Monthly Archives: June 2017

An Artificial Intelligence Developed Its Own Non-Human Language – The Atlantic

Posted on by

A buried line in a new Facebook report about chatbots conversations with one another offers a remarkable glimpse at the future of language.

In the report, researchers at the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research lab describe using machine learning to train their dialog agents to negotiate. (And it turns out bots are actually quite good at dealmaking.) At one point, the researchers write, they had to tweak one of their models because otherwise the bot-to-bot conversation led to divergence from human language as the agents developed their own language for negotiating. They had to use whats called a fixed supervised model instead.

In other words, the model that allowed two bots to have a conversationand use machine learning to constantly iterate strategies for that conversation along the wayled to those bots communicating in their own non-human language. If this doesnt fill you with a sense of wonder and awe about the future of machines and humanity then, I dont know, go watch Blade Runner or something.

The larger point of the report is that bots can be pretty decent negotiatorsthey even use strategies like feigning interest in something valueless, so that it can later appear to compromise by conceding it. But the detail about language is, as one tech entrepreneur put it, a mind-boggling sign of whats to come.

To be clear, Facebooks chatty bots arent evidence of the singularitys arrival. Not even close. But they do demonstrate how machines are redefining peoples understanding of so many realms once believed to be exclusively humanlike language.

Already, theres a good deal of guesswork involved in machine learning research, which often involves feeding a neural net a huge pile of data then examining the output to try to understand how the machine thinks. But the fact that machines will make up their own non-human ways of conversing is an astonishing reminder of just how little we know, even when people are the ones designing these systems.

There remains much potential for future work, Facebooks researchers wrote in their paper, particularly in exploring other reasoning strategies, and in improving the diversity of utterances without diverging from human language.

Read more:

An Artificial Intelligence Developed Its Own Non-Human Language - The Atlantic

Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Work – HuffPost

Posted on by

The future of work is now, says Moshe Vardi. The impact of technology on labor has become clearer and clearer by the day.

Machines have already automated millions of routine, working-class jobs in manufacturing. And now, AI is learning to automate non-routine jobs in transportation and logistics, legal writing, financial services, administrative support and health care.

Vardi, a computer science professor at Rice University, recognizes this trend and argues that AI poses a unique threat to human labor.

From the Luddite movement to the rise of the internet, people have worried that advancing technology would destroy jobs. Yet despite painful adjustment periods during these changes, new jobs replaced old ones and most workers found employment. But humans have never competed with machines that can outperform them in almost anything. AI threatens to do this, and many economists worry that society wont be able to adapt.

What people are now realizing is that this formula that technology destroys jobs and creates jobs, even if its basically true, its too simplistic, Vardi explains.

The relationship between technology and labor is more complex: Will technology create enough jobs to replace those it destroys? Will it create them fast enough? And for workers whose skills are no longer needed how will they keep up?

To address these questions and consider policy responses, Vardi will hold a summit in Washington on December 12, 2017. The summit will address six current issues within technology and labor: education and training, community impact, job polarization, contingent labor, shared prosperity and economic concentration.

A 2013 computerization study found that 47 percent of American workers held jobs at high risk of automation in the next decade or two. If this happens, technology must create roughly 100 million jobs.

As the labor market changes, schools must teach students skills for future jobs, while at-risk workers need accessible training for new opportunities. Truck drivers wont transition easily to website design and coding jobs without proper training, for example. Vardi expects that adapting to and training for new jobs will become more challenging as AI automates a greater variety of tasks.

Manufacturing jobs are concentrated in specific regions where employers keep local economies afloat. Over the last 30 years, the loss of 8 million manufacturing jobs has crippled Rust Belt regions in the U.S. both economically and culturally.

Today, the 15 million jobs that involve operating a vehicle are concentrated in certain regions as well. Drivers occupy up to 9 percent of jobs in the Bronx and Queens districts of New York City, up to 7 percent of jobs in select Southern California and Southern Texas districts, and over 4 percent in Wyoming and Idaho. Automation could quickly assume the majority of these jobs, devastating the communities that rely on them.

One in five working class men between ages 25 to 54 without college education are not working, Vardi explains. Typically, when we see these numbers, we hear about some country in some horrible economic crisis like Greece. This is really whats happening in working class America.

Employment is currently growing in high-income cognitive jobs and low-income service jobs, such as elderly assistance and fast-food service, which computers cannot automate yet. But technology is hollowing out the economy by automating middle-skill, working-class jobs first.

Many manufacturing jobs pay $25 per hour with benefits, but these jobs arent easy to come by. Since 2000, when millions of these jobs disappeared, displaced workers have either left the labor force or accepted service jobs that often pay $12 per hour, without benefits.

Truck driving, the most common job in over half of U.S. states, may see a similar fate.

Source: IPUMS-CPS/ University of Minnesota Credit: Quoctrung Bui/NPR

Increasingly, communications technology allows firms to save money by hiring freelancers and independent contractors instead of permanent workers. This has created the gig economy a labor market characterized by short-term contracts and flexible hours at the cost of unstable jobs with fewer benefits. By some estimates, in 2016, one in three workers were employed in the gig economy, but not all by choice. Policymakers must ensure that this new labor market supports its workers.

Automation has decoupled job creation from economic growth, allowing the economy to grow while employment and income shrink, thus increasing inequality. Vardi worries that AI will accelerate these trends. He argues that policies encouraging economic growth must also support economic mobility for the middle class.

Technology creates a winner-takes-all environment, where second best can hardly survive. Bing search is quite similar to Google search, but Google is much more popular than Bing. And do Facebook or Amazon have any legitimate competitors?

Startups and smaller companies struggle to compete with these giants because of data. Having more users allows companies to collect more data, which machine-learning systems then analyze to help companies improve. Vardi thinks that this feedback loop will give big companies long-term market power.

Moreover, Vardi argues that these companies create relatively few jobs. In 1990, Detroits three largest companies were valued at $65 billion with 1.2 million workers. In 2016, Silicon Valleys three largest companies were valued at $1.5 trillion but with only 190,000 workers.

Vardi primarily studies current job automation, but he also worries that AI could eventually leave most humans unemployed. He explains, The hope is that well continue to create jobs for the vast majority of people. But if the situation arises that this is less and less the case, then we need to rethink: how do we make sure that everybody can make a living?

Vardi also anticipates that high unemployment could lead to violence or even uprisings. He refers to Andrew McAfees closing statement at the 2017 Asilomar AI Conference, where McAfee said, If the current trends continue, the people will rise up before the machines do.

This article is part of a Future of Life series on theAI safety research grants, which were funded by generous donations from Elon Musk and the Open Philanthropy Project.

More:

Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Work - HuffPost

Microsoft Pix can now turn your iPhone photos into art, thanks to … – TechCrunch

Posted on by

TechCrunch
Microsoft Pix can now turn your iPhone photos into art, thanks to ...
TechCrunch
Microsoft is rolling out an update to its AI-powered photo editing app, Microsoft Pix, that aims to give Prisma and others like it some new competition. While..

and more »

See the rest here:

Microsoft Pix can now turn your iPhone photos into art, thanks to ... - TechCrunch

Are We Overestimating Artificial Intelligence? – CMSWire

Posted on by

A lot of the hype surrounding AI is exactly that: hype PHOTO: NeONBRAND

Can technology ever truly replace a present and attentive human mind?

Its a question with philosophical undertones, but as Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and surprise us, that isnt stopping the tech industry from debating it.

While some in the tech world would have you believe that AI is on the brink of replacing vast swathes of the human workforce, now may be a good time to pause and think about just how much AI can realistically do on the ground level.

The intelligence side of AI often captivates people more than the artificial dimensions of the technology at hand. And while AI technologies by definition are capable of certain cognitive functions, they can only learn from the data put in front of them. New and unexpected scenarios can still stump the machines.

Humans, on the other hand, have the innate ability to adapt in real time, even in totally alien situations.

An example posed to CMSWire by Timo Elliott, global innovation evangelist at Walldorf, Germany-based SAP, illustrates this point:

The modern world is full of complex but repetitive tasks that most of us would be happy to let a computer take over, he said.

A simple example in the finance department: if an invoice and payment match, the transaction can easily be processed automatically. But as soon as there are two invoices for a single payment, or the reference numbers dont quite match, it takes a human being to sort out whats gone wrong.

These theoretical issues are compounded by the very raw problems AI is running into in the field. The vulgarity of the Microsoft Tay disaster springs to mind, while recent studies have exposed how AI programs can exhibit racial and gender biases. Once again, the simple fact that machines can only learn from what we serve up means they at times perpetuate the worst traits of humankind.

To get a firmer grasp on where AI technology is today, and whether or not were overestimating its practical usage, CMSWire spoke to some well-placed executives to gauge their perspectives.

Are businesses overestimating the practical powers of Artificial Intelligence?

After completing her Masters of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chen started work at Oracle before joining SDL 14 years later. Tweet to @PBC88

When it comes to crunching data and automating mundane tasks, AI is incredibly beneficial. However, when it comes to customer interactions, machines still have a lot of learning to do.

Until they are able to more fluently emulate people, there should always be an integrated human touch readily available. Chatbots can be useful for answering quick and easy questions, but when customers are having a negative experience with a brand, only the most advanced chatbots are capable of detecting this negative sentiment and responding in an appropriate way. Consumers appreciate the self-service approach the digital world has enabled, but its important that they can always connect with an actual person when they want. With information available online everywhere, customers need a way to comprehend it all and want catered, personalized experiences.

Ironically, AI has actually become adept at delivering these more custom, personalized experiences, but machines can only do so much. For this reason, organizations should strive to humanize their digital experiences through AI, but always in tandem with the human touch.

As well as holding the position of President at Michigan-based Valassis Digital, a media delivery company, Tran is an investor with sales, business development and acquisition experience in high-growth potential technology companies. Tweet to @Valassis

While the concept of chatbots is not entirely new, we have only scratched the surface in terms of how they can be utilized for consumer engagement. The recent wave of innovation in artificial intelligence has brought chatbots to the forefront supplementing job functions. Bots can increase employee efficiency and productivity while allowing companies to react quickly to consumer inquiries, ultimately improving the customer experience. They are not, however, meant to replace human interaction.

Consumers tend to favor self-service and chatbots can be a first point of contact, but in the case of an angry customer, chatbots arent necessarily meant to handle these issues independently. If necessary, the bot should have the capability to forward the consumer to the appropriate person immediately at any time during the experience. In addition, the bot may have already addressed many of the initial questions, which can help the representative solve the issue quicker.

The 24-hour, online and real-time assistance chatbots provide can remove friction between brands and consumers while allowing shoppers time to learn about a product or service on their own terms. To make a chatbot 'smarter,' and ensure it better meets consumer demands, bot language 'scripts' should be customized to the business and products or services they represent.

While its clear it will take time for companies to make chatbots as useful as possible, along the way they should be viewed as tools to help engage consumers and deliver value not solve every issue. Thats where humans come in.

Abiri has built an 18-year career at London-based NICE Systems, the globally recognized customer experience and financial security firm. In his current position as Vice President, Portfolio Sales Enablement, Abiri takes control of ensuring that all client-facing employees have the capability to consistently conduct productive conversations with current and potential clients. Tweet to @NICELtd

In todays digital age, customer service is not always easy. Customers are interacting with organizations on a variety of channels (surveys, social media, text, phone, etc.) and expecting immediate, personalized responses. While every single interaction is an opportunity for companies to connect with the customer, the millions of individual interactions can feel extremely daunting for service providers.

By using technology like AI and machine learning, customer service agents can better understand customer requests while optimizing their business processes. There will always be a need for a human interaction especially for tricky customer service calls but AI technology can help companies respond to customers with real-time, intelligent, meaningful interactions. Additionally, with advanced technology like robotic automation, organizations can also receive assistance with back office and reporting tasks, allowing more time for human-to-human interaction.

Humans will never be replaced, but machine learning will help augment and optimize a customer service agents day-to-day tasks.

Daisy Hernandez is VP of Product Management for SAP Jam, SAPs social collaboration cloud product. She is responsible for driving the product vision to solve business challenges by facilitating meaningful interactions between employees, customers and partners. Prior to SAP, Daisy held several leadership roles in business operations, engineering program management and software development at companies such as Oracle. Tweet to @mmcHernandez

Customers and vendors alike are still identifying the best ways to apply AI and chatbots for the right scenarios, both for internal and external use. There will be adjustments to how AI is being applied based on lessons learned, which naturally happens with most cutting-edge technologies. There are certainly some cases where using a chatbot to interface with a virtual assistant will be useful, and many others where it will be inappropriate or harmful. Whether chatbots are an asset or a liability depends heavily on what the person needs and how simple or complex their request is.

For example, if a customer knows exactly what they want, and its a straightforward and simple request such as getting the status of a flight or delivery then the expediency and simplicity of a chatbot will be much preferred by most customers. There will certainly be other cases, though, where resolving an issue will require an actual person.

This is no different than being shuttled to a 'phone tree' system when you dial the support line for a product or service. How many times have you been frustrated when a phone tree doesnt give you a simple option to talk to a person right away? If you as the customer already know your issue will require more complex interactions than just punching in codes, being pushed off to an automated solution will most definitely become irritating and time consuming. The key to all of this will be dependent on whether chatbots and AI are developed to understand intent, need and complexity.

After Co-Founding VirtualSoft Systems in 1998, Shrivastava went on to work for tech giants like Oracle and Rackspace. As CSO at inContact, he oversees the teams responsible for overall strategy, product management, user experience, partnerships, business development and M&A. Tweet to @Rajeev_Shri

While many organizations are currently using AI in meaningful ways, its definitely not the solution to every problem. In the customer service industry, specifically, theres a lot of promise for what the technology can do to improve overall customer satisfaction. With AI supporting routine queries, customer service agents can focus on more complex interactions that drive customer satisfaction. Organizations are looking to Chat bots and speech recognition technology to automate routine service interactions, drive enhanced agent productivity and thus improved customer satisfaction.

Some think the future is AI in order to deal with the growing number of customer interactions across a multitude of channels, companies must not forget the human element. The answer is in integrating AI with traditional, conversational communications customer experience. There is no replacement for empathy, and human interaction will always be a key element for a positive customer experience in the contact center.

Read the original here:

Are We Overestimating Artificial Intelligence? - CMSWire

ISIS to be wiped out by Artificial Intelligence? Major probe into causes of radicalisation – Express.co.uk

Posted on by

GETTY

In the wake of three deadly terrorist attacks in as many months in the UK, scientists have upped the ante in the war against terror.

A team from Boston University created a computer-simulated human mind which has the ability to see how the impacts of terror on behaviour pan out.

The results found there is an increase of religious ritual behaviour after terror-inspiring events which drove people beyond a threshold of fear.

When the results are placed under further scrutiny, they could help to explain why people commit atrocities in the name of God.

GETTY

Wesley Wildman, a School of Theology professor of philosophy, theology, and ethics at Boston University and who was head of the research team which developed the simulation, said: This is a potential explanatory tool for understanding why people get radicalised, why religious violence is increasing, why were seeing culture wars about religion in our political discourse.

He added: Youve got a big, complicated system in the real world; you try and approach it from the top, from sociology, you can only get so far.

GETTY

You approach it from the bottom, from psychology and neuroscience; you can only get so far.How do you get to the actual system dynamics?

The thing to do is to simulate the complicated social system in a computer so that you can slowly study it.

IG

1 of 10

The computer was developed by Connor Woods, a postdoctoral fellow in religion studies, who was hoping to gain an insight into the ways in which religion affects human behaviour.

The research was given a $2.4 million grant as they hope to figure outthe process of integration and refugee flow and the risks of religious extremist violence, according to Prof Wildman.

Originally posted here:

ISIS to be wiped out by Artificial Intelligence? Major probe into causes of radicalisation - Express.co.uk

USAA invests in Austin artificial intelligence software firm – mySanAntonio.com

Posted on by

By Samantha Ehlinger, Staff Writer

Photo: William Luther /San Antonio Express-News

USAA invests in Austin artificial intelligence software firm

Financial services giant USAA is investing in Austin-based artificial intelligence company CognitiveScale which has developed software that can predict what customers want before they even ask for it.

The software company delivers what it calls industry-specific machine intelligence software, which can emulate human learning by pulling in data from different sources, market events and user behavior to foresee what products customers might want, CognitiveScale said Tuesday in a news release.

People talk about artificial intelligence as man-versus-machine, generally speaking, thats been sort of the perception, said Akshay Sabhikhi, CognitiveScales CEO and co-founder. And our view is that there are so many possibilities within an organization where humans are involved, knowledgeable workers are involved, and how could you bring artificial intelligence to them to help improve their productivity?

Nathan McKinley, VP and head of corporate development for USAA, said in an email that the artificial intelligence will help help us replicate USAAs well-known member service over the phone on digital channels, which are an increasingly popular way for members to interact with USAA.

Neither company disclosed the size of USAAs investment.

Indeed, many people worry that artificial intelligence will eventually lead to jobs being automated and then to unemployment. A 2016 White House report said that 83 percent of jobs making less than $20 per hour have a high probability for automation. The report asserts, however, that humans are still smarter than artificial intelligence in many arenas.

Sabhikhi stressed that CognitiveScales offering is focused around making employees smarter and helping companies provide better customer service not slashing jobs.

CognitiveScale offers a software-as-a-service subscription model for customers in financial services, healthcare and retail. It has worked with several large banks, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Macys and Under Armour, among others, Sabhikhi said.

And many of its executives are former International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) employees. Sabhikhi served as the global leader for Smarter Care at IBM, and CognitiveScales Executive Chairman Manoj Saxena was General Manager of IBM Watson. And Founder Chief Technology Officer Matt Sanchez was the leader of IBM Watson Labs and was the first to apply IBM Watson to the financial services and healthcare industries, according to the CognitiveScale website.

Imagine being able to service you with the things that you need preemptively, without you sort of asking for them, just because it knows you, it knows you as a consumer through your journey, and offers recommendations and offers at the right time, he said.

CognitiveScale has now raised $50 million in funding to date, it also announced Tuesday. And $15 million of that total comes from USAA and several other investors Norwest Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Microsoft Ventures and The Westly Group, according to a news release.

The software USAA is installing is similar to what a customers experience on Netflix, or on Amazon.

The plan for now is to start implementing CognitiveScales offering in the banking division of USAA, Sabhikhi said, and its really around servicing their members.

We are taking a very holistic view with USAA to start small, but really think big, he said. Its important that we start small to prove that we can deliver something quick, but the goal with USAA and our vision is really fairly massive, its really to service their 12-to-15 million members that they have, and to bring the benefit of what AI can drive as the next best action and the next best offer, to the consumer.

USAA provides banking, insurance and other financial services to about 12 million customers, who are service members, veterans and their families.

In implementing the new products USAA will have a jump start from CognitiveScales 10-10-10 method, according to the press release, which helps businesses select and model their first cognitive system in 10 hours, configure that system using their own data in 10 days, and deploy it within 10 weeks.

The company has implemented products for more than 25 customers using the strategy, Sabhikhi said.

sehlinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @samehlinger

Read the original here:

USAA invests in Austin artificial intelligence software firm - mySanAntonio.com

Paris Air Show 2017: Latest Defense And Aerospace News And Deals – Investor’s Business Daily

Posted on by

The Paris Air Show is the aerospace industry's headline event of the year and serves as a venue for Boeing (BA) and Airbus (EADSY) to announce aircraft deals with carriers from around the world as well as a showcase for military aircraft from giants like F-35A Joint Strike Fighter maker Lockheed Martin (LMT).

General Electric (GE) and United Technologies (UTX) also get a chance to shop around their jet engines.

The Paris Air Show happens once every two years, alternating with the Farnborough Airshow in the U.K.

Bookmark this page to trackthe latest defense deals, airline orders and other aerospace news from thethis year's show, which runs from Jun. 19-25.

RELATED:

Defense And Aerospace Stocks To Watch And Industry News

Airline Industry News And Stocks To Watch

5:07 PM ET Build and maintain your watch list with the latest news and analysis of the market's top-rated growth stocks.

5:07 PM ET Build and maintain your watch list with the latest news...

See original here:

Paris Air Show 2017: Latest Defense And Aerospace News And Deals - Investor's Business Daily

New flagship aerospace facility approved by CU regents – CU Boulder Today

Posted on by

CU Boulder is set to begin construction this fall of a new 139,000-square-foot aerospace engineering building that will help the College of Engineering and Applied Science enhance its reputation as a national leader in aerospace education and research.

Capital construction approvals

In addition to the new aerospace engineering building, the CU Board of Regents on Thursday approved six other capital construction projects on the CU Boulder campus:

Approval by the Board of Regents on Thursday paved the way for the long-awaited $82.5 million project, which was first conceived in 2008at that point as an addition to the current Engineering Center on Main Campus.

The new building is slated for completion by July 2019, in time for the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences to move into its new East Campus home for the fall 2019 semester.

This is a watershed moment, not just for CU aerospace, but for our entire college, the university and the state of Colorado, said Bobby Braun, dean of engineering. CU Boulder is already recognized as a national leader in aerospace, and this state-of-the-art facility will take us to the next level.

In addition to providing world-class learning spaces, the new building will group together aerospace engineerings six main research clusters in a way that facilitates greater collaboration between students and faculty. Among its features will be an indoor flight environment for testing unmanned aerial systems, as well as a unique roof design that accommodates faculty research and provides the lines of sight necessary for activities like satellite tracking.

This facility will be a beacon of innovation for the students, researchers and industries of the future, Braun added.

The facility will help accommodate the rapid growth experienced by the aerospace program in recent years. Combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment grew from 647 in fall 2011 to 946 in fall 2016. The rest of the College of Engineering and Applied Science will also benefit thanks to the collaborative spaces and interdisciplinary endeavors that the building will foster between aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as the colleges mathematicians and computer scientists.

The college is already well on its way toward achieving its capital campaign fundraising goal for the project, thanks in part to a generous gift earlier this year from Ann Smead and Michael Byram as well as a sponsorship by industry partner Lockheed Martin.

The new building will be located along Discovery Drive between the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Complex (SEEC) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) Space Science Building. The site is also just a short walk from the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy and LASPs Space Technology Building, helping to create a synergistic hub of space-related programming on East Campus.

This new building shows our states commitment to growing its aerospace industry in a serious way, said Penina Axelrad, chair of the aerospace engineering sciences department. Colorado already has the nations second-largest aerospace economy, and this flagship facility will strengthen CUs status as a major hub for innovation in this industry.

The departments new home will include a 200-seat auditorium, distance-learning-equipped classrooms, faculty offices and spaces for graduate students. It will also include space modeled after the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, an award-winning hands-on learning environment at the Engineering Center that has proven crucial to student success.

The state-of-the-art innovation facility comes at a critical juncture for this nationally-recognized aerospace research hub, program namesake Ann Smead said in CU engineerings blog.

With approval by the CU Boulder Design Review Board already in hand, architects are now wrapping up final drawings. Bids from potential general contractors are expected to be returned in mid-September, with groundbreaking anticipated for November.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science advancement team continues to work with prospective philanthropists and industry partners who have expressed interest in helping fund the world-class people and programs to be housed in the new aerospace building. These supporters illustrate a commitment to continued momentum in sustaining a top aerospace engineering program that drives innovation and produces the next generation of space and aeronautics leaders.

Read more:

New flagship aerospace facility approved by CU regents - CU Boulder Today

Safran shareholders approve plan to buy Zodiac Aerospace – Reuters

Posted on by

PARIS, June 15 Shareholders in Safran on Thursday backed resolutions that will free the French aero engine maker to pursue an agreed takeover of parts maker Zodiac .

The planned merger would create the world's third-largest aerospace supplier after U.S companies United Technologies and General Electric.

Thursday's Safran shareholder vote was a key demand of UK hedge fund TCI, which had waged an intense campaign to block the deal, or at least reshape it.

In May, Zodiac accepted a 15 percent cut in Safran's $9 billion offer after Zodiac profit warnings.

Safran's original $9 billion offer was weakened by conflicting movements in share prices and a deteriorating industrial performance at Zodiac, though on Wednesday Zodiac eased concerns by reiterating financial targets.

Shareholders in Safran had been asked to vote in favour of two mechanisms that will enable the company to issue new preference shares that would then be convertible in ordinary shares after three years.

Safran says it is confident of resolving Zodiac's industrial problems after visiting its plants, including a British factory blamed for the latest profit downgrade in April.

Safran is offering 25 euros per Zodiac share in cash, down from 29.47 euros previously, or an alternative of preferred shares up to a total of 31.4 percent of the $7.7 billion deal.

Zodiac Aerospace shares closed up 0.9 percent at 23.92 euros. Safran eased 0.2 percent to 77.86 euros. (Reporting by Cyril Altmeyer; Writing by Matthias Blamont. Editing by Jane Merriman)

The following Spanish stocks may be affected by newspaper reports and other factors on Friday. Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

* 58.com - Guazi.Com, co's unit that operates a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) used car trading platform, announced over us$400 million in series B financing Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

Go here to see the original:

Safran shareholders approve plan to buy Zodiac Aerospace - Reuters

25 Again by Body Shapes Medical expands into Crestview Hills, opening activities tomorrow – User-generated content (press release) (registration)

Posted on by

25 Again by Body Shapes Medical is expanding the tri-state area. 25 Again currently operates practice in Montgomery, near Harpers Point and our newest location is located in Crestview Hills at 330 Thomas More Parkway. This will make its eighth location.

25 Again by Body Shapes Medicals mission is to safely provide innovative, high quality hormone optimization care and promote healthy aging that exceeds the needs and expectations of our members through relationships that builds trust, confidence and loyalty.

We are excited to expand into this area and provide the best and most comprehensive aging care possible. The market demands need our services so we are excited for this expansion to be able to provide our services to more members in the region

The community is invited to the Grand Opening Events Thursday, June 15. There will be a ribbon-cutting at noon followed by an evening celebration from 5:30-6:30 p.m. hosting a Meet & Greet with sportscaster, Jeff Piecoroand Mr Perfect Tom Browning, who are also 25 Again members.

The medical team will be on site, including our new Nurse Practitioner Karalee Massie.

Event Details: 12- 1:00 p.m. Ribbon Cutting Food & Drinks Special Offers

5:30 6:30 p.m.

Food & Drinks Special Offers Meet our Medical Team Meet & Greet with sportscaster, Jeff Piecoroand Mr Perfect Tom Browning

For more information contact Allison Gibson, Vice President of Marketing, agibson@bodyshapesmd.com, 502.523.1738.

See more here:
25 Again by Body Shapes Medical expands into Crestview Hills, opening activities tomorrow - User-generated content (press release) (registration)

Inside Ambrosia: Could infusions of millennial blood make you young again? Scientists have doubts. – Mic

Posted on by

According to Greek mythology, when you consume ambrosia, the blood running through your veins is replaced with ichor, a golden fluid. Ambrosia, consumed only by gods and goddesses, grants immortality.

Ambrosia is also the name of a startup that aims to combat aging. Rather than golden fluid flowing through the veins of gods, the company's product is the blood of the young actual blood, donated by adults up to age 25 which it will inject in customers 35 and older who have $8,000 to spare.

The question remains: Do young blood injections actually work? Are we just a needle prick away from sweet, fresh-faced longevity?

"I know what you're thinking," said Ambrosia founder Jesse Karmazin in an interview. "Is it all just, like, Silicon Valley tech people?"

It's true: Silicon Valley has a fascination with immortality. Investors have poured billions into longevity research and startups. Venture capitalist Peter Thiel, the billionaire Facebook board member and adviser to Trump, has invested millions into anti-aging medicine. Ambrosia hasn't raised any capital yet, and Karmazin told me that the company has no affiliation with Thiel.

Actually, Karmazin said, Ambrosia's client base is "a real mix of different types of people."

Karmazin said that it's mostly Americans currently undergoing the treatment, with slightly more men than women. He said the company has treated doctors, lawyers, biotech CEOs, someone with a theater background and other individuals from a variety of different industries.

A quote from Jesse Karmazin

Ambrosia currently has two clinics, one in Florida and one in San Francisco. "The treatment is large: It's two liters, which is a pretty significant amount of blood. It's like four pints if you use the American measuring system."

Still, for $8,000 a pop, blood injections are meant for customers who tend to have a little more disposable income. Ambrosia may not be affordable for everyone, but the pricing is reportedly at cost for now; Ambrosia isn't making any money from it yet.

The company gets its spritely plasma from blood donors. It buys blood from blood banks, an industry Karmazin noted is both heavily regulated and expensive.

Karmazin said that the company has both subjective and objective evidence that its treatment is conclusive. He mentioned clients who looked younger after the treatment, as well as people having more energy, sleeping better and feeling stronger. He also noted that people have had "dramatic improvements in Alzheimer's disease."

From an objective standpoint, Karmazin said the Ambrosia treatment can improve cholesterol, amyloid levels plaques in the brain and cancer risk.

"I want to be clear, at this point, it works," Karmazin said. "It reverses aging. We're pretty clear at this point. This is conclusive. We are probably done with the clinical trial. It worked so well, we're going to start treating people. We're pretty amazed with this. Yeah, no, it works, there's really no question whether it works or not."

"I want to be clear, at this point, it works," Karmazin said. "It reverses aging. We're pretty clear at this point. This is conclusive. There's really no question."

But the lack of science casts doubt on Karmazin's confidence.

Evidence on the Ambrosia website includes a handful of links to both human clinical trials and mouse experimental studies. Of the six total human clinical trials included, one is sponsored by Ambrosia. The study was first received in June of 2016. The longest trial dates back to September 2014. The trials aren't yet completed. Some of then haven't even started enrolling yet. And they're small one has just 18 people. Phuoc V. Le, an assistant professor in the school of Public Health at University of California Berkeley and associate professor of Internal Medicine at UC San Francisco School of Medicine, said a clinical trial of this size is "minuscule" and just a first step to make sure there aren't any adverse reactions.

"Something like this needs to have large clinical trials for years before they can make claims as hefty as what they're making," Le told Mic. He added that "this is years and years away" and that that is something consumers need to be aware of. "This is an unproven remedy."

A quote from Phuoc V. Le

Nir Barzilai, a professor of endocrinology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the director of Einstein's Institute for Aging Research, also agreed that Ambrosia's treatment can't be called conclusive just yet.

There would have to be clinical trials where some elderly participants receive infusions of something else rather than the blood from younger people because the placebo effect in such trials is high, he said.

Derek Huffman, assistant professor of molecular pharmacology and medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said in an email that the willingness to treat individuals with transfusions for aging at this point is, in his view, "a distortion of the studies it is based on, and an example of an idea getting too far ahead of the science." He added that "this is not to say that this burgeoning area of science is not promising, and that related strategies will not one day come to fruition to successfully target aging, but they will require a much more targeted and fine-tuned approach than is being suggested here.

Le noted that for vulnerable populations, such as people suffering from stroke or early-onset Alzheimer's or dementia, they can't and don't want to wait, so it's dangerous for Ambrosia to make promises of reversal or amelioration of their conditions that are inconclusive, and at a considerable cost.

"For example, if I had early-onset dementia and I lived in Palo Alto and I'm a retiree and I'm living off of social security but I saved up $8,000, and I've seen my parents die of dementia, and saw how bad it was, I might consider spending essentially my savings on something that is unproven," Le said. "Although they are selling it as, not a cure-all, but potentially life-altering and so I worry that it's clearly not coercion but I worry that that people will fall into this trap of spending big bucks and not getting approving benefits."

It's also important to consider the ethical implications of companies like Ambrosia. As Karmazin mentioned, the company gets it plasma by purchasing blood from blood banks. If this type of treatment were to scale up, and companies had millions of people using it, the demand for young blood would be astronomical.

"Could we see a day when young people are selling their blood on the open market for companies like Ambrosia?" Le hypothesized. "And then what do we do in terms of balancing the public good? Meaning, if I were a patient in a hospital and I required plasma because I have a really bad medical condition, but maybe the Red Cross can't get any, because people would rather sell their blood to a company than to donate their blood because it's a limited public good."

Le compared this commodification of blood to the organ black markets in developing countries, noting how this can disproportionately coerce and hurt the poor while benefiting the wealthy. Someone can donate their kidney to a rich person and, as he noted, the type of individual to do this is someone extremely impoverished.

If large clinical trials do bear out, great. But Le believes there could be more benefits yielded from that type of research than just an outpatient elective treatment like Ambrosia. He said that we should f
igure out what is in plasma that actually confers the benefits, and potentially try and isolate that.

Le said that perhaps medical experts can make plasma synthetically, from animals or in a way that doesn't commodify a public good like blood. That way, it "can provide benefit not just to the rich or to the extremely desperate but also make it available equally to all people."

Go here to read the rest:
Inside Ambrosia: Could infusions of millennial blood make you young again? Scientists have doubts. - Mic

Fennel Reduces Postmenopause Symptoms – Anti Aging News

Posted on by

Posted on June 13, 2017, 6 a.m. in Women's Health Botanical Agents Sleep

Study confirms the benefits of fennel in reducing postmenopause symptoms such as sleeplessness, hot flashses, vaginal dryness, and anxiety.

A recent study has confirmed that fennel helps minimize postmenopause symptoms. This herbal medicine is rapidly growing in popularity as it has helpedcountless women across the globe manage their postmenopause symptoms. Women love the fact that fennel doesnot have any serious side effects.

About Fennel

Fennel is an herb commonly used in cooking. It has an anise flavor that is quite pleasing to the palate. The herb has long been valued for providing an array of health benefits for all sorts of issues ranging from digestion problems to premenstrual symptoms. Fennel has essential oils and phytoestrogenic properties. Similar to estrogen-like chemicals found in plants, phytoestrogens are used to successfully treat myriad menopause symptoms.

The New Study

The study referenced above confirms fennel is quite effective in managing postmenopause symptoms like anxiety, sleeplessness, hot flashes, irritability, depression, joint discomfort and vaginal dryness. The study results were recently published in The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) online journal Menopause.

Women have made use of alternative and complementary medicine for menopause symptom management across the past decade-plus. There has been a steady movement away from hormone therapy (HT) as it has its fair share of side effects. Though HT is a highly effective means of treating the majority of menopause symptoms, women are turning to herbal medicine in droves. Some are not candidates for HT while others are fearful of the side effects.

The study was conducted in Tehran, Iran. Women who live in Tehran reach menopause at a younger age (48.2 years) than women who reside in the United States (51 years). Soft capsules with 100 mg of fennel were provided to Iranian women between the ages of 45 and 60. The capsules were consumed two times per day over an 8-week period. The study was comprised of 79 women, some of whom were in a placebo group.

The intervention and placebo groups were compared at the following intervals: four, eight and 10 weeks. A major statistical difference was noted. Fennel proved to be an effective and safe means of decreasing menopause symptoms without inducing major side effects. This is one of the first clinical studies to determine if the benefits of fennel for the management of menopause symptoms had merit. Fennel was previously studied to determine if it was effective in managing premenopause symptoms. It was determined that fennel helped in managing these symptoms.

The Findings

The study determined that consuming fennel two times per day alleviated the severity of menopause symptoms. The placebo had minimum effect. It is still necessary to conduct a longer and larger randomized study yet these findings make it clear that fennel is quite effective for reducing postmenopausal symptoms.

Read this article:
Fennel Reduces Postmenopause Symptoms - Anti Aging News

Chinese Medicine is Using Donkey Skins to Boost Libidoand Africa's Animals Are at Risk – Newsweek

Posted on by

Demand for a form of traditional Chinese medicine is putting the donkey population at risk in South Africa and other parts of the continent.

In recent years, the market in ejiaoa product made from boiled-down donkey skins mixed with herbs and other ingredientshas grown massively in China, putting millions of donkeys at risk of slaughter or poaching.

In South Africa, poor farmers who rely on donkeys as beasts of burden and modes of transport have reported having their animals stolen, only to later find their skinless carcasses.

Subscribe to Newsweek from $1 per week

South Africas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has confiscated more than 1,000 donkey hides en route to China in the past year, chief inspect Mpho Mokoena told Voice of America (VOA). Mokoena fears that the growing trade in donkey skins could signal the extinction of the animal in South Africa. In two years there wont be [any] donkeys in South Africa, she told VOA.

Donkey skins dry in the sun at a licensed specialized slaughterhouse in Baringo, Kenya, on February 28. The trade in donkey skins is legal in some countries, but is putting donkey populations in parts of Africa at risk. TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty

The slaughter of donkeys and trade in their skins is on an upward trend in other parts of Africa, too. A January report by U.K.-based charity the Donkey Sanctuary found that demand for donkeys in Africa has risen so much that, in the West African country of Burkina Faso, the cost of a single animal almost doubled from 60 ($76) in 2014 to 108 ($137) in 2016.

Read more: Take Two Herbs and Call Me in the Morning

The global donkey population stands at around 44 million, the vast majority of which are working animals, but the Donkey Sanctuary report estimated that global demand for donkey skins is between 4-10 million, with at least 1.8 million donkey skins being traded per year.

Four African countriesBurkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegalhave banned donkey exports, as well as Pakistan. The consumption of donkey meat is also considered haram (forbidden) in Islam, meaning that the slaughter of donkeys in many countries with large Muslim populations is frowned upon.

Donkeys are under threat largely due to the rise in popularity of ejiao, according to the report. In China, some believe that ejiao has various health benefits, from anti-aging properties to boosting sex drive, and it is even marketed as a gynecological treatment that can reduce reproductive diseases in women. Demand is so high that ejiao can sell for up to 300 ($382) per kilogram, according to the Donkey Sanctuary report.

Traditional medicine in China and other parts of East Asia is associated with the decline of other animal populations and wildlife agencies have said that wild rhinoceros could be wiped out within a decade as a result of increased poaching. Rhino horn can sell for up to $60,000 per kilogrammore valuable by weight than gold or diamondsdue to myths that it can solve a wide range of medical ailments, including cancer and hangovers.

Tiger bones are also reputed to be a remedy for arthritis in traditional medicine, while ivory from elephant tusks is also used in some medications, as well as being prized for ornamental purposes in China.

Read more:
Chinese Medicine is Using Donkey Skins to Boost Libidoand Africa's Animals Are at Risk - Newsweek

A Top Dermatologist Weighs in on Miranda Kerr's Leech Facial – NewBeauty Magazine (blog)

Posted on by

Theres no better place to confess indulging in weird or off-the-wall beauty treatments than in the presence of Gwyneth Paltrow at the Goop Health Summit. Miranda Kerr did just that over the weekend when she sat on a star-studded panel of beauty and lifestyle expertsincluding Cameron Diaz, Nicole Richie, Tory Burch and Paltrow herselfand spoke about her experience with leech therapy.

You May Also Like:Why Is Gwyneth Paltrow Purposely Getting Stung By Bees for Beauty?

Ive had a leech facial, said Kerr. I kept the leeches, theyre in my koi pond. Youre not allowed to reuse them, and if you dont take them home, then she kills them, and I didnt like that idea. The model and KORA Organics beauty brand owner also admitted to using leech therapy on her tailbone.

Surprisingly enough, Paltrow, the queen ofbizarre beauty treatments(including bee sting treatments and vaginal steaming) confessed that even she hadnt tried leeches yet. Wow! I thought I was batscrazy!, she said.

So whats so special about leeches? Although the Food and Drug Administration approved them as medical devices in 2004, their primary use in medicine has been in reconstructive surgery and microsurgery to help severed veins regain blood flow. Leech therapy has been around for a very long time, but the use of leeches as an anti-aging treatment is a rather recent, celebrity-driven trend (Demi Moore and The Real Housewives of Orange Countys Heather Dubrow are also fans). The idea is that when leeches bite their prey, they feed on the blood while simultaneously injecting numerous substances with a variety of bioactive peptides.

We asked Greenwich, CT, dermatologist Lynne Haven, MD, if leech facials are effective and if they can really make a difference for your skin. According to Dr. Haven, there are far better ways to anti-age than employing the use of blood sucking leeches. Historically, leeches have been used because they have an anticoagulant, so theyve been used for bloodletting, or to increase blood flow to a skin flap or graft, she says. If youre a normal, healthy person there is no medical reason to use a leech. And I think that leech facials dont make any sense.

If youre looking for the best anti-aging treatments, Dr. Haven says youre likely to achieve better results with some tried-and-true skin care services that dont involve slimy, blood sucking creatures: I would not recommend a leech facial, some people can have an allergic reaction to the anticoagulant they produce called hirudin. Theres really no proven benefit and we have so many proven techniques, therapies and topicals with science behind them, that theres really no reason to follow this fad. For overall anti-aging, I would prefer a fractionated laser, topical retinoids, antioxidants and other proven treatments that have been shown to really make a difference in lines and wrinkles.

Original post:
A Top Dermatologist Weighs in on Miranda Kerr's Leech Facial - NewBeauty Magazine (blog)

How Pasteur’s Artistic Insight Changed Chemistry – New York Times

Posted on by

New York Times
How Pasteur's Artistic Insight Changed Chemistry
New York Times
In a paper published last month in Nature Chemistry, Dr. Gal explains how a young Pasteur fought against the odds to articulate the existence of chirality, or the way that some molecules exist in mirror-image forms capable of producing very different ...

Here is the original post:
How Pasteur's Artistic Insight Changed Chemistry - New York Times

Kyle Shanahan talks minicamp schedule, Elvis Dumervil, offensive chemistry – Niners Nation

Posted on by

You obviously made the decision to go two practices instead of three, why?

Its tough for me to do that. I would rather practice every day. But, just trying to be smart. Ive been a part of a lot of, many years of that last practice before you get a month off, before everyone goes on vacation, and then you come back for training camp. I just havent had a lot of, that practice hasnt ever been very productive. Usually, and when its the last day of school, schools not always that productive and that wouldnt be that big of a deal if that was the only thing you were risking. But, youre risking injuries and I have just always gotten worried. Most teams Ive been on you always cut it short. You end up just trying to get off the field and not have an injury. So, even though I would much rather practice, I just dont think its the right thing to do. Id rather end the camp healthy. The guys have been working hard. Im going to try to get the families up here, give guys wives and kids a chance to meet each other before just showing up to game day and meeting at the stadium. So, I think thats important and I do think, as I always say, the main thing in OTAs and minicamp is to get out healthy. And, by stopping that last day it gives you the best chance to do that.

Whats the plan then for Thursday?

Thursday, were going to come in and meet. Were going to work out hard with [head strength & conditioning coach] Ray Wright. Theyve got like two hours designated to Ray. When I told them that, they asked, they said theyd rather have practice. So, they have mixed feelings about having two hours with Ray, but it will be good for them. And, then were going to watch film, watch everything weve done. We have about two hours of meeting time. So, were going to get a good days work in. its just not going to be out on the practice field. Then were going to have all the families come up here, spend a couple hours, get some jumpy castles and stuff for the kids and just have a little barbeque.

How do you deal with retention? Youve got like a five week period before training camp starts. What is your advice, your instructions to players to keep all that in their heads?

I think everyone is different. I think sometimes its good for guys to get away from it just for a little bit. I dont think you can ever get away from the routine of working out and staying in shape and things like that. Once you get away from that, then youre just fighting to get back. So, I think those guys have got to stay into that consistently. I think the Xs and Os theyve hit it so hard here through these three phases, I think its good to just not think about it for like 10 days, two weeks at the most, and then get back into the book. The thing that I find out most with guys with the new staff or a new scheme like we have now or even rookies, its why you try not to judge people too hard through OTAs. Guys come in, you throw everything at them. They go through waves in OTAs, but usually they get away for a month, they come back, and then you actually get to see who guys are, if theyre more confident, they know the playbook better and they have a better chance to compete.

What are your expectations for LB Elvis Dumervil this week? Is he going to observe practice, is he going to get reps?

Yeah, I just want Elvis to come in here, learn the schemes, and really get a chance to meet everyone. I talked about Elvis about this week before we signed and him not being in the camp, him not going through OTAs and stuff, I did want to get him signed fast to get him in here, but we didnt think getting him involved in the work and everything was important at least for now. I think hes in very good shape, but until you train and go through that process, were just a little bit more worried about the football shape. I think itd be better for him to not have him out there until training camp.

Thats the plan--?

Yeah, thats the plan.

But, hes here?

Yeah, hes here. Hes going to do everything, except hes not going to do anything on the field.

Is everybody here? Is there anybody missing?

No. Yeah, everyone is here.

Thats been pretty much the theme throughout this whole offseason program. How reassuring has that been for you to have so many people participate?

Its been good. You never know how its going to work out, especially when you dont know everyone, when youre new. We had everyone show up the first day, which I think with a new staff, usually that happens, but you like to see how it ends up throughout the whole time. Our turnout has been great. Ive been very excited with our players, not just from a talent standpoint, but the type of people they are. Guys have been consistent working every day, which is how our team has been. Its only been a few months, but its been very encouraging so far.

What did you like about Elvis and what role do you kind of envision for him long-term?

Just playing against Elvis over the years, hes very hard to block. He knows how to get to the quarterback. Hes got extremely long arms. He doesnt have the height, which people could say is a disadvantage, but when you have those arms, I think its an advantage because hes always under people. Hes got power to him that way with his lower center of gravity, but hes got the length in his arms to still keep those tackles away from him. I think thats why Elvis has had such a good career. I think thats why hes had the numbers with the sacks and Im hoping he can bring that here.

Can he also bring sort of a mentorship role? You guys have added a lot of veterans familiar with your scheme and it would seem that he would fit in that LEO role working with--?

Yeah, totally. We would never bring in a guy just to be a mentor, but in Elviss case its a huge bonus. I still believe Elvis can play. I think he put it on tape at the end of last year when he started to get more over his injury. Hes had a hell-of-a career, but Elvis is a pro. I think Elvis lives and dies getting to the quarterback. Hes thinking about it all the time, every day, when hes in the building, when hes outside the building. Anytime you can have a guy who thinks that way, who has also had the success, it rubs off on people. What [free agent DE] Dwight Freeney did last year for [Atlanta Falcons LB] Vic Beasley I thought was huge, and I think when you bring in veterans like this who have had success, who know how to do it the right way, everyone learns from that.

What did he express to you guys in terms of where he feels hes at in his career, how much hes got left, how many years he wants to play, etcetera?

We talked to Elvis on the phone and then we flew him down here and talked to him. He looked good and they always tell you they feel good and theyre ready to go, but then when I saw him he looked that way. Elvis looks like hes in the best shape that he can be. He says he feels great. He explained to us what hes gone through over the last couple of years with some injuries and stuff. What he said matched on tape, games he felt better, games he felt worse. We believe hes healthier. We believe were getting a pretty good player. Were excited to get him out here and compete with the guys.

Is DL Solomon Thomas going to be able to get here today or tomorrow?

No, we're going to have to wait for Solomon until Thursday.

We talked to offensive line coach John Benton the other day and he said that there were three guys at the guard position he thought that were going to be competing for those two spots. We talked about inside linebackers with the guys you have there. Are you overall happy with the competitions that are shaping up for training camp? Do you think that thats how you sort of envisioned it, to have three guys competing for a couple of spots at a number of different positions?

Yeah, I think that's the goal. That's really the goal, to me, for every organization and every position. When you're having good competition battles and you know at the end of training camp you might
have to cut someone who you consider an NFL player, then good things are happening. I've been on teams where I've gone out and it's the second day of OTAs and I kind of already know who the offense is or who the defense is and you can see it. When you go out there and you finished OTAs and you're going into minicamp and you're still not quite sure, it means you've added good competition and you've done as good with the personnel situations as you can. That's the goal that we are going to try to get here every year, to where it brings the best out of everybody, coaches and players. If nothing is going to be handed to you, you know that the guy behind you is just waiting for you to slip up, it's going to raise both of your game, and we are going to try always to get that at every position."

How do you feel the chemistry has been developing amongst the offense?

I think it has been really good. Just watching guys, it's kind of important to me here, we're trying to establish a culture that guys like to be here. I feel our team has gotten tight. We finished in phase two, we finished about one o'clock and I go in there at about four o'clock in the locker room and guys are still in there playing cards, playing ping pong and hanging out. It seems like guys are getting closer. I think that's one of the things why you want people to be in an offseason together. It's not just so you can teach your schemes and everything and get everyone on the same page, but you want to try to build a common goal. I think, special organizations and special teams, the only way that you build that is through shared sacrifice. When youve got all of the guys, the 100-percent turnout we've had, going through this long offseason and guys grinding together, competing hard and then still not running out the door as soon as they're done, spending time hanging out, you start to build that brotherhood that you want. To me, that's what is going to get you through adversity that everyone is bound to face at some time in the year.

WR Pierre Garon said last week that he was kind of frustrated because the offense hadn't been able to get into a rhythm in these practices. Is that something that is important to you this week for the offense to put some things together and string some passes against the defense?

Yeah, it's important to me to see both sides improve. I want to see the defense do good. I want to see the offense do good. I'm getting used to that as a head coach. Being on offense my whole life, when the offense gets their butt kicked usually I'm very upset with it and I need to be halfway happy with it now. I'm trying to balance that with myself. What I was excited last week, whether it was Tuesday or Wednesday, I forget when we practiced, I think it was Tuesday, but I thought the offense had the best practice of the year so far. I thought the offense did a really good job. Right when you feel good about yourself, the NFL will humble you fast. When we came out Thursday, I thought the defense had their best practice of the year. I thought last week was one of our better deals as a team. Each had their day. It's kind of fun when it's like that going into the final minicamp you kind of see who wins the battle.

When you say the offense had that good day, what did you see that maybe hasn't been apparent in the other practices?

We've had a few. Unfortunately for you guys and Pierre, I think we've struggled the most when you guys are watching. When youre moving the ball. When you're moving the ball and scoring points, and hitting stuff in rhythm people can feel it. It's usually contagious and it gets going. Then usually you go in and human nature, you feel good about yourself and the other team doesn't and they come out and kick your ass the next day. That's something else that youve got to go through that is staying humble, never being too high, never being too low. It's what you do every single second.

You guys announced your coaching interns for training camp and one of them is Katie Sowers. Can you describe what the significance is in bringing the first female coach onto the staff here and then just what her coaching style was like when she was with the Falcons and you?

Yeah, I didn't know Katie in Atlanta. I think [Falcons Assistant General Manager] Scott Pioli knew her. He asked if we would be good with her in our rooms and we were fine. She came in and worked with the receivers and did as good of a job as anyone I've had in the internship. She worked with [Falcons Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator] Raheem [Morris] and [Wide Receivers/Passing Game Specialist] Mike LaFleur last year in Atlanta. We loved having her around. She was eager to learn it, she has played professional football in a women's league in the United States for a while and she's passionate about it. Us spending a whole training camp with her, she did a great job and she ended up helping out in Atlanta in personnel throughout the year. She just hit me up a few months ago and said her internship was up over there and asked if we would want to have her here. There was no doubt. She does a good job and we're excited to have her.

See the original post:
Kyle Shanahan talks minicamp schedule, Elvis Dumervil, offensive chemistry - Niners Nation

Biotechnology company opens mosquito factory in Lexington – Lexington Herald Leader

Posted on by

Lexington Herald Leader
Biotechnology company opens mosquito factory in Lexington
Lexington Herald Leader
A Lexington biotechnology company aimed at fighting mosquito-borne diseases such as the Zika virus opened a mosquito factory Friday on Malabu Drive. MosquitoMate, a biotechnology company founded by University of Kentucky entomology professor ...

and more »

Go here to see the original:
Biotechnology company opens mosquito factory in Lexington - Lexington Herald Leader

Anatomy of Andrew Benintendi’s game-saving throw home – WEEI.com (blog)

Posted on by

This was no accident.

When Andrew Benintendi threw out Howie Kendrick at the plate with one out in the eighth inning, potentially saving the game for the Red Sox Tuesday night, it might have simply seemed like a nice toss home coupled with an ill-advised decision by the base-runner to try and score. (To see the play, click here.)

Butthere were a few more factors at play when considering what made Benintendi's throw possible.

The execution of the action could first be tracked back to the night before, when the Red Sox left fielder had scurried over to get a ball before hastily trying to pick it up with his barehand. That resulted in a bad throw. So when Benintendi approached the ricochet off the left field wall - which emanated from Maikel Franco's blast just a few feet shy of reaching home run distance - the memory of Monday night immediately flashed into his head.

"I was going to make sure I picked it up with my glove," Benintendi later said. "I didn't last time, and that didn't work."

The next piece of the equation was also a lesson learned, this one garnered during pregame activities. Prior to Tuesday night's game, Benintendi had joined the other outfielders in working on all their throws to the bases. They were drills that aren't done every day, but ended up being perfectly timed for this occasion, particuarly since it let the rookie get the kinks out.

"I was throwing all cutters. Not straight balls," Benintendi said of his practices tosses. "But the game is all that matters."

But perhaps what made the whole thing come together was simply a demeanor that many have referenced when describing the 22 year old. Throughout the chaos that came with the Red Sox' fate hanging in the balance, Benintendi remained remarkablycalm.

"I saw where the runner was and I saw how he had it gauged up. There was no sense in him panicking," said Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.. "He played the ball the way he was supposed to, but just got a hard kick. As he was running to get the ball I saw him pick his head up and kind of analyze where he was. That's why he knew the distance that he was wasn't very far and he able to throw a strike to home plate."

"To remain under control," said Red Sox manager John Farrell when asked what impressed him most about the play. "Hes got to chase that ball a long way after the carom. He comes up, throws a strike to home plate. Its the even temperament that he shows in probably every aspect of the game, particularly the final swing tonight."

That swing, of course, was Benintndi's first career walk-off hit, giving the Red Sox a 4-3, 12-inning win over the Phillies.

It's a swing that probably isn't made possible, however, if not for the outfielder's casual throw and catch with backstop Chritian Vazquez about an hour before.

Read the original here:
Anatomy of Andrew Benintendi's game-saving throw home - WEEI.com (blog)

Technical Boost: PGIMER to set up state-of-the-art anatomy museum – The Indian Express

Posted on by

Written by Adil Akhzer | Chandigarh | Published:June 15, 2017 4:12 am PGI doctors maintained that the institutes collection of human organs dates back to the 1970s. Of the total preserved organs, the majority are of the human brain, numbering around 2,500. ( File Photo)

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is planning to set up a museum for anatomy. Doctors said the proposed start-of-the-art museum would act as a teaching aid for medical students as well as serve as an attraction for visitors.

At present, PGI has an anatomy museum on the campus, but the new plan is for a manifold expansion. The proposal that has now been prepared would require an outlay of approximately Rs 2 crore. Our existing collection runs into thousands of organ specimens from the human body. It is probably the largest collection in India. These could be an excellent source of medical education for resident doctors and faculty of the institute and even other institutes of the country. With improved display and modernisation [in the new plan], it could be one of the best museums of Asia, PGI spokeswoman Manju Wadwalkar told the Chandigarh Newsline on Wednesday.

The museum, as it exists now, is located in a hall in the research block of PGI. Not all specimens in the collection are on display due to the shortage of space. The main visitors are PGIs medical students. The organ collection includes both healthy and diseased specimens, harvested from cadavers.

PGI doctors maintained that the institutes collection of human organs dates back to the 1970s. Of the total preserved organs, the majority are of the human brain, numbering around 2,500. The world over, teaching hospitals have museums that are as well known as the institute itself. The Gordon Museum of Anatomy at Guys Hospital in London is one such.

The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia at the non-teaching College of Physicians is famous for its exhibit of a piece of Albert Einsteins brain. According to the new proposal, PGI officials said the museum would be divided into zones spread over different floors.

The collection will be curated in the new museum in a manner so that the visitor can have a seamless learning experience of visiting the museum, said an official. There will be different zones, including one for histology (study of microscopic tissues), self-study area, conference space, childrens section and also a tunnel of reflection, he stated.

An additional mezzanine floor has been designed in the new plan to further connect via aerial bridge with the existing mezzanine, informed the official, adding that the new museum would remain open for the general public as well. A senior PGI official said: Huge money is involved and the proposal is under active consideration. Also, deliberations on the financial part of the project have begun.

For all the latest Chandigarh News, download Indian Express App

Follow this link:
Technical Boost: PGIMER to set up state-of-the-art anatomy museum - The Indian Express

Sandra Oh Returns to TV as Series Regular … Just Not on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (Sorry, Fans) – Moviefone

Posted on by

Fun fact: Every five seconds, someone tweets "Come back to 'Grey's!" to "Grey's Anatomy" alum Sandra Oh. OK, maybe that's not a verified fact. It may even be too conservative a guess.

Oh recently teased fans by tweeting a photo with "Grey's" co-star Kevin McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt), reviving the perpetual hope that Oh will bring Dr. Cristina Yang back to the ABC series. But before fans could get their hopes too high, Oh posted a link with news on her first post-"Grey's" series regular role -- leading the new BBC America series "Killing Eve."

Here's her "Grey's" reunion photo:

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

"Oh will take on the title role of Eve, a bored, whip-smart, pay-grade security services operative whose desk-bound job doesn't fulfill her fantasies of being a spy. Eve is pursued by Villanelle (uncast), an elegant, talented killer who clings to the luxuries her violent job affords her."

This marks Oh's first series regular role since leaving "Grey's Anatomy" after 10 seasons. She's had other roles -- recurring on "American Crime" and starring in movies like "Sideways" and the recent "Catfight" -- but this is her first full-time gig since playing Cristina Yang, and this time her character has her name in the title of the show. She's her own "person" now, Mer!

Fans replied to Oh's big news with ... dozens of requests for her to return to "Grey's." Sorry, but that's going to be her fate forever, or at least until she agrees to come back for the series finale or some other kind of closure. However, other fans are just happy to see more of this amazing actress on screen:

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

View original post here:
Sandra Oh Returns to TV as Series Regular ... Just Not on 'Grey's Anatomy' (Sorry, Fans) - Moviefone