Jan. 29, 2013 ? While the wooly musk ox may like it cold, fruit flies definitely do not. They like it hot, or at least warm. In fact, their preferred optimum temperature is very similar to that of humans -- 76 degrees F.
Scientists have known that a type of brain cell circuit helps regulate a variety of innate and learned behavior in animals, including their temperature preferences. What has been a mystery is whether or not this behavior stems from a specific set of neurons (brain cells) or overlapping sets.
Now, a new study from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) shows that a complex set of overlapping neuronal circuits work in concert to drive temperature preferences in the fruit fly Drosophila by affecting a single target, a heavy bundle of neurons within the fly brain known as the mushroom body. These nerve bundles, which get their name from their bulbous shape, play critical roles in learning and memory.
The study, published in the January 30, 2013 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that dopaminergic circuits -- brain cells that synthesize dopamine, a common neurotransmitter -- within the mushroom body do not encode a single signal, but rather perform a more complex computation of environmental conditions.
"We found that dopamine neurons process multiple inputs to generate multiple outputs -- the same set of nerves process sensory information and reward-avoidance learning," said TSRI Assistant Professor Seth Tomchik. "This discovery helps lay the groundwork to better understand how information is processed in the brain. A similar set of neurons is involved in behavior preferences in humans -- from basic rewards to more complex learning and memory."
Using imaging techniques that allow scientists to visualize neuron activity in real time, the study illuminated the response of dopaminergic neurons to changes in temperature. The behavioral roles were then examined by silencing various subsets of these neurons. Flies were tested using a temperature gradient plate; the flies moved from one place to another to express their temperature preferences.
As it turns out, genetic silencing of dopaminergic neurons innervating the mushroom body substantially reduces cold avoidance behavior. "If you give the fly a choice, it will pick San Diego weather every time," Tomchik said, "but if you shut down those nerves, they suddenly don't mind being in Minnesota."
The study also showed dopaminergic neurons respond to cooling with sudden a burst of activity at the onset of a drop in temperature, before settling down to a lower steady-state level. This initial burst of dopamine could function to increase neuronal plasticity -- the ability to adapt -- during periods of environmental change when the organism needs to acquire new associative memories or update previous associations with temperature changes.
The study, "Dopaminergic Neurons Encode a Distributed, Asymmetric Representation of Temperature in Drosophila," was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (grant number K99 MH092294).
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NEW YORK (AP) ? Chris Cuomo is leaving ABC News to host a new morning show at CNN, where new boss Jeff Zucker is moving fast to try to turn around the cable news pioneer that has fallen on hard times.
Network managing editor Mark Whitaker announced he was quitting Tuesday, officially Zucker's seventh day on the job as CNN Worldwide president. Longtime political consultants and commentators James Carville and Mary Matalin also are leaving.
Cuomo is expected to be paired with current evening anchor Erin Burnett in the mornings. CNN said Tuesday it was discussing other job options with Soledad O'Brien, who will be ending her second stint as morning show co-host.
"Chris is an accomplished anchor who is already an established name in morning television," Zucker said. "What I love about Chris is that he is passionate about every story he tells, never forgets about the viewer and represents the type of journalism that makes CNN great."
In addition to the broadcast morning shows, CNN is competing with two distinctive cable news morning programs in Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" and MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
Zucker was the "Today" show executive producer as the show began dominating morning television in the mid-1990s, before moving up in the NBC executive suite, and he is expected to work closely in developing the new morning show. He was largely responsible for Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira getting their jobs at "Today."
Cuomo, the "20/20" co-anchor, is the second big defection from ABC to CNN in a little more than a month, the other being Jake Tapper.
Both men found their paths to higher-profile jobs at ABC blocked. Cuomo, who was news anchor at "Good Morning America" from 2006 to 2009, was passed over for George Stephanopoulos as co-host of that show while Tapper twice didn't get a shot at the anchor job on "This Week," first when Stephanopoulos left and then when he returned to the Sunday show.
Both Cuomo and Tapper will have their own daily programs on CNN, which generally runs third in the ratings behind Fox and MSNBC but improves during big news events.
Cuomo wasn't made available for comment. He said in a statement that "this is a fantastic opportunity to do what I value the most and hopefully to do the work that I do best."
CNN was scooped on the announcement of Cuomo's hiring by the newsman's older brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who mentioned it during a radio interview Tuesday morning.
ABC News moved quickly to replace Cuomo, appointing correspondent David Muir as Elizabeth Vargas' new co-host on the prime-time newsmagazine.
Whitaker came to CNN in 2011 as senior vice president and managing editor and tried to expand CNN's programming, opening a film division and hiring Morgan Spurlock and Anthony Bourdain for weekend shows that haven't started yet.
With Zucker and "his own forceful ideas" about CNN's direction and programming options, Whitaker said the new chief deserved a chance to build his own management team.
The Cajun commentator Carville, a former Bill Clinton political aide, has delivered opinions on CNN since 2002. His wife, Mary Matalin, came on at the end of the Bush administration in 2009.
___
Associated Press writer Michael Gormley in Albany, N.Y. contributed to this report.
Caddo Holdings bought Lakewood Towers in 2010. (HFF LP)
A Dallas commercial real estate investor has put its five local office properties up for sale.
But officials with Caddo Holdings say they plan to buy other buildings in the state.
Caddo Holdings has hired HFF LP to sell the buildings in Dallas? Uptown and Lakewood districts.
The three Uptown buildings were purchased in late 2011 and are the 7-story Crosstex Energy building at 2501 Cedar Springs, the five-story 3400 Carlisle building on Lemmon Avenue and the three-story 2811 McKinney building near the Quadrangle.
Caddo is also trying to sell its 2-building Lakewood Towers office complex on Gaston Avenue in East Dallas. It acquired the Lakewood property in 2010.
Lakewood Towers is 85.5 percent leased and the Uptown buildings are between 83 and 100 percent rented.
Caddo Holdings bought the Crosstex building in 2011. (HFF LP)
?We executed on our plans on those assets ahead of schedule so decided to have HFF take them to market,? Caddo Holdings Dustin Schilling said. ?We have aggressive acquisition plans for Texas and are acquiring additional buildings.?
Caddo Holdings is a private investor formed in 2009 by Schilling and partners Justin Engler, Tim Slaughter.
MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia stepped up efforts Friday to resolve a dispute with neighbor Kazakhstan over its demand to reduce the number of commercial satellite launches from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome.
Kazakhstan, which in the past suspended Russian rocket launches after previous failures spilled toxic rocket fuel, has demanded that Russia cuts the number of Proton rockets lifting off from Baikonur from 17 to 12 this year.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed the dispute after talks in Moscow with his Kazakh counterpart Friday.
"The issue regarding the number of launches is linked to Kazakhstan's concerns about their impact on environment," Lavrov said. "Russia is taking all the necessary steps to address environmental aspects by using improved Proton-M booster rockets. There is no sensation about it, just working issues."
The dispute has threatened to cloud relations between the two ex-Soviet neighbors. Moscow would lose half a billion dollars if Kazakhstan succeeds in cutting the number of launches, according to Russia's pro-government daily Izvestia, which reported the Kazakh demand. The paper also said Moscow was threatening Kazakhstan with countermeasures.
Izvestia on Thursday quoted a note from Russia's Roscosmos space agency warning that the country would opt out of joint projects with Kazakhstan if it doesn't withdraw its demand for Russia to scale down its scheduled rocket launches from Baikonur.
Russia has a lease to use Kazakhstan's Soviet-built launch pad until 2050 and pays an annual fee of $115 million. It has continued to rely on Baikonur for all its manned missions and most of its commercial satellite launches.
This isn't the first time Kazakh authorities have voiced worries over the environmental impact of Russia's space program. Previously, they have briefly suspended Russian launches from Baikonur following the spill of highly toxic rocket fuel after failed launches of the heavylift Proton booster rocket, the main cash cow of Russia's space program.
Moscow also has the Plesetsk launch pad in the north of Russia but that is used mostly for launches of military satellites. It has moved to reduce its dependence on Kazakhstan by building a new cosmodrome in the far east.
The Vostochny cosmodrome, where construction started in 2011, is located 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) east of Moscow, and just about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away from the border with China.
The first rocket launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome is set to be conducted by 2015. An unmanned mission to the moon is also planned for the same year. In 2018 it is slated to launch a first manned mission.
Personal injury law is a broad term used in cases involving any number of unrelated actions such as car accidents, dog bites, wrongful death, or slip and fall (premises liability), which result in physical and/or psychological harm to an individual. When such incidents occur, the victim seeking justice and compensation should seek out the representation of a personal injury attorney.
Personal injury law is principally based upon tort law. A basic definition of a tort is a ?civil wrong?. The law of torts is very basic and predicated upon the idea that an injured party should be compensated in some way for the harm that was caused to them by the ?tortfeasor? (the person responsible for the act) or the ?tort? act. Ideally, the injured party should be compensated for any losses they have suffered whether they are physical, emotional or economic in nature.
The word tort comes from the Latin ?tortus?, meaning ?twisted? or ?crooked?. As the word was adopted into the English language, it was used to describe an act that was twisted, or not straight and became synonymous with the word ?wrong?. As the word fell out of use by the general public, it was retained in the legal arena to describe the types of cases taken up by personal injury attorneys.
All personal injury matters boil down to the concept of negligence. The elements of proving negligence are (1) duty ? each of us, no matter our role in society, owe a duty to one another, whether we are operating a motor vehicle, walking a dog or managing a property. If that duty is not upheld or is (2) breached, and that breach (3) causes (4) damages to another person, the person who committed the wrongful act (the tortfeasor) is negligent.
R. Klettke is a freelance writer. He writes about personal injury and medical malpractice law and other matters of jurisprudence.
Important Advisory: This article is not intended to provide legal advice upon which you or anyone else should rely in making any decisions regarding the instituting or prosecuting of a legal claim. Laws and rules relating to the bringing of a claim vary widely from state to state. You should always contact a personal injury attorney to obtain information as to the rules and the laws pertaining to any claim you might have.
HealthyUNCG, the university employee health promotion program, would like to invite you to participate in a research study designed to examine the effectiveness of health and wellness coaching on weight loss. All UNCG employees are eligible to participate.
HealthyUNCG is offering the Taking Pounds OFF Sensibly (TOPS) program. This research study will combine weight management strategies from the nationally recognized TOPS program with individual or small group health and wellness coaching sessions. Each week all participants will attend a 1 hour session.
Registration in the national TOPS program is required, $29.50/year.
Participants will not receive compensation or reimbursement for joining TOPS or for participating in the study. Participants will receive TOPS program materials as part of their registration fee and health & wellness coaching services for free.
All information is confidential and only group data will be used for the study. You may participate in the TOPS program even if you do not participate in the research study.
Attend the information and sign-up session on Thursday, Jan. 24, noon in the Dogwood Room of EUC
For further information about the study, TOPS ? and to register for an information session ? visit http://healthy.uncg.edu
You may contact Michelle Cathorall, the director of HealthyUNCG and PI of the study,with any questions. She can be reached at healthy_uncg@uncg.edu or by phone at 334-9743.
Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, Stanford study showsPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ruthann Richter richter1@stanford.edu 650-725-8047 Stanford University Medical Center
STANFORD, Calif. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a novel way to engineer key cells of the immune system so they remain resistant to infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
A new study describes the use of a kind of molecular scissors to cut and paste a series of HIV-resistant genes into T cells, specialized immune cells targeted by the AIDS virus. The genome editing was made in a gene that the virus uses to gain entry into the cell. By inactivating a receptor gene and inserting additional anti-HIV genes, the virus was blocked from entering the cells, thus preventing it from destroying the immune system, said Matthew Porteus, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford and a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
"We inactivated one of the receptors that HIV uses to gain entry and added new genes to protect against HIV, so we have multiple layers of protection what we call stacking," said Porteus, the study's principal investigator. "We can use this strategy to make cells that are resistant to both major types of HIV."
He said the new approach, a form of tailored gene therapy, could ultimately replace drug treatment, in which patients have to take multiple medications daily to keep the virus in check and prevent the potentially fatal infections wrought by AIDS. The work was done in the laboratory, and clinical trials would still be needed to determine whether the approach would work as a therapy.
"Providing an infected person with resistant T cells would not cure their viral infection," said Sara Sawyer, PhD, assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at the University of Texas-Austin and a co-author of the study. "However, it would provide them with a protected set of T cells that would ward off the immune collapse that typically gives rise to AIDS."
The study will be published in the Jan. 22 issue of Molecular Therapy.
One of the big challenges in treating AIDS is that the virus is notorious for mutating, so patients must be treated with a cocktail of drugs known as highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART which hit it at various stages of the replication process. The researchers were able to get around that problem with a new, multi-pronged genetic attack that blocks HIV on several fronts. Essentially, they hope to mimic HAART through genetic manipulation.
The technique hinges on the fact that the virus typically enters T cells by latching onto one of two surface proteins known as CCR5 and CXCR4. Some of the latest drugs now used in treatment work by interfering with these receptors' activity. A small number of people carry a mutation in CCR5 that makes them naturally resistant to HIV. One AIDS patient with leukemia, now famously known as the Berlin patient, was cured of HIV when he received a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had the resistant CCR5 gene.
Scientists at Sangamo BioSciences in Richmond, Calif., have developed a technique using a protein that recognizes and binds to the CCR5 receptor gene, genetically modifying it to mimic the naturally resistant version. The technique uses a zinc finger nuclease, a protein that can break up pieces of DNA, to effectively inactivate the receptor gene. The company is now testing its CCR5-resistant genes in phase-1 and -2 trials with AIDS patients at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Stanford scientists used a similar approach but with an added twist. They used the same nuclease to zero in on an undamaged section of the CCR5 receptor's DNA. They created a break in the sequence and, in a feat of genetic editing, pasted in three genes known to confer resistance to HIV, Porteus said. This technique of placing several useful genes at a particular site is known as "stacking."
Incorporating the three resistant genes helped shield the cells from HIV entry via both the CCR5 and CXCR4 receptors. The disabling of the CCR5 gene by the nuclease, as well as the addition of the anti-HIV genes, created multiple layers of protection.
Blocking HIV infection through both the CCR5 and CXCR4 receptors is important, Porteus said, as it hasn't been achieved before by genome editing. To test the T cells' protective abilities, the scientists created versions in which they inserted one, two and all three of the genes and then exposed the T cells to HIV.
Though the T cells with the single- and double-gene modifications were somewhat protected against an onslaught of HIV, the triplets were by far the most resistant to infection. These triplet cells had more than 1,200-fold protection against HIV carrying the CCR5 receptor and more than 1,700-fold protection against those with the CXCR4 receptor, the researchers reported. The T cells that hadn't been altered succumbed to infection with 25 days.
Porteus said he views the work as an important step forward in developing a gene therapy for HIV.
"I'm very excited about what's happened already," he said. "This is a significant improvement in that first-generation application."
He said a potential drawback of the strategy is that while the nuclease is designed to create a break in one spot, it could possibly cause a break elsewhere, leading to cancer or other cell aberration. He said it's also possible the cells may not tolerate the genetic change.
"It's possible the cells won't like the proteins they're asked to express, so they won't grow," he said.
But he said he believes both problems are technically surmountable. He said the researchers' next step is to test the strategy in T cells taken from AIDS patients, and then move on to animal testing. He said he hopes to begin clinical trials within three to five years.
Though the method is labor-intensive, requiring a tailored approach for each patient, it would save patients from a lifelong dependence on antiretroviral drugs, which have adverse side effects, Porteus noted.
He said he also hopes to adapt these techniques for use against other diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, one of his areas of interest. Porteus works with patients in the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant service at Packard Children's.
In addition to Sawyer, he collaborated with Richard Voit, a former Stanford graduate student who is now an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Moira McMahon, PhD, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford who is now at the University of California-San Diego.
###
The study was supported by a grant from the American Foundation for AIDS Research and by a Laurie Krauss Lacob Faculty Scholar Award from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health.
Information about Stanford's Department of Pediatrics, which also supported the work, is available at http://pediatrics.stanford.edu.
The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, Stanford study showsPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Ruthann Richter richter1@stanford.edu 650-725-8047 Stanford University Medical Center
STANFORD, Calif. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a novel way to engineer key cells of the immune system so they remain resistant to infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
A new study describes the use of a kind of molecular scissors to cut and paste a series of HIV-resistant genes into T cells, specialized immune cells targeted by the AIDS virus. The genome editing was made in a gene that the virus uses to gain entry into the cell. By inactivating a receptor gene and inserting additional anti-HIV genes, the virus was blocked from entering the cells, thus preventing it from destroying the immune system, said Matthew Porteus, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford and a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
"We inactivated one of the receptors that HIV uses to gain entry and added new genes to protect against HIV, so we have multiple layers of protection what we call stacking," said Porteus, the study's principal investigator. "We can use this strategy to make cells that are resistant to both major types of HIV."
He said the new approach, a form of tailored gene therapy, could ultimately replace drug treatment, in which patients have to take multiple medications daily to keep the virus in check and prevent the potentially fatal infections wrought by AIDS. The work was done in the laboratory, and clinical trials would still be needed to determine whether the approach would work as a therapy.
"Providing an infected person with resistant T cells would not cure their viral infection," said Sara Sawyer, PhD, assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at the University of Texas-Austin and a co-author of the study. "However, it would provide them with a protected set of T cells that would ward off the immune collapse that typically gives rise to AIDS."
The study will be published in the Jan. 22 issue of Molecular Therapy.
One of the big challenges in treating AIDS is that the virus is notorious for mutating, so patients must be treated with a cocktail of drugs known as highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART which hit it at various stages of the replication process. The researchers were able to get around that problem with a new, multi-pronged genetic attack that blocks HIV on several fronts. Essentially, they hope to mimic HAART through genetic manipulation.
The technique hinges on the fact that the virus typically enters T cells by latching onto one of two surface proteins known as CCR5 and CXCR4. Some of the latest drugs now used in treatment work by interfering with these receptors' activity. A small number of people carry a mutation in CCR5 that makes them naturally resistant to HIV. One AIDS patient with leukemia, now famously known as the Berlin patient, was cured of HIV when he received a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had the resistant CCR5 gene.
Scientists at Sangamo BioSciences in Richmond, Calif., have developed a technique using a protein that recognizes and binds to the CCR5 receptor gene, genetically modifying it to mimic the naturally resistant version. The technique uses a zinc finger nuclease, a protein that can break up pieces of DNA, to effectively inactivate the receptor gene. The company is now testing its CCR5-resistant genes in phase-1 and -2 trials with AIDS patients at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Stanford scientists used a similar approach but with an added twist. They used the same nuclease to zero in on an undamaged section of the CCR5 receptor's DNA. They created a break in the sequence and, in a feat of genetic editing, pasted in three genes known to confer resistance to HIV, Porteus said. This technique of placing several useful genes at a particular site is known as "stacking."
Incorporating the three resistant genes helped shield the cells from HIV entry via both the CCR5 and CXCR4 receptors. The disabling of the CCR5 gene by the nuclease, as well as the addition of the anti-HIV genes, created multiple layers of protection.
Blocking HIV infection through both the CCR5 and CXCR4 receptors is important, Porteus said, as it hasn't been achieved before by genome editing. To test the T cells' protective abilities, the scientists created versions in which they inserted one, two and all three of the genes and then exposed the T cells to HIV.
Though the T cells with the single- and double-gene modifications were somewhat protected against an onslaught of HIV, the triplets were by far the most resistant to infection. These triplet cells had more than 1,200-fold protection against HIV carrying the CCR5 receptor and more than 1,700-fold protection against those with the CXCR4 receptor, the researchers reported. The T cells that hadn't been altered succumbed to infection with 25 days.
Porteus said he views the work as an important step forward in developing a gene therapy for HIV.
"I'm very excited about what's happened already," he said. "This is a significant improvement in that first-generation application."
He said a potential drawback of the strategy is that while the nuclease is designed to create a break in one spot, it could possibly cause a break elsewhere, leading to cancer or other cell aberration. He said it's also possible the cells may not tolerate the genetic change.
"It's possible the cells won't like the proteins they're asked to express, so they won't grow," he said.
But he said he believes both problems are technically surmountable. He said the researchers' next step is to test the strategy in T cells taken from AIDS patients, and then move on to animal testing. He said he hopes to begin clinical trials within three to five years.
Though the method is labor-intensive, requiring a tailored approach for each patient, it would save patients from a lifelong dependence on antiretroviral drugs, which have adverse side effects, Porteus noted.
He said he also hopes to adapt these techniques for use against other diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, one of his areas of interest. Porteus works with patients in the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant service at Packard Children's.
In addition to Sawyer, he collaborated with Richard Voit, a former Stanford graduate student who is now an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Moira McMahon, PhD, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford who is now at the University of California-San Diego.
###
The study was supported by a grant from the American Foundation for AIDS Research and by a Laurie Krauss Lacob Faculty Scholar Award from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health.
Information about Stanford's Department of Pediatrics, which also supported the work, is available at http://pediatrics.stanford.edu.
The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
People love to spend their holidays in various countries. If you are one of those looking for a new place to discover, India might be a perfect place for you to see. Going to this country will totally make your vacation truly remarkable. You will experience being amazed by its beautiful sites as well as its cultural history. This article will help you to find out the most amazing places to visit in India.
India is a country which has almost everything needed for a major tourism destination. You can also do many adventure sports like skiing, trekking, mountaineering, and paragliding. The snow-clad mountains, the valleys, and the mystic rivers make the country a perfect vacation spot for all travelers. Darjeeling, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Ladakh, Kumaon, Arunachal Pradesh, and Garhwal are some of the other picturesque sites for vacationers. Some of the other major attractions in India are the beaches of Kerala, golden desert of Rajasthan, Goa, and the temple of Madhya Pradesh.
India is a top tourist destination because of its many natural wonders, exotic cuisine, and exquisite art. Visiting the country is one of the best ways to learn about new culture. The country has rich heritage and historical customs. A religious devotee may likewise be fascinated with the many different temples of India. Some of the most important pilgrims of India are Gangotri, Golden Temple, Anandpur Sahib, Badrinath, Jama Masjid, and St Francis of Assisi Church. Spending your holiday vacation in India will surely provide you total calmness and relaxation. You will forget about your worries and tensions, thus you will truly feel rejuvenated.
If you are a true nature lover, you will definitely enjoy the wildlife in India. You can find many wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the famous parks are Ranthambhore National Park, Corbett National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Kanha National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
India is also a good place for art lovers. The country has many heritage buildings, monuments, and forts. The breathtaking Taj Mahal features beauty and extensive architectural work.
Going to India for a holiday vacation is the most memorable trip that you will experience. Furthermore, your perspective of life broadens by seeing many of its amazing places and people.
Many travel companies claim to offer cheap holidays to Kerala, but here at Falcon and Sachz you'll discover that we really do offer some of the cheapest holiday deals on the web! We can tailor make all types of great value holidays, everything from cheap all inclusive holidays to great value self catering holidays.
FILE - In this Monday, April 25, 2011 file photo, a prisoner looks out of his cell window at the main prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The United Nations said Sunday that Afghan authorities were still torturing prisoners, such as hanging them by their wrists and beating them with cables. Particularly in the southern province of Kandahar, the U.N. received reports that authorities were using unofficial sites to torture detainees before transporting them to the regular prison. (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan, File)
FILE - In this Monday, April 25, 2011 file photo, a prisoner looks out of his cell window at the main prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The United Nations said Sunday that Afghan authorities were still torturing prisoners, such as hanging them by their wrists and beating them with cables. Particularly in the southern province of Kandahar, the U.N. received reports that authorities were using unofficial sites to torture detainees before transporting them to the regular prison. (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan, File)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The United Nations said Sunday that Afghan authorities were still torturing prisoners, such as hanging them by their wrists and beating them with cables, a year after the U.N. first documented the abuse and the Afghan government promised detention reform.
The report shows little progress in curbing abuse in Afghan prisons despite a year of effort by the U.N. and international military forces in Afghanistan. The report also cites instances where Afghan authorities have tried to hide mistreatment from U.N. monitors.
The slow progress on prison reform has prompted NATO forces to once again stop many transfers of detainees to Afghan authorities out of concern that they would be tortured.
In multiple detention centers, Afghan authorities leave detainees hanging from the ceiling by their wrists, beat them with cables and wooden sticks, administer electric shocks, twist their genitals and threaten to shove bottles up their anuses or to kill them, the report said.
In a letter responding to the latest report, the Afghan government said that its internal monitoring committee found that "the allegations of torture of detainees were untrue and thus disproved." The Afghan government said that it would not completely rule out the possibility of torture at its detention facilities, but that it was nowhere near the levels described in the report and that it was checking on reports of abuse.
The findings, however, highlight the type of human rights abuses that many activists worry could become more prevalent in Afghanistan as international forces draw down and the country's Western allies become less watchful over a government that so far has taken few concrete actions to reform the system.
As one detainee in the western province of Farah told the U.N. team: "They laid me on the ground. One of them sat on my feet and another one sat on my head, and the third one took a pipe and started beating me with it. They were beating me for some time like one hour and were frequently telling me that, 'You are with Taliban and this is what you deserve.'"
More than half of the 635 detainees interviewed had been tortured, according to the report titled Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees in Afghan Custody: One Year On. That is about the same ratio the U.N. found in its first report in 2011.
It's a troubling finding given the amount of international attention and pledges of reform that came after the first report. At that time, the NATO military alliance temporarily stopped transferring Afghans it had picked up to national authorities until they could set up a system free of abuse. Though it said the findings were exaggerated, the Afghan government promised after the first report to increase monitoring.
But little appears to have changed. Once NATO forces resumed the transfers and decreased inspections, torture quickly returned to earlier levels, the report said. And even though the international military force was making a serious effort to delay transfers if there was risk of torture, about 30 percent of 79 detainees who had been transferred to Afghan custody by foreign governments ended up being tortured, the report said. That's higher than in 2011, when the U.N. found that 24 percent of transferred detainees were tortured.
"Torture cannot be addressed by training, inspections and directives alone," said Georgette Gagnon, the head of human rights for the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, explaining that there has been little follow-through by the Afghan government.
In particular, the U.N. report found that the Afghan government appeared to be trying to hide the mistreatment and refusing to prosecute those accused of torturing prisoners.
The U.N. team received "multiple credible reports" that in some places detainees were hidden from international observers in secret locations underground or separate from the main facility being inspected. Also, the observers said they saw what appeared to be a suspicious increase in detainees held at police facilities when an intelligence service facility nearby was being monitored.
And particularly in the southern province of Kandahar, the U.N. received reports that authorities were using unofficial sites to torture detainees before transporting them to the regular prison.
In a letter responding to the U.N. report, Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said that his staff had written letters to Afghan ministers urging them to investigate more than 80 separate allegations of detainee abuse during the past 18 months.
"To date, Afghan officials have acted in only one instance," Allen said in the letter. In that case Afghan authorities did not fire the official in question, but transferred him from Kandahar province to Sar-e-Pul in the north.
The report documents what it called a "persistent lack of accountability for perpetrators of torture," noting that no one has been prosecuted for prisoner abuse since the first report was released.
Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for the Afghan president, said torture and abuse of prisoners was not Afghan policy.
"However, there may be certain cases of abuse and we have begun to investigate these cases mentioned in the U.N. report," he said. "We will take actions accordingly."
But he said that while the Afghan government takes the allegations in the report very seriously, "we also question the motivations behind this report and the way it was conducted." He did not elaborate.
The NATO military alliance responded to the most recent report by stopping transfers of detainees to seven facilities in Kabul, Laghman, Herat, Khost and Kunduz provinces ? most of them the same facilities that were flagged a year ago. The transfers were halted in October, when the U.N. shared its preliminary findings with the military coalition.
"This action is a result of concerns over detainee treatment at certain Afghan detention facilities," said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the international military alliance in Kabul.
He said there has been no suspension of transfers to the massive detention center next to Bagram Air Field outside of Kabul. That facility has been particularly contentious because the U.S. has held back from transferring all the detainees it holds there to Afghan custody.
But as international troops draw down in Afghanistan, there will be fewer people to monitor the Afghan detention centers. Allen said in his letter that the NATO military alliance planned to focus on monitoring only a subset of Afghan facilities in the future.
And even the manner in which the U.N. report was compiled and released shows the waning influence of Western allies over the Afghan government. Both last year and again on Sunday, the report was released without a news conference. Instead, it was quietly posted on the U.N. website in what appeared to be an effort to avoid publicly antagonizing the Afghan government that it criticizes in the report.
"I think it's being dealt with in the appropriate way. Maybe we don't need to do it publicly," Gagnon said, noting that there have been plenty of discussions with the Afghan government about how to improve the prison system.
Asked what progress had been made toward improving the prison system since 2011, Gagnon was at a loss to give an example. But, she stressed: "There has been quite a lot of effort."
Jan. 16, 2013 ? A high-tech robotic fish hatched at Michigan State University has a new look. A new skill. And a new name.
MSU scientists have made a number of improvements on the fish, including the ability to glide long distances, which is the most important change to date. The fish now has the ability to glide through the water practically indefinitely, using little to no energy, while gathering valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers.
Designed and built by Xiaobo Tan, MSU associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his team, the fish is equipped with an array of sensors that not only allow it to travel autonomously, but also measure water temperature, quality and other pertinent facts.
"Swimming requires constant flapping of the tail," Tan said, "which means the battery is constantly being discharged and typically wouldn't last more than a few hours."
The disadvantage to gliding, he said, is that it is slower and less maneuverable.
"This is why we integrated both locomotion modes -- gliding and swimming -- in our robot," Tan said. "Such integration also allows the robot to adapt to different environments, from shallow streams to deep lakes, from calm ponds to rivers, with rapid currents."
The robot's ability to glide is achieved through a newly installed pump that pushes water in and out of the fish, depending on if the scientists want the robot to ascend or descend. Also, the robot's battery pack sits on a kind of rail that moves backward and forward, in sync with the pumping action, to allow the robot to glide through water on a desired path.
The robotic fish now has a name: Grace, which stands for "Gliding Robot ACE."
Late last year Tan and his team took Grace for a test drive on the Kalamazoo River, where it exceeded all expectations.
"She swam at three sites along the river and wirelessly sent back sensor readings," Tan said. "I'm not sure, but we may have set a world record -- demonstrating robotic fish-based sampling with commercial water-quality sensors in a real-world environment."
The KalamazooRiver is, of course, the site of a 2010 oil spill. Interestingly, the robot's crude oil sensor had some readings upriver from where the spill occurred, although the readings downstream from the spill site were higher.
Underwater gliders, or seagliders, are becoming more common in oceanography. In fact, one traveled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in late 2009.
One major difference in Grace is that, aside from its swimming capability, it is about 10 times smaller and lighter than a commercial underwater glider.
Tan's research is supported by the National Science Foundation.
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The U.S. Department?of Homeland Security urged computer users to disable Oracle Corp's Java software, amplifying security experts' prior warnings to hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses that use it to surf the Web.
Hackers have figured out how to exploit Java to install malicious software enabling them to commit crimes ranging from identity theft to making an infected computer part of an ad-hoc network of computers that can be used to attack websites.
"We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem," the Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in a posting on its website late on Thursday.
"This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered," the agency said. "To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, disable Java in Web browsers."
CERT's instructions on how to do so can be found?here, under "Solution."
Oracle declined on Friday to comment on the warning.
Paul Wagenseil, ?senior editor for security at TechNewsDaily, writes that "it's easier than ever before to disable Java in browsers. The latest version of the Java Control Panel for Windows has a checkbox under the Security tab labeled 'Enable Java content in the browser.' Uncheck that and all your browsers should be Java-free."
If you are running an earlier version of Java 7 for Windows, "you'll have to disable each browser individually."?
To make sure Java is really?disabled,?Wagenseil?writes,?users?can?visit?this?site?to?check.
"For versions of Java older than Java 7 (which you shouldn't be running anyway), the de-Javafication process for Internet Explorer involves editing the Windows Registry,"?he?notes.?"If you don't know what that is, don't do it. Instead, stop using Internet Explorer entirely."
Wagenseil?says?that?"Unless you use Java professionally ? such as by developing Web or Android apps, updating a Website or using Adobe's Creative Suite software package ? you don't really need it."
What is Java?
Java is a computer language that enables programmers to write software utilizing just one set of code that will run on virtually any type of computer, including ones that use Microsoft's Windows, Apple's OS X and Linux, an operating system widely employed by corporations.
Computer users access Java programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run Java software on top of browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox.
The U.S. government's warning on Java came after security experts warned on Thursday of the newly discovered flaw.
It is relatively rare for government agencies to advise computer users to completely disable software due to a security bug, particularly in the case of widely used programs such as Java. They typically recommend taking steps to mitigate the risk of attack while manufacturers prepare an update, or hold off on publicizing the problem until an update is prepared.
In September, the German government advised the public to temporarily stop using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser to give it time to patch a security vulnerability that opened it to attacks.
Prime target for hackers
Java is so widely used that the software has become a prime target for hackers. Last year Oracle's Java surpassed Adobe's Reader software as the most frequently attacked piece of software, according to security software maker Kaspersky Lab.
Java was responsible for 50 percent of all cyber attacks last year in which hackers broke into computers by exploiting software bugs, according Kaspersky. That was followed by Adobe Reader, which was involved in 28 percent of all incidents. Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer were involved in about 3 percent of incidents, according to the survey.
The Department of Homeland Security said attackers could trick targets into visiting malicious websites that would infect their PCs with software capable of exploiting the bug in Java.
It said an attacker could also infect a legitimate website by uploading malicious software that would infect machines of computer users who trust that site because they have previously visited it without experiencing any problems.
They said developers of several popular tools, known as exploit kits, which criminal hackers use to attack PCs, have added software that allows hackers to exploit the newly discovered bug in Java to attack computers.
Similar scare last August
Security experts have been scrutinizing the safety of Java since a similar security scare in August, which prompted some of them to advise using the software only on an as-needed basis.
At the time they advised businesses to allow their workers to use Java browser plug-ins only when prompted for permission by trusted programs such as GoToMeeting, a Web-based collaboration tool from Citrix Systems.
Java suffered another setback in October when Apple began removing old versions of the software from Internet browsers of Mac computers when its customers installed new versions of its OS X operating system. Apple did not provide a reason for the change and both companies declined to comment at the time.
Adam Gowdiak, a researcher with Polish security firm Security Explorations, told Reuters he believes that Oracle fails to properly test its software fixes for security flaws. "It's definitely safer for users to stay away from Java 'til Oracle starts taking security seriously," he said.
(Editing by Dan Grebler)?
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
Kids love using their imagination to create stuff. That?s why LEGOS are such a hit. Give a kid a tub of LEGOS and they can build all sorts of stuff.
Morphology Junior is a family board game that taps into that creative imagination and turns it into a game. But rather than just having blocks to build with, Morphology Jr includes a variety of objects that players use to build things.
See how easy it is to play in Brooke?s video review of Morphology Junior.
Can the whole family enjoy Morphology Junior?
Lots to play with.
Morphology Junior can be enjoyed by the whole family. Even though the player creating the object needs to be able to read the card, players who don?t know how to read can still participate by helping guess.
Since Morphology Junior is played as teams, it?s a good game for getting everyone involved. The game includes markers (frogs) for up to 4 teams and you can break up the teams however you?d like. With 6 in our family, we just split into 2 teams of 3 so each team can have 2 guessers at a time. But if we want to add more pressure, we can just as easily split into 3 teams of 2 each.
Morphology Junior versus Morphology
Tons of cards of items to build.
As with most games that have a ?Junior? version, the Junior version follows on the heels of a successful original version of the game. The same is true for Morphology Junior.
Morphology was first published in 2009 and Morphology Junior followed in 2012. The game play of the two games is pretty much the same with only a few differences. The objects cards or each game both give a choice of an Easy or a Hard word and don?t seem to be drastically different in complexity. And most of the objects to work with are the same time of things ? cubes, gems, string, rubber rings, etc. The biggest differences are the type of play allowed from the different dice rolls.
Kids love to build.
Morphology Junior has a couple of options from dice rolls that are easier for kids such as ?Ribbit, Ribbit? where players can make sounds and ?Morph? where players can be a part of the action ? like charades with props. Both of these are natural tendencies for kids to do anyway when trying to get their team to guess an object ? which makes the game easier for them.
By comparison, the original Morphology game includes play types such as Eyes Closed and Weak Hand Only ? conditions that are tougher for kids to work with. With these play types being the big difference we?d suggest that if you have kids playing, then reach for the new Morphology Junior version.
How does Morphology Junior score on the ?Let?s Play Again? game meter? The kids love playing with the items in Morphology Junior and think the game is too short. So when we play, it?s hard to stop at just one game. We?ve found most items are guessed correctly so the game moves along quickly. (Also moves quickly because we play as just 2 teams.) Then we just move our team pieces back to the starting lily pad and play again.
Thanks Morphology Games for a creative family board game.
Published nine times a year, Backpacker is a magazine of wilderness travel, offering practical, "you can do it, here's how" advice to help you enjoy every trip. Filled with the best places, gear, and information for all kinds of hiking and camping trips, each issue delivers foldout maps and stunning color photography.
Your weekly car-guy guide to automotive excess on the Internet.
Lamborghini time The Italian automaker prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, starting off with this dramatic video. Check out: Running of the Bulls.
Koenigsegg revealed This teaser advances a new nine-part video series exploring innovations that puts the Swedish supercar builder at the leading edge of performance, hosted by the man himself, company founder Christian Von Koenigsegg. The series starts Jan. 8. Check out: Carbon Fiber Finesse.
Porsche obsession Most all-too-serious Porsche guys know the famous web site with the made-up name, The Unobtainiate, that honors the time-worn quest for spare parts. For everybody else, here it is. Lots of good stories and photos. Check out: Behind the Rear Axle.
Kuwait a minute Sports Car Digest photographer Tim Scott focuses on the latest Concours d?Elegance in Kuwait City, where they seem to really dig American muscle cars. Check out: Oil money.
Playing safe Here?s the list of the best 2013 cars and trucks for surviving crashes, as compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Check out: Cracked Up.
Sex on wheels A vintage clip from the 1965 film Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill featuring three sexy crazy women driving sports cars ? Triumph TR3, MGA and Porsche 356 ? and going nutso in the desert. It?s terrible. And great. Check out: Black and White.
Dogs in cars A fantastic video showing what dogs like to do best when they?re riding in cars. No, not that. Check out: Just Sniffin.
If you know of a fabulous web site or recent entry that we should include in "Best of the Web," send the URL for consideration to: Bob Golfen at
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Frank Sinatra famously yearned to wake up in the city that never sleeps and it seems more travelers than ever want to follow in his footsteps.
New York attracted a record number of tourists in 2012, prompting officials to vow to keep the momentum going.
?(I?m) confident that 2013 will be another mammoth year for tourism in our city,? said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was surrounded by the Rockettes during a news conference at the American Museum of Natural History on New Year?s Eve.
?Tourism is booming because we?re the nation?s most exciting city and during 2013, we?re going to keep adding to the parks and cultural institutions that bring millions of people here every year.?
Here are the statistics that are making officials smile: New York City welcomed 52 million visitors in 2012 -- the most ever, despite the impact of Hurricane Sandy. They resulted in a $55 billion impact to the city?s economy and led to the Big Apple selling a record 29 million hotel room nights. The city?s hotel occupancy stands at 87 percent, the highest in the nation, the mayor said.
The sightseers included 41 million tourists from within the United States and 11 million from abroad. ?
Those international visitors are crucial because they spend far more money than domestic tourists, Bloomberg said. Luring them to the Big Apple and getting them to stay longer has been a primary focus of marketing efforts, added George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. The city?s official tourism agency has 18 offices around the world to spread the word that New York is the place to be.
Their work has paid off. Of all the overseas visitors who arrive in the United States, one third now come to New York City. Emerging markets such as Brazil, China, Argentina and Australia, have been particularly big, growing 447 percent, 442 percent, 258 percent, 157 percent respectively since 2006, the mayor?s office announced.
Tourism officials ?will continue to be relentless? in trying to attract international visitors, Fertitta said. It?s not hard to do with all of the shopping, the Broadway plays and the famous sights that New York offers. But another important part of the city?s allure is its vibe as an ?aspirational destination.?
?We always like to say it?s sort of a rite of passage for people to come to New York,? said Chris Heywood, a spokesman for NYC & Company. ?They see it in pop culture and they have a connection to it.?
If you?re pondering a visit to New York, here is a taste some of the events coming up this year:
Grand Central Terminal Centennial One of New York City?s most iconic buildings celebrates its 100th anniversary with a yearlong celebration that kicks off on February 1 with a rededication of the terminal. The event will include performances, celebrity appearances and the opening of the New York Transit Museum?s ?Grand By Design? multi-media installation. In May, historic trains come back to the terminal during the Grand Centennial Parade of Trains.
New York-themed cruise ship Launching in late spring, the Norwegian Breakaway will be the largest ship to homeport in New York City year-round.?The Rockettes, who will christen the ship on May 8, will also serve as the ?godmothers? of the Breakaway and two of the dancers will sail on select cruises to meet and greet passengers.
The on-board entertainment includes a ?New York-Inspired Ice Bar,? which will feature ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler Building.
Norwegian commissioned artist Peter Max to paint the hull artwork, which includes images of Lady Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
?The Big Apple is known for its love of art and its many galleries ? and now, Norwegian Breakaway becomes a floating piece of art that will cruise in and dock every Saturday on New York?s West Side,? said Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, in a statement.
New York City bike share Citi Bike launches in May, providing visitors with a new way to get around the big Apple. You can pick up one of 10,000 bicycles at any of the 600 solar-powered docking stations and ride to a drop-off near your destination. Smartphone apps will allow users to find out about bike and station availability in real-time.
?There?s just so much to do and see here and the beauty about New York is that it continually evolves and reinvents itself,? Heywood said.
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Public release date: 22-Jan-2013
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The kids love playing with the items in Morphology Junior and think the game is too short. So when we play, it?s hard to stop at just one game. We?ve found most items are guessed correctly so the game moves along quickly. (Also moves quickly because we play as just 2 teams.) Then we just move our team pieces back to the starting lily pad and play again.
