E-lectures developed by Imperial College London to be used at new medical school

SINGAPORE: Singapore's newest medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, gears up for the start of classes in August with the development of new teaching materials.

These include materials developed by Imperial College London, which comprise over 200 e-lectures professionally recorded by professors, clinicians and scientists. Students can access the e-lectures from their iPads.

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine is jointly set up by Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London.

Its inaugural cohort comprises of 54 students selected from 817 applicants. Two-thirds of them have completed the GCE "A" Levels and of these, 90 per cent are among the top students in their cohort.

The remaining one-third of the cohort holds qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and the NUS High School Diploma.

Apart from their GCE "A" Levels or equivalent qualifications, they also had to pass an Admissions Test and go through a series of eight interviews.

For 19-year-old Huang Baoxian, she was attracted to the school's team-based leaning approach.

"I felt that it was very interactive and interesting. And I also felt that because we would be able to discuss the issues and medical concepts, we would be able to understand them better," said Huang.

Another student, Stewart Retnam, said the school's patient-centric approach to teaching medicine will help to expose them to patients from a much earlier stage than other medical schools.

"(The approach) will help us to become familiarised with clinical environments from a very early stage. And I really felt that that would enable us to become better physicians from the start, and that we would be prepared for actual working conditions and actual clinical situations."

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E-lectures developed by Imperial College London to be used at new medical school

New Jersey Medical School, PAREXEL Collaborate to Optimize Clinical Trial Services

Newswise NEWARK, N.J. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) has been selected by PAREXEL International Corporation (NASDAQ: PRXL), a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, as a Key Alliance Site. This status will give NJMS ongoing long-term access to clinical trial opportunities through PAREXELs broad client base in the pharmaceutical industry.

Under the agreement, NJMS will provide PAREXEL with the opportunity to place early to late phase studies, exposure to experienced investigators for clinical trial design and access to information resources through the NJMS electronic medical record system. This integrated arrangement will further enable PAREXEL and NJMS to plan, develop and execute clinical trial studies with shorter timelines.

Our collaboration with PAREXEL will further strengthen the capabilities of New Jersey Medical Schools clinical research center unit, which conducts clinical trials in a wide variety of medical specialties, says William C. Gause, senior associate dean for research at NJMS, which on July 1 became part of the newly created Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences unit within Rutgers. With PAREXEL, NJMS looks forward to further developing our academic enterprise and biomedical research presence, as well as increasing patient recruitment and referrals. Most important, the long-term agreement will allow us to continue offering leading treatments and new medicines to patients in Newark and the rest of Essex County.

"The agreement with PAREXEL exemplifies the university's enhanced commitment to collaborate with industry, and the growing awareness among leading companies that Rutgers is a strong partner, says Kenneth Breslauer, vice president for health science partnerships at Rutgers. There is much experience of successful clinical trials conducted with the schools that constitute what is now Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and we are pleased to see this new step forward. This partnership further enhances the global research, educational and service missions of the entire new Rutgers, as it strengthens both our clinical research capabilities and our potential to enhance health care delivery for the people throughout the state.

Clinical trials hosted at the NJMS clinical research center unit will evaluate medications and other products designed to treat a wide range of conditions, including cancer, obesity and diabetes as well as cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious diseases. Many trials will be conducted through collaboration with University Hospital, the flagship teaching hospital for New Jersey Medical School.

Ultimately, PAREXEL and NJMS are aligning and mobilizing knowledge and resources to bring new products to market through more efficient clinical trials, said Lollo Eriksson, PAREXELs vice president, clinical research services and global site alliances.

Established in 1766, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is Americas eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nations premier public research universities. Serving more than 65,000 students on campuses, centers, institutes and other locations throughout the state, Rutgers is the only public university in New Jersey that is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) is the health care education, research and clinical division of Rutgers University, comprising nine schools and their attendant faculty practices, centers, institutes and clinics; New Jerseys leading comprehensive cancer care center; and New Jersey's largest behavioral health care network.

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New Jersey Medical School, PAREXEL Collaborate to Optimize Clinical Trial Services

New medical school selects 54 students out of more than 800 applicants

Published on Jul 03, 2013 10:51 AM

Shortlisted candidates queueing to start their interviews for the newest medical school at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up by NTU and Imperial College London.Singapore newest medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, has picked its inaugural batch of 54 students out of more than 800 A-list applicants. The school being set up by Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London said it shortlisted 440 of them to attend a series of eight short interviews. -- PHOTO: NTU

By Sandra Davie

Singapore newest medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, has picked its inaugural batch of 54 students out of more than 800 A-list applicants. The school being set up by Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London said it shortlisted 440 of them to attend a series of eight short interviews.

The final 54 chosen medical students - all Singaporeans - had almost perfect scores in the interviews and also aced their BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT).

Two out of three students are A-levels holders and 90 per cent of them are among the top students in their cohort. The remaining one-third has equally outstanding results, with qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and the NUS High School diploma.

Besides boosting the number of doctors for Singapore, the school hopes to see more of their graduates becoming clinician scientists - doctors who do research and drive scientific discovery in medicine, on top of treating patients.

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New medical school selects 54 students out of more than 800 applicants

Liberty places first great American on envisioned walk

Liberty has taken the first big step toward a walking trail featuring life-size bronze statues of historic American figures, work that organizers hope will make the city a regional attraction and eventually a national destination.

The first in the series of life-size replicas features George Washington and was unveiled at a public ceremony on June 18 at the corner of Lightburne and Mill streets near historic downtown Liberty.

We want to celebrate American exceptionalism in a culturally significant way, said Greg Canuteson, a former Liberty mayor and a leader of the Great Americans Project. We want to produce first-class pieces of art that young kids and young and old alike can enjoy.

The project celebrates the legacies of the men and women who transformed the United States. Organizers want to add a statute to the collection each year for the next two decades. They will include statesmen, scientists, inventors, authors, poets and other inspirational figures.

Money for the statues is generated through private donations, said Canuteson.

The statue was created by the New York-based StudioEIS, which made life-size statues featured at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and of the signers of the U.S. Constitution for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

We want this to be a regional or even national destination point, Canuteson said. That is why it is so important for us to have first-class pieces of art, because we want create a unique place in America.

The selection of George Washington was a logical first choice, said Christian Sizemore, former president of William Jewell College.

He had a vision for this country and he not only helped form that vision but he led the revolution that cause this country to come into existence, Sizemore said. Not only was he the first president but he also was the number one citizen in this country. He had a vision for a lot of things including agriculture and foreign affairs and so many things.

Liberty was the starting point for the westward expansion in many ways before Kansas City, Independence and St. Joseph were established, said Sizemore.

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Liberty places first great American on envisioned walk

Liberty Star CEO to Present at NASEBA, Mumbai, India

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp. (Liberty Star or the Company) (LBSR: OTCQB) is pleased to announce Company CEO/Chief Geologist James A. Briscoe will be presenting at NASEBA (India Metals & Minerals Investors Initiative) July 5th in Mumbai, India. Pete OHeeron, Liberty Star Board Member, will also be attending. Mr. Briscoe will be making multiple presentations throughout the summit.

NASEBAs Mumbai meeting is strategically focused on investors with track records in external investment toward natural resources outside of India. NASEBA is noteworthy for drawing senior decision makers, industry executives and high ranking management representing multiple levels of liquid capital. For more information on NASEBA, visit http://www.natresourceinvestors.com/.

States CEO/Chief Geologist Briscoe: We are at the stage at Hay Mountain where we are ready to attract large capital investment to take Liberty Star into extensive exploratory drilling and further development. Pete and I expect to meet and share the Liberty Star story with serious investors capable of large scale funding.

James A. Briscoe James A. Briscoe, Professional Geologist, AZ CA CEO/Chief Geologist Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the Companys expectation that James Briscoe will present at, and Pete OHeeron will attend, NASEBA; as well as Mr. Briscoes expectation that he and Mr. OHeeron meet and share the Liberty Star story with serious investors capable of large scale funding. The material assumptions supporting these forward-looking statements include, among other things, the assumption that NASEBAs Mumbai meeting will draw the senior decision makers and other high-ranking people representing levels of liquid capital and that those people will attend and meet with Mr. Briscoe and Mr. OHeeron. Factors which may delay or prevent these forward-looking statements from being realized include: we may not be able to raise sufficient funds to complete our intended exploration, keep our properties or carry on operations; there may be cost overruns; misinterpretation of data is possible; and we may be unable to continue exploration due to permitting requirements, weather, logistical problems, labor or equipment problems or hazards even if funds are available. Despite encouraging data there may be no commercially exploitable mineralization on our properties. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures in the Companys recent 10-K and the Companys other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Liberty Star CEO to Present at NASEBA, Mumbai, India

Liberty Hill Foundation Names Shane Murphy Goldsmith President and CEO

LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Hill Foundation's Board of Directors has named Shane Murphy Goldsmith as the next President and CEO of the Foundation. Shane is currently serving as the Executive Director of Liberty Hill, following four years as Vice President and Director of Programs. Shane will begin her new role on December 1, 2013. Kafi D. Blumenfield, Liberty Hill's President and CEO since 2007, will remain at the helm through November 30, 2013 to assist with the transition.

Liberty Hill's Board Chair Jane Peebles remarks, "In the best of circumstances, an organization develops each new generation of leadership under its own roof. That is the case with our appointment of Shane Murphy Goldsmith as the next President and CEO. Liberty Hill is proud of its reputation for outstanding leadership development with the grantees whom we train through the Wally Marks Leadership Institute, as well as internally with its own staff and has confidence in Ms. Goldsmith's ability to lead Liberty Hill into a future spearheading ever more impactful ways to advance social justice in Los Angeles and the nation."

As Executive Director, and previously as Vice President and Director of Programs, Ms. Goldsmith has been responsible for the day-to-day oversight of Liberty Hill's programs including the Wally Marks Leadership Institute for Change and its recently launched Commissions Training program, the Fund for Change (Liberty Hill's grantmaking arm), and Liberty Hill's Common Agenda campaigns. She has also directed Liberty Hill's operations and finance departments.

Prior to joining Liberty Hill, Ms. Goldsmith was the Executive Director of PATH Ventures, an affordable housing development agency. Prior to that, she served as a senior advisor on then-City Council President Eric Garcetti's staff for four years overseeing a variety of field and legislative projects, including housing, economic development, the city budget, public safety, and LGBTQ issues. In addition, Ms. Goldsmith ran the Council District 13 Leadership Institute.

A graduate of Kenyon College, Ms. Goldsmith spent a year as a National Hunger Fellow managing a homeless shelter while doing federal policy research in both Indiana and Washington, D.C. In 1999, she returned to her hometown of Santa Monica, California to further her efforts in community organizing and community advocacy and worked with several organizations, including the Legal Aid Foundation in Los Angeles and the Washington, DC-based Center for Community Change. Ms. Goldsmith received her Master's Degree in Public Policy and Administration at Cal State Long Beach where she did her thesis on leadership development.

As a child, Ms. Goldsmith grew up relying on social security benefits. While she and her brother were still children, their parents died because they did not have access to affordable health care. "The need for social justice is very real to me," Ms. Goldsmith explains. "I understand what it is to work hard and still not have enough. I understand what it is to face discrimination. It's why I've been a lifelong advocate for economic and racial justice. I silently thank my father every day for teaching me that one must fight heartily for change. I am honored to be leading that fight for equality and opportunity through Liberty Hill, one of our country's flagship foundations for social justice and progressive change."

Ms. Goldsmith lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their two year-old son.

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Liberty Hill Foundation Names Shane Murphy Goldsmith President and CEO

Liberty Global Down to Underperform

We downgrade our recommendation on Liberty Global plc. (LBTYA) to Underperform primarily based on its current valuation. The company posted mixed financial results for the first quarter of 2013. While the total revenue surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, net income fell below the same.

Why the Downgrade?

The stock price of Liberty Global has soared more than 55% in the last year and is currently trading at extremely high multiples compared to both the S&P 500 and the industry average with respect to several valuation metrics. We believe that the stock is overvalued at this stage and the multiples must converge toward its peer average.

Additionally, the pay-TV market of Germany is expected to become intensely competitive in the near future. Vodafone group plc. (VOD), a global telecom giant, is on the verge of acquiring Kabel Deutschland, the largest pay-TV operator in Germany. Notably, Germany is the major growth region for Liberty Global. Moreover, business integration risk persists as the company has recently acquired several companies either partially or fully.

Liberty Global continues to lose customers for its basic video offerings. In the fourth quarter of 2012, it lost a net total of 92,000 video customers. This was mainly due to a huge loss of video subscribers in the Romanian operations. In the reported quarter, the company added 373,000 organic revenue generating units (:RGU), down 16.2% year over year.

Other Stocks to Consider

Liberty Global currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). While we prefer to avoid Liberty Global until we see reasonable valuation metrics, other Cable TV stocks worth a look are Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC). Both hold a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Read the Full Research Report on CMCSA

Read the Full Research Report on VOD

Read the Full Research Report on TWC

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Liberty Global Down to Underperform

Liberty Said Unlikely to Counter Vodafone on Kabel Deutschland

Billionaire John Malones Liberty Global Plc (LBTYA) is unlikely to raise its offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG (KD8) after Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) agreed to buy the German cable company, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Liberty, which made a preliminary offer for Kabel Deutschland last month, recognizes its bid would face antitrust obstacles and considers Vodafones offer expensive, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The company hasnt made a final decision, they said.

Vodafone announced June 24 that it planned to buy Kabel Deutschland after increasing its bid for Germanys largest cable company to 87 euros a share, or 7.7 billion euros ($10.1 billion). Liberty, whose offer a week earlier was said to be valued at 85 euros a share, hasnt been in touch with Kabel Deutschland executives since the agreement with Vodafone, said another person familiar with the matter.

Liberty already owns Germanys no. 2 cable operator after combining Unitymedia and Kabel Baden-Wuerttemberg GmbH last year, making antitrust approval difficult, the people said. While Vodafones offer is all-cash, Liberty proposed a complex structure that involved injecting Malones existing cable assets into Kabel Deutschland, people familiar with the matter said earlier.

Kabels board is set to recommend the offer from the U.K. company, in what would be the second-biggest takeover of a telecommunications network in Europe this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Mobile operators are looking to acquire fixed-line assets as smartphone adoption slows and heavy regulation restrains wireless profits. Last year Vodafone agreed to buy the U.K.s Cable & Wireless Worldwide Plc to cope with surging data traffic on its own network in its home country.

Marcus Smith, a spokesman for London-based Liberty, and Insa Calsow, a spokeswoman for Kabel Deutschland, based near Munich, declined to comment.

The odds of Liberty success seem slimmer and slimmer, Robin Bienenstock, an analyst with Sanford C Bernstein in London, said in a July 1 note. German regulators would probably subject the deal to a heavy review and Kabel Deutschlands board has welcomed the Vodafone bid, she said.

Vodafones 87-euro offer is 37 percent more than Kabel Deutschlands closing price on Feb. 12, the day before Vodafones interest was initially reported. Liberty considers that a high price based on earnings multiples, the people said.

Kabel Deutschland shares fell 0.2 percent in Frankfurt to 83.87 euros today. Liberty increased almost 1.7 percent to $75.65 at yesterdays close in New York.

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Liberty Said Unlikely to Counter Vodafone on Kabel Deutschland

Climate-Denying Libertarianism

Exclusive: Libertarianism has gained new followers amid disclosures of excessive government surveillance. But this trendy ideology is filled with hypocrisy on principles and hostility to facts, having evolved from the Souths defense of slaveryand now resistant to the science of global warming, Robert Parry reports.

By Robert Parry

An inconvenient truth for libertarians is that their ideology of a minimalist U.S. government grew out of the Souths institution of human bondage, i.e. the contractual right of a white person to own a black person, and from the desire of slaveholders to keep the federal government small so it could never abolish slavery.

That is why many libertarian icons the likes of Patrick Henry, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson and the later incarnation of James Madison were slave owners who understood the link between the emergence of a strong national government and the threat toslavery.

The image of the Earth rising over the surface of the moon, a photograph taken by the first U.S. astronauts to orbit the moon.

More recently, libertarian political favorites, such as Ron and Rand Paul, have either opposed or criticized civil rights laws that, in their view, infringe on the rights of white businessmen to discriminate against blacks. Andlibertarian-oriented Republicans on the U.S. Supreme Court and in legislatres across the country are gutting voting rights for black and brown Americans.

But an even bigger crisis facing libertarianism now and why the ideology is particularly dangerous is the existential threat from global warming and the urgent need for collective government action on a worldwide scale to reduce human output of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping chemicals.

The libertarian response to the overwhelming scientific consensus on this life-threatening reality has been either to deny the facts or to propose implausible free market solutions that would barely dent the crisis. Somedismiss the threatin mocking tones as some kind of statist conspiracy. Typical were sarcastic comments by the Independent Institutes Mary Theroux, writing: The climate crisis is real, its here, and its time for absolute power for Obama!

Theres also lots of sophistry and quibbling about the science. The preferred libertarian position adopts the pretense that the release of carbon dioxide by human activity contributeslittle or nothing to climate change.

Other libertarians accept the science but still cant bring themselves to recognize that a coordinated government response is needed. Anti-government ideology trumps even the possible destruction of life on the planet, a very real possibility given the likelihood of mass dislocations of populations and the availability of nuclear weapons.

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Climate-Denying Libertarianism