A New Transcendence Featurette Explores the Promise of A.I.

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Source: Warner Bros. Pictures April 8, 2014

Warner Bros. has brought online a new featurette connected to Wally Pfister's directorial debut, Transcendence, which explores the real-world promise of artificial intelligence. Check it out in the player below!

In the film, Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him.

However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeedto be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they canbut if they should.

Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him.

Transcendence, also starring Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser and Cillian Murphy, opens in theaters and IMAX on April 18, 2014.

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A New Transcendence Featurette Explores the Promise of A.I.

NIH stem-cell programme closes

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Bradley J. Fikes

Stem-cell biologist Mahendra Rao expected five projects to receive support to set up clinical trials.

Stem-cell researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been left frustrated and confused following the demise of the agencys Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM). The intramural programmes director, stem-cell biologist Mahendra Rao, left the NIH, in Bethesda, Maryland, on 28March, and the centres website was taken down on 4 April. Although no official announcement had been made at the time Nature went to press, NIH officials say that they are rethinking how they will conduct in-house stem-cell research.

Researchers affiliated with the centre say that they have been left in the dark. When contacted by Nature on 7April, George Daley, a stem-cell biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of the centres external advisory board, said that he had not yet been told of Raos departure or the centres closure.

The CRM was established in 2010 to centralize the NIHs stem-cell programme. Its goal was to develop useful therapies from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells adult cells that have been converted into embryonic-like stem cells and shepherd them towards clinical trials and regulatory approval. Its budget was intended to be $52million over seven years.

Rao took the helm in 2011. Relations seem to have soured last month owing to an NIH decision to award funding to only one project aiming to move iPS cells into a clinical trial. Rao says he resigned after this became clear. He says that he had hoped that five trials would be funded, especially because the centre had already sorted out complex issues relating to tissue sources, patents and informed consent.

James Anderson, director of the NIHs Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, which administered the CRM, counters that only one application that made by Kapil Bharti of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda and his colleagues received a high enough score from an external review board to justify continued funding. The team aims to use iPS cells to treat age-related macular degeneration of the retina, and hopes to commence human trials within a few years. Several other proposals, which involved the treatment of cardiac disease, cancer and Parkinsons disease, will not receive funding to ready them for clinical trials. Anderson stresses that Bhartis trial will not be affected by the CRMs closure.

NIH

Therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells, here differentiating into retinal cells on a scaffold, were the focus of the Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Other human iPS-cell trials are further along. For example, one on macular degeneration designed by Masayo Takahashi at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, began recruiting patients last August.

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NIH stem-cell programme closes

Stem Cells Show Promise for Stroke Recovery

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Brenda Goodman HealthDay Reporter Posted: Monday, April 7, 2014, 4:00 PM

MONDAY, April 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In an early test, researchers report they've safely injected stem cells into the brains of 18 patients who had suffered strokes. And two of the patients showed significant improvement.

All the patients saw some improvement in weakness or paralysis within six months of their procedures. Although three people developed complications related to the surgery, they all recovered. There were no adverse reactions to the transplanted stem cells themselves, the study authors said.

What's more, the researchers said, two patients experienced dramatic recoveries almost immediately after the treatments.

Those patients, who were both women, started to regain the ability to talk and walk the morning after their operations. In both cases, they were more than two years past their strokes, a point where doctors wouldn't have expected further recovery.

The results have encouraged researchers to plan larger and longer tests of the procedure, which uses stem cells cultured from donated bone marrow.

An expert who was not involved in the research called it a promising first step.

"It's a small, early human study. It takes multiple steps to get to something clinically useful, and this is a nice, early step," said Dr. Steven Cramer, clinical director of the Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine.

The findings were to be presented Monday at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting, in San Francisco. The results of studies presented at meetings are considered preliminary until they've been published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

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Stem Cells Show Promise for Stroke Recovery

New research may provide effective nonsurgical treatment for knee osteoarthritis

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 8, 2014A new nonsurgical approach to treating chronic pain and stiffness associated with knee osteoarthritis has demonstrated significant, lasting improvement in knee pain, function, and stiffness. This safe, two-solution treatment delivered in a series of injections into and around the knee joint is called prolotherapy, and is described in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

David Rabago, MD, and a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Health Services, Madison, WI, report substantial improvement among participants in the one-year study who received at least three of the two-solution injections. Symptom improvement ranged from 19.5-42.9% compared to baseline status.

As described in the article "Dextrose and Morrhuate Sodium Injections (Prolotherapy) for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Open-Label Trial", reported improvement in knee pain, function, and stiffness scores exceeded the minimum for a "clinically important difference" in 50-75% of patients.

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About the Journal

Celebrating 20 years in 2014, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

About the Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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New research may provide effective nonsurgical treatment for knee osteoarthritis

Are women in Iran who use Facebook less likely to wear a veil?

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 8, 2014Use of social media such as Facebook can influence attitudes and behaviors among people of all countries and cultures. Among women in Iran, the duration and amount of daily Facebook activity is associated with their desire to wear a traditional head-covering and their willingness to display pictures of themselves without a veil, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

In "The Influence of Social Networking Technologies on Female Religious Veil-Wearing Behavior in Iran," Sean Young, PhD, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Abbas Shakiba, University of Shahid Chamran (Ahvaz, Iran), Justin Kwok, UCLA, and Mohammad Sadegh Montazeri, University of Semnan, Iran, report the results of a survey of Iranian women. They found significant relationships between several factors and how likely the Iranian women surveyed were to cover themselves with a veil and whether they would post unveiled photos on Facebook.

"This study is an important foray into the impact technology and social media is having on cultural and religious norms," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCB,BCN, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.

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About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is a peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies, plus cybertherapy and rehabilitation. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

About the Publisher

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Are women in Iran who use Facebook less likely to wear a veil?

Exercise: The Top Anti-Aging Secret

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There is a great reason to get up and dust off the sneakers: research shows that exercise just might be one of the most effective ways to combat aging!

Not to mention it helps you lose weight, sleep better, look better and the benefits go on and on. Heres what the research says and some ways to get inspired to spring into shape!

Exercise & Aging: The Research

While it is no secret that exercise is good for you, recent research from Canadas McMaster University found that endurance exercise cut short the aging process in mice in spite of the fact that they were engineered to age faster.

After several months of treadmill exercise routine, these mice continued to appear as young as the normal mice that were not engineered to age faster. Additionally, researchers found that the exercise program prevented premature aging in almost every organ of the mice; in some cases, the organs were even made better with the exercise!

Overall, the research noted that the exercise routine provided almost perfect protection against muscle and brain atrophy and graying fur.

Want more good news? Its never too late to get back on the treadmill. Other studies have shown that even subjects who have spent an excessive amount of time being sedentary can still gain the benefits from exercise, including increasing mobility, boosting energy, and supporting healthy, vital organs.

Bonus Tip: While pursuing optimum health and longevity, dont overlook the power of herbal healing! Herbs like schisandra berry, fennel seed, and lycium berry can help you maintain your youthful glow inside and out. Consider supplementing your exercise routine with our specially blended Enduring Youth Anti-Aging Formula.

Get active every day to look and feel younger

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Exercise: The Top Anti-Aging Secret

Inside the Comets: Director of Game Operations Gina Nassivera

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April 7, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets By now you have probably noticed that there is an enjoyable experience in The AUD on Comets game nights. Directing game nights falls under Gina Nassivera's responsibilities. That list of responsibility shows that Gina does a little bit of everything, including literally turning on the lights.

The next time you visit the Comets website, click on the tab labeled team. Next, select Comets staff. Scroll down until you come to Gina Nassivera - Director of Game Operations. That's where you will find Gina's bio, and experience. On gamedays Gina can be found in the pressbox, in the last row of the building.

Like most, if not all employees on the AHL level, Nassivera's job description should include - and all other duties. Game Presentation encompasses a great many 'must do's', so hockey fans can have a memorable experience.

At The AUD since 10am, Nassivera will remain on location in all likelihood up to one hour after the game has ended. The hours are long but they are rewarding. It's 5:30pm, the Chicago Wolves are in Utica for their first-ever trip to skate against the Comets. After a long climb up to the press box, Nassivera has sole possession of the arena (one row down Brendan Burke is preparing for the night's Comets radio broadcast).

Sitting in the last seat to the left is where you will find Nassivera at every home game. This is where she directs all that is, in- between action on the ice. This is where game presentation happens.

When sitting down next to Nassivera, immediately you conclude that this is a busy woman. As the point contact with the production crew downstairs, Nassivera is reviewing with her team the night's script. What fans see come up on the video boards, what music they are treated to, they are all as a result of Nassivera calling the shots.

Between taking and making calls on her phone, speaking to the production suite employees, and working the mouse to her computer, all at the same time, Nassivera is busy, and by all accounts enjoying every minute of it. In Gina's line of work, timing is everything.

As the press box begins to fill Nassivera remains in her "zone". In all that Nassivera creates when the Comets are at work, as the National Anthem concludes, taking a cue through her headset - she reaches behind her and at the main control hits a large red button to bring up the house lights. Combing through the night's script, which she creates for each game, Nassivera crosses off when sponsors ads appear on the video board.

When Nassivera marks an X in her book, this is a good thing. What was planned comes off. Coming to the Comets after three seasons of experience as the Rockford IceHogs game operations and events manager, Nassivera knows how to get fans to react in and out of their seats. Continuously working, as the start of the Comets-Wolves game approaches, she begins to gather images of those in the starting line-up - ready for the viewing on the video boards, at a second's command.

Along with her previous experiences in Rockford, Nassivera has the education that duly qualifies her to hold her Comets title. First, earned was a BA degree at Castleton State (VT), then a masters in sports management at Northern Illinois University. There's no substitute for experience for Nassivera this season. Gina is pulling double-duty, wearing her director's hat as well as handling all music requirements. With the music director moving on from Utica as the season began, Nassivera absorbed the responsibilities.

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Inside the Comets: Director of Game Operations Gina Nassivera

Workington Comets star Rusty will Didgeri Do it all again

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By James Broadhurst

Last updated at 11:30, Tuesday, 08 April 2014

Rusty Harrison hopes to field the same strong line-up of riders for his testimonial when it is re-staged later in the year.

Rusty Harrison

There was huge disappointment at the weekend for the Comets legend as his testimonial, which was due to be held at Workingtons Derwent Park on Saturday, had to be cancelled because the track was waterlogged.

Some of speedways biggest names had been signed up to take part in Rustys Didgeri Do, including Rory Schlein and last years Comets captain Richard Lawson.

Harrison hopes he will be able to assemble the same or a similarly strong line-up when it is rescheduled, which is likely to be towards the end of the speedway season.

He said: Its just one of those things. We were a little bit conscious of the weather. If it had gone ahead it wouldnt have been the meeting it should have been.

Its the pressure now to get the same riders again. We just have to work hard towards a new date and getting those riders back again.

Harrison is the clubs second all-time appearance holder behind Carl Stonehewer, who had been due to make a guest appearance at the testimonial.

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Workington Comets star Rusty will Didgeri Do it all again

Workington Comets star Rusty Harrison will Didgeri Do it all again

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By James Broadhurst

Last updated at 11:30, Tuesday, 08 April 2014

Rusty Harrison hopes to field the same strong line-up of riders for his testimonial when it is re-staged later in the year.

Rusty Harrison

There was huge disappointment at the weekend for the Comets legend as his testimonial, which was due to be held at Workingtons Derwent Park on Saturday, had to be cancelled because the track was waterlogged.

Some of speedways biggest names had been signed up to take part in Rustys Didgeri Do, including Rory Schlein and last years Comets captain Richard Lawson.

Harrison hopes he will be able to assemble the same or a similarly strong line-up when it is rescheduled, which is likely to be towards the end of the speedway season.

He said: Its just one of those things. We were a little bit conscious of the weather. If it had gone ahead it wouldnt have been the meeting it should have been.

Its the pressure now to get the same riders again. We just have to work hard towards a new date and getting those riders back again.

Harrison is the clubs second all-time appearance holder behind Carl Stonehewer, who had been due to make a guest appearance at the testimonial.

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Workington Comets star Rusty Harrison will Didgeri Do it all again

National Geographic Live! expands NZ activity

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National Geographic Live! expands NZ activity

Live shows set for Wellington & Auckland 2014

National Geographic Live returns to NZ and Australia this winter in partnership with Adventure World Travel, which is continuing its partnership with this dynamic series for a third season.

National Geographic Channel, The Intercontinental Hotel Group and Cathay Pacific have also reconfirmed their sponsorship in the series, with photographic company, Olympus, joining as a partner for the first time.

This year, National Geographic Live adds new venues in Wellington, Perth and Wollongong, bringing the series to seven cities across New Zealand and Australia.

After working with Nat Geo Live in 2012 and 2013, Adventure World Managing Director Fiona Hunt is delighted to up the brands partnership involvement for the 2014 shows, which start Down Under in July.

Messages of exploration, adventure, discovery and conservation are all core to the National Geographic mission to inspire people to care about the planet and are also a key focus for Adventure World as we strive to offer our clients a lifetime of extraordinary travel so its a perfect partnership, says Hunt.

Adventure World is committed to inspire and provide our customers with a holiday that meets and exceeds expectations, holidays of a lifetime. Being able to see and hear from world leading filmmaker Bryan Smith and acclaimed photographer David Doubilet could not be more inspirational,says Hunt.

Karin Simoncini, Managing Director of FOX International Channels Australia and New Zealand said,National Geographic Channel (NGC) has been a strong supporter of Nat Geo Live since the very beginning and we are thrilled to be involved in this unique event, showcasing key National Geographic explorers on the ground to audiences both in Australia and New Zealand. NGCs engaging programming aims to inspire viewers to find out more about people, places and events of our world, and Nat Geo Live is the perfect platform to reinforce our commitment to exploration, conservation and education.

As the license holder for National Geographic Live in New Zealand and Australia, Sundance Company is delighted to present the popular series for the third year.

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National Geographic Live! expands NZ activity

Transplantation Cell Therapy Offers Hope to Stroke Patients

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Newswise SAN FRANCISCO (April 7, 2014) The devastating effects of stroke have long led physicians to conclude that lost brain function is irreversible. Today during the 82nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), researchers presented the results of a groundbreaking study that offers new hope to stroke patients.

In the first North American trial of its kind, researchers conducted intraparenchymal transplantation of bone marrow-derived cell therapy in chronic stroke patients. Titled A Novel Phase 1/2A Study of Intraparenchymal Transplantation of Human Modified Bone Marrow Derived Cells in Patients with Stable Ischemic Stroke, the study tested the feasibility of administering escalated doses of stromal cells. Numerous preclinical animal stroke studies showing the benefit of stem cell transplantation led to the initiation of this clinical trial.

The study was led by Gary K. Steinberg, MD, PhD, FAANS: Although this was primarily a safety study, we found a significant recovery of neurologic function in patients overall at six months that is sustained at one year. Two of the 18 transplanted patients showed remarkable improvement.

Transplanted patients continued to recover substantial neurologic function two years or more following their stroke, said Dr. Steinberg: This suggests that the affected neural circuits following stroke are not dead, but potentially still viable and can be reactivated, which is contrary to the currently accepted dogma.

The clinical findings have led to new studies using brain stimulation of circuits to restore neurologic function in animal stroke models.

Study co-authors are Douglas Kondziolka, MD, FAANS; Neil Schwartz, MD, PhD; Lawrence Wechsler, MD; Dade Lunsford, MD, FAANS; Maria Coburn, BA; Julia Billigen, RN; Hadar Keren-Gill, BS; Michael McGrogan, PhD; Casey Case, PhD; Kelta Mori, MBA; and Ernest Yankee, PhD.

Disclosure: The author reported the following disclosures prior to the 82nd AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: NIH NINDS; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; Medtronic.

Media Representatives: The 2014 AANS Annual Meeting Press Kit includes releases on highlighted scientific research, AANS officer and award winners, National Neurosurgery Awareness Week, and other relevant information about this years program. Those releases also will be posted under the Media area on the 2014 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting website (http://www.aans.org/Annual Meeting/2014/Main/Media.aspx). If you would have interest in a topic related to neurosurgery or would like to interview a neurosurgeon either onsite or via telephone during this years event, please contact John Iwanski, AANS Director of Integrated Marketing and Website Communications, via the onsite press room at 415.978.3603 or e-mail him at jai@aans.org.

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Transplantation Cell Therapy Offers Hope to Stroke Patients

UFO ALIEN ET "Illuminati Agenda" Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Seventeen) – Video

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UFO ALIEN ET "Illuminati Agenda" Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Seventeen)
https://www.newmessage.org/nmfg/Greater_Community_Spirituality.html Greater Community Spirituality presents a prophetic new understanding of God and human sp...

By: danielofdoriaa

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UFO ALIEN ET "Illuminati Agenda" Greater Community Spirituality (Chapter Seventeen) - Video