behan weierstrass: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Dr. Douglas Wallace to receive Gruber Foundation 2012 Genetics Prize

Public release date: 29-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Dana Mortensen
mortensen@email.chop.edu
267-426-6067
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

$500,000 award honors pioneering research by scientist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Douglas C. Wallace, Ph.D., director of the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, will receive the 2012 Genetics Prize of The Gruber Foundation. This prestigious international awarda $500,000 prizerecognizes Wallace's pioneering scientific investigations of the wide-ranging role of mitochondria in the development of disease and as markers of human evolution. Mitochondria are the tiny power plants within the cytoplasm of animal and plant cells.

Wallace will receive the award on November 9 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in San Francisco. The Gruber Foundation, now based at Yale University, announced the Genetics Prize on June 28. The Foundation's Genetics Prize annually honors leading scientists for groundbreaking contributions to genetics research.

Philip R. Johnson, MD, chief scientific officer at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, acknowledged Wallace's achievements, saying, "The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute is privileged to number Douglas Wallace among our research leaders. His commitment to the field of mitochondrial genetics and his pioneering nature embody the mission of research at CHOP, and his research and leadership are shaping the way we approach therapies for genetic disorders previously considered beyond treatment."

"Douglas Wallace's contributions to our understanding of mitochondrial genetics have changed the way human and medical geneticists think about the role of mitochondria in human health and disease," said Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, chair of the Selection Advisory Board to the Prize. Blackburn, who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, also received the Gruber Genetics Prize in 2006.

Wallace, who came to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2010 to launch the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, first achieved prominence in the 1970s as the leader of a research team at Stanford University that defined the genetics of mitochondrial DNA. This DNA resides within each mitochondrion, as distinct from the more familiar nuclear DNA inside chromosomes. His group showed that human mitochondrial DNA is inherited exclusively from the mother.

This discovery, coupled with other findings, allowed the researchers to reconstruct ancient human migration patterns over hundreds of millennia, a major contribution that bridges genetics and anthropology. Wallace and colleagues also have linked mutations in mitochondrial DNA to a broad range of human diseases, including types of blindness, deafness, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, neuropsychiatric conditions, and age-related diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

The Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine at Children's Hospital researches mitochondrial dysfunction in many clinical problems, and also focuses on preclinical studies relevant to developing therapies for mitochondrial diseases, for which few effective clinical treatments currently exist.

Wallace holds the Michael and Charles Barnett Endowed Chair in Pediatric Mitochondrial Medicine at Children's Hospital and also is a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's premier organization of leading researchers, as well as the Academy's Institute of Medicine, and is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

###

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

[ | E-mail |

Share ]

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

Dr. Douglas Wallace to receive Gruber Foundation 2012 Genetics Prize

Public release date: 29-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Dana Mortensen
mortensen@email.chop.edu
267-426-6067
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

$500,000 award honors pioneering research by scientist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

###

[ | E-mail |

Share ]

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/chop-ddw062912.php

world financial center shabazz muhammad angela corey zimmerman charged bonobos charles manson actuary

Friday, June 29, 2012

California Homeowner Bill of Rights Takes Key Step to Passage

SACRAMENTO, CA ? June 28, 2012 ? (RealEstateRama) ? Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the passage of two central elements of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights through a special two-house conference committee. The 4 to 1 vote sends the bills to an expected vote next week in both the Assembly and Senate.

The two bills approved by the conference committee are the Foreclosure Reduction Act, which restricts the process of ?dual-tracked? foreclosures and the Due Process Rights Act, which guarantees a reliable contact for struggling homeowners to discuss their loan with and which for the first time imposes civil penalties on the practice of fraudulently signing foreclosure documents without verifying their accuracy, a practice commonly known as ?robo-signing.? The proposed legislation also includes meaningful enforcement for borrowers whose rights are violated.

The full Homeowner Bill of Rights includes additional provisions to reduce blight, ensure appropriate law enforcement response to mortgage fraud and crime, and protect tenants. The bills containing these protections are also advancing through the Legislature.

?I am gratified by this vote, which represents one more step toward our goal of achieving a Homeowner Bill of Rights for California,? said Attorney General Harris. ?The mortgage and foreclosure crisis in our state demands urgent efforts to help Californians keep their homes. The legislature will now have the opportunity to cast a vote on behalf of California?s struggling homeowners.?

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights was introduced February 29, 2012 at a press conference featuring Assembly Speaker John A. Perez and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and bill authors from the Assembly and Senate. The goal of the Homeowner Bill of Rights is to take many of the mortgage reforms extracted from banks in a national mortgage settlement and write them into California law so they could apply to all mortgage-holders in the state.

?The mortgage and foreclosure abuse in California ends here,? said Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), co-chair of the Joint Conference Committee. ?This committee has passed historic legislation that codifies the
protections eligible homeowners deserve, while helping to stabilize the foreclosure crisis that has thwarted California?s economic recovery. The Legislature has studied, listened and engaged Californians and
industry to find a solution that is fair and effective to mitigate this crisis. I look forward to the full support of the Legislature and Governor in implementing this package.?

?This bill is the result of a long and difficult process in which we received input from all interested parties; including homeowners and the banks and found that foreclosures benefit no one,? said Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Alhambra). ?We ended such dubious practices as having a bank foreclose while a homeowner is in the process of modifying a loan and cut through confusion by making sure that there is a ?single point of contact? with mortgage servicers. With half a million California homes at risk of foreclosure, this action was urgently needed.?

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights extends Attorney General Harris? response to the state?s foreclosure and mortgage crisis. Attorney General Harris created a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force in March, 2011 to investigate and prosecute misconduct related to mortgages and foreclosures. In February 2012 Attorney General Harris extracted a commitment from the nation?s five largest banks of an estimated $18 billion for California borrowers.

More details about the California Homeowner Bill of Rights are found on the attached fact sheet. To learn more about how the bills impact California homeowners, review the slideshow at: www.oag.ca.gov.

Contact:
(415) 703-5837

Tagged as: Conference

No related posts.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Amazon Reportedly Readying Launch of 10-Inch, Quad-Core Kindle Fire

Amazon isn't just working on a new Kindle Fire 2, the retail giant is also readying the launch of a 10-inch, quad-core slate.

facebook timeline kim jong il kim jong il vaclav havel vaclav havel kim jong ii dead snapdragon

You Can't Beat the iPad Just by Losing Money [Google]

Click here to read You Can't Beat the iPad Just by Losing Money

The most remarkable thing about Google's Nexus 7 tablet can't be found on its spec sheet. It won't show up in any benchmark, and it has nothing to do with that zippy new operating system. If you want to know the true significance of the Nexus 7, all you need to look at is the price tag. More »

stephen strasburg shabazz legion baby found alive in morgue rockies ashley judd second degree murders

When the word comes down, President Obama is scheduled to be meeting with VP Joe Biden (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

apple store academy barnes and noble nook 12 days of christmas a christmas carol arkansas football player dies anne mccaffrey

Congress honors black World War II Marines

WASHINGTON?? Hundreds of African-American veterans who helped to integrate the Marine Corps during World War II at a time segregation was an everyday reality are now proud recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor.

Nearly 70 years after the Marines of Montford Point became the first African Americans in the Corps, Congress on Wednesday awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal. The Corps was the last branch of the U.S. military to allow blacks to serve.

Originally from Washington, D.C., then-19-year-old Charles Manuel Jr. enrolled with the Marines in 1942 straight out of high school.

Manuel was sent to Montford Point, a North Carolina base that the Corps created to keep African Americans away from bases where other Marines trained. Roughly 20,000 other African- American Marines trained at the base, which operated from 1942 to 1949.

He said that the training at the base was rough, because for many recruits it was their first time experiencing boot training and their instructors were White. "Our drill instructor told us, 'You people want to be Marines, I'm going to make Marines out of you dead or alive.'"

Manuel, now in his late 80's, sat next to his daughter, Rosetta Holloway at the ceremony.

"It was more than overdue," Holloway said. "I'm very excited and pleased for my father, who's really proud of being in the Marines."

William McDowell, who was selected to represent Montford Point, received the medal on behalf of the roughly 400 Montford Point Marines in attendance. "It does sadden me that some of our brothers are not with us today. The upside of it all is that we do remember each and every one of them. They are in our hearts and minds and they should never be forgotten," McDowell said before taking a pause to dry his eyes.

The medal will be on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia. The Marines received bronze replicas.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt banned racially based employment discrimination by all federal agencies in 1941, and a presidential directive allowed African Americans to serve the Marines in 1942.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told the Marines: "You served our country at a time that it took an extra dose of patriotism to do so. Because all of the freedoms that you were fighting for were not afforded to everyone in our country at that time."

Speaker of the House John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also spoke.

"Allowing blacks to serve the Marine Corps was seen as an experiment," Boehner told the crowd. "If it was an experiment, it didn't last any long. Before the end of the war, the Marine commandant at the time said the experiment was over. The men trained at Montford were Marines, period."

atomic clock daylight savings time john mccain game changer selection sunday corned beef recipe time change

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Google modifies Maps, YouTube for Nexus 7 tablet

We've seen Google take Maps indoors, with interior schematics and even photos, but the Nexus 7 tablet brings a new twist to that familiar nav experience with 360-degree venue photos. Engineering Director Chris Yerga demonstrated the new feature within a local San Francisco bar called District, moving the device to show us how the compass and gyroscope work to provide 360-degree views based on your current direction and angle -- it's a pretty slick effect. There's also offline map viewing that expands the Google Labs map caching to include entire cities, which should definitely come in handy for navigating beyond your comfort zone (and mobile coverage area). Naturally, there's also an updated YouTube app, letting you take full advantage of that 7-inch display with video preview grids and HD playback, with a familiar Play store-like interface. Stay tuned for a closer look at these apps and more in our Nexus 7 hands-on.

Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!

Gallery: Google Nexus 7 Software

Google modifies Maps, YouTube for Nexus 7 tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

dickens amber portwood cujo greg kelly karen handel hangout todd haley

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Scientists to reveal Stephen Hawking's 'brain hack'

Ted S. Warren / AP

To produce the words for text or speech, British physicist Stephen Hawking currently uses an infrared sensor mounted on his eyeglasses, visible here during an appearance this month in Seattle. The sensor picks up twitches from his cheek, which are translated into the desired letters or words. Hawking and neuroscientist Philip Low are experimenting with a system that can translate brain waves directly into text and speech.

By Alan Boyle

After months of tweaking, researchers are finally ready to show off a high-tech headband that can translate Stephen Hawking's brain waves into speech?? providing what could eventually become an easier avenue for the paralyzed British physicist and many others to share their deep thoughts.

The system, developed by San Diego-based NeuroVigil and known as iBrain, uses a head-mounted receiver the size of a matchbox to pick up different types of brain waves. iBrain employs a computer algorithm called SPEARS to analyze the brain emanations and encode them for a text-based speech reader. Philip Low, NeuroVigil's founder, chairman and CEO, is to present the latest results from his work with Hawking on July 7 at a Cambridge conference on consciousness.

"I haven't discussed doing a demonstration with Stephen, but we could do that, of course," Low told me today. During the conference, Low will be showing video clips of Hawking using the iBrain to communicate.

For decades, Hawking has been coping with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative nerve disease that has left the theoretical physicist confined to a wheelchair and unable to move even his fingers. To write or speak, he currently uses an infrared sensor system mounted on his eyeglasses: His cheek twitches are read by the sensor to control a wheelchair-mounted computer system that slowly encodes the patterns of those twitches. It can take a half-hour for Hawking to twitch out a couple of sentences in response to a question.

In an abstract prepared for next month's presentation, Low and Hawking describe how they worked out their technique for the iBrain system. Hawking (who is described as a "high-functioning 70-year-old ALS patient" in the abstract) was told to try moving one of his hands or feet ? for example, flexing his foot or scrunching his hand into a ball. The limbs didn't move, of course, but just thinking about trying to move them generated readable brain-wave patterns.

Live Poll

Are brainwave-reading devices super-cool or scary?

186497
Super-cool.
81%
186498
Scary.
13%
186499
Neither of the above.
6%

VoteTotal Votes: 1510

"The subject's brain activity demonstrated distinct broad-spectrum pulses extending to the gamma and ultra-high gamma ranges," the researchers wrote. "Such pulses were present in the absence of actual movement, and absent when the subject was not attempting motion."

The abstract said Hawking's brain also buzzed with alpha brain waves when he closed his eyes, as expected.?Alpha waves are associated with wakeful relaxation, and are probably familiar to anyone who's undergone biofeedback training. Gamma waves, in contrast, are associated with increased attention?? and in the past have been linked to?activities ranging from running to learning.

Lots of possibilities
The fact that Hawking's brain signals could be read reliably is a good sign, not only for one of the world's best-known scientists but for hundreds of thousands of others around the world.?Low and Hawking say their work "opens the possibility to link intended movements to a library of words and convert them into speech, thus providing ALS sufferers with communication tools more dependent on the brain than on the body."

Low told me that the brainwave-reading device could be used to control prosthetic devices "to give ALS sufferers mobility"?? sort of like a real-life version of the Stephen Hawking robotic exoskeleton proposed in an Onion parody 15 years ago.

The iBrain device could have other applications, such as diagnosing sleep apnea, studying autism and monitoring other brain conditions. It's already been used in a clinical trial to monitor the effects of experimental drugs on brain activity. The U.S. military is also looking into how the device can help treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are big issues for combat veterans. Direct brain-to-speech communication, however, represents the highest-profile application, particularly when Stephen Hawking is involved.

"We'd like to find a way to bypass his body, pretty much hack his brain," The Telegraph quoted Low as saying.

The key question for Hawking is whether iBrain represents an improvement over the system he currently has. Back in April, the professor told The New York Times?that the project hadn't quite reached that point. "At the moment I think my cheek switch is faster ... but should the position change I will try Philip Low's system," he wrote in an email sent by an assistant.

In that quote, Low said Hawking was talking about brain-computer interfaces in general, rather than specifically about iBrain. "What we are seeing is in fact an immediate response, so the question is going to be to productize this, so that he can communicate reliably should he lose control of his cheek muscles," he said.

TEDMED via YouTube

Neuroscientist Philip Low (at right) demonstrates how the iBrain device can send brain-wave readings to a cellphone with an subject who's wearing the headband (at left) during a TEDMED 2009 presentation. Click on the image to watch the YouTube clip.

Personal quest
Low said the iBrain project was already moving on to Version 2.0, and the iBrain 3 device is due to be built next year. "That will be about the size of a U.S. quarter," he told me. "People will be able to check their brain activity much like you or I can check our blood pressure."

The 32-year-old, Vienna-born researcher's company has come a long way since its founding, which Low says he initially financed by putting $240,000 on his credit card. Someday, he hopes brain-monitoring systems will be used to pick up the signs of neurological problems early enough to do something about them. For Low, this is not just business. It's personal.

"I would have loved to see this 20 years ago, when my father suffered from a side effect of a commonly used sleep drug," he told me. "He threatened someone with a weapon ... a gun, actually. And it destroyed our family."

His father was eventually pardoned, but it took a long time to put everything back together. That experience led Low to look into the neurological basis of sleep, including experiments with bird brains. That was what led him to come up with the SPEARS algorithm in the first place.

"It's very ironic that an algorithm I initially developed to analyze the brain patterns of birds has found its way to dealing with Stephen Hawking's brain patterns, the U.S. military and autistic children," he told me.?

More about Stephen Hawking:

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

wiz khalifa and amber rose oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday read across america vikings stadium breitbart dead

New wireless transmission tech hits 2.56Tbps, leaves WiFi feeling inadequate

Stoked about the gigabit speeds your new 802.11ac WiFi router is pumping out? One group of scientists hailing from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and universities in the US, Israel and China isn't so impressed, having generated a wireless signal clocking in at 2.56Tbps. Proof of the feat was published in Nature Photonics, which details their use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) to make the magic happen. Current wireless protocols alter the spin angular momentum (SAM) of radio waves to hold info, and by combining both methods the team was able to pack eight data steams into a single signal, resulting in the mouth-watering number noted above. The best part is, applying different levels of OAM twist to SAM-based transmissions theoretically allows an infinite number of streams per signal, meaning seriously increased bandwidth without the need for additional frequency. So far the wireless tests have only been conducted over a measly 1m, but the scientists reckon it'll work at distances up to 1km and that the concept could also be used to boost speeds in existing fiber-optic cables. As with many scientific advances, it's unlikely hardware capable of such speeds will be available any time soon, so 802.11ac will have to suffice... for now.