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A Health Care Mandate That Might Not Matter - Economic Scene
CARLSBAD, Calif., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) today announced it has partnered with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to advance pediatric genomic research on the Ion Proton Sequencer. Under the agreement, the semiconductor-based platform will be the primary instrument on which multiple clinical research samples will be mapped daily on four sequencers in the hospital's newly launched Centre for Genetic Medicine.
SickKids and Life Technologies will collaborate on developing sequencing workflows and protocols for the Ion Proton System that are tailored for studies of interest to researchers in the Centre. The first collaborative project will focus on sequencing clinical research samples to better understand the genetics behind autism, with a long-term goal to sequence up to 10,000 genomes per year to study various diseases in children.
"The perfect storm of unparalleled advances in genome sequencing technology and information science, and a captivated hospital striving for new ways to move forward in medical treatment, bring us to this important day," says the new Centre's Co-Director, Dr. Stephen Scherer, who also leads The Centre for Applied Genomics at SickKids and the University of Toronto's McLaughlin Centre. "We are very excited to work with Life Technologies to enhance our sequencing capabilities, such that 'genomic surveillance' may soon become the first line of investigation in all clinical research studies ongoing at our institution."
"Since the first published draft sequence of the human genome, our knowledge in genetics has exponentially increased," says Dr. Ronald Cohn, Co-Director of the SickKids Centre for Genetic Medicine. "With the help of this new technology, we will be able to further deepen our understanding of the genetic basis of human disease and translate this directly into daily clinical practice. We have finally reached a point, where individualized medicine is not just a theoretical concept, but will become an integral part of clinical care and management."
The Ion Proton Sequencer is designed to sequence an entire human genome in a day for $1,000. Unlike traditional next generation systems, it relies on semiconductor chips to map human exomes and genomes, making it much faster and less expensive to analyze DNA at unprecedented throughput levels and generate accurate sequencing data.
The Ion Proton Systemis based on the same proven technology as its predecessor, the Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM), which is designed for sequencing small genomes or sets of genes. Combined with Life Technologies' AmpliSeq targeted sequencing technology, researchers can sequence panels of genes associated with disease on the PGM or exomes and genomes on the Ion Proton Sequencer in just a few hours.
"SickKids has a rich history of being at the forefront of pediatric medicine and we are pleased that its leaders have chosen the Ion Proton Sequencer as the Centre's primary technology to push the boundaries of genomics," said Mark Stevenson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Life Technologies. "Ion semiconductor technology's speed, simplicity and scalability are democratizing sequencing, and it will now be applied in disease research to benefit children."
The above mentioned technology is for research use only and not intended for human diagnostic or therapeutic use.
About Life Technologies Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) is a global biotechnology company with customers in more than 160 countries using its innovative solutions to solve some of today's most difficult scientific challenges. Quality and innovation are accessible to every lab with its reliable and easy-to-use solutions spanning the biological spectrum with more than 50,000 products for translational research, molecular medicine and diagnostics, stem cell-based therapies, forensics, food safety and animal health. Its systems, reagents and consumables represent some of the most cited brands in scientific research including: Ion Torrent, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, GIBCO, Ambion, Molecular Probes, Novex, and TaqMan. Life Technologies employs approximately 10,400 people and upholds its ongoing commitment to innovation with more than 4,000 patents and exclusive licenses. LIFE had sales of $3.7 billion in 2011. Visit us at our website: http://www.lifetechnologies.com.
Life Technologies' Safe Harbor StatementThis press release includes forward-looking statements about our anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and Life Technologies' plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words "believe," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "target," "estimate," "expect" and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions ("will," "may," "could," "should," etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made byLife Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Life Technologies undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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Psychiatrists often try two or more medications in a patient suffering with major depression before settling on the one that seems to work best for that individual. Sometimes, after several are tried and abandoned, two (or even three) are used in combination.
Medication selection is part of the art of psychiatry, but, now, testing is available that promises to make it more of a science. A company called AssureRx Health now offers what it calls GeneSightRxpharmacogenomic laboratory testing that helps identify which antidepressants are a good match for a persons genetic makeup, and which are not so good a match.
Sometimes, the testing reveals why three or four antidepressants havent worked for a patient, while pointing in the direction of one that might.
This is extremely good news, because psychiatrists have several different kinds of antidepressants to choose fromsome which increase the activity of the brain chemical messenger serotonin, some which increase the activity of the brain chemical messenger norepinephrine and some which increase both. And they do so by varying mechanisms, requiring the activity of different enzymes.
The technology behind GeneSightRx actually determines which genetic variantsin terms of the enzymes that are activated by antidepressantsa person possesses.
Different antidepressants affect the enzymes very differently. Hence, the testing can literally predict with some accuracy which antidepressants are likely to work in a particular person, and which are likely to cause the fewest side effects.
Recent studies have revealed that antidepressants dont work much better than placebo medications (sugar pills) for many patients. But those studies werent conducted by first selecting patients who are more likely (as determined by GeneSightRx) to respond to the particular medicine being studied.
Its very possible that patients given medications suggested by such testing would do far better than those given placebosbecause they arent being lumped together and given one medicine, regardless of their individual genetic makeup.
Moreover, since many patients discontinue their antidepressants due to side effects like sexual dysfunction and sleeplessness, choosing a medication that is metabolically and genetically less likely to cause these and other side effects makes good sense.
GeneSightRx also predicts which ADHD medications, antipsychotics and pain medications patients are likely to respond to and from which they are likely to experience fewer side effects.
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By Cindy Mindell ~
WEST HARTFORD Its not often that philanthropic donors to a medical cause can see their money pushing researchers over the finish line. But those helping to fund efforts to cure Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD) Type 1a may soon become the rare exception. Last month, A Cure for Sure raised $470,000 toward the $2 million needed to get FDA approval on new gene therapy that has already cured GSD-stricken dogs. The fundraiser was organized and chaired by Gayle and Steve Temkin, and Regan and Barry Stein, two West Hartford couples whose children have the disease. GSD is an inherited disorder caused by the buildup of a complex sugar, glycogen, in the bodys cells. The accumulation of glycogen in certain organs and tissues, especially the liver, kidneys, and small intestines, impairs their ability to function normally. The disease was almost universally fatal until 1971, when the first effective therapy edible cornstarch was discovered. When treated properly, patients are healthy, but inadequate treatment may result in permanent neurologic damage, seizures, or even death.
Dr. David Weinstein
Dr. David Weinstein treats 400 of the estimated 1,100 people afflicted with this type of GSD throughout the world, mostly Jewish. In 2005, he left Harvard Medical School and Boston Childrens Hospital to create the University of Florida Glycogen Storage Disease Program in Gainsville, where he could perform gene therapy on dogs born with GSD. Since then, Weinstein and his research team have cured 10 dogs of the disease at what is the worlds largest clinical and research program for glycogen storage diseases. When the Temkins first brought their daughter, Alyssa, to Weinstein six years ago for lifesaving treatment, she was 15 months old and the doctor had cured one dog. The Temkins went on to establish the Alyssas Angel Fund, which funds travel and treatment for other families with children who have GSD. Every Labor Day weekend for the last three years, the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford Family Room Parenting Center has sponsored the Big Wheel Derby fundraiser to benefit the fund. Last year, before the event, Weinstein came to West Hartford and met with the Temkins and Steins. We would do anything in our power to support David, says Gayle Temkin. He told us that he needed $2 million to take the gene therapy to the FDA and start human trials. Why couldnt we at least start the fundraising for him? I felt that if I didnt work hard to find a cure and make the effort public, nobody would ever know about it. The Steins approached Alan and Marcia Lazowski, whose son is best friends with their son. According to Temkin, Alan told them, Ive been waiting for an opportunity to help you, and agreed to host a fundraising event. In the wake of A Cure for Sure, the $250,000 goal was nearly doubled by donations from Greater Hartford and Chicago, where the Temkins and Steins hope to organize another fundraiser. People are really feeling that this is the first time ever that theyre part of a cure, Gayle says. For me as a parent, its amazing to be able to say that. Human trials of Weinsteins gene therapy are slated to begin in 2013. For the Temkins, that goal is critical, as Alyssa is the only identified person with GSD who cannot tolerate the cornstarch therapy. But as plans for the fourth annual Big Wheel Derby start to take shape, the fundraiser is infused with new hope and energy, Gayle says. Whats so special now about Alyssas Angel Fund is that, once the cure happens, we can help families without insurance to get the gene therapy. Most of the dogs in Weinsteins program receive two intravenous treatments, at $15,000 each; human subjects will undergo both IV and surgical procedures. So right now, pushing for Alyssas Angel Fund is as important as pushing for A Cure for Sure, she says.
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Close to a cure: Greater Hartford takes on rare Jewish genetic disease
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
bluebird bio, a leader in the development of innovative gene therapies for severe genetic disorders, announced today that both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have granted an orphan drug designation to its investigational gene therapy product for the treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The product consists of the patients own CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells transduced with bluebird bios lentiviral vector, Lenti-D, encoding the human ABCD1 cDNA. Based on promising early clinical proof of concept results, bluebird bio plans to initiate a Phase 2/3 clinical study in childhood cerebral ALD in both the United States and Europe in 2013.
Receiving orphan drug designation is a positive step forward in our efforts to bring hope to ALD patients and their families, said David Davidson, M.D., chief medical officer of bluebird bio. We believe our lentiviral technology has the potential to be a one-time transformative therapy for patients suffering from rare genetic disorders like ALD for whom there are limited treatment options. bluebird is committed to advancing the clinical and commercial development of our gene therapy platform because of the dramatic benefit it may have on the lives of patients.
Orphan drug designation, which is intended to facilitate drug development for rare diseases, provides substantial benefits to the sponsor, including the potential for funding for certain clinical studies, study-design assistance, and several years of market exclusivity for the product upon regulatory approval.
About ALD
Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare X-linked, inherited neurological disorder that, in its most severe form, causes damage to the myelin sheath (an insulating layer of membranes that surrounds nerve cells in the brain) and progressive dysfunction of the adrenal glands. Also known as Lorenzo's Oil disease, ALD is estimated to affect one in every 21,000 boys worldwide. In the childhood cerebral form (CCALD), symptoms usually occur between the ages of 4 and 10. Boys afflicted with this form of ALD develop normally until the onset of symptoms. The symptoms of this disorder often progress rapidly and, in a matter of years, can lead to a vegetative state and, ultimately, death. Current treatment options are limited to allogeneic stem cell transplantation when there is an appropriate donor. Allogeneic transplants carry a significant risk of serious morbidity and death.
About bluebird bio's CCALD Product Development
bluebird bios CCALD product program has the potential to halt the progression of CCALD by providing a functional ABCD1 gene to the patients own stem cells. These stem cells proliferate, and some of the progeny cells travel to the brain where they become microglial cells incorporating the corrective gene. Data from the first clinical study treating X-linked CCALD patients with the companys lentiviral gene therapy product demonstrated continued stable expression of the transgene and the corresponding ABCD-1 protein for over four years in two CCALD patients, resulting in prolonged disease stabilization. bluebird bio plans to initiate a Phase 2/3 clinical study in CCALD in both the United States and Europe in 2013.
About bluebird bio
bluebird bio is developing innovative gene therapies for severe genetic disorders. At the heart of bluebird bios product creation efforts is its broadly applicable gene therapy platform for the development of novel treatments for diseases with few or no clinical options. The companys novel approach uses stem cells harvested from the patients own bone marrow into which a healthy version of the disease causing gene is inserted. bluebird bios approach represents a true paradigm shift in the treatment of severe genetic diseases by eliminating the potential complications associated with donor cell transplantation and presenting a one-time potentially transformative therapy using a patients own stem cells. bluebird bio has two later stage clinical products in development for childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CCALD) and beta-thalassemia/sickle cell anemia. Led by a world-class team, bluebird bio is privately held and backed by top-tier life sciences investors, including Third Rock Ventures, TVM Capital, ARCH Venture Partners, Forbion Capital Partners, Easton Capital and Genzyme Ventures. Its operations are located in Cambridge, Mass. and Paris, France. For more information, please visit http://www.bluebirdbio.com.
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Ariha Setalvad, a native of Mumbai studying at New York University, writes that her dreams of unlimited freedom were brought to earth by the realization that "real life isn't set to music."
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The 'Heady Rush' of Freedom in College, and How to Manage It
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Swedish Skin Care's RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors (ICMAD) seventh annual Cosmetic Innovators of the Year (CITY) Awards.
Swedish Skin Care's RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women was one of three finalists under the Members' Choice: Bath, Body & Hair category. A total of 35 beauty brands were selected by a panel of industry experts, who voted on finalists based on innovative products, packaging, and advertising/marketing concepts from 2011. There are 14 award categories.
The ICMAD CITY Awards Ceremony takes place at the Manhattan Penthouse in New York, NY on June 20.
"Making the list of finalists is a huge honor for our product and company," explained Swedish Skin Care CEO Bengt Johansson. "Our goal was to create a product specifically for women that not only was highly effective for all post hair-removal skin symptoms, but also provided exceptional hydration, a healthy-looking glow and ease of use. We are thrilled to have succeeded."
About RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women
Doctor developed in Sweden, this patented, triple-action formula is (the company believes) the first treatment of its kind formulated exclusively for women and their specific post hair-removal skin needs. Boosted with rejuvenating vitamin C, soothing chamomile and deeply calming Gorgonian Extract from the Caribbean Sea, the product is not limited to razor burn symptoms. It works well after waxing, electrolysis, threading, tweezing and laser hair removal on both face and body.
RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women is paraben and fragrance free. It is offered in a 3.38 fl oz / 100 ml pump spray bottle with a suggested retail price of $30 and is available at http://www.SwedishSkinCare.com. The company includes a 60-day satisfaction guarantee. For more information contact Swedish Skin Care at info@SwedishSkinCare.com or call 888.658.7546 (SKIN).
Media Contact: Bengt Johansson, 888.658.7546, info@SwedishSkinCare.com
This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.
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Swedish Skin Care's Razor Burn Freedom for Women is Finalist in ICMAD's 2012 CITY Awards
Enlarge David Redfern/Redferns
Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music.
Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music.
Today, June 19, is a holiday known as Juneteenth the oldest commemoration of slavery's end. Though the Emancipation Proclamation declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states on Jan. 1, 1863, it was only on June 19, 1865 (months after Confederate forces had surrendered) that Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, to spread news of the war's end, and to enforce the proclamation in Texas. The date has since been noted in Texas and across the country as a celebration of African-American freedom and history, especially since the Civil Rights movement.
Jazz has always been one of the most important musical narratives of the African-American journey toward freedom in America. Emancipation did not mean equality for ex-slaves, and jazz, an art form most literally based on the principles of freedom, has often documented the ongoing pursuit. Indeed, this year jazz musicians and educators Dr. Ronald Myers and Dr. Larry Ridley are illuminating African-American history within jazz by organizing a national Juneteenth jazz concert series.
Earlier this year, I spoke with pianist Jason Moran and bassist Christian McBride about how the "message in the music" charged social movements across the country. Artists such as Nina Simone, Sonny Rollins and Charles Mingus anchored our discussions of what it meant to use one's craft as a means to evoke change, and what it means to be part of a continuum toward total emancipation. See what they and their fellow jazz luminaries have to impart: Here are five recordings, picked by five musicians, which represent the triumphs and tribulations within the freedom struggle.
"I showed 45 minutes of [an episode of the PBS series] Eyes on the Prize [to my students]. It was the episode when they discuss the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas and Governor Faubus and ... how crazy he was. After watching it and listening to Mingus' song, a student said, 'Well, now it makes a lot more sense.' This is an entire segment of the population whose life was dealing with stuff like this. And we're just watching an edited excerpt of people's everyday lives. Everything is not just about a chord or a melody ... it wasn't about that. It was therapy. People were using the music as therapy." --Jason Moran, pianist
Click here for more from this interview.
"Duke [Ellington] was always somehow able to express and convey the feelings of black folk without being angry. You could feel the sadness, pain, angst, but it was always done through this filter, this lens of triumph in the end ... or hope. I think that's what separated Duke from the rest of the pack. [On] this album specifically, you've got Mahalia Jackson, and these are two titans, arguably at the peak of their powers, collaborating together. When you talk about fusion, I can think of no greater example of one of the earliest collaborations of jazz and gospel." --Christian McBride, bassist
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Once you enter a private workplace, freedom of speech protections technically go out the windowwhether you are a business owner or employee. However, your employees can, and will still voice their opinions on everything from President Obamas stance on immigration to the L.A. Kings Stanley Cup victory.
So as a business owner, how do you strike the right balance of expression and protection for your workers and your company?
Carolyn Hughes, vice president of People for SimplyHired.com, said the rule of thumb for her company is that the minute a persons freedom of speech becomes offensive to others in the workplace, it must be curbed.
At that moment you have crossed the line, Hughes said. And your response should be more values-driven than rules-driven.
That being said, an employers response to this issue should be to address complaints or actions in a way that speaks to your companys values. Its not necessarily having set rules in place about what can and cannot be said or done in your business.
We have respectful workplace policies, Hughes said. We expect all employees to use their best judgment.
When a worker does violate this policy, Hughes said the result rarely ends in that person being terminated. Stepping in to discuss the violation is a common practice and good protection for your business in terms of harassment lawsuits, she said. This respectful workplace policy should be outlined in your employee handbook, and distributed to workers on day one of their employment.
Polly Wright, senior consultant for HR Consultants, Inc., said its important to allow your own views as well as those of your employees to creep into your companys culture. The smaller a company is, the more flexibility it has in terms of establishing a culture.
This can even contribute to your employees understanding of the value of the organization, Wright said. But there is a difference between expressing your opinions, and forcing those opinions on someone else.
Both business owners and employees should gauge their behavior and expressions on those around them, Wright said. See if others are expressing themselves similarly, and also consider your colleagues reactions.
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18-06-2012 01:54 Eco system pond koi pond water garden fish pond low maintenance koi pond how to koi pond fish pond various examples of affordable water features affordable pondless waterfalls fountainscapes eco system water gardens small water features water scapes
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Get Your Feet Wet with http://www.socalpondpros.com The Pond Go-To-Guys - Video
Corporations and organizations fell over one another to stake out the most desirable real estate in cyberspace when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers opened up the Internet's naming system for new additions in January. The scramble for new top-level generic domain names — these are the letters such as "com" or "org" that follow the last dot in an Internet address — only ...
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Science fiction robots tend to come from one of two production lines: helpful protocol droids like C-3PO or cyborg Terminators hell-bent on destroying humanity. Few sci-fi storytellers imagined a future where robots would be programmed to master the art of interior decorating. Fortunately for the design-challenged, present-day roboticists have.
RoboFold
For decades, robots have shaped material for cars. Furniture is next. Photo: RoboFold
RoboFold robots treat steel like large origami pieces, bending them into a shape fit for a living room. What does it take to become a furniture-designing robot? A multi-ton arm that can manipulate a 200-pound sheet of materialoh, and a folded-metal-enthusiast creator. That doesnt hurt either.
British designer and RoboFold founder Gregory Epps spent the last decade obsessing about bending metals. He even completed a masters degree at the Royal College of Art that focused on the tools and algorithms that would best shape the material. All the training and tinkering paid off.
Folded designs cut down on material waste. Photo: RoboFold
With RoboFold, designers can fill a room with rippling metal sculptures or futuristic furniture that would be nearly impossible to make by hand or too costly with traditional production processes. Designers just specify their preferred shape via Rhino CAD and the bot jumps into action, carefully working the material into anything from a fashionable coffee table to an angular building facade.
Artaic Mosaics
This is not a photo. It's a robot-made mosaic. Photo: Artaic
Ted Acworth is working to revitalize a craft from the Romanswith robots. His company, Artaic, designs bots that are skilled in the art of mosaic making. Inspired by the pick and place bots used in electronics manufacturing, Acworths clan painstakingly assembles tile images fit for a high-end wash room or the bottom of a rockstars pool.
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Interior-Decorating Androids, Coming to a Living Room Near You
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 11:16 EST, 19 June 2012 | UPDATED: 11:16 EST, 19 June 2012
The kinds of drones making the headlines daily are the heavily armed CIA and U.S. Army vehicles which routinely strike targets in Pakistan - killing terrorists and innocents alike.
But the real high-tech story of surveillance drones is going on at a much smaller level, as tiny remote controlled vehicles based on insects are already likely being deployed.
Over recent years a range of miniature drones, or micro air vehicles (MAVs), based on the same physics used by flying insects, have been presented to the public.
The fear kicked off in 2007 when reports of bizarre flying objects hovering above anti-war protests sparked accusations that the U.S. government was accused of secretly developing robotic insect spies.
Fingertip: The US Air Force unveiled insect-sized spies 'as tiny as bumblebees' that could not be detected and would be able to fly into buildings
Official denials and suggestions from entomologists that they were actually dragonflies failed to quell speculation, and Tom Ehrhard, a retired Air Force colonel and expert on unmanned aerial craft, told the Daily Telegraph at the time that 'America can be pretty sneaky.'
The following year, the US Air Force unveiled insect-sized spies 'as tiny as bumblebees' that could not be detected and would be able to fly into buildings to 'photograph, record, and even attack insurgents and terrorists.'
Around the same time the Air Force also unveiled what it called 'lethal mini-drones' based on Leonardo da Vinci's blueprints for his Ornithopter flying machine, and claimed they would be ready for roll out by 2015.
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Is that really just a fly? Swarms of cyborg insect drones are the future of military surveillance
At the end of a hard days sunbathing, you can refresh yourself with a cocktail at Kaptensgatan or an aperitif at Da Aldo, an ice-cream parlour and caf.
Aldo himself will tell you how he arrived in Sweden in 1996 with a single suitcase containing his precious ice-cream-making equipment. Its not just his ice creams for which he is famed either theres his coffee too as four years later he was named the countrys best barista.
More recently he moved his gelateria to the coast where the clientele could appreciate what I wanted to do. You dont have to be Wallander to work out that he means people who can pay top whack, but what else would you expect from the place they call the Swedish Riviera?
If you find Falsterbo and neighbouring Skanr too sedate, then nearby Fotevikens is just the antidote. A convincing reconstruction of a 12th-century Viking settlement, this living museum comes with a large cast of fishermen, blacksmiths, weavers and warriors.
Another of the areas gems is amber. Large pieces regularly wash up around the peninsula, many of which have found their way into the small and fascinating amber museum at Kmpinge. The staff will also give you tips on the best places to go fossicking. I wasnt successful on my hunt, but never mind, there are few stretches of coast in northern Europe where a beachcombing expedition can make you feel like Robinson Crusoe.
What to avoid
Dont get stressed if theres a traffic jam on the way into town it will be because the bridge over the canal at Ljunghusen is up. It gives you time to admire the outdoor gallery of bronzes along the Hllviken waterfront.
Swedes tend to eat early, so the lunch buffet may be looking a little thin if you turn up at 2pm. Its also a good idea to book restaurants well in advance.
Confusion over the right name for this part of the world: the region is Skne (pronounced Scoh-nah), also translated in English as Scania, like the trucks. Sdersltt is the south-western corner of the province, and often appears on tourist brochures.
GETTING THERE
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BOSTON -- Tuesday, June 19 --In anticipation of this weeks high temperatures , Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Ed Lambert announced early lifeguard services at various DCR beaches and wading pools three days early beginning this Wednesday, June 20.
Lifeguard coverage will be available at these beaches on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday:
Boston:
Carson Beach in South Boston
Castle Island Beach in South Boston
Pleasure Bay Beach in South Boston
Artesani Wading Pool in Brighton
Ryan Wading Pool in Mattapan
North:
Nahant Beach Reservation (will have limited guarded areas)
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Looking for something a little unconventional to see this summer? Beaches don't always have to be white sand and still seas -- here, a look at ten unique alternatives.
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Ive been seeing more shots of the pink aurora from a couple of days ago, and they are all really pretty! I love pink; its why I got a phone cover that color.
Photographer Mark Ellis captured the magnificent magenta magnetic maelstrom from northern Minnesota, and made a lovely time lapse video of it:
Heres a photo he took that is actually part of the time lapse:
[Click to embiggen.]
Aurorae are formed when subatomic particles from the Sun slam into our atmosphere. Note the streamers; those are caused by the varying strength and direction of the Earths magnetic field as it channels the particles down. As I describe in the earlier article, the colors are from different types of atoms and molecules in the air. Oxygen atoms glow red and green, sodium atoms yellow, and nitrogen molecules produce red and blue-violet. The nitrogen colors can blend and form pink or magenta, which is what were seeing here. Mark got more green in his aurora than Brad Goldpaint did in his, but Brad was in Oregon, thousands of kilometers west of Mark, and so he was seeing different effects from the solar storm.
I suspect things will quiet down a bit now; the sunspot that unleashed this storm is being carried around to the other side of the Sun as our star rotates, and itll soon disappear from view [UPDATE: SDO posted a video of the sunspot rotating out of view.] But as always, the Sun is feisty, and another may appear any day. SpaceWeather.com always has the latest info, so check there for updates and keep alert for more aurorae!
Image credit: Mark Ellis, used by permission
Related Posts:
- Aurora, in the pink More photos and videos by Mark Ellis: - Paradise, above and below - Faith and begaurora - Superb time lapse: "My Soul"
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By Duncan Geere, Wired UK
Are you human or a machine? Prove it, by passing the Turing Test a test of the ability of a machine to exhibit intelligent behavior.
Turings original imitation game had nothing to do with artificial intelligence. It was a simple party game with three players a man, a woman, and a judge of either sex. The judge sits in a room apart from the man and woman, and has to guess which is which from nothing but written communication.
The standard interpretation of the Turing Test today, however, replaces one of the participants with a machine which has to imitate intelligence. In this case, the judge has to decide which of the pair is the person, and which is the machine. The computer is successful, and passes the test, if as Turing puts it the interrogator decide[s] wrongly as often when the game is played [with the computer] as he does when the game is played between a man and a woman.
Theres a bit of debate over whether the computer and the person are both supposed to try to trick the interrogator into making an incorrect decision or not. In the original imitation game, one of the pair tries to trick the judge while the other does not, meaning that both will be pretending to be the same gender. The common interpretation of the Turing Test today, however, is one of imitation rather than trickery.
One aspect of the test that Turing never made clear is whether the judge should know whether theres a computer in play at all. Serious attempts at passing the test would almost certainly require a double-blind control, where the judge repeats the experiment multiple times sometimes with a pair of humans, sometimes with the human and the computer, and sometimes with two computers.
While the Turing Test has been lauded for its simplicity and its ability to test across a wide range of intellectual tasks (natural language, reason, knowledge and learning can all be tested), it has also been criticized for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Turing Test doesnt directly test intelligence. Instead it merely tests how much a computer can behave like a human being.
Thats an important distinction because some human behavior is unintelligent, and there are plenty of intelligent behaviors that humans dont do. If, for example, a computer solved a mathematical problem that humans dont have the intellectual capability to do, then it wouldnt make it unintelligent but it would make it fail the Turing Test.
A second issue is that simulated intelligence isnt the same thing as real intelligence. A machine that can pass the Turing Test could just be following a large list of mechanical rules. As such, the Turing Test doesnt test whether a machine can genuinely think. The counter-argument to that is that humans could well just be following a large list of mechanical rules, and then youre deep into philosophy of consciousness and intentionality.
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LONDON, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Inmarsat (ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has appointed Miranda Mills as VP Aerospace for Global Xpress.
Based in Nyon, Switzerland, Mills will join the expanding Global Xpress team for Inmarsat's next generation Global Xpress programme, a service that will offer seamless global coverage and deliver unprecedented mobile broadband speeds of up to 50MB/s for users in the government, maritime, enterprise, energy and aeronautical sectors.
As VP for Aerospace, Mills will be responsible for developing all Global Xpress aeronautical services worldwide, building on Inmarsat's long presence in satellite-based aviation safety and operations communications with the proven Swift64 and SwiftBroadband services. Leading the Global Xpress aviation team, she will help exploit the business opportunities created by the unrivalled increase in airborne bandwidth that Global Xpress will deliver. She will oversee all aspects of the aerospace opportunity, including product and service delivery, partner selection and relations, and commercial issues.
In her previous position with Astrium, she had the dual role of Global Sales & Marketing Director and UK National Director for the Earth Observation, Navigation & Science (ENS) SatellitesDivision. Prior to this she spent 14 years with Airbus in various roles, including responsibility for Services Strategy & Business Development Head of the A320 Family Programme in the UK, and most recently VP Sales for South Asia. She holds an Aeronautical Engineering Degree and MBA.
Leo Mondale, Managing Director of the Global Xpress programme, comments:
"Miranda brings a wealth of experience, energy, and intelligence to Global Xpress. She has a unique understanding of the interplay between airlines, the aircraft and
equipment supply ecosystem, and the regulatory and competitive environments that are essential for helping aircraft operators deliver the next generation of in-flight connectivity."
He adds: "Her strong technical background in aircraft and satellites will facilitate the introduction of our unique, high bandwidth aviation services into the complex technological and regulatory aerospace environment.
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MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire -06/19/12)- Bombardier Aerospace today released its annual 20-year forecasts for the business and commercial aircraft markets during a pre-Farnborough media event, held at its headquarters in Dorval, Quebec, that was simultaneously webcast.
As the business and commercial aircraft markets continue to recover from the industry downturn, indicators are mixed, yet trending positively. New aircraft orders are supported by continued demand from developed markets and growth potential in emerging markets, which are forecasted to play an increasingly important role in the global aviation marketplace. Operators industry-wide remain focused on fleet optimization and aircraft efficiency as fuel prices and environmental concerns rise.
"We have built our leadership position in aviation by continuously pushing the boundaries of product development to better meet the needs of our customers, both those who operate our aircraft and those who use them as a mode of transportation," said Mairead Lavery, Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and Structured Finance, Bombardier Aerospace. "We will continue to deliver industry-leading mobility solutions, and we are positioning ourselves for a period of growth by pursuing our international expansion strategy to be closer to our customers in traditional and emerging markets."
Business Aircraft Market Forecast
Bombardier is confident in the strong, long-term potential of the business aircraft industry and forecasts a total of 24,000 business jet deliveries from 2012 to 2031 in all segments in which Bombardier competes(i), which represents approximately $648 billion US(ii) in industry revenues. The Bombardier Business Aircraft Market Forecast anticipates 9,800 aircraft deliveries, worth $266 billion US, from 2012 to 2021 and 14,200 deliveries, worth $382 billion US, from 2022 to 2031.
While the business aviation market continues to recover, current market indicators are mixed. Market confidence needs to be fully restored for industry business jet deliveries to increase strongly and enable the industry to realize its full potential. Deliveries are expected to lag order intake as manufacturers strive to maintain acceptable backlog levels, and business jet industry deliveries for 2012 are expected to be comparable to 2011. Bombardier believes business jet industry deliveries will return to sustained growth starting in 2013, with the Large aircraft category demonstrating the fastest growth.
Over the forecast period, Bombardier predicts that North America will receive the greatest number of new business jet deliveries between 2012 and 2031 with 9,500 aircraft, followed by Europe, with 3,920 aircraft. Notably, China will become the third largest market for business jet deliveries, with 2,420 deliveries from 2012 to 2031. Bombardier also expects key growth markets, including Brazil, India, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey, to receive a significant share of business jet deliveries during the next 20 years.
Through its investment in innovative transportation solutions, Bombardier continues to lead the evolution of the business aviation industry. New aircraft development programs, including the Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Learjet 85, Global 7000 and Global 8000 jets, position Bombardier for long-term market leadership, and the Company remains committed to the international expansion of its services portfolio to better meet the needs of its customers.
Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast
Bombardier Aerospace's 20-year view of the 20- to 149-seat commercial aircraft market calls for 12,800 deliveries from 2012 to 2031, generating over $630 billion US in sales revenue. This represents a decrease of 300 units (2.3 per cent) compared to last year's forecast, mainly due to a lower GDP forecast and a sharp increase in the forecasted oil price.
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