Monthly Archives: June 2012

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Reveals Ice Content in Shackleton Crater on the Moon

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NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft has returned data that indicate ice may make up as much as 22 percent of the surface material in a crater located on the moon's south pole.

The team of NASA and university scientists using laser light from LRO's laser altimeter examined the floor of Shackleton crater. They found the crater's floor is brighter than those of other nearby craters, which is consistent with the presence of small amounts of ice. This information will help researchers understand crater formation and study other uncharted areas of the moon. The findings are published in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature.

"The brightness measurements have been puzzling us since two summers ago," said Gregory Neumann of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., a co-author on the paper. "While the distribution of brightness was not exactly what we had expected, practically every measurement related to ice and other volatile compounds on the moon is surprising, given the cosmically cold temperatures inside its polar craters."

The spacecraft mapped Shackleton crater with unprecedented detail, using a laser to illuminate the crater's interior and measure its albedo or natural reflectance. The laser light measures to a depth comparable to its wavelength, or about a micron. That represents a millionth of a meter, or less than one ten-thousandth of an inch. The team also used the instrument to map the relief of the crater's terrain based on the time it took for laser light to bounce back from the moon's surface. The longer it took, the lower the terrain's elevation.

In addition to the possible evidence of ice, the group's map of Shackleton revealed a remarkably preserved crater that has remained relatively unscathed since its formation more than three billion years ago. The crater's floor is itself pocked with several small craters, which may have formed as part of the collision that created Shackleton.

The crater, named after the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, is two miles deep and more than 12 miles wide. Like several craters at the moon's south pole, the small tilt of the lunar spin axis means Shackleton crater's interior is permanently dark and therefore extremely cold.

"The crater's interior is extremely rugged," said Maria Zuber, the team's lead investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge in Mass. "It would not be easy to crawl around in there."

While the crater's floor was relatively bright, Zuber and her colleagues observed that its walls were even brighter. The finding was at first puzzling. Scientists had thought that if ice were anywhere in a crater, it would be on the floor, where no direct sunlight penetrates. The upper walls of Shackleton crater are occasionally illuminated, which could evaporate any ice that accumulates. A theory offered by the team to explain the puzzle is that "moonquakes"-- seismic shaking brought on by meteorite impacts or gravitational tides from Earth -- may have caused Shackleton's walls to slough off older, darker soil, revealing newer, brighter soil underneath. Zuber's team's ultra-high-resolution map provides strong evidence for ice on both the crater's floor and walls.

"There may be multiple explanations for the observed brightness throughout the crater," said Zuber. "For example, newer material may be exposed along its walls, while ice may be mixed in with its floor."

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NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Reveals Ice Content in Shackleton Crater on the Moon

NASA revamps, looks to speed high-tech commercialization opportunities

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Looking to address harsh criticism from its own inspector general that has been painfully slow in getting important technologies out of the lab and into commercial applications, NASA today said it has opened a revamped Technology Transfer Portal which aims to streamline the way the space agency handles that business.

IN THE NEWS: What's up with these solar storms?

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Not unlike its efforts of the past, NASA said the new tech portal simplifies and speeds access to the agency's intellectual property portfolio, much of which is available for licensing. The site features a searchable, categorized database of NASA's patents, a module for reaching out to a NASA technology transfer specialist and articles about past successful commercialization of NASA technology. Historical and real-time data for NASA's technology transfer program also are available.

"One of NASA's highest priority goals is to streamline its technology transfer procedures, support additional government-industry collaboration and encourage the commercialization of novel technologies flowing from our federal laboratories," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in a statement. "One way NASA can streamline and increase the rate of aerospace technology transfer is through tools like NASA's Technology Transfer Portal."

Examples of the types of technologies NASA has licensed in the past include devices designed to operate remotely and with limited servicing in the harsh environment of space, and strong and lightweight materials that can withstand the extreme temperatures of supersonic flight or space travel. NASA has designed lifesaving techniques, protocols, and tools for use when orbiting the Earth and the nearest doctor is more than 200 miles below. Closed environment recycling systems, as well as energy generation and storage methods also have useful applications here on Earth.

A report released in March by NASA Inspector General Paul Martin that assessed NASA's technology commercialization efforts and said among other things that decreased funding and reductions in personnel have hindered NASA's technology transfer efforts. Specifically, funding for technology transfer has decreased from $60 million in fiscal year (FY) 2004 to $19 million in FY 2012 while the number of patent attorneys at the Centers dropped from 29 to 19 over the same period. As a result, patent filings decreased by 37%.

Martin's report cites a number of "missed opportunities to transfer technologies from its research and development efforts and to maximize partnerships with other entities that could benefit from NASA-developed technologies." For example:

Algorithms designed to enable an aircraft to fly precisely through the same airspace on multiple flights - a development that could have commercial application for improving the autopilot function of older aircraft - was not considered for technology transfer because project personnel were not aware of the various types of innovations that could be candidates for the program.

NASA personnel failed to capitalize fully on the Flight Loads Laboratory at Dryden Flight Research Center - a unique facility used for aeronautic testing services - because they did not recognize the facility as a transferable technology and consequently had not developed a Commercialization Plan to manage customer demand.

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NASA revamps, looks to speed high-tech commercialization opportunities

NASA Mars Odyssey is Out of Safe Mode

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NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has been taken out of a protective status called safe mode. Remaining steps toward resuming all normal spacecraft activities will probably be completed by next week.

Odyssey resumed pointing downward toward Mars on Saturday, June 16, leaving the Earth-pointed "safe mode" status that was triggered when one of its three primary reaction wheels stuck for a few minutes on June 8, Universal Time (June 7, Pacific Time). Mission controllers put the orbiter's spare reaction wheel into use in control of Odyssey's orientation while pointed downward, or nadir.

"Attitude control in nadir pointing is being maintained with the use of the replacement wheel, and the suspect wheel has been taken out of use," said Odyssey Project Manager Gaylon McSmith of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Controllers will continue characterizing the performance of the replacement wheel in coming days while assessing which other activities of the spacecraft, besides nadir pointing, can be performed reliably with reaction-wheel control of attitude. The spacecraft can also use thrusters for attitude control, though that method draws on the limited supply of propellant rather than on electricity from the spacecraft's solar array.

In returning to full service, Odyssey will first resume its communication relay function for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, and then will resume the orbiter's own scientific observations of Mars. As a priority, activities will resume for preparing Odyssey to serve as a communications relay for NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Like many other spacecraft, Odyssey uses a set of three reaction wheels to control its attitude, or which way it is facing relative to the sun, Earth or Mars. Increasing the rotation rate of a reaction wheel inside the spacecraft causes the spacecraft itself to rotate in the opposite direction. The configuration in use from launch in 2001 until three days ago combined the effects of three wheels at right angles to each other to provide control in all directions. The replacement wheel is skewed at angles to all three others so that it could be used as a substitute for any one of them.

Odyssey has worked at Mars for more than 10 years, which is longer than any other Mars mission in history. Besides conducting its own scientific observations, it serves as a communication relay for robots on the Martian surface. NASA plans to use Odyssey and the newer Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as communication relays for the Mars Science Laboratory mission during the landing and Mars-surface operations of that mission's Curiosity rover.

Odyssey is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. JPL and Lockheed Martin collaborate on operating the spacecraft. For more about the Mars Odyssey mission, visit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey .

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NASA Mars Odyssey is Out of Safe Mode

NASA: Private U.S. Spacecraft Could Save Agency Millions

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SpaceX's Dragon capsule sits on a barge after being retrieved from the Pacific Ocean. The recovery marks a successful end to the first mission by a commercial company to resupply the International Space Station.

The head of NASA's manned flights told a Senate committee Wednesday that future trips to the International Space Station operated by private U.S. companies would save NASA money and bring millions of dollars to American enterprises.

Since NASA ended the space shuttle program, its astronauts have been hitching rides aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft, to the tune of nearly $63 million per seat. Last year, NASA struck a $753 million deal with Russia for 12 round trips to the space station. But the recent successful roundtrip flight to the space station by California-based SpaceX has given the agency hopes to resume flying aboard American aircraft as soon as 2015.

[See Spectacular Snapshots of Space]

William Gerstenmaier, head of human exploration and operations at NASA, told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that the agency "expects a cost reduction" aboard American spacecraft, "but it's too early to say what the cost reduction is."

"I believe the prices will be cheaper than what we have to pay for Soyuz," he said. The agency has planned to begin flying aboard an American company's spacecraft by 2017, but "some think they can provide a crewed flight earlier, in 2015."

Crewed flights aboard American-operated flights wouldn't just be good news for NASA, it could also be a boon for American companies.

"Every seat on the Soyuz has been sold, even as the price has increased over the years," said Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former astronaut and president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "The market demand for similar American seats could be five to 10 times that of the Soyuz."

As the Russian government does now, American companies could sell seats aboard their spacecraft to astronauts from countries that want to send manned missions into space, said Robert Bigelow, founder of Bigelow Airspace, a company trying to develop crewed spaceflights.

[Stolen NASALaptop Contained International Space Station Codes]

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NASA: Private U.S. Spacecraft Could Save Agency Millions

Taming light with graphene

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ScienceDaily (June 20, 2012) Scientists have visualized the trapping and confinement of light on graphene, making a sheet of carbon atoms the most promising candidate for optical information processing on the nano-scale, optical detection, and ultrafast optoelectronics.

Spanish research groups have achieved the first ever visualizations of light guided with nanometric precision on graphene (a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms). This visualization demonstrates what theoretical physicists have long predicted; that it is possible to trap and manipulate light in a highly efficient way, using graphene as a novel platform for optical information processing and sensing. Synergies between theoretical proposals from IQFR-CSIC (Madrid), specializations in graphene nano-photonics and nano-optoelectonics at ICFO (Barcelona), and experimental expertise in optical nano-imaging at nanoGUNE (San Sebastian) give rise to these noteworthy results reported in Nature this week in a back-to-back publication alongside a similar study by the group of Dmitry Basov in UCSD in California.

Graphene is a material that, among many other fascinating properties, has an extraordinary optical behavior. Particularly interesting optical properties had been predicted for the case that light couples to so-called plasmons, wave-like excitations that were predicted to exist in the "sea" of conduction electrons of graphene. However, no direct experimental evidence of plasmons in graphene had been shown up to this work. This is because the wavelength of graphene plasmons is 10 to 100 times smaller than what can be seen with conventional light microscopes.

Now, the researchers show the first experimental images of graphene plasmons. They used a so called near-field microscope that uses a sharp tip to convert the illumination light into a nanoscale light spot that provides the extra push needed for the plasmons to be created. At the same time the tip probes the presence of plasmons. Rainer Hillenbrand, leader of the nanoGUNE group comments: "Seeing is believing! Our near-field optical images definitely proof the existence of propagating and localized graphene plasmons and allow for a direct measurement of their dramatically reduced wavelength."

As demonstrated by the researchers, graphene plasmons can be used to electrically control light in a similar fashion as is traditionally achieved with electrons in a transistor. These capabilities, which until now were impossible with other existing plasmonic materials, enable new highly efficient nano-scale optical switches which can perform calculations using light instead of electricity.

"With our work we show that graphene is an excellent choice for solving the long-standing and technologically important problem of modulating light at the speeds of today's microchips," says Javier Garca de Abajo, leader of the IQFR-CSIC group. In addition, the capability of trapping light in very small volumes could give rise to a new generation of nano-sensors with applications in diverse areas such as medicine and bio-detection, solar cells and light detectors, as well as quantum information processing. This result literally opens a new field of research and provides a first viable path towards ultrafast tuning of light, which was not possible until now. Frank Koppens, leader of the ICFO group, summarizes: "Graphene is a novel and unique material for plasmonics, truly bridging the fields of nano-electronics and nano-optics."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elhuyar Fundazioa, via AlphaGalileo.

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Taming light with graphene

Pressured- The story of a Teen(TGJ3M CPT) – Video

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19-06-2012 19:25 This is a Final Project for my Communication Technologies course I just finished. It was worth 40% of my final grade and took about a month of filming. It is the story of a teen being affected by peer pressure and the things he is forced to do cause him to make great mistakes and ruin his life. Im uploading this to share what I have been doing for the past few days (this is one of the reasons I havent gotten around to uploading) but I thought I might put this up to show you guys Im still alive and I will begin to upload after my exams are done this week. Keep in mind I know this video is no masterpiece but I did invest ALOT of time into it so please be nice in the comments, a couple dozen hours of my time has gone into this and sadly many of the scenes we filmed had to be cut out because of the time cap. If you did enjoy please consider RATING this video or share it if you want to show your firends. Anyways hopefully you enjoy! Music by Thomas Wagner Edited by ME Filmed by ME Props, stage hand, actor: Lucas Poon

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Pressured- The story of a Teen(TGJ3M CPT) - Video

Mind Alves | "Alves Style" Ep. 2 | By Prone – Video

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20-06-2012 13:05 Don't forget to Thumbs Up, Favorite & Comment! [Open for more info] Hey guys, it's Starzz, with Alves' first upload on the Mind channel. An episode with some sick clips and a nice edit from Prone. I hope you enjoy, if you did give it a Thumbs Up and a Comment! Player: Editor: Song: BoB - Beast Mode (Jake Miller Remix)

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Mind Alves | "Alves Style" Ep. 2 | By Prone - Video

How to create custom themes in Gmail

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If you've always wanted to use a custom photo as your Gmail background, you now can.

Themes in Gmail are a good way to quickly differentiate between multiple Gmail accounts, as well as adding a little flair to your account. Until now, you were limited to the selection of themes provided by Google. Within the next few days, Google will have completed rolling out the capability to create custom Gmail themes, using your own background photos.

To check if the new themes have been pushed out to your account, go to your Gmail settings and select themes. If the feature's been pushed to your account, you'll see the Light and Dark themes in a new section called Custom Themes.

To use your own background image, select the light or dark custom theme. You can choose a background from Google's featured images, your Picasa Web album, your phone (via the Google+ app), upload an image, or paste a URL. For best results, Google recommends using an image larger than 2,560 x 1,920 pixels.

That's it. Keep in mind that Google Apps users may not have theme support, if it hasn't been enabled by the Apps administrator.

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How to create custom themes in Gmail

Supermodel Emme and Executive Medicine of Texas Join Forces to Urge Americans to Take Charge of Their Health.

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DALLAS, June 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Supermodel, television personality and nationally recognized women's advocate, Emme, spent a lot of time caring for her outward appearance in the high pressure modeling world. After battling cancer in 2007, the icon and one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People", now 48, turned her focus inward and began researching ways to maintain the inner health of her body. That research led Emme to a recent meeting with Walter Gaman, MD a leader in preventative and proactive medical care. Dr. Gaman, one of the founders of the Executive Medicine of Texas and co-host of the nationally syndicated radio program, "The Staying Young Show," encouraged Emme to undergo the center's Platinum Executive Physical which is a comprehensive half day exam that uncovers deficiencies, conditions and behaviors allowing patients to make corrections before its too late.

Now cancer -free for 5 years, the creator of Emmenation.com, an online community where Emme shares her lifelong commitment to living a healthy and fit life with others, underwent a full spectrum of exams from micronutrient testing to telomere analysis which reveals your real age on a cellular level. She says digging a little deeper into how her body is functioning has given her a sense of control over her long-term well being.

"What a wonderful opportunity to see yourself literally inside out! I feel I have a precious health map that will help me achieve my optimum health, right at my finger tips," Emme says.

Voted one of the Best Doctors in Texas by Newsweek Magazine in 2010, Gaman hopes partnering with a nationally recognized health and wellness advocate will help others see the benefit of taking a pro-active approach to preventative health. "Emme is in great physical shape and her fitness level surpasses a great number of my patients. I was happily surprised to see how her strides for better health have kept her young and healthy -- even at the cellular level." Gaman continues, " Just because you may have had a brush with a life threatening disease, it's never too late to start taking care of your body. Each day you have to make choices that will either prolong your life or shorten it."

While Emme, who has devoted the next chapter of her career to educating women how to stay strong and healthy, was relieved to learn she is in better shape than many women her age, she also discovered areas that need some immediate attention. "When I learned I had hypothyroidism and anemia and a few vitamin deficiencies, it was actually a relief to learn what was causing me to feel tired and to be able to address the issues and fix them. I now have homework to pump it up nutritionally and to implement changes in my physical level to achieve my personal best," she adds.

Top executives from around the world fly in to meet with Dr. Gaman and his business partner, Dr. Mark Anderson, MD who have also co-authored the book, Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health. Gaman says, "In today's busy world of increased demands, we need our health more than ever. Whether you're an executive, professional athlete or stay at home mom, high energy and good health is not a luxury."

You can hear more about Emme's experience at Executive Medicine of Texas on The Staying Young Show.

To learn more about Executive Medicine of Texas please contact:

Kasey Peretz (817) 552-4300

To book an interview or media appearance, please contact:

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Supermodel Emme and Executive Medicine of Texas Join Forces to Urge Americans to Take Charge of Their Health.

Family Medicine Welcomes Mt. Sinai Into the Fold

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Family Medicine Welcomes Mount Sinai Into the Fold

Did you feel the earth move last week? It was because the list of U.S. medical schools lacking a department of family medicine just got a little shorter.

Mount Sinai School of Medicinewill open its Department of Family Medicine and Community Health on July 1, leaving just 10 U.S. allopathic medical schools without family medicine departments.

Mount Sinai restarted its Family Medicine Interest Group earlier this year, and already has 20 active student members. Adding a department of family medicine sends a message to students, and to our country, that the school values our specialty and the needs of our health care system. It facilitates the learning process for students who want to be family physicians and provides invaluable mentors and role models.

One of those role models will be AAFP member Neil Calman, M.D., president, CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Family Healthand chair of Mount Sinai's new family medicine department.

Calman's institute, one of the largest community health centers in the state with more than two dozen locations, will work in collaboration with Mount Sinai. The institute's new Family Health Center of Harlem and Mount Sinai Hospital will meet a critical need in the community, serving two of the poorest areas of New York City: Central and East Harlem. That area has been federally designated as a Medically Underserved Area and a Health Professionals Shortage Area.

The nation as a whole is facing a shortage of primary care physicians. Can one school adding a family medicine program really make a difference?

Yes, it certainly does any time one of the country's highly regarded medical schools takes this kind of initiative. Mount Sinai's new program is in line with a shift we are seeing to a more patient-centered approach. And more access to primary care means better preventive care, better management of chronic conditions and better outcomes overall.

Dr. Calman has been recognized by numerous health care organizations -- including the AAFP -- for his efforts to improve public health. For the past several months, the AAFP worked with the New York AFP to provide data and support to his staff at the Institute for Family Health as they worked to make this partnership with Mount Sinai a reality.

Now, about those other 10 schools. We're working on it.

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Family Medicine Welcomes Mt. Sinai Into the Fold

Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Launches Blog

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NEW YORK, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sports medicine expert Robert D. Haar, M.D. has announced the launch of his new blog, Robert Haar, M.D. A New York Orthopedic Surgeon Talks Sports Medicine (http://roberthaarmd.wordpress.com/). The blog will cover topics ranging from common sports-related injuries to the latest advances in surgical treatment.

"The repetitive motions involved in sports such as running, tennis or golf put many people at risk for injury," notes Dr. Haar, a board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgery and founder of Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, PC. "The vast majority of these types of injuries can be mitigated by proper technique and overall conditioning."

As more adults embrace an active lifestyle, the incidence of sports-related injuries increases. Physical activity whether done consistently or periodically increases the risk for sprains, torn ligaments, fractures and other musculoskeletal system injuries. The likelihood of regaining function following a sports-related injury is increased with prompt, appropriate medical management and patient adherence to the recommended treatment plan. Today, patients have a plethora of effective treatment options from which to choose, thus making the prospect of returning to a satisfactory level of activity a reasonable expectation.

Dr. Haar is a clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and considered an expert in sports medicine and minimally invasive surgery. He emphasizes the importance of patient education. "Someone who understands their condition tends to become an active participant in his or her treatment and recovery," he says. As a surgeon, I find this rewarding. It's what motivates me to provide patients with a sports medicine resource online."

Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine offers a full range of orthopedic services for the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions.

The practice attracts discerning patients who expect a high level of personalized care. Patients typically receive same-day or next-day appointments, as well as 24/7 access to their physician. In addition, outpatient procedures are performed in the privacy of an on-site fully accredited surgical facility. Conveniently located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is an interdisciplinary concierge practice offering surgical and non-surgical treatment for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Robert D. Haar, M.D. is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in practice at Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, PC. Dr. Haar's professional appointments include clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, medical director at Regency Healthcare Medical, PLLC office-based surgical facility and president, Midtown Surgical Center. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. A leader in the field of minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Haar specializes in the treatment of various knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle disorders.

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Haar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Launches Blog

OSU-CHS named most popular medical school in the U.S.

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The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences was named the most popular medical school in the country in a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report released today.

OSU Center for Health Sciences is dedicated to serving rural and underserved Oklahoma and our students embrace that mission, said Howard Barnett, president of OSU-Tulsa and OSU-CHS. As we work to combat the physician shortage in Oklahoma, it is a testament to our College of Osteopathic Medicine that students recognize the quality medical education they receive from OSU and the vast difference our physicians make in the communities.

OSU-CHS tied with the University of Kansas Medical Center for the top slot of the 10 Most Popular Medical Schools. The rankings are based on the percentage of students accepted by the school who make the decision to attend and enroll in classes. The percentage of students accepted to those who enrolled at OSU-CHS was 85.7 percent in 2011. CHS also experienced an increase in enrollment over the previous year.

Other schools rounding out the top 10 include the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Washington School of Medicine, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.

To view the complete ranking, visit http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/the-short-list-grad-school/articles/2012/06/19/10-most-popular-medical-schools-2.

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OSU-CHS named most popular medical school in the U.S.

Liberty-Lynx Preview

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After getting off to the best start in WNBA history, the Minnesota Lynx came up short for the first time over the weekend.

They'll try to bounce back Thursday night at home, where they haven't lost since the New York Liberty last came to town.

Minnesota averaged 85.8 points in winning its first 10 games before losing 65-62 at Seattle on Sunday. The Lynx had a chance to send the game into overtime despite trailing by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and shooting 37.5 percent, but Maya Moore missed a deep 3-point attempt as time expired.

"I felt like it was on target, just a little short," Moore said. "With one second, having to inbound it and catch and shoot, I thought it was a great look. But it shouldn't have come down to that."

Moore had a team-high 14 points and Seimone Augustus scored 12 as the Lynx's two leading scorers combined to shoot 10 of 30.

"We felt like there were so many opportunities," Moore added. " ... There were so many things in the entire game that could've changed things. But lesson learned. I think this team will definitely take this one, remember it and use it to help us to be better in the future."

Minnesota now returns home, where it's won 11 straight - including last season's title run - since falling 78-62 to New York on Sept. 2. The Liberty shot 13 of 26 from 3-point range in that game and were led by Leilani Mitchell, who made six 3s and scored 24 points.

New York (4-7) is coming off its fourth win in six games, 73-60 in Atlanta on Tuesday. Cappie Pondexter had 14 points and a season-high 13 assists for the Liberty, who were coming off the most lopsided defeat in franchise history, 97-55 at Connecticut on Friday.

"I brought a great deal of energy tonight, which has been inconsistent with us," Pondexter said. "I feel like when we play with a lot of energy it allows us to play both ends of the floor the way we really want to."

Allowing an Eastern Conference-worst 80.6 points per game, New York held the Dream to 35.3 percent shooting.

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Liberty-Lynx Preview

Liberty Gold, Corp. (OTCBB: LBGO) Closes Financing Agreement

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NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -06/20/12)- Liberty Gold, Corp. (LBGO) has announced they secured a $15 million financing agreement from investor American Gold Holdings, Ltd. to finance the company's exploration activities.

As per the agreement, Liberty Gold shall issue a units of the Company at the unit Price within 15 days following the date of the receipt by the Company. The unit price will be determined as the price equal to the higher of either (a) $0.45, or (b) 90% of the volume weighted average of the closing price of Common Stock, for the 5 days immediately preceding the date of the notice.

The Company has also just announced they have acquired 60% interest in 2,218 acres in Central Alaska's Tolovana Mining District. This Liberty Gold is in good company, south east of their McCord Creek Project is Hecla Mining (HL) Kinross Gold (KGC) and Sumitomo Metal Mining (STMNF) (TYO:5713).

For more information, please visit http://www.libertygoldcorp.com

This report is for information purposes only, and is neither a solicitation to buy nor an offer to sell securities. Information, opinions and analysis contained herein are based on sources deemed to be reliable and are subject to change without notice. A third party has hired and paid IO Circuit one thousand two hundred and ninety five dollars for the publication and circulation of this news release. Accordingly, certain information included herein may be forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. However, no representation, expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness. In light of the above, we accept no liability for any losses arising from an investor's reliance on or use of this report. We do not and have not had any ownership interest in said third party of any kind.

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Liberty Gold, Corp. (OTCBB: LBGO) Closes Financing Agreement

Another libertarian critique of Capital Bikeshare

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UPDATED 5:35 P.M.

Behold Reason.tvs latest look at the workings of local government here, whose headline summarizes the free minds and free markets point of view nicely: Capital Bikeshare: Tax $$$ for Rich, Educated, White Riders.

Lets break this down. First: Are Bikeshare riders rich, educated and white? No, yes and yes. To quote the systems newly released rider survey: Compared to all commuters in the region, [Bikeshare users] are, on average, considerably younger, more likely to be male and Caucasian, highly educated, and slightly less affluent. (This, mind you, was a self-selecting Web survey of registered members, meaning most folks using a short-term pass were excluded.)

Second: Does Capital Bikeshare use tax dollars? Sure does. An April U.S. News and World Report article noted that the D.C. government has incurred capital expenses of $7 million and operating expenses of about $2.5 million since its late 2010 debut. User fees and other system revenue cover nearly all of the operating costs. The capital costs to build stations and buy bikes and so forth have been paid for largely through federal grants.

But so what? Taxpayers subsidize every mode of transportation in some measure, whether by building sidewalks or roads or mass transit systems. Bikeshare comes at a fraction of the cost, say, of the new $300 million 11th Street Bridge project, to put things in perspective. And as its 2 million-plus rides attest, its filling a demand, regardless of its riders demographics.

Reason gets good mileage out of the fact that a portion of the funding came from a federal program meant to address the unique transportation challenges faced by welfare recipients and low-income persons seeking to obtain and maintain employment. Juxtaposed with the elite demographics of the Bikeshare system at large but without investigating where and how that particular money has been spent, thats meant to paint Bikeshare as a boondoggle. Truth is, that particular grant totaled $1.3 million and was awarded to Montgomery County under the federal Job Access and Reverse Commute program. The bulk of D.C.s funding has come from another federal program, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program, whose aims to support surface transportation projects and other related efforts that contribute air quality improvements and provide congestion relief are pretty solidly in keeping with Bikeshares benefits.

So why, as Reason puts it, are affluent, educated, and employed whites riding taxpayer-subsidized bikes? The red-herring issue of user demographics aside, its an odd polemic for lovers of freedom and limited government to undertake. Compared to the bulk of government transportation spending, Bikeshares proven to be relatively cheap, effective and extremely popular.

Creeping socialism it aint.

UPDATE, 5:35 P.M.: Just to add this point the Reason critique might hold more water if the Bikeshare program had been targeted to serve the poor/the uneducated/minorities. The MoCo grant aside, thats not how Bikeshares been sold. Rather its been about reducing car rides, encouraging cycling more generally and giving residents another transit option. Choices are great, arent they?

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Another libertarian critique of Capital Bikeshare

Stanford study shows opiates' side effects rooted in patients' genetics

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Public release date: 20-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ruthann Richter richter1@stanford.edu 650-725-8047 Stanford University Medical Center

STANFORD, Calif. Genetics play a significant role in determining which patients will suffer the most from the disturbing side effects of opiates, commonly prescribed painkillers for severe to moderate pain, according to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study, which pinpoints nausea, slowed breathing and potential for addiction as heritable traits.

"One of the most hated side effects of these opiates, nausea, is strongly inherited," said Martin Angst, MD, professor of anesthesia and one of two principal investigators for the new study, which explores individual variations in the response to opiate use. The study will be published online June 20 in Anesthesiology. Genetics also play a likely role in determining which patients will suffer from itchiness and sedation associated with the use of these powerful medications, which include morphine, methadone and oxycodone.

"The study is a significant step forward in efforts to understand the basis of individual variability in response to opioids and to eventually personalize opioid treatment plans for patients," said Angst, director of the Stanford Human Pain Research Laboratory. "Our findings strongly encourage the use of downstream molecular genetics to identify patients who are more likely or less likely to benefit from these drugs to help make decisions on how aggressive you want to be with treatment, how carefully you monitor patients and whether certain patients are suitable candidates for prolonged treatment."

Treatment with opiates, also known as narcotics, is tricky because of this variability in drug response. Certain patients may require 10 times the amount of these painkillers to get the same level of pain relief as others. In fact, in some patients the occurrence of side effects may prevent the use of opioids for effectively alleviating pain. Side effects such as nausea or sedation can be debilitating to some, while nonexistent for others. Similarly, some patients can take medications for months with little addiction potential, while others are at risk within weeks.

Millions of U.S. patients are prescribed opiates for pain each year. A better understanding of the potential risk of side effects motivated the researchers to explore individual variation in pairs of identical and fraternal twins, Angst said. The study was prompted by past genetic studies in animals that have shown a strong genetic component in the response to opiates.

"We rely heavily on narcotics as the cornerstone medication for the relief of pain," said Angst. "Yet we don't know the answers to fundamental questions, such as why some people 'like' narcotics more than others drug liking and disliking could be key in determining addiction potential."

Researchers recruited 121 twin pairs for the randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled study. Pain sensitivity and analgesic response were measured by applying a heat probe and by immersing a hand in ice-cold water, both before and during an infusion of the opiate alfentanil, a short-acting painkiller prescribed by anesthesiologists. The team also compared individual variations in levels of sedation, mental acuity, respiratory depression, nausea, itch, and drug-liking/disliking a surrogate measure of addiction potential between identical twins, non-identical twins and non-related subjects. This provided an estimate of the extent to which variations in responses to opiates are inherited. For example, the finding that identical twins are more similar in their responses to opiates than non-identical twins suggested inheritance plays a significant role.

Heritability was found to account for 30 percent of the variability for respiratory depression, 59 percent of the variability for nausea and 36 percent for drug disliking. Additionally, up to 38 percent for itchiness, 32 percent for dizziness and 26 percent for drug-liking could be due to heritable factors. An earlier study published by the same researchers in the March issue of Pain reported that genetics accounted for 60 percent of the variability in the effectiveness of opiates in relieving pain.

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Stanford study shows opiates' side effects rooted in patients' genetics

Zebrafish to Man, Tracking the Genetics of Autism

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By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 20, 2012

It may seem a long way from zebrafish to humans, buta team of MIT biologists is investigating the genetic basis ofautism, schizophrenia and other human brain disorders by focusing on the freshwater minnow.

As it happens, the zebrafish has long been studied as a model for brain development from molecular, genetic and neuroscience perspectives. In a new study, the researchers set out to explore a group of about two dozen genes known to be either missing or duplicated in about 1 percent of autistic patients.

Although most of the genes functions were unknown, researchers discovered that nearly all of them produced brain abnormalities when deleted in zebrafish embryos.

The findings should help researchers pinpoint genes for further study in mammals, said Dr. Hazel Sive, a professor of biology and associate dean of MITs School of Science.

Autism is thought to arise from a variety of genetic defects; this research is part of a broad effort to identify culprit genes and develop treatments that target them.

Thats really the goal to go from an animal that shares molecular pathways, but doesnt get autistic behaviors, into humans who have the same pathways and do show these behaviors, said Sive.

Sive and her colleagues described their findings in a recent paper in the online edition of the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms.

Sive recalls that some of her colleagues chuckled when she first proposed studying human brain disorders in fish, but it is actually a logical starting point, she said.

Brain disorders are difficult to study because most of the symptoms are behavioral, and the biological mechanisms behind those behaviors are not well understood, she said.

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Zebrafish to Man, Tracking the Genetics of Autism