Mar. 31, 2013 ? New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a paper published on March 31 in Nature Climate Change, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.
"Such widespread redistribution of Arctic vegetation would have impacts that reverberate through the global ecosystem," said Richard Pearson, lead author on the paper and a research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.
Plant growth in Arctic ecosystems has increased over the past few decades, a trend that coincides with increases in temperatures, which are rising at about twice the global rate. The research team -- which includes scientists from the Museum, AT&T Labs-Research, Woods Hole Research Center, Colgate University, Cornell University, and the University of York -- used climate scenarios for the 2050s to explore how this trend is likely to continue in the future. The scientists developed models that statistically predict the types of plants that could grow under certain temperatures and precipitation. Although it comes with some uncertainty, this type of modeling is a robust way to study the Arctic because the harsh climate limits the range of plants that can grow, making this system simpler to model compared to other regions such as the tropics.
The models reveal the potential for massive redistribution of vegetation across the Arctic under future climate, with about half of all vegetation switching to a different class and a massive increase in tree cover. What might this look like? In Siberia, for instance, trees could grow hundreds of miles north of the present tree line.
"These impacts would extend far beyond the Arctic region," Pearson said. "For example, some species of birds seasonally migrate from lower latitudes and rely on finding particular polar habitats, such as open space for ground-nesting."
In addition, the researchers investigated the multiple climate change feedbacks that greening would produce. They found that a phenomenon called the albedo effect, based on the reflectivity of Earth's surface, would have the greatest impact on the Arctic's climate. When the sun hits snow, most of the radiation is reflected back to space. But when it hits an area that's "dark," or covered in trees or shrubs, more sunlight is absorbed in the area and temperature increases. This has a positive feedback to climate warming: the more vegetation there is, the more warming will occur.
"By incorporating observed relationships between plants and albedo, we show that vegetation distribution shifts will result in an overall positive feedback to climate that is likely to cause greater warming than has previously been predicted," said co-author Scott Goetz, of the Woods Hole Research Center.
This work was funded by the National Science Foundation, grants IPY 0732948, IPY 0732954, and Expeditions 0832782. Other authors involved in this study include Steven Phillips (AT&T Labs-Research), Michael Loranty (Woods Hole Research Center and Colgate University), Pieter Beck (Woods Hole Research Center), Theodoros Damoulas (Cornell University), and Sarah Knight (American Museum of Natural History and University of York).
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Museum of Natural History, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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Journal Reference:
Richard G. Pearson, Steven J. Phillips, Michael M. Loranty, Pieter S. A. Beck, Theodoros Damoulas, Sarah J. Knight, Scott J. Goetz. Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change. Nature Climate Change, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1858
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Mar. 30, 2013 ? The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University announced today that it was awarded a $9.25 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further advance a blood-cleansing technology developed at the Institute with prior DARPA support, and help accelerate its translation to humans as a new type of sepsis therapy.
The device will be used to treat bloodstream infections that are the leading cause of death in critically ill patients and soldiers injured in combat.
To rapidly cleanse the blood of pathogens, the patient's blood is mixed with magnetic nanobeads coated with a genetically engineered version of a human blood 'opsonin' protein that binds to a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and toxins. It is then flowed through microchannels in the device where magnetic forces pull out the bead-bound pathogens without removing human blood cells, proteins, fluids, or electrolytes -- much like a human spleen does. The cleansed blood then flows back to the patient.
"In just a few years we have been able to develop a suite of new technologies, and to integrate them to create a powerful new device that could potentially transform the way we treat sepsis," said Wyss founding director and project leader, Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. "The continued support from DARPA enables us to advance our device manufacturing capabilities and to obtain validation in large animal models, which is precisely what is required to enable this technology to be moved towards testing in humans."
The team will work to develop manufacturing and integration strategies for its core pathogen-binding opsonin and Spleen-on-a-Chip fluidic separation technologies, as well as a novel coating technology called "SLIPS," which is a super-hydrophobic coating inspired from the slippery surface of a pitcher plant that repels nearly any material it contacts. By coating the inner surface of the channels of the device with SLIPS, blood cleansing can be carried out without the need for anticoagulants to prevent blood clotting.
In addition to Ingber, the multidisciplinary team behind this effort includes Wyss core faculty and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty member Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., who developed the SLIPS technology; Wyss senior staff member Michael Super, Ph.D., who engineered the human opsonin protein; and Mark Puder, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School who will be assisting with animal studies.
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) ? Former Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, who played and coached under Bear Bryant, hired Nick Saban and presided over a heyday in athletics at his alma mater, has passed away.
The university said the 73-year-old Moore died on Saturday at Duke University Medical Center. Moore had been in the Durham, N.C., hospital since March 13 with pulmonary problems.
The folksy, silver-haired Moore was part of 10 football national championship teams as a player, coach or administrator in a career intertwined with three of the Crimson Tide's most revered coaches ? his old bosses Bryant and Gene Stallings and Saban, who has won three of the last four national titles.
He played for Bryant's 1961 national championship team, and Bill Battle ? another member of that team ? was hired to replace him two days after Moore stepped down on March 20. He was to become a special advisor to Alabama President Judy Bonner.
"The University of Alabama and the world of intercollegiate athletics have lost a legend, and I have lost a dear friend," Battle said in a statement. "My heart goes out to his family and close friends in this time of sadness. After a time of grieving, we can begin to celebrate Mal's life, as his legacy will last for generations."
Moore oversaw an athletic department since 1999 that made more than $240 million in facilities improvements ? including multiple expansions of Bryant-Denny Stadium ? and won national championships in football, gymnastics, softball and women's golf in 2011-12.
He hired Saban in January 2007 after flying to south Florida hoping to lure him from the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
"Mal was truly a special person in every sense of the word," the coach said. "We can talk about all the championships Mal has been involved with, but I think what will be remembered most was the man he was. He always put the best interests of others ahead of his own, he carried himself as a first-class gentleman, and he helped bring out the best in those around him.
"Mal was an outstanding leader in terms of all he did for Alabama athletics. Most importantly, he was a great friend to me and my family. Mal was the number one reason we decided to make the move to Tuscaloosa."
The football building and his own memorabilia-covered office were housed in the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, named after him in 2007.
"Coach Moore will be deeply missed," said Gov. Robert Bentley, a 1964 Alabama graduate. "I've known Mal for over 30 years and have always considered him a good friend as well as a good man. He was devoted to UA athletics, and he will also be remembered for his dedication to his family. Mal made a positive impact on our entire state."
Moore's biggest claims to fame might have been the hiring of Saban and his long relationship with Bryant, whom he had hoped to succeed.
He also helped Bryant switch to the wishbone offense in 1971
"I think my first reaction would be that he will go down in the annals of the University of Alabama football program as truly one of the seminal figures that have ever been," longtime Birmingham radio talk show host Paul Finebaum said. "You hear this line sometimes and it's perceived as a cliche ? but if there was a Mount Rushmore for Alabama football, I really think coach Moore would be right next to coach Bryant. I think he was that important.
"I don't think anybody has affected Alabama football longer than Mal, when you consider when he got there, what he's done and the legacy he leaves behind."
Finebaum said he introduced Moore at a January event and told Moore: "Mal, you're going to be remembered as the man who hired Nick Saban."
"He just laughed and broke out in that toothy grin," Finebaum said. "He loved that. He loved nothing more than the University of Alabama."
Moore was a freshman on Bryant's first Alabama team in 1958 then spent 22 seasons as a coach, including a stint with Stallings for the NFL's Cardinals in St. Louis and Phoenix.
He joined Bryant as a graduate assistant in 1964 and coached both the secondary and quarterbacks before becoming the Tide's first offensive coordinator in 1975. He was also Stallings' offensive coordinator from 1990-93 in a tenure that included the 1992 national championship.
"You've got to realize he's got 10 national championship rings," Stallings said. "Not many people have done that. He was responsible for hiring Coach Saban, which obviously has really made a difference in the program. All of those great facilities ? the expansion on the stadium, the (luxury) boxes, the expansion of the complex ? fell under his responsibility.
"Coach Bryant was very fond of Mal Moore. In fact, he used to tell me from time to time, 'I'm telling you, Mal Moore is as good a football coach as you are.' He had great respect for Mal."
Moore interviewed to take over the program after Bryant retired in 1982 but was passed over in favor of New York Giants coach Ray Perkins. That left Moore thinking about getting out of the profession before Notre Dame's Gerry Faust hired him to coach running backs.
"At the time, I kind of felt like a man without a country," Moore said in a December 2012 interview ahead of the BCS championship game with the Fighting Irish. "I was in a strange position that I'd never been in before."
His wife of 41 years, the former Charlotte Davis, passed away after a long illness in 2010. His daughter, Heather Cook, lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said Moore "served his alma mater with grace and dignity."
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive remembered Moore similarly.
"It was with great sadness that we learned our dear friend Mal Moore passed away this morning," Slive said. "Mal was a dignified and quiet man, always charming, gracious, thoughtful and caring. Mal had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great storyteller, while at all times a man of abiding humility. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be missed by all of us."
Several current Tide players responded to the news of Moore's passing on social media.
"Coach Mal Moore will be missed so much," quarterback AJ McCarron said on his Twitter page. "I love you coach & know you will be watching over us from above. We will always remember you (hash)loveU".
Safety Vinnie Sunseri posted on Twitter: "Thank you for everything you've done for this entire University Coach Moore your a inspiration to us all and even more u were a great man!"
Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon-turned-conservative-pundit, has accumulated legions of right-leaning fans since he stumped at the National Prayer Breakfast in February and, later, began appearing on Fox News Channel. But after delivering widely condemned comments regarding gay people?on Fox this week, a group of students at Johns Hopkins, where Carson has worked since 1977, has successfully stopped Carson from speaking?at the May commencement ceremony?of the university's medical school. ...
If you ever come to Seattle, one of the places that you absolutely have to visit is Remedy Teas on Capitol Hill. I am obsessed with this tea house. They carry over 150 organic loose leaf teas in the cafe, including white, green, oolong, black, rooibus, yerba, and a variety of herbal teas. If you are a tea drinker, this place is pure heaven.?
One of my favorite combinations was a seasonal holiday tea they featured several years ago that tasted like chocolate peppermint candy. Let me tell you, I bought out the store. Literally. And over the next eleven months I drank it all.?
Then the following Christmas I anxiously awaited for this seasonal tea to return, but they never brought it back. Several months ago I found myself craving this tea again and I finally decided it was time to just make my own combination. So I did. ?
Rooibus is a sweet, caffeine-free tea from South Africa. I love drinking it as an afternoon treat and this combination is perfect with a little almond milk and stevia. ?
I was pleasantly surprised by how cost effective it is to make my own loose leaf blend by purchasing the ingredients separately and then mixing them together. A small tin of this blend can usually run around $15, but I found that purchasing the ingredients in bulk and making this myself cut the cost to a little less than 1/3 of the price. I found the ingredients at my local health foods store, but I also provided links below to order online if your store does not have a bulk section or does not carry these items. Since vanilla beans are quite pricey, I kept mine whole and added it to the tea blend to help infuse the tea with vanilla flavor. Storing the tea in a?tea tin?kept the vanilla bean fresh enough that it still has plenty of flavor to reuse in future batches of tea.?
Vanilla Rooibus Tea with Cacao & Mint
Makes about 15 cups of tea
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Assemble the ingredients and store in a?tea tin.
The general rule of thumb when brewing loose leaf tea is 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of water, but I tend to like stronger tea so I usually add 2 - 3 teaspoons per cup of water. I am by no means a tea expert, but here are some other helpful tips I typically use for brewing rooibus tea:
Always use fresh, cold, and preferably filtered water for boiling. (This will help your tea to taste the best.)
The recommended temperature for making rooibus tea is 205?F, which means you can usually bring the water to a rolling boil and then steep the tea right away. (Some teas are better at a lower temperature so you have to wait a few minutes after boiling.)
For steeping the tea, I usually opt for my trusty?Bodum teapot?or?tea filters?if I am using a travel mug on-the-go. Lately I've been using a?tea infuser,?which allows me to steep the tea directly in my mug. For some reason this has felt easier than using a teapot, but it's all personal preference.?
Rooibus tea should steep for 3 - 5 minutes, and then the leaves should be removed. ?It's also recommended that the cup is covered during steeping, but if you use the teapot or tea infuser, this usually has a lid of its own.?
Finally, enjoy your tea! Add some milk of your choice and your favorite sweetener (if desired) and serve hot!
1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, Schedule C, Schedule B, 1099, W-2?doing taxes is like trying to speak a foreign language that you've never taken a course in. Given how complicated the tax code is, it's not surprising that people mess up when filing their returns?and those mistakes can cost people thousands. As a Certified Public Accountant with his own boutique firm, Gary Craig has seen it all. He shares some of the most common tax blunders that he witnesses to ensure that your own filing goes smoothly.
Shopping for the Biggest Refund
Craig says that perhaps the biggest mistake is trying to find someone who will give you the largest refund without making sure that it's accurate. "I got a guy last year who came in at the very last minute on April 10," says Craig. "He and his wife filed separately to take more exemptions, and the tax preparer he'd initially used was really aggressive about reimbursing. The guy was flabbergasted by how much he still owed and came to me ?refund shopping' to see if I could lower his tax liability, and I had to tell him, ?You actually owe more,' because the other preparer was so aggressive with the deductions."
Not Making Sure That Your Tax Preparer Signs the Return
If your tax preparer is confident in the accuracy of the return that he's prepared for you, then he'll have no trouble putting his name on it. But if he doesn't sign the return, it could be a sign that he's done something shady. In fact, Craig says, "If [the mistakes on your return are] serious and seem intentional, you can report him to the IRS. That's grounds for losing one's license."
Being Too Aggressive With Unreimbursed Business Expenses
This mistake has an easy solution: In addition to keeping those receipts for unreimbursed business expenses, always keep a record of your company's reimbursement policy?even for past years. This is the only document that will save you in an audit. Without it, the IRS won't recognize those expenses.
Taking Inappropriate Real Estate Deductions
If you're not a real estate professional, and you make more than $150,000, you can't take losses on any rental properties that you own against your normal working wages in order to lower your taxable income. Take it from Craig: "I had a client making $300,000, and taking $160,000 in real estate losses"?none of which was allowed. His bill? A cool $50,000 in back taxes and penalties.
Inflating the Value of a Car That You Donate
"This has been really popular the last few years," says Craig, "but IRS regulations around that have become more stringent in terms of documenting the value. If you've got a 1985 Toyota Corolla sitting in your garage, and you donate that vehicle to charity, claiming it's worth $1,500, you'd better have good documentation to support that value." His recommendation: Start with the Kelley Blue Book value. And if you make any improvements to the car, keep the receipts so you can prove their worth.
Being Too Aggressive With Home Office Deductions
This year, the IRS changed the requirements on the home office deduction for the 2013 tax year (to be filed in 2014). Under the new rule, taxpayers have the option to take a "standard" home office deduction of $5 for every square foot of office space up to 300 square feet. In the interim, the home office deduction could trip up those filing for it in the 2012 tax year, so make sure to measure your square footage correctly.
Misunderstanding the Stock Transactional Wash Sale Rule
Let's say you buy a few shares of Facebook stock, and then you later sell them at a small loss. Normally, you could deduct that loss against any other capital gains you made that year in order to lower your taxes. But if you bought more stock 30 days after selling (or 30 days before selling), then the first sale is disregarded. "It's like you never sold the stock in the first place," says Craig. And you won't get the tax benefit.
Not Taking Advantage of Traditional IRA Deductions
Here's a "mistake" that you can retroactively use to lower your taxes in the previous year. Plus, it also boosts your retirement savings! If you have a 401(k) at work, you can also contribute to your retirement savings in a traditional IRA and get a tax deduction if your income falls under the income limits. (For 2012, singles making $58,000 or below and those married filing jointly making $92,000 or below can contribute the full $5,000 to their IRAs; singles with income between $58,000 and $68,000 and married couples with income between $92,000 and $112,000 can make partial contributions.) So let's say that it's 2013, and you realize that you didn't contribute the full amount allowed to you for your IRA for 2012. You can still make a contribution now that will count for 2012, lowering your taxes for that year.
Neglecting to Tell Your Tax Preparer About Life Changes
Although things that happen in your family life or your job may seem unrelated to your taxes?and therefore none of your CPA's business?they can affect how much you owe. "Maybe your mother has moved in and is dependent on you, or your kids are now old enough to be in daycare," says Craig. "Tell your CPA what's going on in your life instead of just bringing him a bundle of forms." For instance, if you've changed jobs, your CPA could help you structure your compensation to maximize tax savings.
Settling for a CPA Who Just Goes Through the Motions
"Find a tax preparer who knows and cares about what makes you you," says Craig. Your CPA should know what brings you pleasure in life, what kind of family you have and what your values are. This way, for instance, he or she can help you make sure you're meeting your retirement goals with smart tax planning. Also, according to Craig, "the CPA can look out for opportunities to bring you during the year."
A CPA Spills: The 10 Biggest Tax Mistakes That I See?LearnVest
Laura Shin is the senior editor at LearnVest. She has worked at Newsweek.com, WSJ.com and NYTimes.com, and, as a freelancer, has had her writing published in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and others. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors from Stanford University with a degree in Modern Thought and Literature and has a master of arts from Columbia University's School of Journalism. An avid traveler who has lived in Indonesia, visited Italy seven times, and trekked in the Himalayas in northern India, she is saving up for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Follow Laura on Twitter @LauraShin.
Contact: Caroline Clancy caroline.clancy@bristol.ac.uk 44-011-792-88086 University of Bristol
Common fruit fly key to discovery as to how memories are written into brain cells
Scientists have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering the chemical processes in our brain linked to our formation of memories. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits, reveal a new target for therapeutic interventions to reverse the devastating effects of memory loss.
The BBSRC-funded research, led by scientists at the University of Bristol, aimed to better understand the mechanisms that enable us to form memories by studying the molecular changes in the hippocampus the part of the brain involved in learning.
Previous studies have shown that our ability to learn and form memories is due to an increase in synaptic communication called Long Term Potentiation [LTP]. This communication is initiated through a chemical process triggered by calcium entering brain cells and activating a key enzyme called 'Ca2+ responsive kinase' [CaMKII]. Once this protein is activated by calcium it triggers a switch in its own activity enabling it to remain active even after the calcium has gone. This special ability of CaMKII to maintain its own activity has been termed 'the molecular memory switch'.
Until now, the question still remained as to what triggers this chemical process in our brain that allows us to learn and form long-term memories. The research team, comprising scientists from the University's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, conducted experiments using the common fruit fly [Drosophila] to analyse and identify the molecular mechanisms behind this switch. Using advanced molecular genetic techniques that allowed them to temporarily inhibit the flies' memory the team were able to identify a gene called CASK as the synaptic molecule regulating this 'memory switch'.
Dr James Hodge, the study's lead author, said: "Fruit flies are remarkably compatible for this type of study as they possess similar neuronal function and neural responses to humans. Although small they are very smart, for instance, they can land on the ceiling and detect that the fruit in your fruit bowl has gone off before you can."
"In experiments whereby we tested the flies' learning and memory ability, involving two odours presented to the flies with one associated with a mild shock, we found that around 90 per cent were able to learn the correct choice remembering to avoid the odour associated with the shock. Five lessons of the odour with punishment made the fly remember to avoid that odour for between 24 hours and a week, which is a long time for an insect that only lives a couple of months."
By localising the function of the key molecules CASK and CaMKII to the flies' equivalent brain area to the human hippocampus, the team found that the flies lacking these genes showed disrupted memory formation. In repeat memory tests those lacking these key genes were shown to have no ability to remember at three hours (mid-term memory) and 24 hours (long-term memory) although their initial learning or short-term memory wasn't affected.
Finally, the team introduced a copy of the human CASK gene it is 80 per cent identical to the fly CASK gene into the genome of a fly that completely lacked its own CASK gene and was therefore not usually able to remember. The researchers found that flies which had a copy of the human CASK gene could remember like a normal wildtype fly.
Dr Hodge, from the University's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, said: "Research into memory is particularly important as it gives us our sense of identity, and deficits in learning and memory occur in many diseases, injuries and during aging".
"CASK's control of CaMKII 'molecular memory switch' is clearly a critical step in how memories are written into neurons in the brain. These findings not only pave the way for to developing new therapies which reverse the effects of memory loss but also prove the compatibility of Drosophila to model these diseases in the lab and screen for new drugs to treat these diseases. Furthermore, this work provides an important insight into how brains have evolved their huge capacity to acquire and store information."
These findings clearly demonstrate that neuronal function of CASK is conserved between flies and human, validating the use of Drosophila to understand CASK function in both the healthy and diseased brain. Mutations in human CASK gene have been associated with neurological and cognitive defects including severe learning difficulties.
###
The BBSRC-funded study, entitled 'CASK and CaMKII function in the mushroom body a'/' neurons during Drosophila memory formation' by Bilal Rashid Malik, John Michael Gillespie, James John Llewellyn Hodge was published on Wednesday 27 March 2013 in the Frontiers in Neural Circuits Journal.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Caroline Clancy caroline.clancy@bristol.ac.uk 44-011-792-88086 University of Bristol
Common fruit fly key to discovery as to how memories are written into brain cells
Scientists have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering the chemical processes in our brain linked to our formation of memories. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits, reveal a new target for therapeutic interventions to reverse the devastating effects of memory loss.
The BBSRC-funded research, led by scientists at the University of Bristol, aimed to better understand the mechanisms that enable us to form memories by studying the molecular changes in the hippocampus the part of the brain involved in learning.
Previous studies have shown that our ability to learn and form memories is due to an increase in synaptic communication called Long Term Potentiation [LTP]. This communication is initiated through a chemical process triggered by calcium entering brain cells and activating a key enzyme called 'Ca2+ responsive kinase' [CaMKII]. Once this protein is activated by calcium it triggers a switch in its own activity enabling it to remain active even after the calcium has gone. This special ability of CaMKII to maintain its own activity has been termed 'the molecular memory switch'.
Until now, the question still remained as to what triggers this chemical process in our brain that allows us to learn and form long-term memories. The research team, comprising scientists from the University's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, conducted experiments using the common fruit fly [Drosophila] to analyse and identify the molecular mechanisms behind this switch. Using advanced molecular genetic techniques that allowed them to temporarily inhibit the flies' memory the team were able to identify a gene called CASK as the synaptic molecule regulating this 'memory switch'.
Dr James Hodge, the study's lead author, said: "Fruit flies are remarkably compatible for this type of study as they possess similar neuronal function and neural responses to humans. Although small they are very smart, for instance, they can land on the ceiling and detect that the fruit in your fruit bowl has gone off before you can."
"In experiments whereby we tested the flies' learning and memory ability, involving two odours presented to the flies with one associated with a mild shock, we found that around 90 per cent were able to learn the correct choice remembering to avoid the odour associated with the shock. Five lessons of the odour with punishment made the fly remember to avoid that odour for between 24 hours and a week, which is a long time for an insect that only lives a couple of months."
By localising the function of the key molecules CASK and CaMKII to the flies' equivalent brain area to the human hippocampus, the team found that the flies lacking these genes showed disrupted memory formation. In repeat memory tests those lacking these key genes were shown to have no ability to remember at three hours (mid-term memory) and 24 hours (long-term memory) although their initial learning or short-term memory wasn't affected.
Finally, the team introduced a copy of the human CASK gene it is 80 per cent identical to the fly CASK gene into the genome of a fly that completely lacked its own CASK gene and was therefore not usually able to remember. The researchers found that flies which had a copy of the human CASK gene could remember like a normal wildtype fly.
Dr Hodge, from the University's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, said: "Research into memory is particularly important as it gives us our sense of identity, and deficits in learning and memory occur in many diseases, injuries and during aging".
"CASK's control of CaMKII 'molecular memory switch' is clearly a critical step in how memories are written into neurons in the brain. These findings not only pave the way for to developing new therapies which reverse the effects of memory loss but also prove the compatibility of Drosophila to model these diseases in the lab and screen for new drugs to treat these diseases. Furthermore, this work provides an important insight into how brains have evolved their huge capacity to acquire and store information."
These findings clearly demonstrate that neuronal function of CASK is conserved between flies and human, validating the use of Drosophila to understand CASK function in both the healthy and diseased brain. Mutations in human CASK gene have been associated with neurological and cognitive defects including severe learning difficulties.
###
The BBSRC-funded study, entitled 'CASK and CaMKII function in the mushroom body a'/' neurons during Drosophila memory formation' by Bilal Rashid Malik, John Michael Gillespie, James John Llewellyn Hodge was published on Wednesday 27 March 2013 in the Frontiers in Neural Circuits Journal.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
With a debt crisis still stalking Europe, a Spanish entrepreneur has a new idea to protect your euros: a mattress with a safe inside.
By Whitney Eulich,?Staff writer / March 27, 2013
Two men walk in the business district in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday.
Paul White/AP
Enlarge
Europeans have tossed and turned at night since the continent's sovereign debt crisis began three years ago. Right now it?s the Cypriots, surprised earlier this month by an announcement that some personal bank accounts could be taxed in order to raise the needed contribution for a bailout.
Skip to next paragraph Whitney Eulich
Latin America Editor
Whitney Eulich is the Monitor's Latin America editor, overseeing regional coverage for CSMonitor.com and the weekly magazine. She also curates the Latin America Monitor Blog.
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The creator of My Mattress Safe explains his unusual product
But Greeks, Irish, and Spaniards know the drill all too well themselves. Spanish bank deposits, for instance, dropped by 4.7 percent between June and July 2012, as faith in the country?s banking system plummeted.
In banks, it?s safe to say, many Europeans do not trust.
So what better way to slip soundly into sleep each night than knowing the precise status of one?s life savings? That?s the idea behind the simple and inventive Caja MiColch?n, or My Mattress Safe, a bed manufactured in northwestern Spain that is?outfitted with a safety deposit box.?
Francisco ?Paco? Santos worked in the mattress business for 14 years before losing his job in 2009. Unemployed, he tapped a dormant entrepreneurial spirit, designing this mattress that stands out from the rest.
My Mattress Safe was released by Mr. Santos' company Descanso Santos Sue?os (DESS) three weeks ago, in step with the Cyprus banking saga. It sells for about $1,120.?
Set to upbeat, jazzy music, one promotional video on the company?s website shows the ins and outs of production. The mattress is made with ?the best materials? and implanted at the foot of the bed is a digital-entry safety box (there's no mention of whether or not it?s fireproof).
In the video, Mr. Santos parodies a bank commercial, calling My Mattress Safe a ?financial institution? with a new, imaginative take on saving. Not to fear, he says ? this approach to savings doesn?t come with the threat of bankruptcy, mergers, or market fluctuations.
That could be a powerful selling point, with the safety of bank deposits high on the mind in Europe once again this month. According to The Christian Science Monitor, the European Union ?raised serious doubts about its promise to guarantee citizens? savings ? a vital pillar of any financial sector that underpins savers? trust ? when it went along with a plan to levy small Cypriot depositors.?
DESS hasn?t released sales figures, but the company said they?ve exceeded expectations. And despite the initial double take, there may be a larger audience for a Mattress Safe than one might expect.
In Argentina, for example, many keep their US dollars (a popular currency because of high rates of inflation) out of Argentine banks after ?harsh lessons? learned from past economic crises. The Monitor met one Argentine last summer who keeps his dollars in a safety deposit box.
?I know that the dollars in my box are actually there,? says Francisco, an IT worker in Buenos Aires.??If you have a bank account in dollars your money doesn?t exist ? it?s just virtual money."
The My Mattress Safe tagline feeds into this mentality: ?Your money, very close to you.?
For customers looking for assurance that their money isn't going anywhere with the Caja MiColch?n, there?s a calculator on the website where customers can work out their savings over time. Enter the deposit amount, the number of months of planned investment, and voila:?The same number of euros deposited in a My Mattress Safe is at the investor?s disposal a month, year, or decade later. (?What you deposit is what you have. So easy, so simple,? reads the website.)
"History repeats itself,? Santos told Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
?Older generations thought the safest place to keep their money was under the mattress. Now we?re proposing the same thing as we've seen people's uneasiness about the current situation. I'm not going to deny that the idea is a little crazy, but we believe that people with this mattress not only will sleep well, but also will be more relaxed because their savings are safe."
Cooking up science: How do you boil the perfect egg? Use science to help--and learn about proteins in the processImage: George Resteck
Key concepts Food science Proteins Heat Eggs
Introduction Have you ever been in such a rush in the morning that you barely had time for breakfast? Eggs can be a good breakfast choice because they can be cooked quickly and in many different ways. Eggs have been eaten for thousands of years, all over the world. Hard-boiled eggs are commonly used for dying Easter eggs, but a soft-boiled egg can make a yummy breakfast or snack. How does different exposure to heat at different times change the way an egg cooks? In this activity you'll determine the best recipe for producing consistent, soft-boiled eggs that will get your day off to a great start no matter what time of year!
Background The typical egg packs a big punch in a small package. One large egg has about 75 calories, many essential nutrients, lots of high-quality protein, various vitamins, multiple minerals, choline, folate and riboflavin. Eggs can help you maintain muscle strength as well as promote a healthy brain and eye function. The yolk contains the fat of the egg, most of the vitamins and minerals, and about half of the protein. The albumen (egg white) is mostly water (about 90 percent) and protein (about 10 percent).
There are several methods for preparing eggs. They can be scrambled, poached, fried, pickled, hard-boiled and soft-boiled. In a raw egg the proteins in the egg are folded and curled up tight. But when you cook an egg, the heat causes its proteins to uncurl so that they interact with one another, forming a network of connected proteins. In a soft-boiled egg the white is firm but the yolk is between runny and solid?in other words, the yolk should be viscous, or thickened and sticky.?
Materials ? Three raw eggs ? Pot with lid ? Ice cubes ? Water ? Large bowl ? Stove top (adult supervision is recommended while using the stove and handling any hot items) ? Slotted spoon ? Timer ? Plates
Preparation ? If the eggs are being stored in the refrigerator, take them out and let them warm to room temperature. This may take about an hour. ? Remember to always wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling uncooked eggs because they can carry salmonella. For this same reason, it is not recommended that you eat any uncooked eggs you prepare in this activity. ? Gently place an egg in a pot and add water. Fill the pot so that the egg is covered by about an inch of water. ? Put several ice cubes in a large bowl and fill it with enough water to cover an egg. This will be your ice water bath. If many of the ice cubes melt during the activity, add new ones to the bowl.
Procedure ? Place the pot of water with the egg in it on the stove top, put the lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil. (Please have adult supervision when operating the stove and handling hot items.) ? Once the water is vigorously boiling, let the egg cook for five minutes. Keep the lid on the pot during this time. ? After boiling for five minutes, carefully remove the egg using the slotted spoon and place it into the ice water bath. ? Let the egg sit in the bath for one minute, then remove the egg, peel it and place it on a plate. ? Observe the egg. Is the white firm or watery? How thick is the solid white? Is the yolk slimy, viscous or hard? Overall, does it seem like the egg is soft-boiled? ? Bring the water in the pot back up to a vigorous boil and use the slotted spoon to carefully place a new raw egg into the boiling water. Let the egg boil for five minutes (with the lid on the pot). ? After five minutes, carefully remove the egg and place it into the ice water bath. Let the egg sit there for one minute, then remove it, peel it and place it on a plate. ? Observe the egg. Is the white firm or watery? How thick is the solid white? Is the yolk slimy, viscous or hard? Overall, does it seem like the egg is soft-boiled? ? Bring the water in the pot back up to a vigorous boil and carefully place a new raw egg into the boiling water. Once the egg is submerged, turn off the stove and move the pot to a cool burner. Let the egg steep in the just-boiled water for five minutes. Leave the lid off the pot while the egg steeps. ? After five minutes, carefully remove the egg and place it into the ice water bath. Let the egg sit for one minute, then remove it, peel it and place it on a plate. ? Observe the egg. Is the white firm or watery? How thick is the solid white? Is the yolk slimy, viscous or hard? Overall, does it seem like the egg is soft-boiled? ? Which cooking method seemed to lead to the best soft-boiled egg: bringing the egg and water up to a boil together, just cooking the egg in already boiling water or steeping the egg in just-boiled water? If they showed similar results, which method seemed to use less energy? ? Extra: Eggs come in different sizes. You could try three different sizes of eggs with the method that worked best for you in this activity. Does the size of the egg affect how well the best soft-boiling recipe works? ? Extra: You could try this activity again but increase or decrease the amount of time that the egg is in hot water. Can you perfect the soft-boiling recipe?
UNION, N.J. (AP) ? A naked, malnourished 4-year-old boy found inside an apartment with the body of his mother, dead for days, had resorted to eating from a bag of sugar and weighed only 26 pounds, well below normal, police said Wednesday as adoption offers poured in from around the world.
The boy's first request after being examined, police said, was a grilled cheese sandwich and a juice.
His mother, identified Wednesday as Kiana Workman, 38, of New York City's Brooklyn borough, was discovered dead Tuesday on the floor of her bedroom after maintenance workers at the apartment complex in northern New Jersey reported a foul odor. Because the chain lock was on, police said, the toddler couldn't get out.
Officer Joseph Sauer said the boy was naked but coherent and not crying when he kicked in the door and his partner lifted the youngster up by the arms and pulled him out of the overheated apartment.
"The only way to describe the little boy was it was like a scene from World War II, from a concentration camp, he was that skinny. I mean, you could see all his bones," Sauer told The Associated Press.
The apartment in this city 15 miles west of New York belongs to Workman's mother, who is recuperating from surgery at a nursing center, said police, who could not track down any other relatives.
The boy, now in state custody, remained in a hospital where he was being treated for malnourishment and dehydration, police said.
"Physically, he's fine. Whether there are any mental problems later on ... I'm not a child expert," Police Director Daniel Zieser said.
The boy was not strong enough to open the refrigerator and was unable to open a can of soup. Police said he told them he had been eating from a bag of sugar.
The boy could not say how long his mother had been dead.
Police said he put lotion on his mother, leaving behind handprints, in an attempt to help her.
Officer Sylvia Dimenna, who traveled in the ambulance with the boy and stayed with him at the hospital, said he was very bright and articulate but tired.
"He said he missed his mommy," she said.
Police initially estimated she had been dead five days before the discovery was made, but Zieser said Wednesday it may have been two to three. Nobody had talked to her for about a week.
The boy weighed 26 pounds, but at the age of 4? should have weighed 40 pounds or more, Zieser said.
"It's possible he was improperly cared for before the mother's death; we just don't know yet," Zieser said.
Autopsy results that would help them better determine the time of death were pending. Police said they did not suspect foul play.
Police said they were getting calls from around the world from people offering to adopt the child or donate money or toys.
"It's overwhelming," Zieser said.
"I just hope everything works out for the child," the police director said. "We're just going to take it one step at a time and do the best that we can for the child."
Police said they were trying to find someone in the family capable of taking care of the boy, including a brother of Workman believed to live out West. But he said it would be up to the state's child welfare agency to determine where the child is placed.
Zieser described the apartment complex as a well-maintained property with few problems.
But he said everyone there "basically stays to themselves."
CLEVELAND (AP) ? Usher, Carole King, John Fogerty, Spike Lee, Harry Belafonte and others have been added to the list of performers and presenters for the next Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy and Rush will also perform when Donna Summer, Albert King, Quincy Jones and Lou Adler are inducted at an April 18 ceremony in Los Angeles.
Usher is performing for Jones. Fogerty and Jackson Browne will perform with Newman. King will perform for Adler and Cheech & Chong will induct him.
In a Seattle reunion, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell will perform with Heart, while Soundgarden's Chris Cornell will induct them. Lee and Belafonte will pay tribute to Public Enemy.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Broadcaster CBS Corp. is buying a 50 percent stake in TV Guide's pay TV channel and website for nearly $100 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The price is less than the $123 million that JPMorgan Chase's One Equity Partners paid for a 49 percent stake four years ago. It brings CBS Corp. into an equal partnership with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
The deal terms come from a person who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and who spoke on condition of anonymity.
CBS said the channel, available in more than 80 million homes, will continue to focus on entertainment. Details about rebranding it will come. It will combine CBS' programming, production and marketing with Lions Gate's resources in movies, TV shows and digital content.
Previously, the channel had mainly been used as a guide for other channels, but set-top boxes come with their own guides these days. The channel, called TVGN, currently shows reruns of such programs as "Who's The Boss," ''Ugly Betty" and older movies. Most viewers don't see the scrolling TV listings guide any more.
TV Guide magazine, which is owned separately by OpenGate Capital, isn't part of the deal.
Analysts have said the channel will benefit from CBS's operational and TV programming expertise. Aside from the CBS network itself, it will become the most widely distributed channel that CBS operates. CBS also owns the Smithsonian Networks, CBS Sports network and premium channel Showtime.
CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves said in a statement the channel will offer a strategic way for CBS to use its brands "and gain access to a highly distributed basic cable network that has a lot of upside."
CBS and Lions Gate have worked together in the past. Lions Gate produces the shows "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" for Showtime.
CBS shares were up 4 cents in after-hours trading at $45.75 following the announcement, after closing up 29 cents at $45.71 in normal trading. Lions Gate shares rose 19 cents to $24, after rising 2.7 percent to close at $23.81 in the regular session.
If Carrie isn't Brody's lover next season on "Homeland," he'll probably want to keep an eye over his shoulder.
By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY
You don't have to be a super spy to get some scoop on the next season of "Homeland." Just listen to what actor Damian Lewis has to say about his character Nick Brody and love interest Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes).
Lewis told Digital Spy last week that he knows what's going to happen through episode six of the upcoming third season of the Showtime series.
"I think Brody and Carrie are over," Lewis said of his war hero turned would-be terrorist and the CIA agent who loved him. "I don't think those two can be together. Can you imagine them being married and bringing up kids? I don't think it would last long. They'd be in the divorce courts pretty quickly. So I don't think that's a story that's got many legs."
Anyone hoping for more weekend romps at Carrie's cabin will be bummed by Lewis' assertion. But he does have a point that Sgt. Brody raising kids with the woman who's supposed to be chasing him just doesn't make sense. After all, how could they turn out as well as this one and this one?
Lewis and Danes both won best actor Emmy awards, and "Homeland" was named best drama series last fall.
Goa is really a unique visitor locations within Indian, a situation apparently fortunate along with fantastic climate, actually probably the most fantastic seashores, beautiful individuals, great meals, higher on top of the slope, little whitened church buildings, leaping Colonial cathedrals time, a distinctive social heritage ?No question, consequently, which Goa is among the primary travel and leisure locations within Indian as well as vacations. Arrive throughout the vacations or even almost any lengthy weekend break, as well as Goa is actually full of experienced yuppies wishing to change away as well as relax for some times, and also the Europeans starving with regard to sunlight, taking in everything wonderful sunlight as well as meals.
Goa Travel and leisure offers choices for the actual supply associated with real estate choices within Goa and also the picture gets much better along with every moving day time. Comfy lodging assists to promote travel and leisure within Goa. There are numerous associated with 5 star resorts as well as seaside hotels within Goa providing towards the requirements associated with vacationers visiting discover Goa or even fascinating in order to discover the actual attractive area close to Goa.
All of us from Travel and leisure associated with Goa, a number one owner associated with incoming travel and leisure in order to Indian to advertise travel and leisure within Goa and you will guide resorts as well as hotels within Goa according to your financial allowance. All of us preserve excellent operating romantic relationship along with just about all main resort stores as well as impartial qualities within Indian as well as Goa. It will help all of us within providing aggressive prices with regard to resorts as well as seashores associated with Goa.
The actual feeling to provide travel and leisure within Goa a great impetus has discovered brand new prefer using the Goa Travel and leisure Improvement Company (GTDC) choice release a a number of plans for the reason that path. One of the plans tend to be programs to build up visitor GTDC qualities in the manner public-private relationship and to purchase a cruise trip deliver to advertise a brand new aspect associated with travel and leisure ? ?cruise tourism? within Goa. Additionally about the credit cards may be the intro of the coach support along with atmosphere conditioning-hop-on hop-off inside a warm springtime travel and leisure field within north Goa.
GTDC presently offers a lot more than thirty-five actual locations through the condition, within each seaside as well as away from the coast places which have excellent possibility of improvement as well as earnings era via correct make use of. The entire expense within PPP tasks is actually approximately believed how the area through 450 in order to 500 zillion rupees.
Tenders for that visit associated with experts ought to be used soon to ensure tasks offer the actual procedure on the amount of twelve months.
Through Atmosphere
Goa?s airport terminal is actually Dabolim, far away associated with twenty nine kilometres through Panaji, about the Basque coastline close to Da Gama. The majority of household air carriers run within Goa aside from chartered personal air carriers working in the UNITED KINGDOM as well as Indonesia.
Through teach
Achieving Goa through teach is simple through Mumbai (490 km), Bangalore (430km) as well as Delhi (1, 874 km). Goa?s 2 primary channels are in Margao as well as Basque Da Gama.
Posts related to Goa Journey As well as Travel and leisure Indian
Mar. 25, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center have identified a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets and directly kills chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells.
The findings, published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 25, 2013 represent a potential new therapy for treating at least some patients with CLL, the most common type of blood cancer in the United States.
CLL cells express high levels of a cell-surface glycoprotein receptor called CD44. Principal investigator Thomas Kipps, MD, PhD, Evelyn and Edwin Tasch Chair in Cancer Research, and colleagues identified a monoclonal antibody called RG7356 that specifically targeted CD44 and was directly toxic to cancer cells, but had little effect on normal B cells.
Moreover, they found RG7356 induced CLL cells that expressed the protein ZAP-70 to undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. Roughly half of CLL patients have leukemia cells that express ZAP-70. Such patients typically have a more aggressive form of the disease than patients with CLL cells that do not express that specific protein.
Previous research by Kipps and others has shown that CLL cells routinely undergo spontaneous or drug-induced cell death when removed from the body and cultured in the laboratory. They found that CLL cells receive survival signals from surrounding non-tumor cells that are present in the lymph nodes and bone marrow of patients with CLL. One of these survival signals appears to be transmitted through CD44. However, when CD44 is bound by the RG7356 monoclonal antibody, it seems to instead convey a death signal to the leukemia cell.
"By targeting CD44, it may be possible to kill CLL cells regardless of whether there are sufficient numbers of so-called 'effector cells,' which ordinarily are required by other monoclonal antibodies to kill tumor cells," said Kipps. "We plan to initiate clinical trials using this humanized anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody in the not-too-distant future."
Co-authors were Suping Zhang, Christina C.N. Wu, Jessie-Farah Fecteau, Bing Cui, Liguang Chen, Ling Zhang, Rongrong Wu, Laura Rassenti, and Fitzgerald S. Lao, Department of Medicine, UCSD Moores Cancer Center; and Stefan Weigand, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Germany.
Funding for this study came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grant PO1-CA081534) and the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Blood Center Research Fund.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, San Diego Health Sciences.
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Journal Reference:
Suping Zhang, Christina C. N. Wu, Jessie-F. Fecteau, Bing Cui, Liguang Chen, Ling Zhang, Rongrong Wu, Laura Rassenti, Fitzgerald Lao, Stefan Weigand, and Thomas J. Kipps. Targeting chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells with a humanized monoclonal antibody specific for CD44. PNAS, March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221841110
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations will move about half of its 100 foreign staff members out of Syria after a number of mortar shells fell near their hotel in Damascus, damaging the building and a U.N. vehicle, the United Nations said on Monday.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said another 800 local U.N. staff had been asked to work from home until further notice.
"The United Nations Security Management Team has assessed the situation and decided to temporarily reduce the presence of international staff in Damascus due to security conditions," Nesirky said.
Syrian rebels lobbed mortar rounds into central Damascus on Monday, killing at least two people and drawing a fierce army response as bombardments shook the capital.
"The United Nations remains active and committed to helping the Syrian sides in their search for a political solution," Nesirky said. "U.N. agencies and partners also remain committed to providing assistance to millions of people in need in Syria."
The two-year conflict began as peaceful protests that turned violent when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tried to crush the revolt. The United Nations says more than 70,000 people have been killed and nearly 1.2 million have fled the violence.
Nesirky said mortar shells had landed on the grounds of the hotel in Damascus housing U.N. staff on Sunday and Monday.
He said the international staff worked for peace mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, the resident U.N. coordinator, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Program and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees UNRWA.
"There will still be in country enough people to be able to continue and indeed to increase the range of work particularly to reach people with food aid," Nesirky said.
The U.N. Security Council has been deadlocked on Syria since 2011. Russia and China have refused to consider sanctions on Assad's government and have vetoed three resolutions condemning Assad's crackdown on opposition groups.
The United Nations said on Thursday it would investigate Syria's allegations that rebel forces used chemical weapons in an attack near Aleppo, but Western countries are seeking a probe of all claims concerning the use of such banned arms.
U.S. and European officials say there is no evidence of a chemical weapons attack. If one is confirmed, it would be the first use of such weapons in the Syrian conflict.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Cynthia Osterman)
WASHINGTON, D.C.? Government-funded projects have yielded a wealth of information, but much of this data has historically remained locked up in difficult-to-use form. To get this data to people who might start businesses with them, the Obama administration created the position of chief technology officer. Todd Park, the nation?s current CTO, has plenty of innovation experience. In 1997, at the age of 24, he co-founded his first start-up, called Athenahealth, which provides online data management for physicians. After momentarily retiring to focus on his family he set up two other start-ups before joining the White House team four years ago. At a media briefing in February he talked about getting government data into the hands of entrepreneurs to spark innovation and economic growth. [An edited transcript follows.] You?re an entrepreneur who helped launch three successful health-tech start-ups. How did you end up working for the U.S. government? In the summer of 2009 I got an e-mail from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asking about my becoming its chief technology officer. My first question was: Why are you talking to me? Because I don?t know anything about government. I didn?t serve at any level. But they said, it?s actually your background as someone who?s not in government, who?s been a health-tech entrepreneur. In March 2012 you became the chief technology officer of the U.S. What do you as the nation?s CTO? It?s a position the president established for the first time in his first term in office. I?m the second CTO, after Aneesh Chopra. The gist of the job is that I run an incubator inside the government. It?s not birthing companies; it?s birthing projects that all have the common denominator of unleashing the power of tech to advance the president?s programs, whether that?s job creation, economic growth, improved outcomes in health care, education, public safety or energy. How does the incubation work? One category of projects is the Open Data Initiative program. This set of initiatives aims to liberate data from the vaults of the government to spur entrepreneurship, innovation and scientific discovery. A lot of data has been made public, but in unusable form, like books or pdfs or static Web sites. So the notion is to make them available as bulk downloadable files, as APIs [application protocol interfaces], so that you can actually use this stuff to create value. It was inspired by what the government did in prior eras, when it opened up weather data decades ago, making the data downloadable electronically by anyone, for free. What happened once U.S. weather data became freely available? Entrepreneurs picked it up and turned it into the Weather Channel, weather.com, weather apps, weather insurance--all which grew the economy, created jobs and improved our lives all at the same time. GPS is similar story. Beginning the 1980s Pres. Ronald Reagan began the process of opening the GPS system for civilian and commercial access, which was completed under Pres. Bill Clinton. The access has spawned an incredible array of innovations by American entrepreneurs ranging from navigation systems to precision crop farming to location-based apps. In fact, it?s estimated that last year alone civilian and commercial access to GPS added $90 billion in annual value to the U.S. economy. And the number keeps growing. So this is a play that gets the president and us very excited. Without legislation, without regulation, without incremental expenditure of taxpayer capital, you?re basically taking data?information resources that taxes have already paid for?and you?re jujitsuing it, if you will, into the public domain as fuel for entrepreneurs to pick up and turn into awesomeness. How much data is there in the government? The thing that?s really amazing to me is that weather and GPS are just the tip of the iceberg. The analogy we use is the last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, where they are in a giant warehouse wheeling in a box that has the latest treasure. That?s a really good metaphor for the data treasures that are held in the vaults of the government?data which taxpayers have paid for and which we should give back to them. We?re focusing on six sectors in particular: health, energy, education, public safety, global development and finance. How do you get innovators and entrepreneurs involved in the process? We do these ?Datapaloozas,? where folks get together to learn more about the data that?s available and to showcase what entrepreneurs have done with them. Just to show you how fast this can go, we actually started this effort when I was at HHS with something called Healthy Initiative in 2010. We kicked it off by inviting 45 very skeptical entrepreneurs into a room and saying, ?Here?s a bunch of data we have. What do you think?? Ninety days later 20-plus new innovations were showcased. It not only inspired entrepreneurs to do innovations of their own but also inspired people who own data inside the government to realize the value of putting it out there. Two years later in June 2012 we had a Health Datapalooza that drew 1,600 entrepreneurs?and several hundred entrepreneurs who were angry they couldn?t get in. What were some of the products that were showcased at the Health Datapalooza? Two hundred and thirty?plus companies had gone through an American Idol?style contest for the right to present. Most of these companies have been founded in the last 18 to 24 months, all leveraging open data to actually do something remarkable in health care. An example is Pete Hudson, who started a company called iTriage. The mobile app took a bunch of data around where all the doctors are, like GPS for health care providers. As a user, you can punch in your symptoms and it tells you based on the GPS and the data you punched in who the best local providers are that can help you. It?s been downloaded nine million times and has literally saved people?s lives. Do you keep track of how the data is used? No. The data is completely free, there are no conditions, there are no agreements to sign, no registration process?you just take it and do amazing things with it. One example is Google. I remember Bryan Sivak, my successor at as CTO at HHS, called me one day and said, ?Go to Google, and type in ?aspirin.? It?ll make you really happy.? I did, and then?boom!?it pops up on the right-hand side next to the search results, a whole bunch of government-sourced scientific data about aspirin. Google has done it for every single drug, leveraging our national medical API?s. Best of all, I had no idea they were doing it. All great innovation ecosystems are chaotic, self-propelled and out of control. And I think we?re getting to that point where open-data ecosystems are at that happy place. You started another program, called the Presidential Innovation Fellows. What is that about? It allows us to bring in amazing people from the outside to complement the people on the inside. They operate in start-up mode: small, agile teams to come up with a minimal viable product and then engage with the customer as soon as they can. What were some of the innovations that have come out of the fellowship program? One was called Blue Button for America, which is all about enabling Americans to securely download their own heath information wherever they might be. There is also a project called MyUSA, which deals with the fact we have 24,000 Web sites across the U.S. government?our Web presence is organized the way the government is organized, which is to say incomprehensible. So MyUSA has built a prototype platform that helps you access and use the services and information. Overall, how would you describe the release of data? It?s an instantiation of one of our favorite laws of the universe, called Joy?s Law. From Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, who famously said, ?No matter who you are, most of the smartest people in the world work for somebody else.? The whole idea behind open data is to say, look, we don?t know anything about the data. We don?t have the money or the expertise to do anything, so why don?t we just open it up to the people who paid for it already, and they will invent all kinds of things. Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news. ? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.
I want a black and white computer, and I don't want it out of sheer, wanton weirdness. I actually think it's a good idea. Here's why.
1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, Schedule C, Schedule B, 1099, W-2?doing taxes is like trying to speak a foreign language that you've never taken a course in. Given how complicated the tax code is, it's not surprising that people mess up when filing their returns?and those mistakes can cost people thousands. As a Certified Public Accountant with his own boutique firm, Gary Craig has seen it all. He shares some of the most common tax blunders that he witnesses to ensure that your own filing goes smoothly. 
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