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DNA Half Life Discovery Rules Out Real Life Jurassic Parks [VIDEO]

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

Scientists have finally found out how long DNA lasts in fossils. Alas, their discovery puts dreams of real life Jurassic Parks to rest for good.

[More from Mashable: Liquid Nitrogen + Ping Pong Balls = Crazy Science Fun]

As it turns out, DNA has a half-life of 521 years, according to researchers who studied fossils of extinct giant birds found in New Zealand. Previously, nobody knew exactly how long DNA lasted before decaying, which meant that technically it was possible to extract and read DNA from ancient fossils. A theory which was the premise of the movie Jurassic Park and which allegedly prompted a billionaire to try cloning a dinosaur.

[More from Mashable: Sound Waves Make Liquids Levitate, Develop Better Drugs [VIDEO]]

This confirms the widely held suspicion that claims of DNA from dinosaurs and ancient insects trapped in amber are incorrect, said Simon Ho, a computational evolutionary biologist at the University of Sydney in Australia. Sorry, Jurassic Park fans, you're never going to see a breathing Tyrannosaurus rex.

To find out more about why one of our childhood dreams has been just a delusion, and about this important scientific discovery check out the video above.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

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DNA Half Life Discovery Rules Out Real Life Jurassic Parks [VIDEO]

Former Wall Street trader studies biology of risk-taking

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

LONDON: When John Coates was on a winning streak during his days as a trader at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, the narcotic-like high he experienced was so powerful he was determined to find out more. So after 13 years on trading floors on Wall Street he moved to the neuroscience labs of Rockefeller University in New York and of Britains Cambridge University. Here, the trader turned neuroscientist has been bent on uncovering the brain biology behind that high, what it did to him, and what its probably doing to those he left behind. What hes come up with, after several years reading up on animal studies and some interesting experiments with spit, is that risk taking is driven by a winner effect a hormonal mechanism in which each competitive victory leads to more wins. The narcotic high was as powerful as anything I have ever felt, Coates said in an interview during a medical conference in London, describing the experience of making huge profits and big bonuses at some of the worlds largest banks. And as other experts in psychiatry and neuroscience at the conference agreed, the consequences of a winner effect gone out of control can lead some to become power-corrupted politicians, cruel military dictators and even surgeons who like to play god. You become euphoric, delusional, you have less need for sleep, you have racing thoughts, an expanded appetite for risk, and less stringent requirements in the risk and reward trade-off, said Coates. Basically, you become a rogue trader. Since publishing some initial scientific studies exploring these traits in traders, Coates says he has been contacted by researchers analyzing politicians, soldiers, and even sports people who believe his work can shed light on theirs. As our research progressed, it became clear we were doing a lot more that studying the biology of financial risk taking, we were studying the biology of (all) risk taking, he said. We only have one biology, and we take it with us into whatever world were engaged in whether its the military, sports, politics or finance. With evidence of extreme consequences of the winner effect traders who turn rogue and bring down entire banks, political leaders corrupted by power who inflict cruelty on subordinates, or soldiers who become indiscriminate killing machines unchecked by the rules of conflict Coates is looking deeper. When you see this transformation take place in people, they start carrying themselves like masters of the universe. And its not a cognitive process. It isnt even about greed. Its more this feeling of consummate power, a feeling that youre dominating the world. Coates says he was increasingly struck by the fact that almost every blow-up north of a billion dollars the sort of blow-up that shakes a bank to its foundation came down to the actions of a trader at the end of a winning streak. The winning streak seems to foster excessive risk-taking, he said. Intrigued, and keen to bring his previous experience to his new role as a Cambridge research fellow in Neuroscience and Finance, Coates asked some of his former colleagues in Londons City financial district to give him some time, and some spit. Over eight consecutive business days, researchers took spit samples from 17 male traders, morning and afternoon, to measure levels of the hormone testosterone during daily trading. The results were revealing. Daily testosterone was significantly higher on days when traders made more than their one-month daily average. And on mornings when they had high testosterone levels, their profits for the rest of the day were significantly larger than when testosterone levels were low. These findings echo similar studies of animals in the wild, which also found a testosterone-driven winner effect among males who fight over territory or a mate, for example. According to Coates, they also show without doubt that risk taking in humans is a physiological and not just a cognitive activity. Within economics, theres a belief that we wander around with this supercomputer in our heads that is unaffected by the body and has the ability to calculate returns, probabilities and the optimum allocation of capital, he said. But of course the science doesnt support anything like that. Coates observations chimed with those of several other speakers at the conference, which gathered psychiatrists and neuroscientists to examine the phenomenon of hubris in public life in other words what leads people in power to become corrupted and behave in arrogant and destructive ways. Nassir Ghaemi, a professor of psychiatry at Tufts University Massachusetts, told the conference disorders like depression can often enhance political, economic and military leaders at times of crisis because depressives are more empathetic, more self critical and more realistic about the world around them. Coates suggests what goes wrong in the case of rogue traders is that the hormonal mechanism behind the winner effect becomes pathological, fostering irrational exuberance and excessive risk taking. He also said it is not enough for commentators and analysts to simply observe these activities, but argued that they should demand proper scientific studies which can provide robust answers to questions about what went wrong. What Im describing is overlooked scientific data, he told the conference. And what were seeing in the corporate world is a desperate need for science conducted in the workplace. Its going to help us understand the sources of the instability, and how to control it. Coates hypothesis is that at a certain level of rising testosterone, effective risk taking gradually turns into a biological wave of excessively risky behavior. If that is the case, it should change the way traders are managed, he said. The trouble with the banks is that their risk management systems and compensation schemes have been amplifying these biological waves, when they should be leaning against them. What they should be doing with traders on a winning streak is not forever raising their risk limits, but holding their limits constant, or even telling them to close out their positions in the middle of a winning streak and take three weeks off until their biology resets.

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Former Wall Street trader studies biology of risk-taking

Researchers Discover “Fat Switch”

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

A new breakthrough in cellular biology has revealed a biological fat switch that could help in the fight against the worldwide obesity epidemic, according to a study published by scientists at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute last week.

The switcha channel-shaped protein that sits in the outer membrane of human fat cellscan help prevent insulin resistance and obesity when it is blocked.

Senior author Bruce Spiegelman, a professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, said the implications of this research are far-extending.

The fact that there is a pathway [...]that is potentially druggable that controls these aspects of biology opens up a pretty clear possibility to develop therapeutics, he said.

According to co-author Jun Wu, an instructor at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, one-third of the worlds population suffers from obesity, but there are still no effective drugs in the United States capable of helping reduce metabolic rates.

In any animal, a high calorie diet can lead to obesity or insulin resistanceand commonly both. The diseases, especially when coupled, lead to greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease, type II diabetes and stroke.

The fat switch protein these scientists studied is predominately found in brown fat cellsa type of fat cell that is especially good at using chemical energy to generate and dissipate heat. This heat dissipation functions to prevent insulin resistance, distinguishing it as a good fat cell, according to Wu.

Through five years of experimentation, Spiegelman, Wu and their colleagues found that mice who had blocked fat switch proteins in their brown cells had an increase in their energy expenditure and decrease in insulin resistance compared to mice that did not have this block, even without putting the mice on a low-calorie diet.

Spiegelman said that the fat switch protein is from the same family of proteins as capsaicin, a protein that can be blocked by drugs to prevent the taste of spiceevidence that the fat switch could be manipulated to produce an effect in humans in a similar way.

The druggable potential for the fat switch, Spiegelman added, was one of the most exiciting finds of his work.

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Researchers Discover “Fat Switch”

UCI garners $11.5 million in continued support of systems biology center

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tom Vasich tmvasich@uci.edu 949-824-6455 University of California - Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 11, 2012 UC Irvine has been awarded $11.5 million over five years to further support the biologists, mathematicians, physicists, engineers and computer scientists who collaborate in pursuit of a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of complex biological systems.

The funding for the UCI Center for Complex Biological Systems comes from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, one of the National Institutes of Health, which gave the facility initial grants of $450,000 in 2002 and $14.5 million in 2007.

At the time, the UCI center was the first of its kind in California dedicated to systems biology, an emerging field of study that employs the latest technology and computational methods to examine how networks of molecules, cells, tissues and organs interact in complex, dynamic ways to produce reliable biological functions.

"Over the past decade, we've tried to take a teamwork approach to really hard biological problems, encouraging researchers from all over the sciences and engineering to work together. This award is a clear endorsement of that strategy, especially given the current funding environment," said Dr. Arthur Lander, center director and professor of developmental & cell biology and biomedical engineering.

UCI's efforts focus on "spatial dynamics," or how biological systems have evolved to control what happens not just over time, but over space (in different locations within cells, tissues and organs, for instance). In researching this, the center takes advantage of the campus's considerable strengths in computation, applied mathematics and optical biology, in which microscopes, lasers and fluorescence are used to probe cells and tissues.

Additionally, the facility regularly hosts scientific seminars and symposia; offers short courses in systems biology; provides visiting scholar and research support; and administers undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training programs.

Founded in 2001, the center has helped UCI garner more than $36 million in federal and private aid for research, education and outreach by teams of biologists, mathematicians, physical scientists and engineers. It's currently one of 13 National Centers for Systems Biology funded by the NIGMS.

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UCI garners $11.5 million in continued support of systems biology center

Science Reveals Secrets of Hypnosis

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

Latest Mental Health News

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The brains of people who can't be hypnotized differ from those who are easily put into a trance, a new study finds.

Researchers used MRI scans to examine activity of three different brain networks in 12 adults who were easily hypnotized and 12 others who weren't.

The brain networks were: the default-mode network, used when the brain is idle; the executive-control network, used in making decisions; and the salience network, used when deciding if something is more important than something else.

The brain scans showed that both groups had an active default-mode network, but the highly hypnotizable people had greater co-activation between parts of the executive-control network and the salience network, the Stanford University School of Medicine researchers found.

The study was published in the October issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Hypnosis, which has been shown to help with brain control over sensation and behavior, can be used to help treat pain, phobias, stress and anxiety, the study authors noted in a Stanford news release.

"There's never been a brain signature of being hypnotized, and we're on the verge of identifying one," study senior author Dr. David Spiegel, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said in the news release.

Such a finding would shed light on how hypnosis works, and how it can most effectively be used to treat patients, Spiegel explained.

He said about 25 percent of the patients he sees cannot be hypnotized. "There's got to be something going on in the brain," Spiegel concluded.

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Science Reveals Secrets of Hypnosis

Wayne State Studies Offer Hope For Epilepsy, Behavioral Disorders

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

DETROIT Three studies conducted as part of Wayne State Universitys Systems Biology of Epilepsy Project (SBEP) could result in new types of treatment for the disease and, perhaps, for behavioral disorders as well.

The SBEP started out with funds from the Presidents Research Enhancement Fund and spanned neurology, neuroscience, genetics and computational biology. It since has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health-funded grants aimed at identifying the underlying causes of epilepsy, and it is uniquely integrated within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Wayne State School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center.

Under the guidance of Jeffrey Loeb, M.D., associate director of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics and professor of neurology, the project brings together researchers from different fields to create an interdisciplinary research program that targets the complex disease. The multifaceted program at Wayne State is like no other in the world, officials say, with two primary goals: improving clinical care and creating novel strategies for diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy.

The three studies were published in high-impact journals and use human brain tissue research to identify new targets for drug development, generate a new animal model and identify a new class of drugs to treat the disease. In the first study, Layer-Specific CREB Target Gene Induction in Human Neocortical Epilepsy, published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, donated human brain samples were probed to identify 137 genes strongly associated with epileptic seizures.

Researchers then showed that the most common pathway is activated in very specific layers of the cortex, and that its associated with increased numbers of synapses in those areas. Because epilepsy is a disease of abnormal neuronal synchrony, the finding could explain why some brain regions produce clinical seizures.

Higher density of synapses may explain how abnormal epileptic discharges, or spikes, are formed, and in what layer, Loeb said, adding that localizing the exact layer of the brain in which that process occurs is useful both for understanding the mechanism and for developing therapeutics.

The first study, which identified a new drug target for epilepsy, precipitated a second study that has found such a drug.

In the second study, Electrical, Molecular and Behavioral Effects of InterictalSpiking in the Rat, published recently in Neurobiology of Disease, SBEPresearchers found that the same brain layers in the rat are activated as in the human tissues and searched for a drug to target those layers. In fact, the first drug they tried, a compound called SL327 that has been used in nonhuman subjects to understand how memory works, worked like a dream, Loeb said. SL327 prevented spiking in rat brains, he said, which not only prevented seizures, but led to more normal behaviors as well.

That finding led to collaborations between Loebs lab and Nash Boutros, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, and the Belgian drug company UCB.

Whereas animals that developed epileptic spiking became hyperactive, those treated with the drug and had less spiking in their brains were more like normal animals, Loeb said. Now whenever we screen for drugs for epilepsy, we look at behavior as well as epileptic activity.

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Wayne State Studies Offer Hope For Epilepsy, Behavioral Disorders

New studies could result in better treatments for epilepsy, behavioral disorders

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Three studies conducted as part of Wayne State University's Systems Biology of Epilepsy Project (SBEP) could result in new types of treatment for the disease and, as a bonus, for behavioral disorders as well.

The SBEP started out with funds from the President's Research Enhancement Fund and spanned neurology, neuroscience, genetics and computational biology. It since has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health-funded grants aimed at identifying the underlying causes of epilepsy, and it is uniquely integrated within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Wayne State School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center.

Under the guidance of Jeffrey Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics (CMMG) and professor of neurology, the project brings together researchers from different fields to create an interdisciplinary research program that targets the complex disease. The multifaceted program at Wayne State is like no other in the world, officials say, with two primary goals: improving clinical care and creating novel strategies for diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy.

The three studies were published in high-impact journals and use human brain tissue research to identify new targets for drug development, generate a new animal model and identify a new class of drugs to treat the disease. In the first study, "Layer-Specific CREB Target Gene Induction in Human Neocortical Epilepsy," published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, donated human brain samples were probed to identify 137 genes strongly associated with epileptic seizures.

Researchers then showed that the most common pathway is activated in very specific layers of the cortex, and that it's associated with increased numbers of synapses in those areas. Because epilepsy is a disease of abnormal neuronal synchrony, the finding could explain why some brain regions produce clinical seizures.

"Higher density of synapses may explain how abnormal epileptic discharges, or spikes, are formed, and in what layer," Loeb said, adding that localizing the exact layer of the brain in which that process occurs is useful both for understanding the mechanism and for developing therapeutics.

The first study, which identified a new drug target for epilepsy, precipitated a second study that has found such a drug.

In the second study, "Electrical, Molecular and Behavioral Effects of Interictal Spiking in the Rat," published recently in Neurobiology of Disease, SBEP researchers found that the same brain layers in the rat are activated as in the human tissues and searched for a drug to target those layers. In fact, the first drug they tried, a compound called SL327 that has been used in nonhuman subjects to understand how memory works, "worked like a dream," Loeb said. "SL327 prevented spiking in rat brains," he said, "which not only prevented seizures, but led to more normal behaviors as well."

That finding led to collaborations between Loeb's lab and Nash Boutros, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, and the Belgian drug company UCB.

"Whereas animals that developed epileptic spiking became hyperactive, those treated with the drug and had less spiking in their brains were more like normal animals," Loeb said. "Now whenever we screen for drugs for epilepsy, we look at behavior as well as epileptic activity."

New treatments for epilepsy, behavioral disorders could result from Wayne State studies

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Julie O'Connor julie.oconnor@wayne.edu 313-577-8845 Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research

Three studies conducted as part of Wayne State University's Systems Biology of Epilepsy Project (SBEP) could result in new types of treatment for the disease and, as a bonus, for behavioral disorders as well.

The three studies were published in high-impact journals and use human brain tissue research to identify new targets for drug development, generate a new animal model and identify a new class of drugs to treat the disease. In the first study, "Layer-Specific CREB Target Gene Induction in Human Neocortical Epilepsy," published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, donated human brain samples were probed to identify 137 genes strongly associated with epileptic seizures.

The first study, which identified a new drug target for epilepsy, precipitated a second study that has found such a drug.

Original post:
New treatments for epilepsy, behavioral disorders could result from Wayne State studies

ZELTIQ® Aesthetics to Highlight New CoolCurve+™ Applicator at EMAA 2012

Posted on October 12, 2012 by ev1

ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. (ZLTQ), a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology platform, today announced it is exhibiting at the 8th European Masters in Aesthetics & Anti-Aging (EMAA) in Paris, October 12-14, 2012, and will highlight CoolCurve+, the newest addition to the applicator platform for the CoolSculpting System. Designed for enhanced fit and tissue draw, the anatomically curved shape of the CoolCurve+ applicator allows physicians to treat a multitude of body shapes. CoolSculpting is a non-surgical, clinically proven procedure that selectively reduces fat bulges in problem areas using a patented cooling technology.

WHAT:

WHEN:

Saturday, October 13, 2012, 8:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 8:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:

About ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc.

ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. (ZLTQ) is a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology platform. ZELTIQs first commercial product, the CoolSculpting System, is designed to selectively reduce stubborn fat bulges that may not respond to diet or exercise. CoolSculpting is based on the scientific principle that fat cells are more sensitive to cold than the overlying skin and surrounding tissues. CoolSculpting utilizes patented technology of precisely controlled cooling to reduce the temperature of fat cells in the treated area, which is intended to cause fat cell elimination through a natural biological process known as apoptosis. ZELTIQ developed CoolSculpting to safely, noticeably, and measurably reduce the fat layer within a treated fat bulge without requiring the patient to diet or exercise.

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ZELTIQ® Aesthetics to Highlight New CoolCurve+™ Applicator at EMAA 2012

More Than Skin Deep: Our New Free eBook on Drawing Anatomy

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

Knowledge of anatomy is essential for artists who want their figures to appear realistic and natural. But we are not surgeons or medical professionals! Artists are not, and should not be, slaves to anatomical correctness.

Author Dan Gheno discusses resources he's used for drawing anatomy, plus methods of practice that will allow you to integrate it into your art in ways that make sense and aren't a hindrance to what you want to do. That includes what to focus on when you are life sketching, why sculptural corch is so helpful to artists, and what Old Master anatomy drawings are worth a good, long look.

Anatomy isn't magic. It just takes a willingness to pursue the subject and a little bit of memorization to start to make headway with it. With your free eBook, Human Anatomy Drawing for Artists: An Art Lesson on Studying & Drawing Anatomy, you'll get the guidance you may have been missing and more than a few ideas on how to make inroads with anatomy drawing as an artist. Download your copy now!

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More Than Skin Deep: Our New Free eBook on Drawing Anatomy

Quantam research will yield 'super-computers': Nobel winner

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

David Wineland has cautioned that such a super-computer was still a "long, long way" off.

AFP Wednesday, Oct 10, 2012

WASHINGTON - David Wineland, who won Tuesday the Nobel Prize for work in quantum physics with Serge Haroche of France, said our limited computers will "eventually" give way to super-fast, revolutionary ones.

The pair, both 68, were honoured for pioneering optical experiments in "measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems," the Nobel Physics jury said in its citation.

"Most science progresses very slowly," Wineland told AFP.

"On the computing side, we are able to think about applying these quantum systems to solve other problems that we try to do on computer now but our computers are limited.

"It has not happened yet and I am not even sure it will happen in the next decade, but I think it will eventually happen using quantum principles to make a quantum computer that will actually have applications."

In a pre-dawn phone interview recorded and posted on the Nobel committee website earlier, Wineland cautioned that such a super-computer was still a "long, long way" off.

Today's computers use a binary code, in which data is stored in a bit that could be either zero or one.

But in superposition, a quantum bit, known as a qubit, could be either zero or one, or both zero and one at the same time.

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Quantam research will yield 'super-computers': Nobel winner

Safety results of intra-arterial stem cell clinical trial for stroke presented

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Mann Lake deborah.m.lake@uth.tmc.edu University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

HOUSTON (Oct. 11, 2012) Early results of a Phase II intra-arterial stem cell trial for ischemic stroke showed no adverse events associated with the first 10 patients, allowing investigators to expand the study to a targeted total of 100 patients.

The results were presented today by Sean Savitz, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Stroke Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), at the 8th World Stroke Congress in Brasilia, Brazil.

The trial is the only randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intra-arterial clinical trial in the world for ischemic stroke. It is studying the safety and efficacy of a regenerative therapy developed by Aldagen Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cytomedix, Inc., that uses a patient's own bone marrow stem cells, which can be administered between 13 and 19 days post-stroke.

The therapy, called ALD-401, consists of stem cells that are identified using Aldagen's proprietary technology to isolate cells that express high levels of an enzyme that serves as a marker of stem cells. Pre-clinical studies found that these cells enhance recovery after stroke in mice. The cells are administered into the carotid artery. Patients are followed for 12 months to monitor safety and to assess mental and physical function.

"We have been approved by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to move the study into the next phase, which will allow us to expand the number of sites in order to complete enrollment," said Savitz, senior investigator for the multi-center study. As per the protocol for the trial, the Food and Drug Administration required a review by the DSMB prior to advancing to the next phase.

Preclinical research, including research at the UTHealth Medical School, has suggested that stem cells can promote the repair of the brain after an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to 2008 statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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For patient information about the intra-arterial stem cell clinical trial for stroke, call 713-500-7183 or email jennifer.m.garrett@uth.tmc.edu.

Extra: Bill wants America to get spiritual – Video

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

10-10-2012 12:26 Bill Press looks at a new survey on religion that shows 20 percent of Americans have no religion and 80 percent claim to go to church regularly. He wants to know, "If we are such Godly people, why are we so gung-ho for war?" Bill says that maybe America needs less religion and more spirituality. Every weekday morning on Current TV at 6e/3p

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Extra: Bill wants America to get spiritual - Video

Alanis Morissette on "well being / spirituality" (featuring "edge of evolution") – Video

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

11-10-2012 15:14 Share with 5 friends to unlock a special bonus webisode! Alanis talks about the topic of well being and spirituality. This webisode features the song "edge of evolution" from her new album "havoc and bright lights", in stores now. Buy "havoc and bright lights on iTunes: Buy "havoc and bright lights on Amazon: Get Alanis' exclusive "havoc and bright lights" Tour Bundle which includes the CD, t-shirt and candle, and an instant MP3 download of the album! http

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Alanis Morissette on "well being / spirituality" (featuring "edge of evolution") - Video

'Intuitives, spiritual medium to be among psychics at Oct. 20 fundraiser

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

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Intuitives: Tom and Nancy Foley will join 12 other psychics at Theatre One's fundraiser, a psychic fair, on Oct. 20.

MIDDLEBORO Intuitives Tom and Nancy Foley with medium Deb Wallace join 12 other psychics at Theatre One Productions' psychic fair fundraiser on Saturday Oct. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at the VFW Hall, 12 Station St.

Husband and wife intuitives Tom and Nancy Foley and spiritual medium Deborah Wallace will use their gifts to benefit Theatre One Productions, a non- profit theatre company established in 1982.

"Tom and Nancy's objective is to help you discover, through insight and symbolic imagery, the answers hidden in the collective unconscious," said a spokesperson. "Through their accurate psychic guidance, intuitive tarot readings, and spot on astrological consultations, you will gain awareness that brings personal enlightenment and a richer understanding of your life."

Deb Wallace, a spiritual medium, has studied with world renowned spirit artist Rev. Rita Berkowitz.

"Deb's intent is to empower others to heal themselves by discovering the special gifts they too possess," said the spokesperson. "Her reading sessions assist many who are feeling overwhelmed, confused, disconnected and simply need a bit of guidance to get back on track. Meet Tom, Nancy, Deb and 12 other gifted psychics while supporting theatre."

There is a cover charge of $2 and all 15-minute readings are $20. Everyone is encouraged to "join the fun with Theatre One, where we encourage people of all ages, to get into the 'act.'"

For more information, call 508-947-7716 or 617-840-1490.

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'Intuitives, spiritual medium to be among psychics at Oct. 20 fundraiser

Dragon capsule reaches space station, chocolate ripple ice cream intact

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

SpaceX's Dragon capsule delivered cargo including a little ice cream to the International Space Station Wednesday, confirming that a new era for NASA has finally been realized.

The International Space Station welcomed its first commercial resupply mission Wednesday with the arrival of Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon capsule.

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Dragon is laden with scientific gear, replacement parts for the space station, and a welcome shipment of chocolate ripple ice cream stashed in an otherwise empty lab freezer the capsule carried up.

The capsule, which launched Sunday night atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, reached the orbiting outpost about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Using the station's robotic arm, Akihiki Hoshide, a station flight engineer, snagged Dragon at 7:56 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. A little over an hour later, Dragon was safely docked with the station.

"Looks like we've tamed the dragon," said station commander Sunita Williams when the arm initially captured the capsule.

"We're happy she's on board with us," she said, adding a special shout-out for the ice cream.

The mission marks an important milestone for NASA along a path first set out under the Bush administration and confirmed by President Obama. After the space shuttle Columbia disaster in February 2003, NASA has pivoted to focus on sending humans beyond low-Earth orbit, while it has steered the job of ferrying supplies and astronauts to the space station to private companies.

The effort to carry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit took a step forward in August, when NASA announced agreements worth a combined $1.1 billion to help SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada Corporation develop such capabilities. But Dragon's arrival at the space station Wednesday the first flight under a 12-flight, $1.6-billion contract shows that the goal of bringing commercial carriers into the station resupply business is now being realized.

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Dragon capsule reaches space station, chocolate ripple ice cream intact

NASA rover Curiosity finds a rock not seen before on Mars

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

Using a laser and X-rays, the NASA rover Curiosity identified a rock named Jake as a form of basalt, similar to volcanic rocks found in ocean-island settings on Earth.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has indentified a type of rock scientists have never seen on Mars before, but it's one familiar to geologists on Earth.

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The Martian rock, a form of basalt, has a composition very similar to volcanic rocks found in ocean-island settings such as Hawaii and the Azores, as well as in rift zones regions where Earth's continents split and begin separating into separate land masses.

The rock, named Jake Matijevic for a key member of the rover engineering team who passed away shortly after Curiosity arrived on the red planet, can form in a number of ways, says Edward Stolper, provost of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a member of Curiosity's science team.

On Earth, this kind of rock forms as magma cools and crystallizes under relatively high pressure and with relatively high concentrations of water dissolved in the magma, he explains, adding that when the molten leftovers erupt, they tend to erupt explosively.

The release, during volcanic eruptions, of water dissolved in magma is one pathway for water vapor a greenhouse gas to enrich and warm a planet's atmosphere. Indeed, Curiosity's mission aims to see if Gale Crater ever could have hosted microbial life a prospect that would have required the presence of liquid water in the crater.

On Mars, the process that formed Jake is unclear.

"We have one rock," Dr. Stolper said at a briefing Thursday. Sitting on the floor of Gale Crater, where fine soils and layered, sedimentary rocks seem to be the norm, Jake appears to be an interloper, removed from its original geologic setting.

NASA rover Curiosity finds a rock not seen before on Mars

NASA rover Curiosity finds a rock not seen before on Mars (+video)

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

Using a laser and X-rays, the NASA rover Curiosity identified a rock named Jake as a form of basalt, similar to volcanic rocks found in ocean-island settings on Earth.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has indentified a type of rock scientists have never seen on Mars before, but it's one familiar to geologists on Earth.

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On Mars, the process that formed Jake is unclear.

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NASA rover Curiosity finds a rock not seen before on Mars (+video)

NASA and IHMC Develop Robotic Exoskeleton for Space and Possible Use on Earth

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

A new robotic space technology spinoff derived from NASA's Robonaut 2 project someday may help astronauts stay healthier in space and aid paraplegics in walking here on Earth. Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space, currently is working with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

NASA and The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) of Pensacola, Fla., with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, have jointly developed a robotic exoskeleton called X1. The 57-pound device is a robot that a human could wear over his or her body either to assist or inhibit movement in leg joints.

In the inhibit mode, the robotic device would be used as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement. The same technology could be used in reverse on the ground, potentially helping some individuals walk for the first time.

"Robotics is playing a key role aboard the International Space Station and will be critical in our future human exploration of deep space," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program."What's extraordinary about space technology and our work with projects like Robonaut are the unexpected possibilities space tech spinoffs may have right here on Earth. It's exciting to see a NASA-developed technology might one day help people with serious ambulatory needs to begin to walk again, or even walk for the first time. That's the sort of return on investment NASA is proud to give back to America and the world."

Worn over the legs with a harness that reaches up the back and around the shoulders, X1 has 10 degrees of freedom, or joints -- four motorized joints at the hips and the knees, and six passive joints that allow for sidestepping, turning and pointing, and flexing a foot. There also are multiple adjustment points, allowing the X1 to be used in many different ways.

X1 currently is in a research and development phase, where the primary focus is development, evaluation and improvement of the technology. NASA is examining the potential for the X1 as an exercise device to improve crew health both aboard the space station and during future long-duration missions to an asteroid or Mars. Without taking up valuable space or weight during missions, X1 could replicate common crew exercises, which are vital to keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. In addition, the device has the ability to measure, record and stream back in real-time data to flight controllers on Earth, giving doctors better insight into the crew's exercise.

X1 also could provide a robotic power boost to astronauts as they work on the surface of distant planetary bodies. Coupled with a spacesuit, X1 could provide additional force when needed during surface exploration, providing even more bang for its small bulk.

Here on Earth, IHMC is interested in developing and using X1 as an assistive walking device. Using NASA technology and walking algorithms developed at IHMC, X1 has the potential to produce high torques to allow for assisted walking over varied terrain, as well as stair climbing. Preliminary studies using X1 for this purpose have already started at IHMC.

"We greatly value our collaboration with NASA," said Ken Ford, IHMC's director and CEO. "The X1's high-performance capabilities will enable IHMC to continue performing cutting-edge research in mobility assistance and expand into rehabilitation."

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NASA and IHMC Develop Robotic Exoskeleton for Space and Possible Use on Earth

NASA Social Media Event To Celebrate The Final Journey of Atlantis

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Danzig

NASA and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will invite 28 of their social media followers to a two-day NASA Social Nov. 1-2 in Florida. The event will commemorate the move of space shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to its final destination for permanent display at the center's visitor complex. Parts of the social will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Atlantis will make the 10-mile rolling journey Nov. 2 atop a 76-wheel flatbed vehicle called the Orbiter Transportation System. The move will conclude at Atlantis' new permanent home, which is under construction. The exhibit is set to open during the summer of 2013.

During the NASA Social, people who engage with NASA through Twitter, Facebook and Google+ will have an opportunity for a special "hard hat tour" of the new Atlantis exhibit building and to witness the arrival of Atlantis at Space Florida's Exploration Park. Participants will speak with experts from NASA's human spaceflight and commercial programs, tour NASA facilities, see featured spaceflight hardware from the past, present and future, and listen to presentations honoring the Space Shuttle Program. Guests also will be able to interact with fellow NASA social media followers, space enthusiasts and members of NASA's social media team.

The NASA Social registration opens at noon EDT, Monday, Oct. 15, and closes at noon EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 17. Twenty-eight participants will be selected randomly from online registrations. Because of limited space, those selected to attend may not bring a guest. Each participant must be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older.

NASA Social Media Event To Celebrate The Final Journey of Atlantis

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