What do you get when you ask 10,000 rabid bookworms to help build a better Kobo? The Cadillac of e-readers, naturally: a bigger, beefier and generally higher-end device than we're used to. The Aura HD is a rare thing in this space, built specifically with power users in mind. And for those very reasons, this 6.8-inch, $169 slate isn't long for this world. Announced roughly half a year after the company's flagship Glo (and, it turns out, just in time for Mother's Day), the Aura HD isn't slated to make it beyond the end of the year. "This is something that is designed for this most passionate, voracious reader," the company's CEO Mike Serbinis told us in an interview conducted around the announcement, "and as much as I wish everyone was like that -- it would make us a lot bigger business right away -- that is not the case."
It's a strange move for a relatively small company that's currently offering up two 6-inch readers, a 5-inch model and 7-inch tablet. That, and company is convinced such a product isn't destined to ever become anything but a niche device, particularly in a race dominated by two main players. But is there a chance devoted fans might pay the premium? Let's find out.
Gone, but not forgottenPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott LaFee slafee@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California - San Diego
UC San Diego scientists recall EP, perhaps the world's second-most famous amnesiac
An international team of neuroscientists has described for the first time in exhaustive detail the underlying neurobiology of an amnesiac who suffered from profound memory loss after damage to key portions of his brain.
Writing in this week's Online Early Edition of PNAS, principal investigator Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor in the departments of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) with colleagues at UC Davis and the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain recount the case of EP, a man who suffered radical memory loss and dysfunction following a bout of viral encephalitis.
EP's story is strikingly similar to the more famous case of HM, who also suffered permanent, dramatic memory loss after small portions of his medial temporal lobes were removed by doctors in 1953 to relieve severe epileptic seizures. The surgery was successful, but left HM unable to form new memories or recall people, places or events post-operation.
HM (later identified as Henry Gustav Molaison) was the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and study for the remainder of his life. When he died in 2008 at the age of 82, he was popularized as "the world's most famous amnesiac." His brain was removed and digitally preserved at The Brain Observatory, a UC San Diego-based lab headed by Jacopo Annese, PhD, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology and a co-author of the PNAS paper.
Like Molaison, EP was also something of a scientific celebrity, albeit purposefully anonymous. In 1992, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis. He recovered, but the illness resulted in devastating neurological loss, both physiologically and psychologically.
Not only did he also lose the ability to form new memories, EP suffered a modest impairment in his semantic knowledge the knowledge of things like words and the names of objects. Between 1994, when he moved to San Diego County, and his death 14 years later, EP was a subject of continued study, which included hundreds of different assessments of cognitive function.
"The work was long-term," said Squire, a Career Research Scientist at the VASDHS. "We probably visited his house 200 times. We knew his family." In a 2000 paper, Squire and colleagues described EP as a 6-foot-2, 192-pound affable fellow with a fascination for the computers used in his testing. He was always agreeable and pleasant. "He had a sense of humor," said Squire.
After his death, EP's brain was also processed at The Brain Observatory. The last five years have been spent parsing the data and painting a full picture of what happened to EP and why. Squire said EP's viral encephalitis infection wreaked havoc upon his brain: Large, bilateral, symmetrical lesions were found in the medial temporal lobe, portions of the brain responsible for formation of long-term memory; and whole, crucial structures were eliminated the amygdala and hippocampus among them. Additionally, other brain regions had atrophied and white matter the support fibers that transmit signals between brain structures had become gliotic or scarred.
Though HM is generally considered the "gold standard" of amnesia patients "he was the first case and studied so elegantly," said Squire EP provides new and surprising twists in understanding how memory functions and fails.
For example, HM's declarative memory was almost nil half an hour after lunch, he would have forgotten what he ate or if he had eaten at all but in tests, HM showed some small capacity to learn new things. "His ability to learn was nowhere close to zero," Squire said, "so the thinking was that maybe there were other ways that information was getting in, that there was something special about the capacity for learning facts."
EP undermines that notion. Due to the total destruction of specific memory-linked brain structures, EP was utterly unable to learn anything new. "It really was absolutely zero," said Squire. "That suggests there isn't any special mechanism. HM simply retained some ability because he retained some residual tissue."
Squire noted that the massive scope of EP's brain damage also appeared to trigger secondary consequences. "If a lesion gets large enough, it results in other negative changes due to the loss of connectivity," he said. In EP's case, one result was his impaired semantic knowledge, which wouldn't have been harmed by damage to medial temporal lobes, but was the consequence of subsequent atrophy in adjacent tissues.
Finally, EP presents a continuing, confounding mystery. In most patients with retrograde amnesia, memory loss is limited. They can't remember things within a few months or years of the brain impairment. In EP's case, he suffered amnesia extending back 40 to 50 years, affecting memories that theoretically should have been well-established and consolidated, though he could recall his childhood on a central California farm.
Squire said the effect is likely the result of lateral temporal damage caused as a secondary consequence of the initial disease-related brain damage. For researchers and clinicians, he said, EP is a cautionary and troubling tale.
###
Co-authors are Ricardo Insausti, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis and Laboratory of Human Neuroanatomy, Department of Health Services and Regional Center for Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain and David G. Amaral, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute.
Funding for this research came, in part, from the Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Mental Health (grants 24600 and 84756), NEI grant 18359, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant 16980 and grants TSI-020110-2009-362, BFU 2009-0434 and PR 2010-0434.
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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.
Gone, but not forgottenPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott LaFee slafee@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California - San Diego
UC San Diego scientists recall EP, perhaps the world's second-most famous amnesiac
An international team of neuroscientists has described for the first time in exhaustive detail the underlying neurobiology of an amnesiac who suffered from profound memory loss after damage to key portions of his brain.
Writing in this week's Online Early Edition of PNAS, principal investigator Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor in the departments of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) with colleagues at UC Davis and the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain recount the case of EP, a man who suffered radical memory loss and dysfunction following a bout of viral encephalitis.
EP's story is strikingly similar to the more famous case of HM, who also suffered permanent, dramatic memory loss after small portions of his medial temporal lobes were removed by doctors in 1953 to relieve severe epileptic seizures. The surgery was successful, but left HM unable to form new memories or recall people, places or events post-operation.
HM (later identified as Henry Gustav Molaison) was the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and study for the remainder of his life. When he died in 2008 at the age of 82, he was popularized as "the world's most famous amnesiac." His brain was removed and digitally preserved at The Brain Observatory, a UC San Diego-based lab headed by Jacopo Annese, PhD, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology and a co-author of the PNAS paper.
Like Molaison, EP was also something of a scientific celebrity, albeit purposefully anonymous. In 1992, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis. He recovered, but the illness resulted in devastating neurological loss, both physiologically and psychologically.
Not only did he also lose the ability to form new memories, EP suffered a modest impairment in his semantic knowledge the knowledge of things like words and the names of objects. Between 1994, when he moved to San Diego County, and his death 14 years later, EP was a subject of continued study, which included hundreds of different assessments of cognitive function.
"The work was long-term," said Squire, a Career Research Scientist at the VASDHS. "We probably visited his house 200 times. We knew his family." In a 2000 paper, Squire and colleagues described EP as a 6-foot-2, 192-pound affable fellow with a fascination for the computers used in his testing. He was always agreeable and pleasant. "He had a sense of humor," said Squire.
After his death, EP's brain was also processed at The Brain Observatory. The last five years have been spent parsing the data and painting a full picture of what happened to EP and why. Squire said EP's viral encephalitis infection wreaked havoc upon his brain: Large, bilateral, symmetrical lesions were found in the medial temporal lobe, portions of the brain responsible for formation of long-term memory; and whole, crucial structures were eliminated the amygdala and hippocampus among them. Additionally, other brain regions had atrophied and white matter the support fibers that transmit signals between brain structures had become gliotic or scarred.
Though HM is generally considered the "gold standard" of amnesia patients "he was the first case and studied so elegantly," said Squire EP provides new and surprising twists in understanding how memory functions and fails.
For example, HM's declarative memory was almost nil half an hour after lunch, he would have forgotten what he ate or if he had eaten at all but in tests, HM showed some small capacity to learn new things. "His ability to learn was nowhere close to zero," Squire said, "so the thinking was that maybe there were other ways that information was getting in, that there was something special about the capacity for learning facts."
EP undermines that notion. Due to the total destruction of specific memory-linked brain structures, EP was utterly unable to learn anything new. "It really was absolutely zero," said Squire. "That suggests there isn't any special mechanism. HM simply retained some ability because he retained some residual tissue."
Squire noted that the massive scope of EP's brain damage also appeared to trigger secondary consequences. "If a lesion gets large enough, it results in other negative changes due to the loss of connectivity," he said. In EP's case, one result was his impaired semantic knowledge, which wouldn't have been harmed by damage to medial temporal lobes, but was the consequence of subsequent atrophy in adjacent tissues.
Finally, EP presents a continuing, confounding mystery. In most patients with retrograde amnesia, memory loss is limited. They can't remember things within a few months or years of the brain impairment. In EP's case, he suffered amnesia extending back 40 to 50 years, affecting memories that theoretically should have been well-established and consolidated, though he could recall his childhood on a central California farm.
Squire said the effect is likely the result of lateral temporal damage caused as a secondary consequence of the initial disease-related brain damage. For researchers and clinicians, he said, EP is a cautionary and troubling tale.
###
Co-authors are Ricardo Insausti, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis and Laboratory of Human Neuroanatomy, Department of Health Services and Regional Center for Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain and David G. Amaral, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute.
Funding for this research came, in part, from the Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Mental Health (grants 24600 and 84756), NEI grant 18359, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant 16980 and grants TSI-020110-2009-362, BFU 2009-0434 and PR 2010-0434.
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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.
Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaurPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Brian Murphy brian.murphy@ualberta.ca 780-492-6041 University of Alberta
(Edmonton) University of Alberta led research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur was a complete hunter, able to swoop down and pickup fish as well as its previously known prey of birds and tree dwelling mammals.
U of A paleontology graduate student Scott Persons says new evidence of Microrpator's hunting ability came from fossilized remains in China. "We were very fortunate that this Microraptor was found in volcanic ash and its stomach content of fish was easily identified."
Prior to this, paleontologists believed microraptors which were about the size of a modern day hawk, lived in trees where they preyed exclusively on small birds and mammals about the size of squirrels.
"Now we know that Microraptor operated in varied terrain and had a varied diet," said Persons. "It took advantage of a variety of prey in the wet, forested environment that was China during the early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago."
Further analysis of the fossil revealed that its teeth were adapted to catching slippery, wiggling prey like fish. Dinosaur researchers have established that most meat eaters had teeth with serrations on both sides which like a steak knife helped the predator saw through meat.
But the Microraptor's teeth are serrated on just one side and its teeth are angled forwards.
"Microraptor seems adapted to impale fish on its teeth. With reduced serrations the prey wouldn't tear itself apart while it struggled," said Persons. "Microraptor could simply raise its head back, the fish would slip off the teeth and be swallowed whole, no fuss no muss."
Persons likens the Microraptor's wing configuration to a bi-plane. "It had long feathers on its forearms, hind legs and tail," said Persons. "It was capable of short, controlled flights."
This is the first evidence of a flying raptor, a member of the Dromaeosaur family of dinosaurs to successfully prey on fish.
###
The research was published April 22 in the journal Evolution. For artwork and photographs associated with this research please contact Brian Murphy.
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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.
Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaurPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Brian Murphy brian.murphy@ualberta.ca 780-492-6041 University of Alberta
(Edmonton) University of Alberta led research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur was a complete hunter, able to swoop down and pickup fish as well as its previously known prey of birds and tree dwelling mammals.
U of A paleontology graduate student Scott Persons says new evidence of Microrpator's hunting ability came from fossilized remains in China. "We were very fortunate that this Microraptor was found in volcanic ash and its stomach content of fish was easily identified."
Prior to this, paleontologists believed microraptors which were about the size of a modern day hawk, lived in trees where they preyed exclusively on small birds and mammals about the size of squirrels.
"Now we know that Microraptor operated in varied terrain and had a varied diet," said Persons. "It took advantage of a variety of prey in the wet, forested environment that was China during the early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago."
Further analysis of the fossil revealed that its teeth were adapted to catching slippery, wiggling prey like fish. Dinosaur researchers have established that most meat eaters had teeth with serrations on both sides which like a steak knife helped the predator saw through meat.
But the Microraptor's teeth are serrated on just one side and its teeth are angled forwards.
"Microraptor seems adapted to impale fish on its teeth. With reduced serrations the prey wouldn't tear itself apart while it struggled," said Persons. "Microraptor could simply raise its head back, the fish would slip off the teeth and be swallowed whole, no fuss no muss."
Persons likens the Microraptor's wing configuration to a bi-plane. "It had long feathers on its forearms, hind legs and tail," said Persons. "It was capable of short, controlled flights."
This is the first evidence of a flying raptor, a member of the Dromaeosaur family of dinosaurs to successfully prey on fish.
###
The research was published April 22 in the journal Evolution. For artwork and photographs associated with this research please contact Brian Murphy.
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?
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.
April 22 (Reuters) - Pep Guardiola is not the only connection between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who meet in their Champions League semi-final, first leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Both teams are dominating their leagues to an almost embarrassing extent, have won the Champions League four times apiece, share an acrimonious rivalry with Real Madrid, and owe part of their success to the flamboyant Dutchman Louis van Gaal. Both have also been in two Champions League finals in the last four years, though the Catalans won both of theirs and the Bavarians came out losers on each occasion. ...
Initially, Masdar and JISEA will collaborate in three areas: water-energy nexus, clean energy policy with focus on the Middle East/North Africa region, and energy access in developing countries. The agreement also offers options for expanding the scope of collaboration at a later stage.
A trans-disciplinary global research group focused on the nexus of energy, environment, finance, and society, JISEA is headquartered at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). With five founding institutions rooted in research, JISEA provides capabilities in research and analysis that far outweigh those of a single organization.
"I am very excited about JISEA's affiliation with Masdar Institute," said Douglas Arent, JISEA executive director. "Masdar Institute offers excellent research capabilities and unique regional insights that complement the skills and knowledge of JISEA partners and allow us to offer increased value to our clients interested in energy access and sustainability, particularly in the Middle East/North Africa region."
Dr Fred Moavenzadeh said, "The affiliation agreement with the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis will broaden our reach in international collaboration that will naturally further our capabilities in sustainable research projects. JISEA engages in leading-edge, objective, high-impact research and analysis to guide global energy investment and policy decisions. Its focus on the nexus of energy, finance, and society, are similar to the issues being addressed by us. With the guidance of the UAE's leadership, we will continue to seek partnerships with global organizations to further our research in clean energy and sustainability."
Research forms the core area for Masdar Institute which focuses on three themes for scientific innovation - water, energy and environment; energy systems; and advanced materials. The research-based institution ion Abu Dhabi continues to excel in research success. For 2012, total publications by Masdar Institute so far include papers in 311 peer reviewed journals, 330 conference proceedings, two full books and 37 invention disclosures. One patent is already issued, while 20 active patent applications are pending.
Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar's core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi's knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity's toughest challenges such as climate change.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
JISEA is operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, on behalf of its founding partners. They include the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.
LONDON (AP) ? Tsegaye Kebede claimed a second London Marathon title on Sunday, cheered through the streets by thousands of spectators reassured by enhanced security at the first major race since the twin bombings at the Boston event.
A race that started with a tribute to the Boston victims with a moment of silence ended with a thrilling conclusion under clear blue skies.
With a black ribbon pinned to his chest, Kebede chased down Emmanuel Mutai in the closing stages, and overtook the tiring Kenyan to cross the line first in front of Buckingham Palace.
Kebede clocked 2 hours, 6 minutes and 4 seconds to emulate his 2010 triumph in London, while compatriot Ayele Abshero was third.
"I had a little pain in my side during the early part of the race, but as time went on it got better and better," Kebede said. "I could feel myself getting closer and closer to Mutai and that made me stronger. It was a great day to run the London Marathon and even better to win."
Mutai, who was 29 seconds behind Kebede, blamed hip and thigh problems for conceding the lead.
"(I) could not pick up the pace in the late stages," Mutai said. "Now having said that, I am not disappointed with my time or how I felt during the race."
Kebede's victory in the British capital came after he was denied a shot at glory here at the Olympics last year when he was overlooked by Ethiopian selectors.
The women's race saw Olympic silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo go one better in the annual London race.
The Kenyan cruised over the line in 2:20:15, the fastest time this year, ahead of compatriot Edna Kiplagat, while Yukiko Akaba of Japan was third.
"I knew this morning I was going to run well, but there was such a good field you were worried someone would do better," Jeptoo said. "It wasn't until around 25 miles that I got that confidence back and felt I would win."
It was a miserable day for Olympic champion Tiki Gelana, who finished 16th after seeing her hopes thwarted by a collision about a third of the way in.
The Ethiopian collided with Canadian wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy as she went to get a drink.
"Every year we come to overtake the women, there's 10 chairs going at 20 mph and the poor women are scrambling to find their feet," said Cassidy, who finished 20th. "I have a brand new $2,000 pair of wheels that are damaged, who's going to pay for them? Things have to change."
It was the one blot on a day marked by the defiance of athletes and spectators in the bright London sunshine at the end of a difficult week for the athletics community.
The specter of the bombings near the Boston Marathon finish line, which killed three people and injured more than 180, loomed in London.
"I was surprised so many people on the way cheering us and that shows there was no fear for those people," Jeptoo said.
And it was apt that Tatyana McFadden, who won her first wheelchair race in Boston just before the explosions, shrugged off security concerns in London to mark her 24th birthday with a second title this week.
"Today was about running freely and running for Boston," she said.
"There was never a doubt that I was not going to run, and I was going to run for the people back in Boston ? the people who lost loved ones or who are newly injured."
With around 35,000 runners, London organizers pledged to donate 2 pounds ($3) for every finisher to The One Fund Boston set up to raise money for the bomb victims.
Before the start of the marathon, event commentator Geoff Wightman urged athletes to "remember our friends and colleagues for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness."
Prince Harry mingled with the crowds and said he had never thought about canceling his visit following the bombings.
"It's fantastic, typically British," he said. "People are saying they haven't seen crowds like this for eight years around the route. It's remarkable to see."
CONCORD, N.H. -- Ralph Demicco has watched the surveillance footage of a man shopping around his store, leaning on the counter and calmly chatting with the clerk before buying the gun he used to take his own life later that day. The man was one of three people, who in the span of a week purchased firearms from Demicco's gun shop and used them to commit suicide.
"I was devastated," Demicco recalled. "At the time, I remember saying over and over, `I just can't believe it.'"
A review of the state medical examiner's records showed that recently purchased firearms were being used in suicides roughly once per month in New Hampshire. Since the string of suicides in 2009, Demicco has joined forces with health professionals and gun dealers in a campaign to help gun stores and firing ranges learn ways to avoid selling or renting a firearm to a suicidal person. The campaign, known as The Gun Shop Project, also encourages gun businesses to share suicide prevention materials with customers.
"It's not that gun owners are more likely to be suicidal or depressed. It's that guns are the most lethal way for someone to take their own life," said Elaine Frank, with the New Hampshire Firearm Safety Coalition. Firearm suicides account for more deaths than all other suicide methods combined and 65 percent of all gun deaths in the U.S., according to figures from 2011 provided by gunpolicy.org, an international group working to reduce gun injuries.
Since the project launched two years ago, groups in 15 states have reached out for guidance or have asked to use its informational posters and brochures. Scott Ridgeway, executive director of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, said his group hopes to distribute those materials to the more than 1,000 gun stores in his state by September. A Maryland gun dealer and an Illinois sheriff's department have also expressed interest in the project, though most of the interest has come from suicide prevention groups.
"When you put suicide prevention in firearm safety terms, it makes it something that's already part of these businesses' mission," said Granger Brown, outreach coordinator for the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. "It changes something that could sound like gun control to being about firearm safety."
Project members hope that media attention from their work and the prominence of the national gun debate will help them draw more attention to preventing firearm suicides. They see it as an opportunity for gun makers to be in the spotlight for a positive reason and said they believe if a major gun manufacturer would sponsor their message, suicide prevention could become a standard part of firearm safety training.
"I would love to see the firearm industry take on this issue the same way the alcohol industry has embraced the idea of the designated driver," said Cathy Barber, project member with the Injury Prevention Research Center at Harvard.
One poster for the group shows two men at a kitchen table, one resting his arm on the other's shoulder, their heads bowed. A pistol and magazine sit before them. The poster reads: "Concerned about a family member or friend? Hold on to their guns." It also lists signs of suicidal behavior.
In August 2011, the group mailed their materials to 65 gun shops in New Hampshire. Four months later, the group followed up, dropping by to see if stores were using the materials. Close to half of the shops were.
"The dealers who chose not to participate, I think, in time will see the value in it," Demicco said, adding that they worked hard to make the project's language "nontoxic" to dealers and gun owners for whom suicide remains a controversial topic.
Some who declined to be involved worry that acknowledging the gun industry has a role to play in suicide prevention could be fodder for lawsuits or gun control groups to ague they're not doing enough, Demicco said.
Demicco said his shop has sent people away "madder than hoot owls" when he wouldn't sell them a weapon, but he doesn't recall any formal allegations of discrimination. He said most denials are because a person lacks basic firearm knowledge, but others were denied because something about them gave him or his employees pause. Demicco said his workers were never under any pressure to make sales, but taking on the project has helped his business make better decisions.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
TUNNEL HILL ? The Dalton Parks and Recreation Department hosted a youth track and field meet this past Saturday at Dalton high School, with more than 150 kids participating in 54 events.
Volunteers from area running clubs, Dalton High School and the school?s track and field team helped run the meet, from which the top three finishers ? listed below in order by age group ? in all events qualified for competition at the Georgia Recreation and Park Association?s District 5 Track meet, which is scheduled for today at East Pauld-ing High School.
7-8 girls
? 50-meter dash: Ivory Washington (9.21 seconds); Lexi Kate (9.31); Emma Hefner (9.56).
? 100: Tori Clark; Emma Hefner; Cayla Greenwade (times unavailable).
It’s almost as if there couldn’t possibly be a more dangerous idea for a reality television show: put some washed up celebs on top of the high dive and have them compete. It sounds like great television for the viewer, and a scary time for the celebs. The latest celeb to injure themselves in the reality show ‘Splash’ is Nicole Eggert, who was making headlines for being rushed to treatment. One outlet reported that she “bungled a high-dive and brutally back-flopped into the pool…” Ouch. I guess that’s the more dangerous version of a belly flop. Anyway, the show’s people said that she had a “bad landing,” and is “consulting with a doctor.” In this case, the way people think nowadays, I don’t think an injury on the set would be bad for the show. Heck, I wasn’t really planning on watching until I read this headline. I’m not saying I want people to get hurt, but this makes it a little more compelling. It turns out that she didn’t suffer any serious injuries and was released on the same day. As for whether she will return to the show, it’s unclear. We’ll have to stay tuned for news. Eggert [...]
YAOUNDE (Reuters) - A French family of seven, including four children, have been released in Cameroon following secret talks, France said on Friday, ending two months of captivity in the hands of Nigerian Islamist militants.
The family was snatched on February 19 by armed men on motorcycles while on holiday near the Waza national park in northern Cameroon, around 10 km (six miles) from the Nigerian border.
"I spoke to the father this morning ... He told me how happy and relieved he was," French President Francois Hollande told a news conference in Paris. "This is an immense relief. This will redouble our determination to free the hostages who remain."
Eight French hostages remain held by al Qaeda-linked Islamist militant groups in the Sahel region.
Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, secretary-general of Cameroon's presidency, said on state radio that all family members were alive and well. They were handed over to the Cameroon authorities late on Thursday.
Mostly Muslim northern Cameroon is considered an area within the operational sphere of Islamist militants including Boko Haram, Nigeria's biggest security threat.
Gunmen claiming to be from Boko Haram released videos of the family in March, threatening to kill them unless Nigeria and Cameroon released Muslim militants held in detention.
Cameroon denied it was holding any militants and it was unclear if any of the group's demands had been met.
Hollande said secret talks had been taking place to secure the hostages release for the past few weeks but he denied any ransom had been paid.
"France has not changed its position, which is not to pay ransoms," he said.
The family was in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde where French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was due to meet them, French official said.. They would be repatriated to France as soon as possible.
Tanguy Moulin-Fournier, the father of the family, worked in Cameroon for French utility firm GDF Suez. He was kidnapped with his wife, two daughters and two sons, and his brother, who was visiting them on holiday.
The release of hostages is a rare piece of good news for Hollande's government, which is struggling to cut unemployment and has been hit by a tax fraud scandal forced its budget minister to resign.
Wilson Bentley's meticulously photographed snowflakes (1902).
?Science Photography? can be read two ways:
1. as illustration of scientific subject matter, or
2. as a tool to gather data as part of the scientific process.
What?s the difference? Images can be intended to convey information, or to?collect it. Most science photography, including the majority of images featured in this blog, is of the first sort. Photographs in National Geographic.?Images for textbooks. Portraits of scientists at work. Most of the best scientific images are planned ahead of time to be maximally illustrative.
The downside to these communicative photographs is that the various decisions in planning, framing, lighting, and timing an exposure introduce biases. If images are designed to fit a preexisting narrative, which most are, what of our ability to learn anything useful from a photograph? If, for example, I wish to photograph a scavenging hyena- because, duh, that?s what hyenas do- my photographs will show scavenging hyenas. Viewers would reasonably conclude from the images that hyenas are scavengers. Yet careful research shows that- duh,?hyenas are actually predators. Like lions.
Photography can lie by omission. Science photography is no different.
Photography is not itself scientific unless it plays by the same rules as other types of data collection. As a sampling technique, camera rigs must be designed so as to test the question, rather than arranged to drive a particular conclusion. In many cases, this means camera traps, or random or regular timing of the shutter, or more complete coverage of the area.
I bring this up as a roundabout way to mention a delightful new camera system for photographing snowflakes?in midair. Not just the pretty ones, but a sample of all snowflakes, untouched, as they fall:
University of Utah researchers developed a high-speed camera system that spent the past two winters photographing snowflakes in 3-D as they fell ? and they don?t look much like those perfect-but-rare snowflakes often seen in photos.
?Until our device, there was no good instrument for automatically photographing the shapes and sizes of snowflakes in free-fall,? says Tim Garrett, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences. ?We are photographing these snowflakes completely untouched by any device, as they exist naturally in the air.?
Snowflakes in traditional photographs ?tend to be of a particular type that conveniently lies flat on a microscope slide, where a camera can get them perfectly in focus, and the photographer can take the time to get the light exactly right,? he says.
The lines were long at the James Farley U.S. Post Office in New York as taxpayers wait to mail their taxes Monday.
By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News
Some people can?t stomach the thought of turning hard-earned money over to the federal government. For others, everyday life is just too busy. A handful admit a perverse thrill from waiting until the last minute.
And then there is Janet Metsa of Houghton, Mich., who had perhaps the most creative excuse for waiting until the final hours on April 15 to submit her tax return.
?We are making maple syrup and have been busy tapping trees in our maple bush and boiling the resulting sap. The tax deadline has just sneaked up on us!? she said. ?We are not usually this late.?
Welcome to Tax Day in America ? the Olympics of procrastination, the Super Bowl of stalling, the extreme sport of excuse-making, the high holy day of having something better to do. Festivus for the stressed of us. ?
On Sunday night, with hours to go before the deadline, prime time for kitchen-table calculator-pounding, NBC News put out a call for readers to explain why they waited until the last minute.
We heard from people all over the country. They sent us emails. They tweeted. They posted to Facebook. All hungry to commune with others taking part in our national springtime ritual.
Jon Sweeney
Lyna Woo mails her taxes at the James Farley U.S. Post Office in New York on Monday.
Or maybe they were happy to find an excuse to put off the dirty work.
Emily Fritz of Richmond, Ky., keeps a box in the back seat of her car ? a cute one, she volunteered, adorned with sea creatures and mermaids, better suited for recipe cards or old family photographs.
She works as a private nanny and keeps her tax documents in the box. It?s been sitting undisturbed for two months, she said, because she is dreading watching the numbers on TurboTax zip into the red.
?So instead of a refund, which I could SO use right now, I?m up at 5 in the morning writing this email and further avoiding my taxes because I don?t want to know how many thousands I owe,? she wrote.
An estimated 20 to 25 percent of Americans are chronic procrastinators, said Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University and ? it turns out there is such a thing ? a leading expert on procrastination.
It doesn?t take a doctorate to figure out why: We put off things that we consider ?aversive,? meaning they are boring or complicated or unpleasant, like shuffling through forms with ugly names like Form 941 Schedule B.
The Internal Revenue Service doesn?t keep day-by-day statistics, so there?s no way of knowing with precision how many Americans are April 15ers.
But we know that what they lack in timeliness, they make up for in numbers. Last year, the IRS processed about 148 million returns. With three days to go before the filing deadline, the agency had received only about 109 million of them.
You do the math. But then, that?s the problem, isn?t it?
?I will be one of those rushing to file tonight,? wrote Amanda Scott of Washington. ?It reminds me of the feeling I got when cramming for a test in college. Those days are over, but tax day gives me a slight reminder of what my time in undergrad was like.?
This is a rare subspecies of the tax procrastinator, the people motivated by nostalgia. More common were people like Mike White, who figured he would be more likely to blow the tax refund on something frivolous if he got it early.
It did not appear to be his main reason. About four in five Americans now file taxes online, but White said that he planned to file on paper this year, just to spite the government. He added that Uncle Sam could kiss an unprintable part of his anatomy.
?I would send them a paper 1040 with Braille Roman numerals if I knew how,? he said.
Putting tax preparation off is not a phenomenon restricted to everyday Americans. The Obamas filed their tax return this year with a mere week to spare ? $608,000 in taxable income, $112,000 in federal taxes paid.
The First Filers left themselves slightly more breathing room this year by turning in their return April 8. Last year, they filed April 11. The year before that, April 13.
So this is progress.
The closest thing to a dog-ate-my-homework explanation came from Vanessa Weiss of Hilliard, Ohio, who works as an agent?s assistant in an insurance office. She said she is a habitual tax procrastinator but has a good excuse this time ? a computer virus.
?I?m going to a friend?s tonight to use her computer,? she said.
Then she added: ?It doesn?t help that this year I have to pay.?
Related:
Here's why you still haven't done your taxes
More Americans think Uncle Sam unfair on taxes
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This story was originally published on Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:26 PM EDT
If you prefer your feed reading simple, without too many distractions or bells and whistles, Skimr is a new webapp that organizes all of your feeds into a single column, with or without images. All of your stories are arranged chronologically, with a short snippet before each, so you can quickly skim the headlines.
If you visit Skimr now, you?ll see a number of popular blogs you can try the service out with right now. Click any one of them to see their headlines and a snippet of their articles arranged in Skimr?s easy-to-scroll-through view. You can toggle header images by clicking the image icon at the top of the page (and get a view similar to the one shown here).
Viewing single feeds with Skimr is useful, but it shows its real potential when you sign up for an account. You can build your own Skimr feed using the URLs of your favorite blogs and web sites, or you can browse Skimr?s directory and pick from there (Lifehacker is included!) Alternatively, if you?re coming over from a service like Google Reader, you can import your OPML list of feeds and Skimr will automatically add your subscriptions to your account. From there, you can click ?All Skims? to see all of the stories from your subscribed blogs, or organize them into folders for easy reading.
Skimr isn?t perfect: You only have a top-to-bottom chronological view, no sidebars or quick way to switch folders. This means it?s fine for a handful of subscriptions, but if you start adding dozens of sites, you?ll wind up scrolling forever just to keep up on new posts. Still, the layout makes it easy to quickly skim headlines, and clicking any story takes you directly to the article so you can read more. The service is clean, fast, and completely free.
TOKYO (AP) ? The United States says it's committed to defending Japan and opposes any coercive action by China to seize territory under Japanese control in the East China Sea.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. isn't taking a position in the dispute over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Japan and China have sparred over the uninhabited islands in recent years.
Kerry's strong words of support Sunday for America's ally come just a day after he promised new levels of U.S.-Chinese cooperation on a host of problems, most notably North Korea's nuclear program.
Medical responders run an injured man past the finish line the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Medical responders run an injured man past the finish line the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
In this image from video provided by WBZ TV, spectators and runners run from what was described as twin explosions that shook the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 15, 2013, in Boston. Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/WBZTV) MANDATORY CREDIT
Medical workers aid injured people at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Medical workers aid injured people at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Medical workers wheel the injured across the finish line during the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON (AP) ? Two explosions shattered the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry away the injured while stragglers in the 26.2-mile race were rerouted away from the smoking site.
Competitors and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Bloody spectators were being carried to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners.
"There are a lot of people down," said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.
Neither race officials nor public officials could immediately estimate the number or degree of injuries.
About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another explosion could be heard a few seconds later.
Smoke rose from the blasts, fluttering through the national flags lining the route of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathon. TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.
"There are people who are really, really bloody," said Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, who was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions. "They were pulling them into the medical tent."
Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.
"I was expecting my husband any minute," she said. "I don't know what this building is ... it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don't know what it was. I just ducked."
Runners who had not finished the race were diverted straight down Commonwealth Avenue and into a family meeting area, according to an emergency plan that had been in place.
Sorted, the UK startup that originally soft-launched as a reverse marketplace for local jobs akin to TaskRabbit in the U.S. (or a number of local "clones", such as Sooqini, and TaskPandas), has relaunched today after rejigging its model. Instead of users having to post what is essentially a classified ad for each job they want done, and then wait for a response, the new site turns the user-path on its head by having the task-doers (or "Sorters", of which there are already 12,000 signed up) do the upfront work by creating a detailed and structured profile which forms the basis for matching the task-doers with those searching?for a specific task to be carried out.
FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 file photo, actress, writer and comedienne Rebel Wilson, a cast member in the film "Bachelorette," poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wilson sings, dances and summons laughs _ and that's just in the opening moments of the upcoming MTV Movie Awards, on Sunday, April 14, 2013. The Australian actress is hosting the show, and she's set to start the ceremony by singing solo. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 file photo, actress, writer and comedienne Rebel Wilson, a cast member in the film "Bachelorette," poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wilson sings, dances and summons laughs _ and that's just in the opening moments of the upcoming MTV Movie Awards, on Sunday, April 14, 2013. The Australian actress is hosting the show, and she's set to start the ceremony by singing solo. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) ? Rebel Wilson sings, dances and summons laughs ? and that's just in the opening moments of this weekend's MTV Movie Awards.
The Australian actress is hosting the show, and she's set to start the ceremony by singing solo.
Wilson and her co-stars from "Pitch Perfect" rehearsed a multi-genre opening medley Friday that features Wilson spoofing last year's films and spinning nunchucks.
Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Skylar Astin, along with a troupe of gymnastic dancers, joined the first-time host at Sony Pictures Studios to run through four songs not featured in the film. MTV insists on keeping the titles a surprise until Sunday's show.
When the group finished rehearsing, Wilson thrust her fist toward the sky and shouted, "'Pitch Perfect' two!"
A sequel to the musical comedy has not been announced.
Wilson will be joined at the MTV Movie Awards by presenters such as Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, Seth Rogen and Kerry Washington and performers including Selena Gomez. Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell and Emma Watson will receive special awards at the ceremony, which will be broadcast live Sunday on MTV from 9-11 p.m. EDT.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APSandy.
A Lion Air plane was attempting to land when it overshot the runway in Bali, and fell into the sea from a height of about 160 feet. One passenger said everyone on board was screaming, and thought they would drown. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.
By Marian Smith, Staff Writer, NBC News
A passenger jet skidded off the runway into the ocean while attempting to land on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Saturday, local officials said.
"The aircraft was from Bandung, West Java, and about to land in Bali Ngurah Rai Airport but it probably failed to reach the runway and fell into the sea," Lion Air spokesman Edward Sirait said according to Reuters.
All 108 passengers and crew members survived, the company and the government said according to Reuters. Forty people were treated for broken legs, shock, and other injuries, but only four were admitted to a hospital, according to officials.
The plane stopped in shallow waters at least 650 feet past the end of the runway, Indonesian media reported. Local TV footage showed the plane with slightly ruptured fuselage floating in the water. People in life vests were also visible in the water.
Seven crew members and 101 passengers were aboard the plane, Sirait said.
Multiple pictures of the crippled plane circulated on Twitter.
"There was no sign at all it would fall but then suddenly it dropped into the water," passenger Tantri Widiastuti, 60, told Metro TV. "I saw holes in the floor of the plane ... we were evacuated quickly."?
An investigation is under way, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to the site.
Reuters reported that Lion Air is a popular budget airline in Indonesia, which has a poor airline safety record.
NBC News' Matthew DeLuca and Reuters contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:05 AM EDT
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Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
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