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In her latest blog, a 39-weeks-pregnant Mitchell writes that she hopes for just a bit more time to finish the nursery ? and shares her maternity portraits.
Mar. 29, 2013 ? Mayo Clinic physicians in Arizona have shown that tablet computers can be used to analyze electroencephalogram or EEG results outside of the clinic or hospital. Their study findings were recently presented at the American Academy of Neurology conference in San Diego.
"The fact that this gives doctors the ability to read EEG results from anywhere can only help patients in the long run," says Matthew Hoerth, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
Click here to hear Dr. Hoerth explain the study.
An EEG is a painless procedure that uses electrodes attached to a person's scalp to detect electrical activity in the brain. Brain cells are constantly communicating via electrical impulses, even when someone is asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.
The objective was to determine whether a computer tablet is an acceptable alternative to the traditional laptop for remote EEG interpretation. The findings showed that the tablet cost significantly less and weighed less than the laptop and had a comparable screen resolution. The greatest disadvantage to the tablet compared to the laptop is screen size. Boot-up time was significantly longer for the laptop and desktop. An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy and may also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders. The epilepsy division at Mayo Clinic in Arizona interprets EEGs for Mayo Clinic Hospital as well as three other institutions across Arizona, where they have remote access for interpretation to all locations. "With high volumes of EEGs and multiple systems and facilities to read from, the efficiency of technology is essential to many physician practices," says Dr. Hoerth. "Despite the marginally smaller screen size, the ease of use, accessibility, and reliability make the tablet a viable option for its integration into the tele-EEG practice.
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The The Rio Bonito House is set in a lush mountainous area in eastern Rio De Janeiro. It looks the the perfectly pleasant weekend getaway, but more than that, the design is notable because of the balance of both delicate and strong materials. More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - EBay Inc aims to handle $110 billion of sales on its marketplace in 2015 by expanding globally and using mobile technology to lure more shoppers, an aggressive target that drove its shares 4 percent higher on Thursday.
The forecast by eBay Marketplaces chief Devin Wenig was higher than Wall Street had expected and represents a 47 percent jump in gross merchandise volume, or GMV, from 2012's $75 billion.
GMV is a closely watched measure of eBay's performance. Doug Anmuth, an analyst at JP Morgan, had predicted 2015 GMV of $101 billion.
After bleeding market share to Amazon.com Inc for years, Chief Executive John Donahoe began a turnaround effort in 2009 that set the Internet commerce company back on track by borrowing from its larger rival's playbook.
He took what was then a muddled auctions website and made it easier for shoppers to buy new items at fixed prices and get more free shipping and returns - essentially mimicking the Amazon experience. He also embraced mobile technology, creating shopping apps for smartphones and tablets that brought in new customers.
But eBay's online marketplace is still growing less than Amazon's and some analysts are concerned its growth may struggle to keep up with the overall expansion of the online retail sector.
On Thursday, eBay's Wenig told analysts and investors that the company's core business will deliver "at least" market rates of growth.
EBay's stock rose 4.1 percent to $54.20 in the afternoon.
"They are saying they have fixed the core marketplace, and they are now positioned to drive incremental growth from local, mobile and global initiatives," said Colin Sebastian, an analyst at R.W. Baird.
CEO Donahoe said that the company would enable $300 billion of commerce in 2015, up 71 percent from $175 billion in 2012.
That forecast includes sales on eBay's online marketplace, payments processed by PayPal and other transactions touched by the company's various businesses, such as GSI Commerce.
"That's one of the ways we will measure our success," Donahoe said during eBay's investor day at its headquarters in Silicon Valley.
To get this done, eBay is focusing on three main sources of potential growth - global expansion, local commerce and mobile applications that it hopes will encourage consumers to shop more on its marketplace and use PayPal more to pay for those purchases.
EBay is aiming to increase sales in emerging markets and BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China, by four times current levels in three years, Wendy Jones, an executive overseeing the global push, said.
By the end of 2015, as much as 25 percent of eBay active users and over 12 percent of global sales will come from BRIC countries and emerging markets, she added.
EBay's top executives will give other, new three-year financial forecasts later on Thursday.
Expectations run high on Wall Street. Anmuth of J.P. Morgan, is expecting revenue of $21.16 billion in 2015 and earnings of $3.98 per share that year, versus $14 billion and $2.36 a share in 2012.
The analyst is also calling for 2015 PayPal transaction volume of $246.9 billion that year.
(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Tim Dobbyn, and Kenneth Barry)
SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) ? Devotees in villages in the northern Philippines took part in a bloody annual ritual to mark Good Friday, a celebration that mixes Roman Catholic devotion and Filipino folk beliefs and sees some reenact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The crucified devotees spent several minutes nailed to crosses in Pampanga province while thousands of tourists watched and took photos of the spectacle, which the church discourages. Earlier in the day, hooded male penitents trudged through the province's villages under the blazing sun while flagellating their bleeding backs with makeshift whips. Others carried wooden crosses to dramatize Christ's sacrifice.
Devotees undergo the hardships in the belief that such extreme sacrifices are a way to atone for their sins, attain miracle cures for illnesses or give thanks to God.
Alex Laranang, a 58-year-old vendor who was the first to be nailed to a cross Friday, said he was doing it "for good luck and for my family to be healthy."
It was the 27th crucifixion for sign painter Ruben Enaje, 52, one of the most popular penitents from San Pedro Cutud village. He began his yearly rite after surviving a fall from a building.
Enaje screamed in pain as men dressed as Roman soldiers hammered stainless steel nails into his palms and feet. A wireless microphone carried his voice to loudspeakers for everyone watching to hear.
His cross was raised and he was hanged there for several minutes under the searing afternoon sun before the nails were pulled out and he was taken on a stretcher to a first aid station.
"It's intriguing and fascinating what makes people do something like this, how you can believe so much that you make yourself suffer to that extent," said Dita Tittesass, a tourist from Denmark.
Remigio de la Cruz, the chief of San Pedro Cutud village, explained that the practice began in his village in the 1950s.
Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told the church-run Radio Veritas that the practice is "not the desire of Jesus Christ."
"We are aware that this has been practiced long before ... but we still hope that this will not be done any more," he said. "We should all concentrate on prayers."
_____
Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this from Manila.
This week in PlayStation Home, Doctor Who items materialize, there are tons of new locomotions, Aurora update 1.7 is here and much more!
BBC ? Doctor Who
BBC Worldwide is bringing their iconic series, Doctor Who, to PlayStation Home this week! In Wave One fans have the Eleventh Doctor, River Song, Silent, and Silurian costumes to choose from, plus a TARDIS private estate and clubhouse. Included with both TARDIS spaces is the LOOT? Active Camera to capture all of your fantastic adventures! Are you ready to be a Time Lord? This is one interstellar adventure you don?t want to miss out on! Geronimo!
JAM Games ? Easter Egg Heads
Are you wondering how you are going to eggs-press yourself in style this Easter? JAM Games has eggs-actly what you need! We bring you our bunny-eared Easter Egg Heads!
nDreams ? Aurora 1.7 Update + The Complex
Aurora 1.7
Players can now reach level 120 with new rewards every five levels. Rewards include two locomotions, an active item for your apartment and for the true Aurora veterans that make it to the top, the Aurora Showcase Apartment. To help you reach level 120 we have upgraded Orbrunner with new visuals, sounds and a consumable items. For more details please visit AlphaZone4.
The Complex Modular Apartment
If you visit Aurora starting today, you will be rewarded with The Complex HUB Personal Space. The Complex is a new modular apartment from nDreams that has four additional sections available for purchase. If you own all five section of The Complex you will be rewarded with some fantastic furniture items.
HellFire Games ? Home Improvement Week
It?s Home Improvement Week in Home Tycoon! The Hellfire Games team has DOUBLED the Worker regeneration rate in Home Tycoon from March 24 to March 31 in honor of AlphaZone4?s 4th anniversary. Mayors can now build more and collect revenue faster than ever before, but only for a limited time. Visit Home Tycoon today to take advantage of this free promotion while it lasts!
Atom Republic ? Comedy Moves + Rock, Paper, Scissors
Comedy Moves
If you like having fun and don?t take yourself too seriously, this week Atom Republic brings you Comedy Moves avatar animations and two hilarious locomotions! With the Comedy Moves, you can be sure to raise a few smiles: do the chicken dance, the conga line, the mime behind a glass wall, and last but not least, the famous Harlem Shake! And if you love horse-riding, but can?t afford the real thing, just pretend to ride an imaginary steed with the Pretend Horse-Riding locomotion!
Finally the Silly Walk is probably the most ridiculous locomotion you can buy in Home? You have been warned!
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Play Rock, Paper, Scissors with your friends anywhere in Home, with this new avatar animation pack!
Granzella ? Casual Cardigans
Enjoy the spring dressed in a cardigan set! For women this 3-piece set includes the Bowler Hat, Long Cardigan Outfit, and Open Toe Pumps and is available in 3 colors. For men this 4-piece set includes the Felt Hat, Cardigan & Dress Shirt, Zipper-Pocket Chinos, and the Fold-Down High Cut Trainers, available in 3 colors. In addition, matching hairstyles for men and women are available separately.
Konami ? Vehicle Locomotions + Raver Update
Konami adds to their raver line with a huge update! In addition to clothes, Konami releases all new vehicles! Intimidate with your very own mini-tank or fly around in your glowing space fighter. There are multiple colors of each, so collect them all!
Lockwood ? Motorbikes
You look like the kind of person who loves power! Lockwood?s LMO Motorbikes pack that power. Their horsepower is so powerful, it hoofs horses out of the way to make room for unicorns. That?s right, Lockwood?s Motorbike engines run on unicorn power. You want to see the unicorns? Well, you can?t! They?re tiny and they live in the engine and make the bike vroom! You?ll just have to be content with vrooming.
What?s that? You love power, but not as much as you love gifts? Well that?s good too, because Lockwood?s LMO Motorbikes also come in gift flavor! Okay so it isn?t a flavor, it?s just an alternative but equally convenient way to get hold of an awesome motorbike. Stop licking the gift machine already! You?ll just get a sore tongue.
Also, the ever popular Baron?s Eggcellent Plan active item gets re-released for a limited time. Pick yours up and enjoy all the shenanigans that Easter was meant to be.
x7 Update
This week in exclusive VIP nightclub x7, there is a new exclusive value bundle, a new freebie, plus new ?Flaming Hair? items from Lockwood, and new hairstyles from Konami! Head to x7, take the elevator upstairs, check out these fine items, then dance the night away!
Mall Update ? The Virtual Item Showcase, Volume 80
Magnus is back again, sharing with us all the hottest new items this week. Check out the video below for all the details. Highlights include Easter Egg Heads, Egg-inspired companions made in-house by two of our talented Home QA guys (props to Sean and David!), funny new walking styles, positively glowing new Raver clothing items and Flaming Hair and Eyes in x7. Enjoy this week?s Virtual Item Showcase.
See you in Home!
Want to chat more about PlayStation Home? Hop on over to the Home Forums! If you?re having trouble with Home, head to the Home Support forum.
Things change! Yes my friends believe it or not when you become involved in a relationship or marriage there are certain things in your life and social life that will change. Unfortunately one of the things that we see change for the worse many times are our friendships. I know you have seen the scenario when a woman is tight with her best girlfriends, but then she gets into a relationship with a man and all of sudden her friends (especially her single friends) become really salty towards her. Suddenly she is a ?sellout? because her social life involves her man more and her outings become more couple friendly. Then ultimately comes the statement ?well she just flipped on us now that she has a man.? Okay now before we put on the boxing gloves to have this fight let?s explore the situation a little deeper. Come follow me!
When we decide to embark on a relationship we decide to put someone else in our lives that we are going to make a priority. We are trying to build a foundation for a long lasting relationship and marriage and in order to do that it we must spend time together. There are only 24 hours in a day and because this is true there is no way that our lives can remain the same as they were pre-relationship or marriage. I believe there is a disconnect that happens because we aren?t realistic about expectations. Sometimes friends expect that we will have the same amount of time to just chill with them as we used to. This is not to say that we should turn our backs on our friends, but it is to say that both parties, the friends and the person in the relationship, must learn to reach some type of balance.
Now let?s address another issue that seems to arise between friends when one gets involved in a relationship. Remember when I said that things change? Well that includes social activities as well. It?s only natural that when someone gets married they begin to share some of the same activities as other married people. People tend to hang around people that have like interests and there is nothing wrong with that. People will gravitate towards the people that they can begin to share the same experiences with and have similar conversations with. Suddenly the conversations become more about family and relationship issues more so than about the last girl or guy you met or the latest bit of drama and gossip that you became privy too. That?s not to say that those things aren?t still interesting or entertaining, but they just become less of a priority. Also the places you go will change. If you are a married man then sometimes it?s hard for your single friends to understand why you might not want to be in the strip club or be in the club until the lights come on anymore. Believe it or not it?s not because he is ?whipped? by his wife, he just understands that in those places exist serious temptation and furthermore there becomes a perception issue as well. If you are a married woman sometimes your girls might not understand why you can?t take all of the trips that you used to or why you can?t be her sidekick at the bar as much anymore or why you two can?t be the life of the party anymore. Sometimes instead of her friends understanding that they will label the woman as being sprung or being ?controlled? by her man. Maybe, just maybe, she is being respectful to her man.
The final thing I would like to address is this idea of your responsibility within a friendship and what sometimes happens when a friend get married. Our job as friends is to be supportive, understanding, and also honest with our friends. When your friend is married or about to get married why does that seem to be the time that many people become the least supportive? Given the fact that your friend isn?t a bridezilla of sorts I would fully hope that you would be willing to be as supportive as possible of her marriage process and her union. Even if you are single or slightly envious, your job as a friend is not to wear those emotions on your sleeve. If you respect your friend and their union then find ways to help make her life easier and be her escape rather than always presenting more drama or issues. I?m not saying you should cater to her every need, but I am saying be her friend rather than her enemy. If she is getting married, offer to help, if she is married and has kids already offer to help her with the kids one Saturday. Find ways to spend time together that may be more conducive to her lifestyle instead of condemning her for not being able to run with you the way she used to.
What we all must remember is that as we all transition and grow in life our priorities and activities will change, but that doesn?t mean that we can?t still be good friends to each other. One day you will be the one getting married or having kids and you are going to want your best friends to be there for you as well! With all of that said I?m just asking ?can?t we all just get along?!?
BMWK ? Get involved in the discussion; How have your friendships changed after you entered into a relationship or marriage?
About the author
Troy Spry a Certified Life, Dating, and Relationship Coach and the one and only ?Reality Expert?, resides in Charlotte, NC. He created his blog, Xklusive Thoughts, with the intent of putting out a very realistic perspective and using it as a vehicle for inspiration! He hopes to challenge people to think differently and inspire people to do and be better in relationships and in life! You can reach Troy via his website, twitter, or Facebook.
Eric Prindle, left, and Jerry Waterson train at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Eric Prindle, left, and Jerry Waterson train at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Mohammed Ali Alshatri helps Malky Berlin stretch at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Fighters train at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Mike Hamida's "Fight or Die" tattoo is shown at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Fighters train at Fight Club Proving Ground gym in Waterford, March 6, 2013. Michigan lawmakers are pushing for legislation to regulate amateur mixed martial arts to protect fighters from injury and disease. When the sport was legalized in 2007, the professional bouts became regulated, but the amateurs were overlooked. Lawmakers and fighters say it's created a system in Michigan where anything goes. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
LANSING, Mich. (AP) ? Jerry "The Moose" Waterson fulfilled a dream last month by stepping into the ring for his first professional mixed martial arts fight, which he won.
His passion has become his full-time job, requiring 40 hours a week of training. But it took the 24-year-old Waterson four years of punching, kicking and grappling his way through Michigan's unregulated amateur system, where nearly anything goes and where fighters are often uninsured or could be infected with HIV or hepatitis.
"It's like the wild, wild west. It's crazy," Waterson said.
Michigan is among about a dozen states in which amateur MMA fights are legal but unregulated. That could soon change, however, as even lawmakers who recoil at the sport's brutality see the wisdom in setting ground rules.
"It is time to teach the beast some manners," said Democratic Rep. Harvey Santana, who is sponsoring legislation that would require promoters of amateur events to get licensed annually, carry up to $10,000 in health insurance for fighters and have a physician on site for fights.
MMA has exploded in popularity since the 1990s, led by its major brand, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and giving rise to an amateur industry that serves as the sport's minor leagues and offers fans a cheap night out or even the chance to get in the ring themselves. Combatants draw from various disciplines, including jiu jitsu, judo, boxing and wrestling, to try to knock out or subdue their opponents.
The sport's brutality ? choke holds are legal and bloodied faces are the norm ? has earned MMA its share of critics, including U.S. Sen. John McCain, who once likened it to "human cockfighting." South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard recently signed off on the establishment of a state commission to regulate MMA, boxing and kickboxing, despite reservations that doing so would legitimize the fights.
Michigan legalized MMA bouts in 2007, and today most states allow professional bouts. They remain illegal in Connecticut and New York, but the state Senate in New York, where amateur fights are legal, this month passed a measure to legalize and regulate the professional sport. When Michigan lawmakers legalized the sport, they stipulated that promoters must be licensed and carry insurance for fighters at pro events. But they didn't set requirements for amateur bouts.
No one tracks all Michigan's amateur fights, but Grand Rapids-area promoter and matchmaker Dru Gardner estimates that there 65 promoters in the state and that there are five events on any given weekend. Rob Fisk, a medic who works many of the fights, said the typical event draws from 500 to more than 2,000 spectators who plunk down $20 each to watch 20-or-so bouts.
While a pro fighter can earn $5,000 for a bout, amateur fighters earn nothing and compete for the thrill or because they harbor hopes of turning pro. In the meantime, amateurs put themselves at risk of serious injury or disease due to the lack of regulation, some lawmakers and promoters say.
Joe Battaglia, who runs a Michigan promotion company, said a fighter goes to the hospital at nearly every one of his events, and that broken noses, ribs and hands are among the most common injuries. Battaglia stopped fighting professionally after suffering a broken neck while training. Fortunately, he was insured.
Many promoters don't provide insurance and many fighters don't have their own, said Al Low, who co-owns the Fight Club Proving Ground gym with Battaglia. Amir Khillah, a pro fighter from Michigan, said he broke his arm in three places in his first bout in 2006. The promoter didn't carry insurance, so Khillah said he made himself a cast out of shin guards and duct tape. His arm is now crooked.
Lawmakers, fighters and promoters also point to a lack of pre-match blood testing, which puts combatants at risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis and other illnesses. The Association of Boxing Commissions, which is made up of the various state fighting commissions, has recommended that members ban amateur MMA fighters from Michigan, for fear of disease. And Bernie Profato, who heads the Ohio Athletic Commission, said he warns fighters that they won't be allowed to compete in Ohio if they fight in Michigan, for fear of spreading disease.
The lack of regulation means Michigan amateurs sometimes can't be protected from themselves. While the Association of Boxing Commissions keeps a database of fighters who have been suspended due to injury, a recent knockout or bad blood work, Michigan promoters aren't required to report to it.
"I know a guy who has been knocked out five times in the last year," said Gardner, the promoter. Someone getting knocked out that often "is a serious liability for the entire sport."
Last year, a 26-year-old South Dakota amateur fighter died a week after a bout from head injuries. Police said there wasn't enough evidence to conclude that the injury was suffered in the event.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's spokesman, Kurt Weiss, said in an email that Snyder supports making mixed martial arts safer and that the governor "will continue to work with the Legislature to find the right approach to ensure that any new regulation will be self-supporting and that need for public health and safety is addressed."
The promoters and amateur fighters calling for regulating the amateur fights made clear that it's for a love of the sport.
Low said many of the young fighters who have taken up MMA at his gym learn discipline, confidence and self-worth.
"I've seen kids coming in here heavy set, out of shape with their heads down and you could barely hear them talk," Low said. "Two years later, they are acting like they are Muhammad Ali."
Mar. 27, 2013 ? A team of scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Northwestern University has produced 3-D images and videos of a tiny platinum nanoparticle at atomic resolution that reveal new details of defects in nanomaterials that have not been seen before.
Prior to this work, scientists only had flat, two-dimensional images with which to view the arrangement of atoms. The new imaging methodology developed at UCLA and Northwestern will enable researchers to learn more about a material and its properties by viewing atoms from different angles and seeing how they are arranged in three dimensions.
The study will be published March 27 by the journal Nature.
The authors describe being able to see how the atoms of a platinum nanoparticle -- only 10 namometers in diameter -- are arranged in three dimensions. They also identify how the atoms are arranged around defects in the platinum nanoparticle.
Similar to how CT scans of the brain and body are done in a hospital, the scientists took images of a platinum nanoparticle from many different directions and then pieced the images together using a new method that improved the quality of the images.
This novel method is a combination of three techniques: scanning transmission electron microscopy, equally sloped tomography (EST) and three-dimensional Fourier filtering. Compared to conventional CT, the combined method produces much higher quality 3-D images and allows the direct visualization of atoms inside the platinum nanoparticle in three dimensions.
"Visualizing the arrangement of atoms in materials has played an important role in the evolution of modern science and technology," said Jianwei (John) Miao, who led the work. He is a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and a researcher with the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.
"Our method allows the 3-D imaging of the local structures in materials at atomic resolution, and it is expected to find application in materials sciences, nanoscience, solid state physics and chemistry," he said.
"It turns out that there are details we can only see when we can look at materials in three dimensions," said co-author Laurence D. Marks, a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
"We have had suspicions for a long time that there was more going on than we could see from the flat images we had," Marks said. "This work is the first demonstration that this is true at the atomic scale."
Nanotechnology expert Pulickel M. Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering at Rice University complimented the research.
"This is the first instance where the three-dimensional structure of dislocations in nanoparticles has been directly revealed at atomic resolution," Ajayan said. "The elegant work demonstrates the power of electron tomography and leads to possibilities of directly correlating the structure of nanoparticles to properties, all in full 3-D view."
Defects can influence many properties of materials, and a technique for visualizing these structures at atomic resolution could lead to new insights beneficial to researchers in a wide range of fields.
"Much of what we know about how materials work, whether it is a catalyst in an automobile exhaust system or the display on a smartphone, has come from electron microscope images of how the atoms are arranged," Marks said. "This new imaging method will open up the atomic world of nanoparticles."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Chien-Chun Chen, Chun Zhu, Edward R. White, Chin-Yi Chiu, M. C. Scott, B. C. Regan, Laurence D. Marks, Yu Huang, Jianwei Miao. Three-dimensional imaging of dislocations in a nanoparticle at atomic resolution. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12009
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2011 file photo, Jeremy Lazarus, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) speaks in Portland, Oregon. The Supreme Court will struggle this week with whether it?s legal for patent-holding pharmaceutical companies to pay rivals, who make generic drugs, to temporarily keep those cheaper versions of their brand-name drugs off the market. Now AMA President, Lazarus said in a statement,"The AMA believes that pay-for-delay agreements undermine the balance between spurring innovation through the patent system and fostering competition through the development of generic drugs. Pay for delay must stop to ensure the most cost-effective treatment options are available to patients." (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2011 file photo, Jeremy Lazarus, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) speaks in Portland, Oregon. The Supreme Court will struggle this week with whether it?s legal for patent-holding pharmaceutical companies to pay rivals, who make generic drugs, to temporarily keep those cheaper versions of their brand-name drugs off the market. Now AMA President, Lazarus said in a statement,"The AMA believes that pay-for-delay agreements undermine the balance between spurring innovation through the patent system and fostering competition through the development of generic drugs. Pay for delay must stop to ensure the most cost-effective treatment options are available to patients." (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - In a Jan. 7, 2008, file photo then-Attorney Donald Verrilli talks to media outside the Supreme Court. Now President Barack Obama's top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Verilli will argue before the Supreme Court this week whether it is legal for patent-holding pharmaceutical companies to pay rivals, who make generic drugs, to temporarily keep those cheaper versions of their brand-name drugs off the market. The Obama administration is taking the position that the agreements are illegal if they?re based solely on keeping the generic drug out of consumer's hands. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
This March 2011 photo provided Actavis Inc. shows Actavis CEO Paul Bisario at the pharmaceutical company's corporate headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. On Monday, March 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments of pharmaceutical company interests in recouping billions of dollars spent developing new drugs pitted against the government's desire to get cheaper generic drugs on the market earlier to save American consumers money. "By doing what the FTC wants, you're going to hurt consumers rather than help them," said Bisaro. Fighting between generic and brand-name drugmakers in court is risky and time consuming, he said, while settlements bring certainty, allow generic drug sales years before patents expire and reduce legal costs. (AP Photo/Actavis, Maryanne Russell)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Supreme Court justices appeared troubled Monday over whether to stop deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors that the government says could keep cheaper forms of medicine from American consumers for longer periods of time.
Justices heard arguments from the Justice Department against what the government calls "pay-for-delay" deals or "reverse settlements."
Such deals arise when generic companies file a challenge at the Food and Drug Administration to the patents that give brand-name drugs a 20-year monopoly. The generic drugmakers aim to prove the patent is flawed or otherwise invalid, so they can launch a generic version well before the patent ends.
Brand-name drugmakers then usually sue the generic companies, which sets up what could be years of expensive litigation. When the two sides aren't certain who will win, they often reach a compromise deal that allows the generic company to sell its cheaper copycat drug in a few years ? but years before the drug's patent would expire. Often, that settlement comes with a sizable payment from the brand-name company to the generic drugmaker.
Drugmakers say the settlements protect their interests but also benefit consumers by bringing inexpensive copycat medicines to market years earlier than they would arrive in any case generic drugmakers took to trial and lost. But federal officials counter that such deals add billions to the drug bills of American patients and taxpayers, compared with what would happen if the generic companies won the lawsuits and could begin marketing right away.
A study by RBC Capital Markets Corp. of 371 cases during 2000-09 found brand-name companies won 89 at trial compared to 82 won by generic drugmakers. Another 175 ended in settlement deals, and 25 were dropped.
The Obama administration, backed by consumer groups and the American Medical Association, wants the court to stop the deals because it says they profit the drug companies but harm consumers by adding $3.5 billion annually to their drug bills.
"What the brand name is attempting to purchase is protection from the possibility that it will have its patent invalidated, and it will suffer a large competitive advantage," Justice Department lawyer Malcolm L. Stewart told the justices.
What if a brand-name drug company is making $100 million, and a generic drug company says its product will reduce that to $10 million, so both companies agree that the brand name company would give the generic company $25 million to stay off the market, asked Justice Elena Kagan. "It's clear what's going on here is that they're splitting monopoly profits, and the person who's going to be injured are all the consumers out there," Kagan said.
Generic drugs account for about 80 percent of all American prescriptions for medicines and vaccines, but a far smaller percentage of the $325 billion spent by U.S. consumers on drugs each year. Generics saved American patients, taxpayers and the healthcare system an estimated $193 billion in 2011 alone, according to health data firm IMS Health.
But Justice Sonia Sotomayor said it may be going too far to make these deals illegal on their face, instead of making the government prove they are anticompetitive in court in each case. "It would seem to me that you have to bear the burden of proving that the payment for services or the value given was too high," she told Stewart.
Sotomayor said later the government seems to be arguing that the generic vs. brand name drug fight should be settled by the generic paying a royalty or negotiating an early release date for the generic drug instead of by the two companies agreeing to share profits. "What's so bad about that?" she said.
But Jeffrey L. Weinberger, lawyer for the defendant, Actavis Inc., in the government lawsuit, said most cases aren't settled like that, and in case of a strong brand-name drug patent, generic drugmakers wouldn't have an incentive to settle with brand name companies.
They would say, "'Why would I drop this lawsuit to get an entry date in 2025 or 2028? That doesn't meet my business needs, I have shareholders, I have investors, I have to run a business, and I'm going to keep on litigating unless you give me something of value,'" Weinberger said. "So that's what these agreements are about."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that by settling with a reverse payment, the generic drug maker gets more than it would if it won against the brand-name drugmaker at trial.
Added Justice Anthony Kennedy: "Why don't you just put a cap on what the generic can make and then we won't have a real concern with the restraint of trade, or we'll have a lesser concern."
The court shouldn't let the government interfere with the ways companies have decided to resolve these disputes, Weinberger said.
Congress intended that "generics should be able to challenge, and should have strong incentive to challenge, but that doesn't mean that they should be required to litigate to conclusion," Weinberger said. "And if settlement is made more difficult so that different perceptions or different business objectives can't be bridged with some kind of a business settlement, that is going to mean that fewer generics are going to challenge these patents and that is contrary to the purpose."
In the case before the court, Brussels, Belgium-based Solvay ? now part of a new company called AbbVie Inc. ? reached a deal with generic drugmaker Watson Pharmaceuticals allowing it to launch a cheaper version of Solvay's male hormone drug AndroGel in August 2015. The patent runs until August 2020, and brought in $1.2 billion last year for AbbVie.
The government said Solvay agreed to pay Watson, now called Actavis Inc., an estimated $19 million-$30 million annually. Actavis said the deal, in addition to providing a licensing agreement over Solvay's Androgel patents, compensated Actavis for using its sales force to promote AndroGel to doctors.
The FTC called the deal anticompetitive and sued Actavis.
Eight justices will decide this case later this year. Justice Samuel Alito did not take part in the arguments.
___
The case is Federal Trade Commission vs. Actavis, Inc., 12-416.
AP Business Writer Linda A. Johnson in Trenton, N.J., contributed to this report.
___
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Contact: Molly Dannenmaier mjdannen@utmb.edu 409-771-5105 University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Scientists also identify simple vaccine delivery model in 'breakthrough' discovery; Novel vaccine could arrive in veterinary market in as few as 5 years
Scientists are getting closer to a Chagas disease vaccine, something many believed impossible only 10 years ago. Research from the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has resulted in a safe vaccine candidate that is simple to produce and shows a greater than 90 percent protection rate against chronic infection in mice.
In a paper published online in PLOS ONE, the researchers describe how they identified and tested potential Trypanosoma cruzi (also known as T. cruzi or Chagas disease) antigen candidates and delivery models to establish the safety and efficacy of a vaccine formulation known asTcVac3. This potential vaccine could halt the irreversible heart and organ damage that afflicts approximately 30 percent of those infected with Chagas.
"This signals a scientific breakthrough unprecedented vaccine efficacy for a common parasitic disease with no cure for chronic sufferers," said lead author Nisha Garg, PhD, professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at UTMB. "If this vaccine proves practical, it could be approved in as few as five years for use in canines, which are reservoir hosts of the disease. As many as 20 percent of dogs may be infected in Texas alone, developing the same heart conditions as humans but mistaken by vets for heartworm."
The study also provides further evidence that a human Chagas vaccine is possible, a topic of debate among some who still believe that Chagas heart disease is the result of an autoimmune disorder, she added.
T. cruzi, transmitted by the triatomine insect, or "kissing bug," is prevalent in almost all Latin American countries and is becoming more common in the U.S. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10 million people mostly children are infected worldwide. Approximately 13,000 die each year from the complications of Chagas-induced heart disease a result of the chronic infection Garg and her team aim to vaccinate against. It is estimated that the global economic burden of Chagas is about $7 billion a year.
TcVac3: The Path of Discovery
TcVac3 is the result of rigorous computational/bioinformatics analysis and screening of the T. cruzi genome for potential candidate antigens over several years by Garg and her team. These analyses led the researchers to three potential antigens (TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4) for further investigation.
Next, they began testing these antigens and potential vaccine delivery models how the components are arranged in the actual vaccine to determine the best approaches.
Early experiments proved that delivery of the candidate antigens by a DNA-prime/protein boost approach, along with co-delivery of IL-12 and GM-CSF cytokine adjuvants meant to enhance the immune response, was effective in generating antibody and T cell responses capable of providing more than 90 percent control of acute infection and parasite burden in infected mice.
Recognizing, however, that this vaccine delivery model was quite complex, the scientists sought to simplify the vaccine using a DNA-prime/Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-boost approach a delivery model that offers many advantages: it can accommodate multiple foreign genes in its genome; may be administered by a variety of routes; has an excellent safety record; and has been shown to generate immune responses to a variety of foreign antigens. MVA itself can act as an adjuvant since it provides a signal to the innate immune system and can boost T cells.
Based on preliminarystudies by the researchers that showed this delivery model to be potent, the scientists next tested the protective efficacy of TcVac3, constituted of just the TcG2 and TcG4 candidates and lacking the adjuvants, delivered by the DNA/MVA approach.
With two doses of the vaccine, the mice with TcVac3-induced antibodies exhibited 92 to 96 percent protection against chronic infection. They found that the DNA/MVA approach increased the vaccine efficacy enough to omit one of the antigens and the adjuvants, making it a much simpler but still highly effective vaccine.
"Because Chagas is most prevalent in developing countries, it is essential that a potential vaccine be inexpensive to develop and easy to deliver," said Garg. "TcVac3 accomplishes this goal, making it not just an effective candidate, but an ideal one."
Future research will determine if the vaccine composition can be simplified even further. In addition, the scientists are already conducting related trials in canines. Garg and her team are also working on pre-clinical trials of human patient samples, testing for immune response in patients that are already infected but not showing signs of chronic disease. Results of both studies are anticipated later this year.
###
Shivali Gupta, Ph.D., also contributed to this study. Funding for the research was provided by National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Molly Dannenmaier mjdannen@utmb.edu 409-771-5105 University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Scientists also identify simple vaccine delivery model in 'breakthrough' discovery; Novel vaccine could arrive in veterinary market in as few as 5 years
Scientists are getting closer to a Chagas disease vaccine, something many believed impossible only 10 years ago. Research from the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has resulted in a safe vaccine candidate that is simple to produce and shows a greater than 90 percent protection rate against chronic infection in mice.
In a paper published online in PLOS ONE, the researchers describe how they identified and tested potential Trypanosoma cruzi (also known as T. cruzi or Chagas disease) antigen candidates and delivery models to establish the safety and efficacy of a vaccine formulation known asTcVac3. This potential vaccine could halt the irreversible heart and organ damage that afflicts approximately 30 percent of those infected with Chagas.
"This signals a scientific breakthrough unprecedented vaccine efficacy for a common parasitic disease with no cure for chronic sufferers," said lead author Nisha Garg, PhD, professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at UTMB. "If this vaccine proves practical, it could be approved in as few as five years for use in canines, which are reservoir hosts of the disease. As many as 20 percent of dogs may be infected in Texas alone, developing the same heart conditions as humans but mistaken by vets for heartworm."
The study also provides further evidence that a human Chagas vaccine is possible, a topic of debate among some who still believe that Chagas heart disease is the result of an autoimmune disorder, she added.
T. cruzi, transmitted by the triatomine insect, or "kissing bug," is prevalent in almost all Latin American countries and is becoming more common in the U.S. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10 million people mostly children are infected worldwide. Approximately 13,000 die each year from the complications of Chagas-induced heart disease a result of the chronic infection Garg and her team aim to vaccinate against. It is estimated that the global economic burden of Chagas is about $7 billion a year.
TcVac3: The Path of Discovery
TcVac3 is the result of rigorous computational/bioinformatics analysis and screening of the T. cruzi genome for potential candidate antigens over several years by Garg and her team. These analyses led the researchers to three potential antigens (TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4) for further investigation.
Next, they began testing these antigens and potential vaccine delivery models how the components are arranged in the actual vaccine to determine the best approaches.
Early experiments proved that delivery of the candidate antigens by a DNA-prime/protein boost approach, along with co-delivery of IL-12 and GM-CSF cytokine adjuvants meant to enhance the immune response, was effective in generating antibody and T cell responses capable of providing more than 90 percent control of acute infection and parasite burden in infected mice.
Recognizing, however, that this vaccine delivery model was quite complex, the scientists sought to simplify the vaccine using a DNA-prime/Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-boost approach a delivery model that offers many advantages: it can accommodate multiple foreign genes in its genome; may be administered by a variety of routes; has an excellent safety record; and has been shown to generate immune responses to a variety of foreign antigens. MVA itself can act as an adjuvant since it provides a signal to the innate immune system and can boost T cells.
Based on preliminarystudies by the researchers that showed this delivery model to be potent, the scientists next tested the protective efficacy of TcVac3, constituted of just the TcG2 and TcG4 candidates and lacking the adjuvants, delivered by the DNA/MVA approach.
With two doses of the vaccine, the mice with TcVac3-induced antibodies exhibited 92 to 96 percent protection against chronic infection. They found that the DNA/MVA approach increased the vaccine efficacy enough to omit one of the antigens and the adjuvants, making it a much simpler but still highly effective vaccine.
"Because Chagas is most prevalent in developing countries, it is essential that a potential vaccine be inexpensive to develop and easy to deliver," said Garg. "TcVac3 accomplishes this goal, making it not just an effective candidate, but an ideal one."
Future research will determine if the vaccine composition can be simplified even further. In addition, the scientists are already conducting related trials in canines. Garg and her team are also working on pre-clinical trials of human patient samples, testing for immune response in patients that are already infected but not showing signs of chronic disease. Results of both studies are anticipated later this year.
###
Shivali Gupta, Ph.D., also contributed to this study. Funding for the research was provided by National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.
[ | 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.
Orvar Arnarson, 40, the instructor, and Andrimar Pordarson, 25, the student, were members of a group of more than 20 skydivers on a jump in windy conditions near Zephyrhills, Fla. The Tampa Bay Times reported that when the rest of the skydivers landed, they saw no sign of either Arnarson or Pordarson.
Hours later, their bodies were found nearby.
The two Icelandic skydivers were participating in a jump at Skydive City around 10 a.m. EDT. Arnarson was described as a ?very experienced? instructor with several thousand jumps under his belt; Pordarson was on his eighth jump.?
According to local police, their bodies were spotted by a helicopter crew surveying the area around 7:30 p.m.
"Our helicopter was able to get a visual from the air," the Tampa Bay Times quoted Pasco County Sheriff's Department representative Melanie Snow as saying. "They were found very close to each other south of the airport off of Yonkers Road."
Before police became involved in the search, Skydive City used four other planes to scout for the bodies of the jumpers.
Although conditions were windy at the time of the accident, Skydive City employees felt they were safe enough for a jump. Flights left before and after the ill-fated one, but flights later in the day were cancelled because of safety concerns.?
"It's a risk we take," Eric Hildebrand, a former instructor at Skydive City who jumps on weekends, told the Tampa Bay Times. "It was windy, but not unreasonable."
The Tampa Bay Times noted that Hildebrand jumped during the two flights before and after the flight bearing Arnarson and Pordarson.
Officials are still unsure exactly what led to their deaths. Skydivers are equipped with both automatic emergency parachutes and their main parachutes. The reserve parachutes are set to open about 700 feet off the ground as a safety measure.
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