around 6:30 a.m. inside a heavily guarded area near the east gate leading to the palace, next to the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the former Ariana Hotel, which former U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed is used by the CIA.
A car bomb then exploded trying to enter the area. About 20 journalists took cover behind a religious shrine, pulling a schoolboy off the street who had been caught in the open on his way to school.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility, saying in a text message the militants had "brought death to the enemy" with a suicide attack. He later suggested in an emailed statement that all three buildings had been targeted, saying the attack came "near the Ariana Hotel, the important CIA base, and also the presidential palace and Ministry of Defense."
Smoke could be seen coming from the area of the hotel, but there was no immediate indication any of the buildings were hit in the attack.
Mujahid claimed the attackers had inflicted "heavy casualties," but Afghanistan's Kabul division army commander Gen. Kadam Shah Shahim said he knew of no deaths among security forces or civilians.
He said his forces killed all of the attackers, three or four men who had jumped out of a car and opened fire.
Police had no immediate comment.
Lt. Col. Frank Hoelzner, a spokesman for the NATO coalition, said he had no immediate information but that the headquarters had not been affected by the attack. The U.S. Embassy was not immediately available for comment.
The Taliban have indicated they are willing to open peace talks with the U.S. and the Afghanistan government and just last week opened an office in Qatar for possible negotiations.
But at the same time they have not renounced violence and attacks have continued across Afghanistan.
_____
Associated Press writers David Rising and Amir Shah contributed to this report
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-attack-presidential-palace-afghanistan-030026459.html
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You thought Seiki's 50-inch 4K TV was affordable? You haven't seen anything yet. The company is releasing a 39-inch 4K set before the end of June for $699, with pre-orders at Sears starting on the 27th. The screen probably won't compete with top-tier rivals, but it's hard to disagree with the price -- we're really looking at a regular 1080p, 120Hz TV that happens to handle 4K, even if few can see the extra detail at this size. And don't worry if you think Seiki should be going larger. The company plans to ship a 65-inch 4K set by the fall, which should cover those who equate large resolutions with large screens.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Seiki
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June 17, 2013 ? Discovery of a mutant gene responsible for a disease is a milestone, but for most conditions, it may be only a first step towards a treatment or cure. Understanding Rett Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is further complicated by the fact that the implicated gene controls a suite of other genes. Two papers, published in today's Nature Neuroscience and Nature, reveal key steps in how mutations in the gene for methyl CpG-binding protein (MECP2) cause the condition. The Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) funded this work with generous support from partners Rett Syndrome Research Trust UK and Rett Syndrome Research & Treatment Foundation.
Rett Syndrome is a single-gene neurological disorder that affects girls. Development slows during the first year of life, then regresses, as toddlers lose speech, mobility, and hand use. Many girls have seizures, orthopedic and severe digestive problems, as well as breathing and other autonomic impairments. Most live into adulthood and require total, round-the-clock care. Rett Syndrome affects about 1 in 10,000 girls born each year.
The papers result from a collaboration between the labs of Adrian Bird, Ph.D., Buchanan Professor of Genetics at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh, and Michael Greenberg, Ph.D., Department Chair and Nathan Marsh Pusey Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.
The Bird and Greenberg labs have been working together since 2011 as members of the MECP2 Consortium along with Gail Mandel, a Howard Hughes Investigator at Oregon Health and Sciences University. The Consortium, launched by RSRT with a $1 million lead gift by RSRT Trustee Tony Schoener and his wife Kathy, fosters novel alliances among leading scientists to interrogate the molecules at the root of the syndrome.
Professor Bird discovered the MeCP2 protein in 1992. In 2007, he showed that affected brain cells in a mouse model of Rett Syndrome can regain function, even in late stages of the disease, suggesting that the disorder is curable. Despite this unexpected breakthrough the function of the Rett protein remains elusive.
In search of the function, the Bird lab set out to identify the key domains of the protein. Mutations found in individuals suffering from Rett led them to their answer. By focusing only on "missense" mutations, which alter a single amino acid, the researchers were able to hone in on two key domains where the mutations aggregated. The first was the well-known methyl binding domain (MBD) which is the site where MeCP2 binds to methylated DNA, thereby modulating the expression of downstream genes. The second key domain is where MeCP2 binds to a molecule called NCoR/SMRT, a large multi-protein machine that shuts down genes. The Bird lab coined this domain the NCoR/SMRT Interaction Domain (NID).
"Further proof of the importance of the MBD and the NID came from mining the genomes of 6503 healthy people. The result was the exact mirror image of the situation seen in Rett. All along the MECP2 gene normal people have non-disease causing alterations, known as polymorphisms. However, no alterations of any kind could be found in the MBD and the NID, indicating that these domains are prized real estate that cannot be tampered with," said Matthew Lyst, postdoctoral researcher and lead author on the Nature Neuroscience paper.
The most frequent Rett mutation in the NID is at amino acid # 306. When the researchers recapitulated the mutation in mice, the animals suffered symptoms similar to girls with Rett. At fault: loss of the interaction between the MeCP2 and NCoR/SMRT proteins and further evidence of the importance of the NID.
"We knew that MeCP2 binds to the genome at methylated sites, but nothing more than that. We now know that its function depends on the ability to bring NCoR/SMRT co-repressors to the DNA," Prof. Bird summed up.
The Nature paper continues the story through another amino acid location, 308, which is very near the 306 mutation in the human version of the gene. Sensory input leads to the addition of a phosphate group at the 308 site and this alters the ability of the MeCP2 protein to interact with the NCoR/SMRT co-repressor, thereby affecting the expression of downstream proteins. The Greenberg lab created mice with a mutation at 308 that are unable to attach a phosphate group. As a result, genes that MeCP2 normally controls are mis-regulated.
"The MeCP2 308 mice have reduced brain weight, motor system abnormalities, and lower seizure thresholds that correspond to the deceleration of head growth, motor system impairments and seizure disorders found in Rett. This suggests that the modification of 308 is critical for the normal function of MeCP2 and its disruption might contribute to Rett," said Daniel Ebert, postdoctoral researcher and lead author on the Nature paper.
Whether the phosphates are added to MeCP2 depends on activity of the neuron. The Greenberg lab has found that in early life, sensory input leads to modification of MeCP2 at multiple sites, including 308. These changes appear to be critical for proper brain development, and their absence in Rett Syndrome may begin to explain what goes wrong in the brains of girls with this devastating disorder.
Each step deciphered in the genetic choreography behind Rett Syndrome is a step towards treatment. "To design an effective small molecule therapy, one needs to understand the underlying mechanisms of how MeCP2 functions and how mutations in MeCP2 lead to disease. Both papers published today make significant progress by providing compelling evidence for dysregulation of the MeCP2-NCoR interaction underlying key aspects of Rett Syndrome," said Prof. Greenberg.
What still isn't known is which genes the co-repressors target. And that will be the next leap in traveling the road from a mutant gene to a little girl who wrings her hands, has seizures and can't talk or walk. Discovering the other molecular events might reveal intersecting or redundant genetic pathways that drug developers can tweak in the search for treatments.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/ohn4IuWHhU8/130617122506.htm
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