american express business travel: January 2013

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Researcher uncovers potential cause, biomarker for autism and proposes study to investigate theory

Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
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Contact: Gary Steinman
gary.steinman@touro.edu
646-981-4604
Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine

NEW YORK, NY A New York-based physician-researcher from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, best known for his research into fertility and twinning, has uncovered a potential connection between autism and a specific growth protein that could eventually be used as a way to predict an infant's propensity to later develop the disease. The protein, called insulin-like growth factor (IGF), is especially involved in the normal growth and development of babies' brain cells. Based on findings of prior published studies, Touro researcher Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, proposes that depressed levels of this protein in the blood of newborns could potentially serve as a biomarker for the later development of autism. However, this connection, described below in greater detail, has never been directly studied. Steinman presents his exciting theory in the journal Medical Hypotheses (article in press), available online today, January 31.
IGF stimulates special cells in the brain to provide an essential insulating material, called myelin, around the developing nerves that is needed to efficiently transmit important messages about everything the brain controls from physical functions such as movement to mental functions such as sensory perception, thinking and emotions. In the developing fetal and pediatric brain, myelin is also important for nerve fibers in one area of the brain to form proper pathways to other regions, allowing the body to hone functions over time. Insufficient IGF results in insufficient insulating material, as has been seen in brain biopsies of autistic individuals, and may impede proper pathway development. Steinman is proposing that this potential relationship between neonatal IGF levels and autism be directly studied.
In the United States, autism is currently reported in 1 in 88 live births about 125 new cases every day and it is four times more common in boys than in girls. Women who have given birth to an autistic child have approximately a one-in-five chance of having another. The impact that this life-long disease has on children, families, and finances is enormous. An affected child could add as much as $3 million in lifetime medical expenses over an unaffected child.
"Autism is on the rise, especially in the last two decades either because of environmental factors, expanded diagnostic criteria, or both. Yet almost nothing is currently known about the predisposing molecular and histological changes that differentiate a newborn destined to be neurologically normal from an autistic one," said Steinman.
Because no effective treatment or prevention for autism exists, research examining Steinman's idea is critical, as it may hold the key to understanding the cause of this often devastating illness. In his article, Steinman proposes a study to investigate this hypothesis, and if this study supports his theory that identification of reduced IGF at birth is later followed by the appearance of autistic characteristics, then the subsequent development of a simple biomarker blood test is equally critical.
In the proposed study, a sample of umbilical cord blood would be collected immediately after birth to measure IGF. Alternatively, a routine heel-stick blood sample might be used, as these are already collected from newborns within a day or two after birth to test for inborn errors of metabolism in most U.S. hospitals. Then the data collected at birth would be compared with the neurologic evaluation of the baby at 18 to 36 months of age.
If successful, the next phase of proposed research would entail detecting depressed IGF levels in amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy. This might be followed by supplementation of the growth factor before symptoms of autism develop.
"Further investigation into whether pharmaceutical treatment in the early postnatal period of newborns with a suspicion of a tendency of developing autism could reverse the effects of having had pathologically low levels of IGF while in utero and reduced IGF in their umbilical cord blood at birth would be a next step," said Steinman. Potential IGF-raising therapeutic agents that may be considered, which would all require caution, include Prozac, Copaxone, Increlex, and recombinant human IGF. Steinman also said that as a natural source of IGF, breast milk may also be an important consideration; an increased duration of breastfeeding is associated with a decreased incidence of autism.
The research into this theory could present an opportunity for public-private collaboration between academia and industry. In fact, if corroborated, Steinman's theory could also point to potential risks to pregnant women and women of child-bearing age of drugs able to lower IGF levels, of which there are several Somavert, Sandostatin, Parlodel, and several experimental IGF receptor antagonists.
Additionally, if Steinman's theory is confirmed by the proposed, or any related, studies, a search of gene variations could then be conducted in autistic children. This kind of information might allow genetic risk determinations in the preconception period, similar to other forms of genetic testing and counseling during the family planning stages. Genetic testing and counseling for autism may be especially helpful to couples who start families later in life. Newborn levels of IGF are inversely proportional to parental age, and older mothers and fathers have a higher risk of conceiving children who will later develop symptoms of autism.
In developing his hypothesis and proposed investigation, Steinman examined IGF research to date in the areas of genetics, intrauterine environments, postpartum factors, and nervous system development, as well as a few other related factors. "We believe there's a good chance this theory will be validated, but much work remains. My collaborators and I are excited to have identified this potential connection and hope it leads not only to the discovery of the cause of autism but also a way to detect it early, treat it, and ultimately prevent it," said Steinman.
###

This study was funded by the Touro College Office of Sponsored Programs and the Israel Psychobiologic Fund.
Steinman G, Mankuta D. Insulin-like growth factor and the etiology of autism. Med Hypotheses. 2013 (in press). Epub 2013 January 31.

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Researcher uncovers potential cause, biomarker for autism and proposes study to investigate theory Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Gary Steinman
gary.steinman@touro.edu
646-981-4604
Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine

NEW YORK, NY A New York-based physician-researcher from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, best known for his research into fertility and twinning, has uncovered a potential connection between autism and a specific growth protein that could eventually be used as a way to predict an infant's propensity to later develop the disease. The protein, called insulin-like growth factor (IGF), is especially involved in the normal growth and development of babies' brain cells. Based on findings of prior published studies, Touro researcher Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, proposes that depressed levels of this protein in the blood of newborns could potentially serve as a biomarker for the later development of autism. However, this connection, described below in greater detail, has never been directly studied. Steinman presents his exciting theory in the journal Medical Hypotheses (article in press), available online today, January 31.
IGF stimulates special cells in the brain to provide an essential insulating material, called myelin, around the developing nerves that is needed to efficiently transmit important messages about everything the brain controls from physical functions such as movement to mental functions such as sensory perception, thinking and emotions. In the developing fetal and pediatric brain, myelin is also important for nerve fibers in one area of the brain to form proper pathways to other regions, allowing the body to hone functions over time. Insufficient IGF results in insufficient insulating material, as has been seen in brain biopsies of autistic individuals, and may impede proper pathway development. Steinman is proposing that this potential relationship between neonatal IGF levels and autism be directly studied.
In the United States, autism is currently reported in 1 in 88 live births about 125 new cases every day and it is four times more common in boys than in girls. Women who have given birth to an autistic child have approximately a one-in-five chance of having another. The impact that this life-long disease has on children, families, and finances is enormous. An affected child could add as much as $3 million in lifetime medical expenses over an unaffected child.
"Autism is on the rise, especially in the last two decades either because of environmental factors, expanded diagnostic criteria, or both. Yet almost nothing is currently known about the predisposing molecular and histological changes that differentiate a newborn destined to be neurologically normal from an autistic one," said Steinman.
Because no effective treatment or prevention for autism exists, research examining Steinman's idea is critical, as it may hold the key to understanding the cause of this often devastating illness. In his article, Steinman proposes a study to investigate this hypothesis, and if this study supports his theory that identification of reduced IGF at birth is later followed by the appearance of autistic characteristics, then the subsequent development of a simple biomarker blood test is equally critical.
In the proposed study, a sample of umbilical cord blood would be collected immediately after birth to measure IGF. Alternatively, a routine heel-stick blood sample might be used, as these are already collected from newborns within a day or two after birth to test for inborn errors of metabolism in most U.S. hospitals. Then the data collected at birth would be compared with the neurologic evaluation of the baby at 18 to 36 months of age.
If successful, the next phase of proposed research would entail detecting depressed IGF levels in amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy. This might be followed by supplementation of the growth factor before symptoms of autism develop.
"Further investigation into whether pharmaceutical treatment in the early postnatal period of newborns with a suspicion of a tendency of developing autism could reverse the effects of having had pathologically low levels of IGF while in utero and reduced IGF in their umbilical cord blood at birth would be a next step," said Steinman. Potential IGF-raising therapeutic agents that may be considered, which would all require caution, include Prozac, Copaxone, Increlex, and recombinant human IGF. Steinman also said that as a natural source of IGF, breast milk may also be an important consideration; an increased duration of breastfeeding is associated with a decreased incidence of autism.
The research into this theory could present an opportunity for public-private collaboration between academia and industry. In fact, if corroborated, Steinman's theory could also point to potential risks to pregnant women and women of child-bearing age of drugs able to lower IGF levels, of which there are several Somavert, Sandostatin, Parlodel, and several experimental IGF receptor antagonists.
Additionally, if Steinman's theory is confirmed by the proposed, or any related, studies, a search of gene variations could then be conducted in autistic children. This kind of information might allow genetic risk determinations in the preconception period, similar to other forms of genetic testing and counseling during the family planning stages. Genetic testing and counseling for autism may be especially helpful to couples who start families later in life. Newborn levels of IGF are inversely proportional to parental age, and older mothers and fathers have a higher risk of conceiving children who will later develop symptoms of autism.
In developing his hypothesis and proposed investigation, Steinman examined IGF research to date in the areas of genetics, intrauterine environments, postpartum factors, and nervous system development, as well as a few other related factors. "We believe there's a good chance this theory will be validated, but much work remains. My collaborators and I are excited to have identified this potential connection and hope it leads not only to the discovery of the cause of autism but also a way to detect it early, treat it, and ultimately prevent it," said Steinman.
###

This study was funded by the Touro College Office of Sponsored Programs and the Israel Psychobiologic Fund.
Steinman G, Mankuta D. Insulin-like growth factor and the etiology of autism. Med Hypotheses. 2013 (in press). Epub 2013 January 31.

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/tcoo-rup013113.php
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Cyclone did not cause 2012 record low for Arctic sea ice

Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
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Contact: Hannah Hickey
hickeyh@uw.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington

It came out of Siberia, swirling winds over an area that covered almost the entire Arctic basin in the normally calm late summer. It came to be known as "The Great Arctic Cyclone of August 2012," and for some observers it suggested that the historic sea ice minimum may have been caused by a freak summer storm, rather than warming temperatures.
But new results from the University of Washington show that the August cyclone was not responsible for last year's record low for Arctic sea ice. The study was published online this week in Geophysical Research Letters. "The effect is huge in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, but after about two weeks the effect gets smaller," said lead author Jinlun Zhang, an oceanographer in the UW's Applied Physics Laboratory. "By September, most of the ice that melted would have melted with or without the cyclone."
Recent research showed that the Arctic cyclone was the most powerful ever seen during the month of August, and the 13th most powerful of all Arctic storms in more than three decades of satellite records.
"The storm was enormous," said co-author Axel Schweiger, a polar scientist in the Applied Physics Laboratory. "The impact on the ice was immediately obvious, but the question was whether the ice that went away during the storm would have melted anyway because it was thin to begin with."
The UW team performed the climate scientist's equivalent of a forensic exam: They ran a computer simulation of last summer's weather and compared it against a second scenario that was identical except that there was no cyclone.
Results showed the storm caused the sea ice to pass the previous record 10 days earlier in August than it would have otherwise, but only reduced the final September ice extent by 150,000 square kilometers (almost 60,000 square miles), less than a 5 percent difference. By comparison, the actual minimum ice extent was 18 percent less than the previous record set in 2007.
The study also revealed a surprising mechanism for the cyclone-related melting. Earlier discussions about the cyclone's effect had focused on winds breaking up the ice or driving ice floes into areas of warmer water. The results suggest that neither process led to much increase in melting.
Relatively recent research shows that in the summertime, thin ice and areas of open water allow sunlight to filter down to the water below. As a result, while a layer of ice-cold fresh water sits just beneath the sea ice, about 20 meters (65 feet) down there is a layer of denser, saltier water that has been gradually warmed by the sun's rays.
Blowing on polar water is less like blowing on a cup of tea and more like blowing on a layered cocktail. When the cyclone swept over the drifting ice floes, underside ridges churned up the water to bring sun-warmed seawater to the ice's bottom edge. The model suggests that during the cyclone there was a quadrupling of melting from below, and that this was the biggest cause for doubling ice loss during the three-day storm.
"We only looked at one big storm. If we want to understand how storms will affect the ice cover in the future we need understand the effect of storms in different conditions," said co-author Ron Lindsay.
More sunlight reaches the water in a year with unusually thin summer ice, such as 2012, so this process is a potential multiplier effect for sea-ice melting.
The results are of interest beyond understanding climate change. As sea ice thins and melts, economic and political concerns require better sea-ice forecasts to protect ships and instruments that might travel in those waters.
"One thing we are working on, and that needs to be included in future computer simulations, is how bigger waves created by wind blowing over more extensive open water help break up the sea ice into floes, and how these smaller floes respond to warm water," said co-author Mike Steele.
###

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Office of Naval Research and NASA.

For more information, contact Schweiger at 206-543-1312 or axel@apl.washington.edu.

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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.

Cyclone did not cause 2012 record low for Arctic sea ice Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Hannah Hickey
hickeyh@uw.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington

It came out of Siberia, swirling winds over an area that covered almost the entire Arctic basin in the normally calm late summer. It came to be known as "The Great Arctic Cyclone of August 2012," and for some observers it suggested that the historic sea ice minimum may have been caused by a freak summer storm, rather than warming temperatures.
But new results from the University of Washington show that the August cyclone was not responsible for last year's record low for Arctic sea ice. The study was published online this week in Geophysical Research Letters. "The effect is huge in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, but after about two weeks the effect gets smaller," said lead author Jinlun Zhang, an oceanographer in the UW's Applied Physics Laboratory. "By September, most of the ice that melted would have melted with or without the cyclone."
Recent research showed that the Arctic cyclone was the most powerful ever seen during the month of August, and the 13th most powerful of all Arctic storms in more than three decades of satellite records.
"The storm was enormous," said co-author Axel Schweiger, a polar scientist in the Applied Physics Laboratory. "The impact on the ice was immediately obvious, but the question was whether the ice that went away during the storm would have melted anyway because it was thin to begin with."
The UW team performed the climate scientist's equivalent of a forensic exam: They ran a computer simulation of last summer's weather and compared it against a second scenario that was identical except that there was no cyclone.
Results showed the storm caused the sea ice to pass the previous record 10 days earlier in August than it would have otherwise, but only reduced the final September ice extent by 150,000 square kilometers (almost 60,000 square miles), less than a 5 percent difference. By comparison, the actual minimum ice extent was 18 percent less than the previous record set in 2007.
The study also revealed a surprising mechanism for the cyclone-related melting. Earlier discussions about the cyclone's effect had focused on winds breaking up the ice or driving ice floes into areas of warmer water. The results suggest that neither process led to much increase in melting.
Relatively recent research shows that in the summertime, thin ice and areas of open water allow sunlight to filter down to the water below. As a result, while a layer of ice-cold fresh water sits just beneath the sea ice, about 20 meters (65 feet) down there is a layer of denser, saltier water that has been gradually warmed by the sun's rays.
Blowing on polar water is less like blowing on a cup of tea and more like blowing on a layered cocktail. When the cyclone swept over the drifting ice floes, underside ridges churned up the water to bring sun-warmed seawater to the ice's bottom edge. The model suggests that during the cyclone there was a quadrupling of melting from below, and that this was the biggest cause for doubling ice loss during the three-day storm.
"We only looked at one big storm. If we want to understand how storms will affect the ice cover in the future we need understand the effect of storms in different conditions," said co-author Ron Lindsay.
More sunlight reaches the water in a year with unusually thin summer ice, such as 2012, so this process is a potential multiplier effect for sea-ice melting.
The results are of interest beyond understanding climate change. As sea ice thins and melts, economic and political concerns require better sea-ice forecasts to protect ships and instruments that might travel in those waters.
"One thing we are working on, and that needs to be included in future computer simulations, is how bigger waves created by wind blowing over more extensive open water help break up the sea ice into floes, and how these smaller floes respond to warm water," said co-author Mike Steele.
###

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Office of Naval Research and NASA.

For more information, contact Schweiger at 206-543-1312 or axel@apl.washington.edu.

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/uow-cdn013113.php
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

French foreign minister: Troops to leave Mali soon

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets vacated by Islamic extremists in Gao, Northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Angry crowds shout at suspected Islamist extremists in the back of an army truck in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Four suspects were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian man walks by a fabric store in the central market in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A French soldier lights up a cigarette outside a food store in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? France's foreign minister said Wednesday that French forces would depart Mali "quickly" following their success in taking control of the airport in Kidal, a key position in the last remaining urban stronghold of Islamist extremists in northern Mali.

French and Malian troops have recaptured two of the other provincial capitals, Timbuktu and Gao, in recent days. Once France, with its thousands of troops, fighter planes and helicopters, leaves, Mali's weak army and soldiers from neighboring countries Islamists might be hard-pressed to retain control of northern Mali's cities if the Islamists attempt a comeback from their desert hideouts.

"Now it's up to African countries to take over," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Parisien newspaper. "We decided to put the means ? in men and supplies ? to make the mission succeed and hit hard. But the French aspect was never expected to be maintained. We will leave quickly."

Haminy Maiga, the interim president of the Kidal regional assembly, said French forces met no resistance when they arrived late Tuesday.

"The French arrived at 9:30 p.m. aboard four planes, which landed one after another. Afterwards they took the airport and then entered the town, and there was no combat," said Maiga, who had been in touch with people in the town by satellite phone as all the normal phone networks were down.

"The French are patrolling the town and two helicopters are patrolling overhead," he added.

In Paris, French army Col. Thierry Burkhard confirmed that the airport was taken overnight and described the operation in Kidal itself as "ongoing."

On Tuesday, a secular Tuareg rebel group had asserted that they were in control of Kidal and other small towns in northern Mali. Maiga said those fighters had left Kidal and were at the entry posts on the roads from Gao and Tessalit.

France, the former colonial ruler, began sending in troops, helicopters and warplanes on Jan. 11 to turn the tide after the armed Islamists began encroaching on the south, toward the capital. French and Malian troops seized Gao during the weekend and took Timbuktu on Monday. The Islamists gave up both cities and retreated into the surrounding desert.

In Gao's main market, women returned to work on Wednesday without the black veils required by the Islamists. They wore vibrant patterned fabrics and sported makeup.

While most crowds in the freed cities have been joyful, months of resentment toward the Islamists bubbled into violence in Gao.

Video footage filmed by an amateur cameraman and obtained by The Associated Press shows a mob attacking the symbol of the extremists' rule, the Islamic police headquarters.

Some celebrate cheering "I am Malian," while others armed with sticks and machetes attack suspected members of the Islamist regime. The graphic images shot Saturday show the mob as they mutilate the corpses of two young suspected jihadists lying dead in the street.

Gao's mayor and governor met Wednesday with community elders in an attempt to bring a halt to the vigilante attacks.

There are 3,500 French troops involved in the operation and 2,900 Africans, according to the latest figures from the French Defense Ministry.

Mali's military was severely affected by a military coup last year coup and has a reputation for disorganization and bad discipline. Malian soldiers have been accused of fatally shooting civilians suspected of links to the Islamists. The military has promised to investigate the allegations.

___

Associated Press writers Baba Ahmed in Segou, Mali; Lori Hinnant in Paris; and Andrew Drake and Jerome Delay in Gao, Mali contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-30-Mali%20Fighting/id-6c3be0de022445938b9695da0aee4307

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Clinton says she doesn't see 'getting back into politics'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday cast doubt on speculation she might run for the White House in 2016.

In an interview taped for National Public Radio, Clinton was asked what questions she needs to answer for herself as she decides whether to run for president.

"I'm not even posing those questions. I am really looking forward to stepping off the fast track that I've been on. I've been out of politics as Secretary of State. I don't see myself getting back into politics," she said, according to an excerpt of the interview.

Whether this is her last word on the subject is unknown. She will face strong pressure from Democrats to join the field of contenders. Clinton will step down this week, following Senate confirmation Tuesday of Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry as her successor.

Those close to Clinton are eager for her to announce a 2016 run, so much so that a group has already formed a new super PAC and registered with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, called "Ready for Hillary."

In 2008, she lost to President Barack Obama in a bitter Democratic primary campaign to be the party nominee for the White House.

Although Clinton, 65, did not categorically rule out another presidential run, in a separate NBC interview she said that she was healthy enough to wage a campaign.

"I have no doubt that I am healthy enough and my stamina is great enough and I'll be fully recovered to do whatever I choose to do," Clinton told "Andrea Mitchell Reports" in an interview that aired on Tuesday.

Clinton was hospitalized in December after doctors found a blood clot stemming from a concussion she suffered previously.

She intends to do more public speaking and writing, and work alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea on "mutual foundation interests," she said in the NPR interview.

"I want to be involved in philanthropy, advocacy, working on issues - like women and girls - that I care deeply about," Clinton said.

(Reporting by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-she-doesnt-see-getting-back-politics-015239548.html

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Microsoft offers students Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $70 in 50 countries, deal starts in the US on February 1

Microsoft on Wednesday announced a new deal for students looking to buy Windows 8. Starting on February 1st in the US, students can get the Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition online via the Microsoft Store for just $69.99.

Microsoft also plans to host a Windows Campus Tour, which will kick off on February 18. The company will visit over 150 university campuses across the US, letting students try Windows 8, check out the latest tablets and PCs, and chat with ?a team of Techsperts,? whatever the hell that means. If you?re interested (there will probably be giveaways, so you should probably drop in), the schedule is here.

49 additional countries will get the same deal (prices will likely vary a bit though), but don?t expect campus tours, by March 19. Here?s the full list with dates:

student offer chart 03C9C71D 730x642 Microsoft offers students Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $70 in 50 countries, deal starts in the US on February 1

As with previous similar deals from Microsoft, students, faculty, and staff only qualify for this offer if they have a valid email address through a qualifying education institution. If you meet the requirements, you can buy up to five copies.

To use the upgrade, you?ll need a PC that is currently running a genuine copy of Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista, or Windows 7. Regardless of which version you?re on, it?s definitely worth moving up to Windows 8.

You might be wondering why this is a big deal, given that Windows 8 Pro was originally offered for $39.99. Unfortunately, Microsoft is increasing the price to $199.99 at the end of, you guessed it, January 31.

This means that the next day, students will be able to avoid this significantly higher price (an increase of 400 percent). Unfortunately, they?ll still be paying 75 percent more than they could have. In other words, if you can, you should go out and buy Windows 8 Pro today, whether you?re a student or not. After the month is over, if you?re looking to get Windows 8, you?ll be wishing you were still a student.

Image credit: Irum Shahid

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNextWebMicrosoft/~3/8OeMCBbEZp4/

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Best friends influence when teenagers have first drink

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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Contact: Richard Lewis
richard-c-lewis@uiowa.edu
319-384-0012
University of Iowa

U. Iowa study notes friends' access to alcohol as main reason

Chances are the only thing you remember about your first swig of alcohol is how bad the stuff tasted. What you didn't know is the person who gave you that first drink and when you had it says a lot about your predisposition to imbibe later in life.

A national study by a University of Iowa-led team has found that adolescents who get their first drink from a friend are more likely to drink sooner in life, which past studies show makes them more prone to abusing alcohol when they get older. The finding is designed to help specialists predict when adolescents are likely to first consume alcohol, with the aim of heading off problem drinking at the pass.

"When you start drinking, even with kids who come from alcoholic families, they don't get their first drinks from their family," says Samuel Kuperman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the UI. "They get their first drinks from their friends. They have to be able to get it. If they have friends who have alcohol, then it's easier for them to have that first drink."

The basis for the study, published this month in the journal Pediatrics, is compelling: One-third of eighth graders in the United States report they've tried alcohol, according to a 2011 study of 20,000 teenagers conducted by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institutes of Health. By 10th grade, more than half say they've had a first drink, and that percentage shoots to 70 percent by their senior year.

"There's something driving kids to drink," explains Kuperman, corresponding author on the paper. "Maybe it's the coolness factor or some mystique about it. So, we're trying to educate kids about the risks associated with drinking and give them alternatives."

Kuperman and his team built their formula from two longstanding measures of adolescent drinking behaviorthe Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics and Alcoholism and the Achenbach Youth Self Report. From those measures of nearly two-dozen variables and a review of the literature, the UI-led team found five to be the most important predictors: two separate measures of disruptive behavior, a family history of alcohol dependence, a measure of poor social skills, and whether most best friends drink alcohol.

The researchers then looked at how the five variables worked in concert. Surprisingly, a best friend who drank and had access to alcohol was the most important predictor. In fact, adolescents whose best friend used alcohol were twice as likely to have a first drink, the researchers found. Moreover, if considered independently of the other variables, teenagers whose best friends drank are three times as likely to begin drinking themselves, the study found, underscoring the sway that friends have in adolescents' drinking behavior.

"Family history doesn't necessarily drive the age of first drink," notes Kuperman, who has studied teen drinking for more than a decade. "It's access. At that age (14 or 15), access trumps all. As they get older, then family history plays a larger role."

The current study drew from a pool of 820 adolescents at six sites across the country. The participants were 14 to 17 years old, with a median age of 15.5, nearly identical to the typical age of an adolescent's first drink found in previous studies. More than eight in 10 respondents came from what the researchers deemed high-risk families, but more than half of the teenagers had no alcohol-dependent parents. Tellingly, among those adolescents who reported having had drunk alcohol, nearly four in ten said their best friends also drank.

The result underscores previous findings that teenagers who have their first drink before 15 years of age are more likely to abuse alcohol or become dependent. It also supports the screening questions selected in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Academy of Pediatrics initiative to identify and help youth at risk for alcohol use, the researchers write.

Kuperman, whose faculty appointment is in the Carver College of Medicine, says he hopes to use the study to delve into the genetics underpinning alcoholism, chiefly tracking adolescents who use alcohol and see whether they have genes that match up with their parents if they also are problem drinkers.

"We're trying to separate out those who experiment with alcohol to those who go on to problematic drinking," he says.

###

Contributing authors include John Kramer from the UI; Grace Chan and Victor Hesselbrock, University of Connecticut Health Center; Leah Wetherill, Indiana University School of Medicine; Kathleen Bucholz, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University; Bernice Porjesz and Madhavi Rangaswamy, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn; and Marc Schuckit (principal investigator on the grant), University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

The National Institutes of Health (grant number: 5 U10 AA008401), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the study.

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Best friends influence when teenagers have first drink

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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Contact: Richard Lewis
richard-c-lewis@uiowa.edu
319-384-0012
University of Iowa

U. Iowa study notes friends' access to alcohol as main reason

"We're trying to separate out those who experiment with alcohol to those who go on to problematic drinking," he says.

###

The National Institutes of Health (grant number: 5 U10 AA008401), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the study.

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/uoi-bfi012813.php

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Justin Bieber's Believe Acoustic: Everything You Need To Know

From those Nick Jonas duet rumors to hints that Bieber will address his personal life dramas, MTV News gets you ready for the January 29 release.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700848/justin-bieber-believe-acoustic-release.jhtml

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UFC on Fox 6 results: Demetrious Johnson retains title, ?Rampage? loses in Octagon finale

CHICAGO -- The UFC's stop in the Windy City had two great knockouts, a champion holding onto his belt, and the last fight of a one-time champ.

Despite a strong start by John Dodson, Demetrious Johnson held onto his championship belt with a unanimous decision. The judges saw it 48-47, 49-46, 48-47 for Johnson.

Unsurprisingly, Johnson and Dodson fought a fast-paced first two rounds. Johnson tried to slow things down in the first round with a takedown. While he did get Dodson to to the ground, the challenger popped back to his feet quickly.

Dodson dropped Johnson twice in the second round, and shook off Johnson's take down attempts with a great sprawl. Johnson seemed to have a hard time even getting close to Dodson to land a punch.

A Johnson knee in the fourth round caused a small fight stoppage. Dodson's hand was on the ground as Johnson threw a knee to Dodson's head, which is an illegal strike. The bout was stopped as doctors checked Dodson's eye and Johnson was warned. The fight went on, but not without plenty of boos from the crowd in Chicago.

When the fight restarted, it was all Johnson. He controlled Dodson against the cage, and threw knees that busted up Dodson's face. Johnson was able to get a takedown at the beginning of the fifth round, too. Though boos rained down, Johnson kept the fight against the cage.

Later, the crowd got behind him as Johnson elevated, tightened his legs around Dodson's torso and threw elbows. It was a creative move that likely could only happen in the flyweight division. Johnson finished the round with Dodson against the cage, and knee after knee after knee to the body and face.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira

If this really was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's last fight in the UFC, it wasn't one to remember. He was outstruck and outwrestled by Glover Teixeira throughout their bout. Teixeira took the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 on the judges' cards.

Teixeira's first round was his best, as he was able to take Jackson down early and mount him and take his back. Late in the round, Teixeira knocked Jackson down with a punch and looked close to finishing, but wasn't able to end the fight.

The rest of the fight featured a worn out Jackson trying to avoid Teixeira's takedown attempts unsuccessfully. Jackson threw some big punches, and even jawed at Teixeira during the bout, but he wasn't able to score any big offense.

While this fight will be remembered for being Jackson's last UFC bout, Teixeira scored his third straight UFC win on Saturday night. He looked impressive against the former champ.

Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone

Anthony Pettis won his much anticipated bout with Donald Cerrone by landing big, memorable strikes. Pettis was getting the better of their striking exchanges early, which set him up for a big finish. Pettis threw a kick that landed hard on Cerrone's body, then finished with a punch. Cerrone fell to the ground in a heap, and the fight was stopped at 2:35 in the first round.

Pettis lost his first fight in the UFC after coming from the WEC as the champ, but he's been winning ever since. He has wins over Joe Lauzon, Jeremy Stephens and now Cerrone. After the fight, he made a pitch to UFC president Dana White.

"I want my title shot. I should have had it years ago. People say I can?t wrestle because of the Guida fight, but I had a serious shoulder injury. Now I am 100 percent. No one can do in the Octagon what I can do."

While lightweight champion Benson Henderson has a fight set up with Gilbert Melendez, a shot for Pettis isn't unwarranted. It would be a rematch of their WEC title fight, which Pettis won in the promotion's final fight.

Ricardo Lamas vs. Erik Koch

Lamas won the first round by constantly pressuring Koch against the cage. It wasn't exactly the most thrilling round to have start a card on network television, but it led to a thrilling second round. Lamas took advantage of Koch's slip, and then finished the fight with nasty, nasty ground and pound. Lamas started with elbows, then started with strikes that cut open Koch's face. Koch had no answer for Lamas' relentless strikes, and the bout was stopped at 2:32 in the second round.

Lamas thought his performance warranted a title shot.

"I?ve beat Cub Swanson, I?ve beat Hioki and now I?ve beat Koch. All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. We?re all here to be world champ and I am no different. I want the winner of Aldo vs Edgar next week. I don?t care who wins, I want the winner."

Related UFC video from Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-6-results-demetrious-johnson-retains-title-032827859--mma.html

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Poor sleep in old age prevents the brain from storing memories

Jan. 27, 2013 ? The connection between poor sleep, memory loss and brain deterioration as we grow older has been elusive. But for the first time, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found a link between these hallmark maladies of old age. Their discovery opens the door to boosting the quality of sleep in elderly people to improve memory.

Postdoctoral fellow, Bryce Mander, demonstrates how the sleep study was conducted.

UC Berkeley neuroscientists have found that the slow brain waves generated during the deep, restorative sleep we typically experience in youth play a key role in transporting memories from the hippocampus -- which provides short-term storage for memories -- to the prefrontal cortex's longer term "hard drive."

However, in older adults, memories may be getting stuck in the hippocampus due to the poor quality of deep 'slow wave' sleep, and are then overwritten by new memories, the findings suggest.

"What we have discovered is a dysfunctional pathway that helps explain the relationship between brain deterioration, sleep disruption and memory loss as we get older -- and with that, a potentially new treatment avenue," said UC Berkeley sleep researcher Matthew Walker, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley and senior author of the study to be published Jan. 27, in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

The findings shed new light on some of the forgetfulness common to the elderly that includes difficulty remembering people's names.

"When we are young, we have deep sleep that helps the brain store and retain new facts and information," Walker said. "But as we get older, the quality of our sleep deteriorates and prevents those memories from being saved by the brain at night."

Healthy adults typically spend one-quarter of the night in deep, non-rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Slow waves are generated by the brain's middle frontal lobe. Deterioration of this frontal region of the brain in elderly people is linked to their failure to generate deep sleep, the study found.

The discovery that slow waves in the frontal brain help strengthen memories paves the way for therapeutic treatments for memory loss in the elderly, such as transcranial direct current stimulation or pharmaceutical remedies. For example, in an earlier study, neuroscientists in Germany successfully used electrical stimulation of the brain in young adults to enhance deep sleep and doubled their overnight memory.

UC Berkeley researchers will be conducting a similar sleep-enhancing study in older adults to see if it will improve their overnight memory. "Can you jumpstart slow wave sleep and help people remember their lives and memories better? It's an exciting possibility," said Bryce Mander, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of this latest study.

For the UC Berkeley study, Mander and fellow researchers tested the memory of 18 healthy young adults (mostly in their 20s) and 15 healthy older adults (mostly in their 70s) after a full night's sleep. Before going to bed, participants learned and were tested on 120 word sets that taxed their memories.

As they slept, an electroencephalographic (EEG) machine measured their brain wave activity. The next morning, they were tested again on the word pairs, but this time while undergoing functional and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans.

In older adults, the results showed a clear link between the degree of brain deterioration in the middle frontal lobe and the severity of impaired "slow wave activity" during sleep. On average, the quality of their deep sleep was 75 percent lower than that of the younger participants, and their memory of the word pairs the next day was 55 percent worse.

Meanwhile, in younger adults, brain scans showed that deep sleep had efficiently helped to shift their memories from the short-term storage of the hippocampus to the long-term storage of the prefrontal cortex.

Co-authors of the study are William Jagust, Vikram Rao, Jared Saletin and John Lindquist of UC Berkeley; Brandon Lu of the California Pacific Medical Center and Sonia Ancoli-Israel of UC San Diego.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Aging of the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley. The original article was written by Yasmin Anwar.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Bryce A Mander, Vikram Rao, Brandon Lu, Jared M Saletin, John R Lindquist, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, William Jagust, Matthew P Walker. Prefrontal atrophy, disrupted NREM slow waves and impaired hippocampal-dependent memory in aging. Nature Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nn.3324

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/mPkLDBVS1dI/130127134212.htm

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