Red vs. Blue: Which team should you choose?

Posted on by

Red vs. Blue: Which Team Should You Choose?

[Jamie Madigan writes about the overlap between psychology and video games atwww.psychologyofgames.com. Follow him on Twitter@JamieMadiganor on Facebook.]

Chess may have its "black vs. white" color scheme, but for video games it's often "red vs. blue." It's the kind of matchup that you find in dozens of games once you go looking for it, whether it's the color of your avatar, the heads up display, or both. Sometimes you're randomly assigned to a team when you join, but other times you can choose. Is there any advantage to picking red? Or blue?

Yes. Well, maybe. A bit.

I just finished reading the book Drunk Tank Pink and Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behaveby Adam Alter. One chapter deals with how the color of a uniform can affect performance in a competitive sport. Alter cites a 2005 study that looked at Olympic athletes participating in one-on-one "combat sports" like boxing, tae kwon do, Greco-Roman wrestling, and freestyle wrestling. The rules of the Olympics stipulate that one competetor is randomly assigned a blue outfit while the other gets red. Thus it was a great opportunity for a natural experiment on the effects of uniform color on performance.

The researchers found that those wearing red uniforms won a statistically significantly larger portion of their matches:

Hill and Barton's theory (which is also Drunk Tank Pinkauthor Adam Alter's theory) is that throughout nature the color red is associated with heightened agression, dominance, and testosterone levels (think mating season and/or fighting season). Skin gets flushed and animals display the red bits of their bodies while engaging in dominant and aggressive behavior. I know; it sounds a bit far fetched in the context of humans participating in sports, but the idea is simply that wearing the color red primes competitors to think more about being particularly aggressive and dominating. That is, it makes thoughts about those concepts come to mind quicker and more easily. In sports like boxing or tae kwon do where agression makes you more competitive, this matters. Wearing red, the researchers argue, essentially makes it just a little easier for you to get pumped up and visualize the kind of behavior that wins bouts. And the competitor in blue might compound the effect by perceiving his/her red opponent as more intimidating or imposing. This might even all be subconscious. Probably is, in fact.

Read the original here:

Red vs. Blue: Which team should you choose?

Red Sox Notes: David Ortiz Too Old To Make Infield Shift Adjustments

Posted on by

David Ortiz turned heads Wednesday with some colorful language regarding one of Major League Baseballs new speed-up initiatives. The candid slugger wasnt happy when he learned batters must keep one foot in the box at all times this season.

Ortizs tirade wasnt the only bit of news at JetBlue Park. Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino and chairman Tom Werner also addressed the media, as they do annually at spring training.

Lets run down some notes.

Ortiz wasnt aware of MLBs recent rule changes governing pace of play until a reporter filled him in on the details upon asking a question related to the topic. Everything snowballed from there.

It seems like every time they want to speed up the game, they focus on the hitters. You ever notice that? Ortiz said. How about the pitchers who go over the mound and do all the (expletive). What about that? Why dont you tell the pitcher, Throw the pitch and stay on the mound. Dont move.

MLB teams using moreinfield shifts is another topic that Ortiz isnt especially happy about. It doesnt sound like the 39-year-old is ready to make adjustments, either.

That would be like saying, Im going to go back to be 20 (years old) again. You know what I mean? Ortiz said. You cant compete against that. Im a lefty, Im going to be hitting balls (to right field) more than (left field). It doesnt matter what I try to do. So thats nature. Its like a right-hander is going to be pulling balls more than they hit to the opposite field.

Thats something that I would worry about eight, nine years ago. But not now. Im too old for that (expletive).

Ortiz has been asked about retirement several times over the last couple of years. He still isnt ready to tackle the subject head on, though, as he simply doesnt know when hes going to hang up the spikes.

Ortiz praised Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for their Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Continued here:

Red Sox Notes: David Ortiz Too Old To Make Infield Shift Adjustments

Uma Thurman Explains Shocking Red Carpet Appearance in New Video: "Nobody Liked My Makeup"

Posted on by

Just Uma! After turning heads with a shocking new look at a red carpet premiere on Monday, Feb. 9, Uma Thurman appeared on the Today show on Thursday, Feb. 12, and looked like her usual, beautiful self again.

The Kill Bill star, 44, made headlines when she attended the New York City kickoff of her NBC show The Slap. The veteran actress looked completely different at the star-studded soire, sparking questions as to what she had done to change her appearance.

PHOTOS: Uma Thurman and Other Stars Without Makeup

"I know I look weird!" Thurman told Savannah Guthrie when asked on the Today show about her photos from the event. "I don't know, I guess nobody liked my makeup."

Uma Thurman attends "The Slap" New York Premiere Party on February 9, 2015 Credit: Robin Marchant/Getty Images

While there was some speculation that the mother of three had gone under the knife, her makeup artist, Troy Surratt, told Refinery29.com that he'd created the new look himself.

PHOTOS:Celebrity Makeunders: Prettiest Star Transformations

"We experimented with the makeup," he explained on Tuesday, Feb. 10. "We did a much stronger brow and a bold lip for a French sort of feel. The way I shaded her eyebrows with the pencil, I created an uplifting effect. Then, I finished with a shimmering, silky-beige shadow on her lids, and went with no mascara at all. Sort of a reaction against all the fake lashes we've been seeing on the red carpet."

Thurman, who stars in The Slap alongside Peter Sarsgaard, Thandie Newton, and Zachary Quinto, ditched the experimental look for her Thursday morning gig on Today. She returned to her classically simple and stunning appearance, glowing as she caught up with Guthrie.

Uma Thurman visits The Today Show on February 12, 2015

Read the original:

Uma Thurman Explains Shocking Red Carpet Appearance in New Video: "Nobody Liked My Makeup"

Blast of '70s sound hits Red Rocks

Posted on by

Enrique Iglesias performs at the Pepsi Center. (Seth McConnell, The Denver Post)

Now on sale

Jackson Browne should be as comfortable playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre as Colorado audiences are hearing his 1970s-penned hits like "Doctor My Eyes" and "Running on Empty." The 66-year-old folk-rocker plays there Aug. 18, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20. ($39.50-$89.50, axs.com)

Steely Dan and Elvis Costello, despite their differing musical styles, share an arch, wounded romanticism that defines their best work in the '70s. The seemingly odd couple will play Red Rocks on July 6 as part of Steely Dan's "Rockabye Gollie Angle" tour, with Costello's Imposters in tow as his backing band. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20. ($49.50-$125, axs.com)

Def Leppard's fist-pumping guitar anthems have dimmed little with age, even as singer Joe Elliott's voice has caused him problems in recent years. The band plays the Pepsi Center on Sept. 26 with opening acts Styx and Tesla. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20. ($29.50-$125, altitudetickets.com)

Alt-J and TV on the Radio's July 27 concert at Red Rocks will undoubtedly be one of the moodiest of the year as the British pop-rockers and acclaimed New York indie band join forces. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20. ($39.95-$45, axs.com)

Eddie Izzard's occasional film and TV roles pale in comparison to his one-man comedy shows, which place the British comedian in the same rarified air as Richard Pryor and George Carlin (yes, he's that good). Izzard's rare, 25-city U.S. "Force Majeure" tour is being generous with its Western dates, including May 26-27 shows at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20. ($37-$64, altitudetickets.com)

Also in comedy: Colorado favorite Kathleen Madigan returns to Colorado Springs' Pikes Peak Center on Oct. 2 (on sale Feb. 20) and the Paramount Theatre on Oct. 3 (on sale now). Tickets are $38.50-$58.50 and available via pikespeakcenter.com and altitudetickets.com, respectively.

Original post:

Blast of '70s sound hits Red Rocks

Oscars 2015 Highlights and Top Moments: Your Cheat Sheet for Hollywood's Biggest Night

Posted on by

Hooray for Hollywood! The 2015 Oscars have come and gone, but our heads are still spinning from all the craziness. From the star-studded red carpet pre-show to the final sign-off from host Neil Patrick Harris, every minute of the 87th Academy Awards on Feb. 22 was a conversation starter. (Just look at Twitter!)

PHOTOS: What the stars wore to the 2015 Oscars

In case you need a cheat sheet, here are just a few of the many highlights and top moments from Hollywood's biggest night.

1. Neil Patrick Harris Flubs Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Oyelowo, Margot Robbie's Names

Practice doesn't always make perfect! Neil Patrick Harris stumbled over several names during the telecast, some on purpose, some not. To be fair, though, he had his hands full with that opening song-and-dance number and he was mostly naked when he mispronounced Margot Robbie's name as Margot Row-bie. (Who wouldn't be flustered?)

2. Lady Gaga Hits All the Right Notes in Impeccable Sound of Music Tribute

After giving a sweet shout-out to fiance Taylor Kinney earlier in the night, newly engaged Gaga took the stage at L.A.'s Dolby Theatre to sing a medley of songs from The Sound of Music, including "Edelweiss" and "My Favorite Things." Even Julie Andrews who played Maria in the 1965 movie musical was impressed with her performance!

PHOTOS: Best dressed stars at the Oscars

Lady Gaga performs onstage during the 87th Annual Academy Awards Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

3. Patricia Arquette Calls for Equal Rights for Women, Meryl Streep Goes Wild

Read this article:

Oscars 2015 Highlights and Top Moments: Your Cheat Sheet for Hollywood's Biggest Night

Uma Thurman Adds Bangs to Her Look, Embraces Her Boho Style on the Red Carpet: Photo

Posted on by

Bang up job!

On Feb. 9, Uma Thurman turned heads on the red carpet with her nearly unrecognizable, minimally made-up face. But on Thursday, March 5, the Slap actress stepped out again, this time looking much more like her boho self, with one exception: She added bangs.

PHOTOS: Uma and more stars without makeup

Thurman, 44, arrived at the Tibet House Benefit Concert Afterparty at Metropolitan West in NYC with a windblown 'do and her fresh fringe falling over her forehead. She also modeled blushed cheeks and a rose-hued lip.

PHOTOS: Sexy! Hot celebs over 40 in swimsuits

Adding to the artsy appeal, the Pulp Fiction alum, who has been known to alternate between ultra-glam and casually chic styles, donned a black and white, paisley-print scarf, which she teamed with a cream coat.

PHOTOS: Ageless A-listers!

The ensemble and beauty choices are a total turnaround from her stiff style at The Slap premiere the month before. "I know I look weird!" the actress said on the Today show, four days after the appearance. "I don't know, I guess nobody liked my makeup."

PHOTOS: Celeb makeup malfunctions

But she also added, "I've been doing this for years and years and years. People say things nice and they say things mean and it's like whatever. You take the good with the bad."

See the article here:

Uma Thurman Adds Bangs to Her Look, Embraces Her Boho Style on the Red Carpet: Photo

UH planetary director B. Ray Hawke dead at 68

Posted on by

Bernard Ray Hawke, director of the Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center (PRPDC), is dead at 68. He passed away in his sleep at Straub Hospital on Jan. 24.

A member of the University of Hawaii since 1978, Hawke initially joined as a planetary geologist and later became part of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology in 1983.

Hawke is noted for his research of collecting measurements of color at high resolution of small spots on the Moon, lunar geology, planetary photogeology and the cratering processes. His studies contributed to the understanding of the geological evolution of the lunar crust.

"He spent many hours at Hawaiis Mauna Kea Observatory, diligently working to make certain that data for the correct spot on the Moon was being acquired," saidPaul D. Spudsin his remembrance of the former planetary scientist.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1946, Hawke served in the army in 1970-71 and later analyzed lunar regolith chemistry as a Masters student at the University of Kentucky. He used a technique that would later be adopted "to decipher the geological history of the Apollo landing sites."

He later studied at Brown University where he earned another M.S. and a Ph.D in geological studies.

Hawke is survived by his brother Stephen, Stephens wife Nancie, and their children David and Michael of Columbia, Missouri.

A memorial gathering will be held in the Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center (POST 544) on Sunday, February 15 at 3 p.m.

Continue reading here:

UH planetary director B. Ray Hawke dead at 68

Singh Center Director talks nanotechnology

Posted on by

PennEngineering professor Mark Allen

What goes on in the orange world behind the glass wallsof the nanotechnology building? The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Engineering professor Mark Allen, the Inaugural Scientific Director of the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, to get an inside look.

The Daily Pennsylvanian:What does nanotechnology actually mean?

Mark Allen: The best way to describe it is applying the science of the very small. There are two interesting things that happen when things get really small. One is that by being able to put very small things in close proximity you can build up complex systems. Weird quantum things also start to occur; things you normally think are intuitive, stop being intuitive.

DP:Why has this field become so popular recently?

MA: Over the past 20 years, the ability to manipulate things on small scales has become available. There have been tremendous examples of impactful successes, like the integrated circuit, that allow people to see the benefit of making things smaller and smaller.

DP:What is your area of research?

MA: Our research group is in the area of MEMS, which stands for micro-electro-mechanical systems. A lot of things that are sensed in the natural world are through these mechanical structures. For example, iPhones have small accelerometersinside that measure the acceleration due to gravity and adjusts the screen appropriately. These small mechanical structures started off as devices in cars to fire off airbags, since then they have become widespread.

DP:What are other applications for your research in MEMS?

MA:Some other things weve done in our groupweve built devices that are planted in the body and are used to measure pressures inside the body. This information can be communicated wirelessly to doctors and they can figure out how best to help people with heart failure.

Here is the original post:

Singh Center Director talks nanotechnology

Invisibility may be possible with nanotechnology

Posted on by

For those set on sneaking into the nonexistentrestricted sectionof Van Pelt Library late at night, electrical and systems engineering professor NaderEngheta is working with materials that can bend light in a manner reminiscent of an invisibility cloak straight out of Harry Potter.

Engheta works with materials known as metamaterials, which are engineered to have certain properties that are not currently found in nature.When these materials are manipulated, theycan gain strange capabilities like the ability to bend waves around an object, hiding that object from sight.

You can write down the theoretical equations that show that you can bend light around an object, said professor Mark Allen, director ofthe Singh Center of Nanotechnology. Then what I would see is whats behind you. To me you would look invisible.

These metamaterials do not only work with waves of light they have also been used to bend heat around objects and reduce the scattering of electrons, which could increase the efficiency of electronic devices.

Waves are all around usfrom radio stations, micro-ovens and light, Engheta said. We work with how to control these waves with materials and structures that might make them do something unusual.

Some other applications for this technology could include blocking electromagnetic radiation andguiding cellphone tower signals.

However, this technology is not quite from a J.K. Rowling novel. It only worksover a narrow range of light, which means that only light of a particular color shown from a particular direction can be bent.So if someone or somethingwere to be invisible from the front, they would still be visible from the back.

Wharton Sophomore Luis De Castrois interested in the possible applications that these nanomaterials might offer.

It makes me excited for the future, saidDe Castro, who is also the captain of the Penn Quidditch teamBoth scientifically, and the idea that things that are so clearly magic arent.

Yet, Engheta's technology may never create a complete invisibility cloak because the daylight hours feature too many distinct wavelengths. Even so, his research may contribute to a more worldly application he has recently been investigating how scattering light throughmetamaterials cansolve complex mathematical equations.

The rest is here:

Invisibility may be possible with nanotechnology

Big exhibit for a small world

Posted on by

Students from Waterway Elementary School in Little River, S.C., learn how nanoscience is affecting advances in medicine at Ingram Planetarium in Sunset Beach. Photo by Edward Ovsenik

Come to Ingram Planetarium and experience the Nano exhibit in the Paul Dennis Science Hall. Admission is free.

The exhibit consists of several stand-alone multimedia kiosks. Each kiosk highlights a way in which nanotechnology affects our lives, from regenerating damaged nerve, bone, and muscle tissue to demonstrating how high-tech nanomaterials mimic natural phenomena by manipulating light and color.

Some of the kiosks include short videos that play on demand in either English or Spanish.

Fourth-graders from Waterway Elementary School in Little River, S.C., visited the planetarium on Feb. 11 and were the first to enjoy this fun, interactive way to learn about nanoscience.

Ingram Planetarium is at 7625 High Market St. in Sunset Beach. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

When you visit the planetarium to see the Nano exhibit, why not stay for a show in the planetariums state-of-the-art dome theater? Visit http://www.museumplanetarium.org to see start times for current movies. Movies shown at 2 and 3 p.m. are followed by live star shows.

Admission to shows is free for planetarium and dual museum/planetarium members.

Regular nonmember per-show admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+), $7 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. For more information, call 910-575-0033 or visit http://www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

If you are an educator and would like to schedule a visit to see the new Nano exhibit or see a full high-definition dome show, visit http://www.museumplanetarium.org and complete a school group registration form. An educator will contact you to arrange your visit.

Follow this link:

Big exhibit for a small world

3D Printing for Healthcare: R&D, Industry and Market 2015-2025

Posted on by

Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you have any questions or comments about this page please contact pressreleases@worldnow.com.

SOURCE Visiongain

LONDON, February 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Report Details

Three dimensional printing for medical applications-how to find trends, technologies and sales potentials What's the future of additive manufacturing for medicine? That's fabricating three dimensional solid objects from digital models, via 3D printers. Visiongain's new report gives data and analysis, letting you explore developments, technology and revenue predictions.

That analysis forecasts revenues there to 2025 at overall world market, submarket and national level. Avoid falling behind in knowledge, missing business or losing influence.

Explore, then, the commercial prospects of those computer controlled industrial robots for performing additive processes. See outlooks for medical devices, tissues, drugs and more.

Advances in manufacturing for medicine-find what that printer technology could be worth So find potentials for those novel production tools for creating shapes and patterns - multiform designs. You explore that medical business. Now discover how you could gain.

So please read on to explore those technologies, applications and products, seeing what their future market could be worth.

Forecasts to 2025 and other information to help you stay ahead in knowledge Besides revenue forecasting to 2025, our new work shows you historical data, recent results, growth rates and market shares. There you explore research and development (R&D) too. You also get 57 tables, 53 charts and seven interviews with people in that field.

Continued here:

3D Printing for Healthcare: R&D, Industry and Market 2015-2025

Glass coating improves battery performance

Posted on by

To improve lithium-sulfur batteries, researchers added glass cage-like coating and graphene oxide

IMAGE:This is a schematic illustration of the process to synthesize silica-coated sulfur particles. view more

Credit: UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Lithium-sulfur batteries have been a hot topic in battery research because of their ability to produce up to 10 times more energy than conventional batteries, which means they hold great promise for applications in energy-demanding electric vehicles.

However, there have been fundamental road blocks to commercializing these sulfur batteries. One of the main problems is the tendency for lithium and sulfur reaction products, called lithium polysulfides, to dissolve in the battery's electrolyte and travel to the opposite electrode permanently. This causes the battery's capacity to decrease over its lifetime.

Researchers in the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside have investigated a strategy to prevent this "polysulfide shuttling" phenomenon by creating nano-sized sulfur particles, and coating them in silica (SiO2), otherwise known as glass.

The work is outlined in a paper, "SiO2 - Coated Sulfur Particles as a Cathode Material for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries," just published online in the journal Nanoscale. In addition, the researchers have been invited to submit their work for publication in the Graphene-based Energy Devices special themed issue in RSC Nanoscale.

Ph.D. students in Cengiz Ozkan's and Mihri Ozkan's research groups have been working on designing a cathode material in which silica cages "trap" polysulfides having a very thin shell of silica, and the particles' polysulfide products now face a trapping barrier - a glass cage. The team used an organic precursor to construct the trapping barrier.

"Our biggest challenge was to optimize the process to deposit SiO2 - not too thick, not too thin, about the thickness of a virus", Mihri Ozkan said.

Graduate students Brennan Campbell, Jeffrey Bell, Hamed Hosseini Bay, Zachary Favors, and Robert Ionescu found that silica-caged sulfur particles provided a substantially higher battery performance, but felt further improvement was necessary because of the challenge with the breakage of the SiO2 shell.

Excerpt from:

Glass coating improves battery performance

Dr. Hunt signs patent rights for commercialization

Posted on by

Dr. Emily Hunt, Trent Kelly and Benton Allen worked in the Energetic Materials Laboratory using combustion synthesis to create different versions of the alloy for the project.

Emily Hunt, Director and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, is the first of West Texas A&M University faculty member to have research accepted for commercialization. WT, the Texas A&M University System and Dr. Hunt signed a patent, giving permission for Aggie Venture Partners to license this invention for commercialization on Jan. 27.

Angela Spaulding, Vice President for Research and Compliance said Aggie Venture Partners selected to pursue the Antimicrobial Nano Alloy (ANA) license because it could be commercialized across a wide-ranging variety of industries and result in a greater return on investment.

Hunt describes Antimicrobial Nano Alloy as a mixture of nano-scale materials that act as a structural coating that prevents bacteria from reproducing. It can be applied on many different kinds of surfaces such as metal, plastic or ceramic. It kills bacteria using nanoparticles of silver.

I have been working for several years using combustion synthesis to make new materials, Hunt said. I wanted to be able to use my engineering research to help people. Nanosilver has been used forever to fight bacteria even when we didnt know that is what we were using. So, I developed a material that is both structural and antibacterial.

Hunt composed the initial proof of theoretical experiments to insure that the nanoparticles of silver were safe enough to use in application. Then Hunt recruited senior Mechanical Engineering majors, Trent Kelly and Benton Allen to construct antibacterial paint as well as investigate how to coat sand particles with ANA for use in clean water systems worldwide.

Original post:

Dr. Hunt signs patent rights for commercialization

It's A Drug! It's A Pipeline! It's A New Blockbuster Model!

Posted on by

When AbbVie AbbVies CEO Rick Gonzalez described his recently acquired product ibrutinib (Imbruvica) as offering a pipeline in a drug, I imagine every business development executive in biopharma chuckled. No question each of them has used this exact line at some point to characterize a partner-ready product that has been developed for one indication, yet just might be useful in a range of others.

Its tempting to dismiss this concept as slick salesmanship of the Ginsu Knife but wait, theres more variety but dont. While pipeline in a pill may sound like a marketing slogan, it captures important emerging concepts within molecular medicine and pharmaceutical strategy.

Progress in understanding illness at a molecular level has revealedthat seemingly different conditions may share common molecular elements. For example, two very different cancers may be driven, in part, by a common oncoprotein (a signaling molecule stuck in the on position, say), suggesting a drug that effectively targeted this aberrant molecule could find use in a range of different cancers. This framework is one reason why sequencing has secured such a strong foothold in oncology (think Foundation Medicine) the possibility of identifying a drugable target in an otherwise inscrutable cancer.

(Disclosure/reminder: I work at a genomic data company.)

Outside of oncology, perhaps the most common variation on this theme is the use of a single drug to treat a range of seemingly unrelated conditions, especially illnesses that are caused by some sort of autoimmune response (essentially, the body attacking itself). Perhaps the most common therapeutic here are glucocorticoids (steroids like prednisone) to treat conditions ranging from asthma to arthritis. To be sure, no one would consider steroids an example of an especially precise medicine, given their notoriously pleotropic effects. Not surprisingly, theres been a huge amount of effort trying to develop treatments that more selectively restrain the immune system.

One example of such a product, which has enjoyed considerable commercial success, is adalimumab (Humira), a biologic that acts by sequestering a powerful secreted (soluble) mediator of immune response called TNF. Consequently, the medicine has been approved for the treatment of several arthritic conditions, several inflammatory bowel conditions, and couple of other autoimmune diseases.

AbbVies newly-acquired ibrutinib (see here for my detailed story of the medicines wild history) represents yet another variation on this theme, targeting a signalling molecule within an immune cell specifically, a protein involved in the activation of B-cells (which are responsible for the production of antibodies). Ibrutinib was initially considered as a potential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease with incompletely understood pathophysiology that seems to include an antibody component. However, researchers also recognized that a drug blocking B-cell activation might be useful in the treatment of B-cell cancers; this proved to be the indication for which iburtinib ultimately was developed and approved. In a sense, Gonzalezs apparent interest in pursuing the autoimmune possibilities of ibrutinib has a sense of completing the circle, returning the development of the drug to the indication from which it began.

Of course, development doesnt always proceed as anticipated; AstraZeneca AstraZeneca partnered with Rigel to evaluate a similar inhibitor of B-cell activation, fostamatinib, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, when a phase 2b study suggested the new product was likely to be less effective than adalimumab, AstraZeneca returned the rights to Rigel and absorbed a $140M writedown in the process. The potential of a precisely targeted molecule to be used for a range of indications reflects an evolution of the blockbuster ambition. Rather than relying on a single, broadly defined indication (think statins to treat high cholesterol), the industry now often looks to demonstrate the efficacy of a pathway-targeted product in a range of conditions involving the implicated pathway This distinction was elegantly pointed out (as Ive discussed) at a recent Xconomy forum by Rick Morrison of Comprehend Systems, who suggested the increasing need to identify promising indications represented an important application for big data and sophisticated analytics.

Bottom line for pipeline in a pill: while overused as a sales pitch, the concept reflects a legitimate scientific aspiration that is often pursued, and increasingly realized.

Also on Forbes:

Read more:

It's A Drug! It's A Pipeline! It's A New Blockbuster Model!

Finally! Xbox One, meet Screenshots

Posted on by

JC Torres

It is almost mind boggling that such a basic need, like taking a screenshot to boast about your latest in-game triumph, would take so long to implement. But they say that good things come to those who wait, and those who wait need to wait just a little bit longer. Screenshot capability is finally coming to the Xbox One console when the latest system update rolls to everyone in March. Fortunately, that's not the only reason to be excited about this update.

OK, maybe it's a bit too much to get worked up about being able to take screenshots of a game, but even Major Nelson himself concedes that this is the most requested feature by the Xbox One community. Now you can simply double press the Xbox controller button and your screenshot is automatically taken. And what would you do with the screenshot? You can make it your Xbox Home background if you wish, thanks to the new feature on the Upload app. The Upload Studio itself got a bunch of new updates that deserved a treatment of its own.

The system update will bring new settings to control your privacy and online safety, but one new feature in particular seems to counteract that. Now you can opt to share your real name with either all your friends or everyone in the Xbox Live world. The reasons for this, supposedly, is to help Xbox users find you by your real name in case they don't know your gametag. Do remember to use the feature with caution, however. Speaking of friends, there is a new Suggested Friends area that will, well, suggest new people that you can Friend, from people you might know or just people that Xbox thinks you might want to follow.

When the update rolls out, Xbox One owners will get the option to set the tile transparency for their homescreen in order to better flaunt that epic screenshot, which you will soon be able to take thanks to the new feature. This has been a long promised feature that is now finally making its way to the community, and may actually hint at a similar feature for Windows 10, on phones to be precise. Xbox One owners from down under have a special surprise for them in this update as well, as OneGuide and the Digital TV Tuner are now open to them.

These are just some of the juicy bits of the update that will be rolling out next month. But those lucky enough to be part of the Xbox One Preview Program are probably already enjoying this feast now.

SOURCE: Major Nelson

Follow this link:

Finally! Xbox One, meet Screenshots

Hacker, creeper, soldier, spy: The bizarre story of Matt DeHart

Posted on by

Matt DeHart, a former U.S. soldier seeking asylum in Canada, claims hes wanted for working with Anonymous. The U.S. says he may be a spy and more

By Adrian Humphreys

MILTON, ONT., APRIL 2014 Guards at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex, a maximum-security jail near Toronto known to inmates as the Milton Hilton, came to rouse their newest prisoner from a concrete bed in the intake holding cells. Pulling back the hoodie covering his face, they found his T-shirt had been yanked up and twisted around his throat as a ligature.

The distraught prisoner was Matt DeHart, a 29-year-old American who had been brought to jail days earlier by a Canada Border Services Agency official and five police officers, who arrested him at the apartment he shares with his parents while fighting for refugee protection here.

Pulled from the cell and taken to hospital, he appeared to suffer no serious physical injury but underwent a mental health assessment. After returning to jail, Matt then dived headfirst from his bunk onto the concrete floor of his cell, requiring another urgent hospital visit. He told doctors he had crashed on purpose because he had no hope.

Days later, Matt appeared by video link at a detention review before a tribunal of Canadas Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). It took half an hour for jail guards to retrieve him from a one-to-one suicide watch cell and sit him in front of the camera. Matt silently peered into the lens. He looked dreadful: unshaven and unkempt, his eyes red and swollen, his lids heavy from medication. He squinted and grimaced.

Its not that Im not patriotic I am. I voted for Bush. My family is military, pretty gung ho. But everything has changed. Matt DeHart

Gone was his bravado and the wide, almost goofy smile he seemed shy about flashing during many meetings with the National Post over the past eight months, while he was on bail from immigration detention on strict conditions. His father, Paul DeHart, a retired U.S. Air Force major who worked for the powerful National Security Agency, sat grim-faced, watching his son on the video monitor.

Were here on a claim of torture, Paul said, his voice straining as he stated Matt has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. To visit your son in a maximum-security prison in a suicide smock more heavily medicated than hes ever been For anyone with PTSD to be treated that way, much less your own child is very disturbing.

This is decidedly not how the DeHarts envisioned life in Canada as they drove across the border little more than a year earlier, on April 3, 2013, seeking refugee protection. They claim U.S. authorities tortured Matt during a national security investigation.

See the original post:

Hacker, creeper, soldier, spy: The bizarre story of Matt DeHart

Big Sean, Chris Brown & Tyga Arrive on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

Posted on by

Two new releases see high debuts on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, led by Big Sean, who crowns the ranking with Dark Sky Paradise (139,000 copies sold in the week ending March 1, according to Nielsen Music). The rapper earns his second No. 1 with the entrance, following Hall of Fame, which debuted at the top in 2013. Four tracks from the new set debut on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, increasing the total number of Sean's concurrently charting tracks to seven -- the most he has placed at one time. The album release also blasts Big Sean 32-2 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.

Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

Chris Brown & Tyga Arrive:The second-highest album debut goes to Chris Brown and Tyga with their collaborative set Fan of a Fan: The Album entering at No. 3 with 51,000 copies sold. It enters the Billboard 200 at No. 7. The set contains a mix of R&B and rap tracks, led by first single "Ayo," which steps 7-6 on Hot R&B Songs in its eighth week on the chart. A 24 percent bump in streaming (to 4.1 million domestic weekly sterams), aids in the rise -- also lifting the track 9-6 on R&B Streaming Songs.

On R&B Digital Songs, "Nothing Like Me," featuring Ty Dolla $ign debuts at No. 17 (11,000 downloads). Meanwhile, the rap-dominant "I Bet," featuring 50 Cent, arrives at No. 49 on Rap Digital Songs (6,000). The set as a whole is rap-leaning, qualifying for the Rap Albums chart, where it also debuts at No. 3. A throng of featured acts appear on the album, including T.I., Ty Dolla $ign, 50 Cent and ScHoolboy Q.

Nicki Notches New No. 1: Over on Rap Airplay, Nicki Minaj lifts 2-1 with "Truffle Butter" featuring Drake and Lil Wayne (up 17 percent in audience to 44.7 million impressions), taking Greatest Gainer honors. It's her fifth No. 1, tying with Rihanna (all in featured roles) for the most chart-toppers by a woman on the chart.

Silento Whips Onto Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: A viral dance trend boosts Silento's "Watch Me" to a No. 33 debut on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spurred by 2.6 million domestic weekly streams (up 85 percent). The song's chorus "watch me whip, watch me nae nae" has incited fans to upload dance videos on platforms like Vine (which are then transferred to YouTube), accelerating its popularity.

Usher Logs 15th Airplay No. 1: Usher earns a new airplay No. 1 as "I Don't Mind" featuring Juicy J steps 2-1 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart (up four percent in plays), in its 17th week. It's the singer's 15th song to top the list, which maintains his standing as the act with the third-most No. 1s -- inching closer to rank leaders Lil Wayne (17) and Drake (20). The climb gives Juicy J his first No. 1 on the chart, he previously peaked highest with "Bands A Make Her Dance" featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz, which reached No. 2 in 2012.

Read more:

Big Sean, Chris Brown & Tyga Arrive on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart