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Kobach: GOP primary key to action on immigration

Asked by Time?s Swampland blog what the U.S. Supreme Court?s immigration decision means for Kansas, Secretary of State Kris Kobach predicted efforts to pass laws mandating that businesses use E-Verify and law enforcement check immigration status, a la Arizona. And he didn?t sound much like a neutral state elections official. ?But it will all be dependent on what happens in the Aug. 7 primary,? he said. ?Each state has its own little game: In Kansas we had a very conservative House and we had a very moderate/liberal Senate, and there was this coalition of Republican moderates who would align themselves with Democrats and had a governing majority and would defeat conservative legislation. In the Aug. 7 primary it will be determined whether it will be a conservative Republican majority or a moderate/liberal Republican majority. If the conservatives take control of the Kansas Senate, then I think you will see legislation like Arizona?s have a good chance of succeeding.?

Source: http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2012/06/kobach-gop-primary-key-to-action-on-immigration/

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New vaccine for nicotine addiction

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have developed and successfully tested in mice an innovative vaccine to treat nicotine addiction.

In the journal Science Translational Medicine, the scientists describe how a single dose of their novel vaccine protects mice, over their lifetime, against nicotine addiction. The vaccine is designed to use the animal's liver as a factory to continuously produce antibodies that gobble up nicotine the moment it enters the bloodstream, preventing the chemical from reaching the brain and even the heart.

"As far as we can see, the best way to treat chronic nicotine addiction from smoking is to have these Pacman-like antibodies on patrol, clearing the blood as needed before nicotine can have any biological effect," says the study's lead investigator, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

"Our vaccine allows the body to make its own monoclonal antibodies against nicotine, and in that way, develop a workable immunity," Dr. Crystal says.

Previously tested nicotine vaccines have failed in clinical trials because they all directly deliver nicotine antibodies, which only last a few weeks and require repeated, expensive injections, Dr. Crystal says. Plus, this kind of impractical, passive vaccine has had inconsistent results, perhaps because the dose needed may be different for each person, especially if they start smoking again, he adds.

"While we have only tested mice to date, we are very hopeful that this kind of vaccine strategy can finally help the millions of smokers who have tried to stop, exhausting all the methods on the market today, but find their nicotine addiction to be strong enough to overcome these current approaches," he says. Studies show that between 70 and 80 percent of smokers who try to quit light up again within six months, Dr. Crystal adds.

About 20 percent of adult Americans smoke, and while it is the 4,000 chemicals within the burning cigarette that causes the health problems associated with smoking -- diseases that lead to one out of every five deaths in the U.S. -- it is the nicotine within the tobacco that keeps the smoker hooked.

A New Kind of Vaccine

There are, in general, two kinds of vaccines. One is an active vaccine, like those used to protect humans against polio, the mumps, and so on. This kind of vaccine presents a bit of the foreign substance (a piece of virus, for example) to the immune system, which "sees" it and activates a lifetime immune response against the intruder. Since nicotine is a small molecule, it is not recognized by the immune system and cannot be built into an active vaccine.

The second type of vaccine is a passive vaccine, which delivers readymade antibodies to elicit an immune response. For example, the delivery of monoclonal (identically produced) antibodies that bind on to growth factor proteins on breast cancer cells shut down their activity.

The Weill Cornell research team developed a new, third kind -- a genetic vaccine -- that they initially tested in mice to treat certain eye diseases and tumor types. The team's new nicotine vaccine is based on this model.

The researchers took the genetic sequence of an engineered nicotine antibody, created by co-author Dr. Jim D. Janda, of The Scripps Research Institute, and put it into an adeno-associated virus (AAV), a virus engineered to not be harmful. They also included information that directed the vaccine to go to hepatocytes, which are liver cells. The antibody's genetic sequence then inserts itself into the nucleus of hepatocytes, and these cells start to churn out a steady stream of the antibodies, along with all the other molecules they make.

In mice studies, the vaccine produced high levels of the antibody continuously, which the researchers measured in the blood. They also discovered that little of the nicotine they administered to these mice reached the brain. Researchers tested activity of the experimental mice, treated with both a vaccine and nicotine, and saw that it was not altered; infrared beams in the animals' cages showed they were just as active as before the vaccine was delivered. In contrast, mice that received nicotine and not treated with the vaccine basically "chilled out" -- they relaxed and their blood pressure and heart activity were lowered -- signs that the nicotine had reached the brain and cardiovascular system.

The researchers are preparing to test the novel nicotine vaccine in rats and then in primates -- steps needed before it can be tested ultimately in humans.

Dr. Crystal says that, if successful, such a vaccine would best be used in smokers who are committed to quitting. "They will know if they start smoking again, they will receive no pleasure from it due to the nicotine vaccine, and that can help them kick the habit," he says.

He adds that it might be possible, given the complete safety of the vaccine, to use it to preempt nicotine addiction in individuals who have never smoked, in the same way that vaccines are used now to prevent a number of disease-producing infections. "Just as parents decide to give their children an HPV vaccine, they might decide to use a nicotine vaccine. But that is only theoretically an option at this point," Dr. Crystal says. "We would of course have to weight benefit versus risk, and it would take years of studies to establish such a threshold."

"Smoking affects a huge number of people worldwide, and there are many people who would like to quit, but need effective help," he says. "This novel vaccine may offer a much-needed solution."

###

New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu

Thanks to New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Benefits of Small-Dollar Structured Settlements | Patrick Farber ...

By: Patrick C. Farber and Patrick E. Stockalper
Reprinted for ASCDC Verdict, Volume 1, 2012

Download a PDF of this article here.

An individual is injured in a car accident and both defense and plaintiff attorneys agree to a $45,000 settlement. Instead of a lump sum payout, a structured settlement is put in place that will pay the settlement over a set period. Structured settlements for large-dollar claims are commonplace, but surprisingly, so are structures for settlements under $200,000.

During the first three quarters of 2011, 21,846 cases were structured, totaling approximately $3.633 billion in annuity premiums. The average case size was about $166,000. These results are based on figures released independently by 11 life insurance companies that issue structured settlement annuities.

Over the past 20 years, more than 50 percent of the structured settlements facilitated by Ringler Associates, a national structured settlements brokerage firm, were less than $50,000. Another approximately 17 percent were between $50,000 and $100,000. These figures are typical of most annuity brokerage firms.

In most cases, neither plaintiff or defense want to see cases go to trial, particularly with small cases where small-dollar structured settlements makes more financial sense than a protracted, unpredictable jury trial. If defense counsel can highlight the advantages of structured settlement benefits to the plaintiff, these cases are more likely to be resolved in the client?s best interest.

Tax Advantages

Although smaller annuities are more difficult to justify today because of historically low interest rates, plaintiffs are seeing them as a way to bolster their retirement. Many have had their retirement savings take a beating over the last 10 years. Small annuities can subsidize retirement savings?even with today?s low interest rates. The money accrues tax-free and plaintiffs have the peace of mind of knowing they will have these additional funds when they retire.

Small settlements can be structured so they combine a lump sum payout to pay for immediate needs and an annuity for possible expenses down the road. Let?s say a worker injured his hand at his job and received a $60,000 settlement. He can go back to work, but only part time while receiving medical treatment. It is determined that it will take six to eight months of physical therapy for his hand to improve so he can resume working fulltime. A settlement is reached in which he receives a $40,000 lump sum at the time of settlement to cover medical costs and living expenses while he is working part time. The remaining $20,000 will or can be paid out in future years for use if additional surgery is needed. If the injured party finds that surgery is not required, the money is still received tax-free.

Another structured settlement advantage is that the funds cannot be spent quickly by the injured party (as can be the case with a lump sum payout) so there is the opportunity for financial management and tax planning. Guaranteed, scheduled payouts are not subject to market whims or economic calamities. Funds are placed in AAA rated bonds and Treasury securities by the life insurance carrier. For plaintiffs who can easily succumb to demands from friends and family for cash, or from well meaning individuals with the latest can?t miss investments, a structured settlement is the protective answer.

Protecting Medi-Cal and Medicare Benefits

Cases involving injured parties who are eligible or soon-to-become eligible for Medi-Cal can use a special needs trust (SNT) annuity to protect their government benefits while still enabling them to collect tax-free settlement payouts. Individuals who are eligible for Medi-Cal and receive a litigation recovery will lose Medi-Cal coverage until the litigation recovery?s balance is below $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple (the resource limits for Medi-Cal). The most common solution to protect Medi-Cal government benefits and settlement proceeds is to place the litigation settlement into a qualifying first party SNT ? either an individual SNT or a pooled SNT with money paid to the injured party from the trust.

Much like an SNT used to preserve a plaintiff?s eligibility for Medi-Cal, a Medicare Set Aside Arrangement (MSA) is used to preserve a plaintiff?s future eligibility for Medicare. For example, a 35-year-old male slips and falls at a grocery store and injures his back resulting in multiple surgeries including future surgeries. He sues the grocery chain and the case settles for $230,000. An MSA would be created for a portion of the settlement to pay for future medical costs related to the injury. Why? In cases that involve a claim for future medical costs resulting from an injury, the plaintiff is required to use settlement funds allocated for future injury-related medical costs first to pay for the medical care. Until that allocated amount is spent, Medicare will not cover the plaintiff for treatment related to those injuries involved in the settlement.

In the above example, the MSA could be set up to receive $7,500 in cash and $2,500 a year for 20 years to pay for future back treatments. An annuity would cover the $2,500 a year payments. The MSA?s present value would actually be $30,000, but the annuity could be purchased for as little as $19,500 for a savings to the defendant of $10,500.

Small Structures and Minors

The majority of smaller structured settlements are for minors. In fact, when minors are involved, judges often require that settlements be structured before approval regardless of the settlement amount. With structures, parents can ensure that their children are unable to access the funds until they turn 18 or age of majority. They also give parents a chance to plan financially for their child?s college years and beyond. In the case of young children, settlements of as little as $5,000 or $10,000 can be structured so the money is available in later years. Be aware, however, that some life insurance companies charge ?small case fees? if the structured amount is very small. These fees eat up a large percentage of the settlement.

The negative consequences of an older child receiving a lump sum injury settlement as the child nears college age are significant. He or she may not be eligible for state grants and low interest loans because the worse off the financial situation a young person is in when applying for financial aid, the better chance for qualifying for these grants and loans.

If an older child nearing college age receives a lump sum payout, say for $50,000, the income would be counted against the child when seeking to qualify for college financial aid. Instead, if structured, the family could decide on a minimum payment per year for incidentals at school and wait until the child graduates to receive the remainder of the settlement. This could be used to pay off low interest college loans that are required to be paid after graduation. Here, not only do the parents see tax savings, but also have the opportunity to have their child qualify for grants and low-interest loans that would not be available if the settlement had been paid in a lump sum prior to the child?s entering college.

The Big Picture on Small Structures

Structured settlement annuities help smooth out investment ups and downs for the injured party. The regular income that even a small annuity brings can be used to supplement money from other sources, pay for everyday living expenses or to see the injured party through until recovery.

For the defense, expenses associated with small claim payments are eliminated with structured settlements since the payment obligation and all liability are transferred to the insurance company managing the annuity. Defendants can close the books on these cases as soon as the settlement papers are signed.

Still, the results of a 2007 survey by the National Structured Settlement Trade Association (http://www NULL.nssta NULL.com/) (NSSTA) of attorneys involved in structured settlements estimated that only 7 percent of all personal injury settlements between $75,000 and $100,000 were structured, even though 95 percent of the attorneys surveyed said they were proponents of structured settlements. This means many smaller settlements that can be structured are still being handed out in lump sums.

Ultimately, the amount of the structured settlement is not as critical as is creating a settlement that meets the needs of the injured party. An annuity paid over a set number of years offering guaranteed tax-free income can be an attractive alternative to low interest bearing bank accounts or higher yielding, but riskier investments.

Patrick C. Farber is a structured settlements broker in California. He specializes in settling medical malpractice, physical injury, nonphysical injury, product liability, workers? compensation, mass torts, punitive damages, employment and elder abuse cases with structured settlements in court hearings, arbitrations and settlement conferences. 800-734-3910, p...@patrickfarber.com.

Patrick E. Stockalper is a partner with the firm of Reback McAndrews Kjar Warford & Stockalper (http://www NULL.rmklawyers NULL.com/) and specializes in the areas of medical/dental/professional liabiltiy defense and personal injury defense. Mr. Stockalper, an ASCDC Board of Directors member, is the 2009-2010 President of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Related posts:

1. Preserving Plaintiff?s Medi-Cal and Medicare Benefits [The Advocate - September 2011]
2. Age 65 and Over Settlements: Preserving the Elder Plaintiff?s SSI and Medi-Cal [CAOC Forum - Nov/Dec 2010]
3. Structured Attorney Fees Can Reap Long-Term Benefits

Tags: Medi-Cal, Medicare Set-Aside, MSA, National Structured Settlement Trade Association, NSSTA, Patrick Farber, Patrick Stockalper, SNT, Special Needs Trusts, struct, Structured Settlements

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Coca-Cola bets big on India as growth slows in US

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Spice Girls power up for stage musical

By Pete Jeary , NBC News

The iconic songs of Girl Power will be back on stage this Christmas, when "Viva Forever!" takes to the stage at London?s Piccadilly Theater.

This new musical features many of the songs made famous by Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell -- corporately better known as the Spice Girls.

And in a rare show of public unity, the five Spice Girls appeared together, briefly,?on Tuesday to launch the show -- which is produced by Judy Cramer, the lady behind the Abba musical "Mamma Mia!"

Geri Halliwell (the original Ginger Spice) said, ?Years ago we thought -- wouldn?t it be a great idea to turn all this into musical. And all these years later Girl Power is still going strong -- it?s living proof to follow your dreams.?

The musical has been written by British comedian Jennifer Saunders, who has woven Spice Girls songs into a story of talent, fame and the pressures of celebrity on the relationships that really matter.

Emma Bunton (Baby Spice, in her former life) described the transformation from page to stage as an incredible creative process. ?It?s a great story,? Bunton said. ?The words and the music work so well together, it?s very moving.?

"Viva Forever!" profiles the life of Viva, a talented girl and her best friends, who get swept up in today?s obsession with celebrity culture and talent shows.

?It?s a story that clearly refers back to the early days of the Spice Girls,? writer Jennifer Saunders said, ?But it?s as contemporary as the next series of 'The X Factor.'?

As the latest in a series of so-called Jukebox musicals, everyone behind "Viva Forever!" hopes it will introduce a new generation of audiences to the phenomenon that was Girl Power.

Also in MSNBC Entertainment:

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China earthquake kills at least two, injures 100

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Tropical Storm Debby soaks Florida's Gulf Coast

Convenience store employee Lindsey Bennight watches floodwaters surround the store where she works in Crawfordville, Fla., Monday, June 25, 2012. Bennight had to walk through waist-deep water earlier in the day to leave the store after it was flooded by heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Debby. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Convenience store employee Lindsey Bennight watches floodwaters surround the store where she works in Crawfordville, Fla., Monday, June 25, 2012. Bennight had to walk through waist-deep water earlier in the day to leave the store after it was flooded by heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Debby. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Cedar Key Fire Chief Robert Robinson walks on a section of a floating dock that broke loose during a storm surge from Tropical Storm Debby in Cedar Key, Fla., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Slow-moving Tropical Storm Debby's outer bands lashed Florida with rain and kicked up rough surf off Alabama on Sunday, prompting storm warnings for those states. (AP Photo/The Gainesville Sun, Brad McClenny)

Cedar Key Police Chief Virgil Sandlin works on his hands an knees to secure a section of a floating dock as strong storm surge and flooding are felt from Tropical Storm Debby, in Cedar Key, Fla., Sunday, June 24, 2012. Sandlin said it was like riding a bronco trying to keep balance on the dock. Slow-moving Tropical Storm Debby's outer bands lashed Florida with rain and kicked up rough surf off Alabama on Sunday, prompting storm warnings for those states and causing at least one death. (AP Photo/The Gainesville Sun, Brad McClenny)

A message referring to rainfall from a tropical storm system is displayed at the San Jose Baptist Church on Monday, June 25, 2012, in Jacksonville, Fla. Tropical Storm Debby raked the Tampa Bay area with high wind and heavy rain Monday in a drenching that could top 2 feet over the next few days and trigger widespread flooding. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)

Motorists drive through a flooded section of Beach Rd. near Siesta Key Public Beach in on Monday, June 25, 2012 after rain from Tropical Storm Debby filled streets and parking lots with water on the Sarasota, Fla. barrier island. Tropical Storm Debby drenched Florida with heavy rains, flooded low-lying neighborhoods and knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses as it lingered off the state's coast Monday. (AP Photo/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Elaine Litherland) CHARLOTTE SUN OUT, BRADENTON HERALD OUT, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, INTERNET OUT, NO SALES

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Practically parked off Florida's Gulf Coast since the weekend, Tropical Storm Debby raked the Tampa Bay area with high wind and heavy rain Monday in a drenching that could top 2 feet over the next few days and has already led to flooding.

At least one person was killed Sunday by a tornado spun off by the large storm system in Florida, and Alabama authorities searched for a man who disappeared in the rough surf.

An estimated 35,000 homes and businesses lost electricity. But as of midafternoon, the slow-moving storm had caused only scattered damage, including flooding in some low-lying areas.

The National Hurricane Center reported late Monday that torrential rains and flooding would continue for the next several days across parts of the Florida Panhandle and north Florida.

The bridge leading to St. George Island, a vacation spot along the Panhandle, was closed to everyone except residents, renters and business owners to keep looters out. The island had no power, and palm trees had been blown down, but roads were passable.

"Most true islanders are hanging in there because they know that you may or may not be able to get back to your home when you need to," said David Walker, an island resident having a beer at Eddy Teach's bar. He said he had been through many storms on the island and Debby was on the weaker end of the scale.

Gov. Rick Scott declared a statewide emergency, allowing authorities to put laws against price-gouging into effect and override bureaucratic hurdles to deal with the storm.

By 10 p.m. Monday, Debby was in the Gulf of Mexico, 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Apalachicola, with sustained winds around 45 mph (72 kph), according to the hurricane center. It was moving northeast at 2 mph (3 kph)

A tropical storm warning remained in effect Monday evening from Mexico Beach in the Panhandle to Englewood, south of Sarasota.

Forecasters cautioned that Debby is a large tropical cyclone spreading strong winds and heavy rains at great distances from its center.

They said it would crawl to the northeast, come ashore along Florida's northwestern coast on Wednesday and track slowly across the state, exiting along the Atlantic Coast by Saturday morning and losing steam along the way.

Parts of northern Florida could get 10 to 15 inches of rain, and some spots as much as 25 inches, as the storm wrings itself out, forecasters said.

"The widespread flooding is the biggest concern," said Florida Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Julie Roberts. "It's a concern that Debby is going to be around for the next couple of days, and while it sits there, it's going to continue to drop rain. The longer it sits, the more rain we get."

High winds and the threat of flooding forced the closing of an interstate highway bridge that spans Tampa Bay and links St. Petersburg with areas to the southwest.

Monday evening, the state announced the closing of the Howard Frankland bridge that connects Tampa, including the region's major airport, and St. Petersburg. The eight-lane bridge carries Interstate 275 over Tampa Bay. The southbound lanes were later reopened.

People in several sparsely populated counties near the crook of Florida's elbow were urged to leave low-lying neighborhoods because of the danger of flooding. Shelters opened in some places.

On St. Pete Beach in the Tampa Bay area, surfers enjoyed the large waves in the Gulf, which is usually so calm the water looks like glass. Residents cleaned up debris in yards and streets from a possible tornado Sunday.

"The wind picked up so bad. It's very, very scary. I ran into the closet underneath the hallway stairs," said Ann Garrison, who has lived on the barrier island for 20 years but has never seen such strong winds. She said that when she came back out after just a few minutes, "the fence was gone, and it was in the middle of the yard."

Nearby, a likely tornado ripped the roof off a marina and an apartment complex and knocked down fences, trees and signs.

Kourosh Bakhtiarian's yard was flooded. He said people were driving around the neighborhood to gawk at the damage, and he complained that police hadn't closed off the streets.

"We have a lot of visitors from outside of this area. They just want to see exactly where the disaster is. I mean, this is not the happiest time," he said.

On St. George Island, many businesses were closed, but Eddy Teach's bar had a few customers and used a generator to keep beer and food cold.

"The tourists cleared out. It's not a good thing and hurts the economy during a week in peak season," said Patrick Sparks, a manager at the bar. He scoffed at the storm, which was well below the 74 mph threshold for a hurricane: "It's a little rash to send everyone home."

___

Farrington reported from St. George Island. Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Christine Armario in Miami; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee; and AP Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Turkey deputy PM says downed jet not a warplane: TV

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What Makes Content Management System Important in Web Design?

A website that is current and has everything that the target audience is looking for is bound to achieve success in terms of popularity and search engine ranking. This is the reason why businesses that take their online presence seriously, invest in highly professional and result oriented website design that yields them amazing results in the beginning. However, every organisation grows over the years, adds new products, achieves new milestones, and if your website (that was launched 2 years back) has the same content as before and doesn?t offer any information on latest achievements and information, it is definitely going to be termed as obsolete, and no user would be interested in your business online.

Then what is that one thing that can keep your website current and valuable for the target audience at all times? The answer is ? A Content Management System (CMS).

The other answers could be hiring a professional web design company each year to update your website and renew the design. However, a smart decision would be to invest in a CMS solution tailored specifically for your needs and empowering you to update the website design without being a webmaster.

There are so many things that can be done with a content management system ? you can update the content, add/remove images, change the design elements and also include some add-on applications ? all in a simplistic and quick manner. Joomla is one of the popular CMS solutions available in the market that allows you to make the site more interactive, user-friendly and up-to-date.

Here, are some of the most important features of content management systems-

These brilliant features make content management system (CMS) a must-have for each website design owner as they get to avail numerous benefits such as ?

Time saving: No longer do you have to contact your programmer or website designer to make every small change that is required in the web design.

You can simply apply the CMS solution and make the necessary changes in no time. So whether you want to add more information on the site, add a new web page, or remove some images, you can do it simply by logging in to the interface and make the required changes.

Saves design costs: Sometimes getting your entire website redesigned is necessary. However, if you put in your money on redesigning your website each year with the help of a web designer, you will end with a huge bill each year. To cut cost, you do all the necessary changes without spending on the expensive redesigning jobs all the time.

Ensures easy data storage and retrieval: For greater security of your data, a CMS solution enables you to easily store all your website data in a database. Whenever you want to use it, you can export the data easily.

Freshness of the content intact: With a CMS, you can automatically update the content, remove the outdated information and publish the content as scheduled.

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Why NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Landing Will Be Seven Minutes of Absolute Terror [Video]

On August 5, NASA's Mars Curiosity rover will touch down on the surface of the Red Planet. Or that's what we all hope, because it will be the craziest landing in the history of space exploration. More »

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91% I Wish

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (4)

What a kind and wise movie this is.

[The] film is built around performances by two real-life brothers who are as unaffected, spirited and lovable as I can imagine, and one of the pleasures of "I Wish" is simply spending time with them.

Transforms the commonplace into the extraordinary.

It's about the wonders of everyday life, and of childhood imagination.

The sort of small film of real consequence that, as a kid, I remember seeing and completely losing myself in: That was my life.

A wistful heartbreaker from the Japanese master of quiet observation, Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Like a train, "I Wish" is slow to build momentum, then it carries us away in a wondrous rush.

You watch it remembering the days when you should have walked but simply had to run, and when you believed that, if you wished hard enough, your dead pet just might come back again.

Despite its youthful perspective on adult concerns, the feature generates a few profound moments of basic need in the midst of an atypical men-on-a-mission film.

The lives of the children in "I Wish" seem to be expanding in front of our eyes, as evidenced by their changing wishes, which become bigger and more beautiful as their plan proceeds.

A flurry of details that reveal a grand canvas of love and loyalty if we take a step back.

A film that moves a bit too slowly for its own good but has remarkable cumulative strength by its emotional finale.

At its worst, I Wish is static. At its best, it has the warmth and subtlety of classic Asian works by Edward Yang and Yasujiro Ozu.

Koreeda's like a modern Ozu, documenting the trickle down effect of global economic changes on once strongly held traditions of Japanese family life.

Wistful, light and sweet.

A lovely, authentic exploration of family bonds tested by separation. Though the film is overlong at 128 minutes, it is a warm and wise winner.

If the Dardenne brothers were Japanese instead of French-Belgian, or perhaps set out to craft a homage to Yasujiro Ozu that was crossed with a whimsical yet melancholic version of The Parent Trap, it might well resemble this.

All of the kids in "I Wish" come across as real and believable, a tribute to Koreeda's directing skills working with children.

Never for a moment did I think that the two boys at the heart of Hirokazu Kore-eda's simply told and layered film I Wish were actors.

More Critic Reviews

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Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx Android 4.0 update incoming: roll-out starts June 22 (update: confirmed)

Looking likely to sneak through in time for Motorola's Q2 deadline, Verizon has published support documents covering an Ice Cream Sandwich update for both the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx. This preamble is typically followed by an update just days later and features the same build number that leaked out earlier this week. The refresh adds a four-way lockscreen shortcut, refreshed notifications, global roaming, a smart actions app update and plenty more Android 4.0 holo design riffs. Hit up the source for the documents and a handful of video tours.

Update: VZW just confirmed the start of the roll-out on its news page.

[Thanks Anonymous]

Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx Android 4.0 update incoming: roll-out starts June 22 (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Motorola  | Email this | Comments

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All things big and small: The brain's discerning taste for size

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The human brain can recognize thousands of different objects, but neuroscientists have long grappled with how the brain organizes object representation; in other words, how the brain perceives and identifies different objects. Now researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences have discovered that the brain organizes objects based on their physical size, with a specific region of the brain reserved for recognizing large objects and another reserved for small objects. Their findings, to be published in the June 21 issue of Neuron, could have major implications for fields like robotics, and could lead to a greater understanding of how the brain organizes and maps information.

"Prior to this study, nobody had looked at whether the size of an object was an important factor in the brain's ability to recognize it," said Aude Oliva, an associate professor in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and senior author of the study.

"It's almost obvious that all objects in the world have a physical size, but the importance of this factor is surprisingly easy to miss when you study objects by looking at pictures of them on a computer screen," said Dr. Talia Konkle, lead author of the paper. "We pick up small things with our fingers, we use big objects to support our bodies. How we interact with objects in the world is deeply and intrinsically tied to their real-world size, and this matters for how our brain's visual system organizes object information."

As part of their study, Konkle and Oliva took 3D scans of brain activity during experiments in which participants were asked to look at images of big and small objects or visualize items of differing size. By evaluating the scans, the researchers found that there are distinct regions of the brain that respond to big objects (for example, a chair or a table), and small objects (for example, a paperclip or a strawberry).

By looking at the arrangement of the responses, they found a systematic organization of big to small object responses across the brain's cerebral cortex. Large objects, they learned, are processed in the parahippocampal region of the brain, an area located by the hippocampus, which is also responsible for navigating through spaces and for processing the location of different places, like the beach or a building. Small objects are handled in the inferior temporal region of the brain, near regions that are active when the brain has to manipulate tools like a hammer or a screwdriver.

The work could have major implications for the field of robotics, in particular in developing techniques for how robots deal with different objects, from grasping a pen to sitting in a chair.

"Our findings shed light on the geography of the human brain, and could provide insight into developing better machine interfaces for robots," said Oliva.

Many computer vision techniques currently focus on identifying what an object is without much guidance about the size of the object, which could be useful in recognition. "Paying attention to the physical size of objects may dramatically constrain the number of objects a robot has to consider when trying to identify what it is seeing," said Oliva.

The study's findings are also important for understanding how the organization of the brain may have evolved. The work of Konkle and Oliva suggests that the human visual system's method for organizing thousands of objects may also be tied to human interactions with the world. "If experience in the world has shaped our brain organization over time, and our behavior depends on how big objects are, it makes sense that the brain may have established different processing channels for different actions, and at the center of these may be size," said Konkle.

Oliva, a cognitive neuroscientist by training, has focused much of her research on how the brain tackles scene and object recognition, as well as visual memory. Her ultimate goal is to gain a better understanding of the brain's visual processes, paving the way for the development of machines and interfaces that can see and understand the visual world like humans do.

"Ultimately, we want to focus on how active observers move in the natural world. We think this not only matters for large-scale brain organization of the visual system, but it also matters for making machines that can see like us," said Konkle and Oliva.

###

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CSAIL : http://www.csail.mit.edu/

Thanks to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CSAIL for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Video: Study: drinking early in pregnancy OK?

>>> well, this is one of those studies where the results should be quickly followed by someone saying this doesn't mean you necessarily have to try this. nevertheless, this new study out of denmark finds moderate drinking by pregnant women , meaning five to eight drinks per week early in pregnancy had no impact on their children, their neurological development or attention span later in life. this may explain why a bunch of us turned out okay against all odds. and a reminder here, for a good reason the u.s. surgeon general flatly advises against pregnant women consuming alcohol. we wanted to

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Mars Wind May Cause Sand Avalanches

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Mailbag: Unpredictable trade season ahead

Phillies, Dodgers could be players in the weeks before the trade deadline

Jim Mone / AP

If the Phillies fail to stay within range of a playoff berth, Cole Hamels could become a big trade chip, writes Tony DeMarco.

MLB EXPERT MAILBAG

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 7:04 p.m. ET June 19, 2012

Baseball Expert Tony DeMarco has been covering the big leagues since 1987, and been casting Hall of Fame ballots for the last 14 years. He answers questions weekly here:

Q: We're now in the June-July trading period. Is there any chance of a team or teams making the kind of trade that can dramatically transform their post-season chances?
? Roy Long, Serra Mesa, Calif.

A: It happens quite often, Roy, so expect it again. Remember back just one season ago, when the St. Louis Cardinals added Rafael Furcal, Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel in two deals before the July 31 trade deadline, and went onto win the World Series; as well as the big impact Doug Fister had on the Detroit Tigers' stretch run.

One team that immediately comes to mind in this trading period is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The combination of new ownership wanting to send a message, and a handful of needs on a somewhat unexpected contender sets up a high probability of action. It's not a stretch to say that Don Mattingly's roster could use a starting pitcher, a reliever, a first baseman (at least a platoon mate for chronic disappointment James Loney), a third baseman and a left fielder.

If the Dodgers want to aim real high ? and don't mind waiting ? potential free-agents Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels could become available after the All-Star break if their respective teams can't jump back into the postseason chase. Either could be a rent-a-player, but it stands to reason that a newly capitalized Dodgers franchise would have a good chance to sign either long-term.

The Brewers have been playing better lately, but stripped their farm system to acquire Greinke, Shawn Marcum and others to make their run last season, and lost Prince Fielder for nothing more than draft picks, so they could face a direction-changing decision in the next six weeks.

And the Phillies might just be the most-fascinating team to watch just after the All-Star break, as they teeter between sticking in the NL wild-card chase with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley on their way back into the lineup, and the increasing possibility that their six-year run of playoff appearances may be coming to an end. Shane Victorino is another potential free agent who could be dealt if the Phillies hit seller mode in late-July.

With more immediacy in mind, here is a list of seller teams, and likely-available targeted players:

Chicago Cubs: Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster (currently on the DL), Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, David DeJesus. (But I'm not buying the Starlin Castro speculation; it makes little sense to me).

Houston Astros: Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Carlos Lee, Jed Lowrie, Chris Snyder.

San Diego Padres: Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, Chase Headley, Edinson Volquez, Nick Hundley.

Colorado Rockies: Rafael Betancourt, Michael Cuddyer, Marco Scutaro, Matt Belisle, Jeremy Guthrie.

Oakland A's: Grant Balfour, Kurt Suzuki, Bartolo Colon, Seth Smith, Brian Fuentes, Coco Crisp, Jonny Gomes.

Minnesota Twins: Francisco Liriano, Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit, Matt Capps, Glen Perkins, Carl Pavano.

Seattle Mariners: Kevin Millwood, Jason Vargas, Brandon League.

Boston's Kevin Youkilis also is available, and the Royals are another team that could shed veterans such as Jeff Francoeur and Jonathan Broxton. But it should be said that the Royals have climbed out of a 3-14 hole by playing above-.500 baseball since mid-April, and are on the fringes of AL Central contention.

The Rangers could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder, and have a deep system as well as a surplus of big-league pitching, especially when Roy Oswalt is activated and Neftali Feliz comes off the disabled list.

The Tigers need a second baseman, a starting pitcher and relief help more than a third baseman who would push Miguel Cabrera into a DH role.

And virtually every contending team needs something, so I expect a busy trading period.

Q: Is there a legit first baseman out there the Giants can acquire prior to the trade deadline, or should they stick with what they have?
? Robert Pyper, Phoenix

A: Boston's Kevin Youkilis is one. Houston's Carlos Lee is another. And if the Twins decide to really pare salary, Justin Morneau could be available, but they haven't indicated that is the case yet.

But before the Giants go that route, my first thought is why not stick with Brandon Belt for awhile and see where that goes?

Belt's full-season numbers aren't all that impressive, but he has begun to hit with recent regular playing time.

In June, he is 13 for 38 (.342) with three homers, 10 RBI and nine walks ? offering hope that he's about to establish himself as a productive big-league first baseman.

I'm sure the Giants will give him every opportunity to succeed, but that said, they are serious postseason contenders, so if Belt falters between now and July 31, you can bet Brian Sabean and Co. will pinpoint a first baseman who can take over, or at least share, the load.

The problem with a Youkilis or Lee deal is finding the right combination of prospect surrendered/salary absorbed. That's why seeing one of your own top prospects such as Belt succeed is almost always the preferable option.

Youkilis is 33, and should have something left in the tank, but his 2012 salary is $12 million, and his numbers are far below his career norm, dragged down further by a recent slump.

Lee has an enormous $18.5-million salary ? but nothing beyond this season ? and the Astros know they will have to pay most of it to move him.

Morneau's salary is at $14 million for both 2012 and 2013, the final year of a six-year, $80-million deal he signed in 2008.

Q: What umpire calls the most consistent strike zone?
? David Blum, Bel Air, Md.

A: Veteran Tim McClelland long has been acknowledged by players and coaching personnel to be at or very near the top of the game's umpires. And a recent Baseball Prospectus examination of umpire data available on the Brooks Baseball.net site put numbers behind that opinion.

Since the PITCHf/x system has been used by MLB to evaluate umpires' balls-and-strikes calls, McClelland ranked first with 89.1 percent correct calls. Now, if only McClelland ? who's in his 31st big-league season ? would make the calls a bit quicker, as he delays raising his right arm to indicate a strike for an annoyingly long time.

It also must be said that the percentages were so close ? with the next 10 umpires between 87.8 and 88.9 percent correct calls ? so it's almost splitting hairs considering the thousands of pitches called by each umpire over the years.

Jim Joyce ?despite the infamous blown call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game ? is another very highly regarded umpire.

? 2012 NBC Sports.com? Reprints

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18 killed in clashes in southeast Turkey

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses with boxing gloves to lawmakers and supporters of his ruling Justice and Development Party at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. (AP Photo)

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses with boxing gloves to lawmakers and supporters of his ruling Justice and Development Party at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. (AP Photo)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? Kurdish rebels attacked Turkish military units with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades Tuesday in southeastern Turkey, sparking clashes in which 10 rebels and eight soldiers died, authorities said.

The attack happened in Daglica area of Hakkari province, which borders northern Iraq's Kurdish areas. Sixteen Turkish soldiers were also wounded in the attack, the governor's office in Hakkari said. The military's top brass and Cabinet ministers rushed to the area to assess the situation as the Cabinet convened to discuss the attack.

A similar rebel attack in the same area in late 2007, when 12 Turkish soldiers died, triggered an eight-day incursion by the Turkish military into Iraq in February 2008. Rebels use northern Iraq as a base to launch attacks on Turkish troops.

The rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, is fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey. Tens of thousands have died since it took up arms in 1984.

Tuesday's attack came amid efforts by the government to try to reconcile with the Kurdish minority through granting more cultural rights. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced plans to introduce elective Kurdish lessons in schools, after allowing Kurdish language broadcasts on television, Kurdish-language institutes and private Kurdish courses.

Turkey refuses demands by Kurdish activists, rebels and politicians to hold full education in Kurdish, fearing that it could divide the country along ethnic lines.

An estimated 20 percent of Turkey's 75 million people are Kurds.

Faruk Bal, deputy chairman of a nationalist opposition party, told TRT television Tuesday that his party will not join search for a political solution the conflict because it is against giving any concessions to the rebel group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

"Today's violence shows that whatever you give, they will ask for more as long as they have their weapons in their hands," Bal said.

The 27-nation EU, which Turkey is striving to join, has pushed the Turkish government to grant more rights to the Kurds. But EU countries also have urged Kurdish lawmakers to distance themselves from the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK.

"The PKK should cease every kind of armed action," Selahattin Demirtas, chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, told a meeting of Kurdish lawmakers in Parliament after the attack on Tuesday. "The government should also end military operations."

A senior Kurdish rebel commander, Bahoz Erdal, ruled out a cease-fire or laying down arms in an interview with the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency in remarks published Tuesday.

Associated Press

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