Taliban attacks kill 9 people in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Insurgents shot six police officers dead at a checkpoint and a suicide bomber killed three civilians at a shopping bazaar in two attacks in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday.

The attacks came during a surge in hostilities as Afghanistan's spring fighting season begins. This year's is being closely watched because Afghan forces must operate with less support from the international military coalition. With foreign forces due to hand over combat responsibilities to the local forces next year, the current fighting is a test of their ability to take on the country's insurgency.

Reflecting the surge in violence, the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office reported Sunday that insurgent-initiated attacks increased by 47 percent during the first quarter of 2013, compared to the same period last year. The U.S.-led NATO coalition has stopped releasing statistics on insurgent attacks in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said the Afghan army carried out 2,209 military operations during a monthlong period ending Sunday. During that time, 467 insurgents and 107 soldiers were killed, and 362 militants were arrested, the ministry said in a report issued Sunday.

April has been the deadliest month this year for security forces and Afghan and foreign civilians. According to an Associated Press tally, 222 people have been killed in violence around the nation this month, including Sunday's nine fatalities.

The Taliban assault on the checkpoint came early Sunday in the Dayak district of Ghazni province, killing six police officers, wounding one and leaving one missing, said Col. Mohammad Hussain, Ghazni's deputy police chief. One of many Afghan local police forces was running the checkpoint. The forces are recruited at the village level to protect their townships from insurgents and other fighters, including criminals. The local forces are nominally under the control of the Afghan Interior Ministry.

On Friday, Taliban insurgents attacked a local police checkpoint in Andar, a district of Ghazni province neighboring Dayak. They killed 13 officers, according to Sidiq Sidiqi, the Interior Ministry spokesman.

The second Sunday attack hit Paktika province, which borders Ghazni. A suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a shopping bazaar around midday, killing three people and wounding five civilians and two police officers, said Mokhlis Afghan, the spokesman for the provincial governor. Among the dead was Asanullah Sadat, who stepped down as the district's governor two years ago.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Taliban, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. In an email to reporters, he said Taliban used the bomber to target Sadat because of his close relations with the Afghan government and the U.S.

___

AP writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

___

Online: The ANSO report: www.ngosafety.org

___

Follow Thomas Wagner on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/tjpwagner .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-attacks-kill-9-people-afghanistan-120103968.html

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Taliban capture 9 from helicopter in Afghanistan

A taxi tries to make its way through a sandstorm that obscures the city of Kanadahar, Afghanistan, Sunday April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

A taxi tries to make its way through a sandstorm that obscures the city of Kanadahar, Afghanistan, Sunday April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A Turkish civilian helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan, and the insurgents took all nine people aboard the aircraft hostage, including eight Turks, officials said Monday.

The transport helicopter landed in strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday in a village in the Azra district of Logar province, southeast of Kabul and 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Pakistan border, said district governor Hamidullah Hamid.

Taliban fighters then captured all nine aboard the helicopter and took them from the area, Hamid told The Associated Press. He said most of the nine civilian hostages are Turks but that one is an Afghan translator.

In Ankara, a spokesman at Turkey's Foreign Ministry told the AP that there were eight Turks aboard the helicopter but did not know if it also was carrying other civilians or what their nationalities were. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with ministry regulations, had no information about the condition of the civilians.

Turkey's semi-official Anadolu news agency quoted Logar Deputy Police Chief Resishan Sadik Abdurrahminzey as saying that "a large number" of policemen were being sent to the region to rescue the hostages.

NATO said the helicopter went down on Sunday, but the International Security Assistance Force did not have any other details. ISAF spokeswoman Erin Stattel said the coalition was assisting in the recovery of the aircraft. She could not say whether the helicopter made a precautionary landing or the Taliban had forced it down.

Logar Deputy Police Chief Rais Khan Abdul Rahimzai said he didn't know what kind of cargo the helicopter was carrying, where it was headed, or whether it was working for NATO.

___

Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Thomas Wagner on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/tjpwagner.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-22-AS-Afghanistan/id-e4f0c5e66e4f4a9698ed67395968615d

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Moxie Software Offers Freemium Service, Integrating Collaboration Spaces With Social Knowledge Engine

Moxie Software has announced a new freemium service that integrates its collaboration service with its social knowledge engine. Under the new plan,?Collaboration Spaces?is?now free for anyone to use with no limits on users and full features that come with the SaaS offering. The social knowledge engine integration is offered as a premium service that can be integrated with Collaboration Spaces. The cost of the premium social knowledge engine is based upon the number of users on the plan. Moxie’s model is based on the premise that general collaboration has only limited value. It’s good for sharing information, but the real context comes when business processes and analytics integrate into users’ workflows. The social knowledge engine is designed to give answers to questions. With the new premium service, answers that surface in Collaboration Spaces become part of the social knowledge engine and are fed back so actions can be taken quickly. The new service follows Moxie’s announcement last fall that it would provide the ability for customers to tap into the Facebook social graph to determine the best time to engage with people on a brand?s Facebook page. The Facebook service and the new social knowledge engine integration with Collaboration Spaces shows how Moxie is developing use-case-specific ways for contact centers in particular to use its technology. Moxie?sees itself differentiating from services like Jive and Yammer that charge by the user or the enterprise plan and offer general collaboration services.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/eqE209VVNYI/

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Cutting back on sleep harms blood vessel function and breathing control

Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Donna Krupa
dkrupa@the-aps.org
American Physiological Society

Findings could help explain why sleep deprivation associated with cardiovascular disease

BOSTONWith work and entertainment operating around the clock in our modern society, sleep is often a casualty. A bevy of research has shown a link between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity. However, it's been unclear why sleep loss might lead to these effects. Several studies have tested the effects of total sleep deprivation, but this model isn't a good fit for the way most people lose sleep, with a few hours here and there. In a new study by Keith Pugh, Shahrad Taheri, and George Balanos, all of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, researchers test the effects of partial sleep deprivation on blood vessels and breathing control. They find that reducing sleep length over two consecutive nights leads to less healthy vascular function and impaired breathing control.

The team will discuss the abstract of their study entitled, "The Effects of Sleep Restriction on the Respiratory and Vascular Control," at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting, being held April 20-24, 2013 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. The poster presentation is sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS), a co-sponsor of the event. As the findings are being presented at a scientific conference, they should be considered preliminary, as they have not undergone the peer review process that is conducted prior to the data being published in a scientific journal.

Cutting Sleep in Half

The researchers have worked with eight healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 20 to 35 to date. For the first two nights of the study, the researchers had these volunteers sleep a normal night of eight hours. Then, rather than restrict their sleep completely, the researchers instead had them sleep only four hours during each of three consecutive nights.

Each of these volunteers underwent tests to see how well their blood vessels accommodate an increase in blood flow, a test of healthy blood vessel, or vascular, function. Following the first two nights of restricted sleep, the researchers found a significant reduction in vascular function compared to following the nights of normal sleep. However, after the third night of sleep restriction, vascular function returned to baseline, possibly an adaptive response to acute sleep loss, study leader Pugh explains.

In other tests, the researchers exposed subjects to moderately high levels of carbon dioxide, which normally increases the depth and rate of breathing. However, breathing control was substantially reduced after the volunteers lost sleep.

The researchers later had these volunteers sleep 10 hours a night for five nights. After completing the same tests, results showed that vascular function and breathing control had improved.

A Mechanism for Cardiovascular Harm

Pugh notes that the results could suggest a mechanism behind the connection between sleep loss and cardiovascular disease. "If acute sleep loss occurs repetitively over a long period of time, then vascular health could be compromised further and eventually mediate the development of cardiovascular disease," he explains.

Similarly, the loss of breathing control that the researchers observed could play a role in the development of sleep apnea, which has also been linked with cardiovascular disease.

Pugh adds that some populations who tend to report sleeping shorter periods, such as the elderly, could be at an even higher risk of these adverse health effects.

He and his colleagues plan to continue studying these effects in more subjects to strengthen their results. Eventually, Pugh says, they hope to discover a mechanism to explain why restricting sleep harms vascular function and breathing control.

###

About Experimental Biology 2013

Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology, from April 20-24, 2013, in Boston. This meeting brings together the leading researchers from a broad array of life science disciplines. The societies include the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Physiological Society (APS), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), American Society for Nutrition (ASN), and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Additional information about the meeting is online at http://bit.ly/ymb7av.

About the American Physiological Society (APS)

The American Physiological Society (APS) is a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. The Society was founded in 1887 and today represents more than 11,000 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals.

NOTE TO EDITORS: To receive a copy of the abstract or schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact Donna Krupa at DKrupa@the-aps.org, 301.634.7209 (office) or 703.967.2751 (cell) or @Phyziochick on Twitter.

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Donna Krupa
dkrupa@the-aps.org
American Physiological Society

Findings could help explain why sleep deprivation associated with cardiovascular disease

BOSTONWith work and entertainment operating around the clock in our modern society, sleep is often a casualty. A bevy of research has shown a link between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity. However, it's been unclear why sleep loss might lead to these effects. Several studies have tested the effects of total sleep deprivation, but this model isn't a good fit for the way most people lose sleep, with a few hours here and there. In a new study by Keith Pugh, Shahrad Taheri, and George Balanos, all of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, researchers test the effects of partial sleep deprivation on blood vessels and breathing control. They find that reducing sleep length over two consecutive nights leads to less healthy vascular function and impaired breathing control.

The team will discuss the abstract of their study entitled, "The Effects of Sleep Restriction on the Respiratory and Vascular Control," at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting, being held April 20-24, 2013 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. The poster presentation is sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS), a co-sponsor of the event. As the findings are being presented at a scientific conference, they should be considered preliminary, as they have not undergone the peer review process that is conducted prior to the data being published in a scientific journal.

Cutting Sleep in Half

The researchers have worked with eight healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 20 to 35 to date. For the first two nights of the study, the researchers had these volunteers sleep a normal night of eight hours. Then, rather than restrict their sleep completely, the researchers instead had them sleep only four hours during each of three consecutive nights.

Each of these volunteers underwent tests to see how well their blood vessels accommodate an increase in blood flow, a test of healthy blood vessel, or vascular, function. Following the first two nights of restricted sleep, the researchers found a significant reduction in vascular function compared to following the nights of normal sleep. However, after the third night of sleep restriction, vascular function returned to baseline, possibly an adaptive response to acute sleep loss, study leader Pugh explains.

In other tests, the researchers exposed subjects to moderately high levels of carbon dioxide, which normally increases the depth and rate of breathing. However, breathing control was substantially reduced after the volunteers lost sleep.

The researchers later had these volunteers sleep 10 hours a night for five nights. After completing the same tests, results showed that vascular function and breathing control had improved.

A Mechanism for Cardiovascular Harm

Pugh notes that the results could suggest a mechanism behind the connection between sleep loss and cardiovascular disease. "If acute sleep loss occurs repetitively over a long period of time, then vascular health could be compromised further and eventually mediate the development of cardiovascular disease," he explains.

Similarly, the loss of breathing control that the researchers observed could play a role in the development of sleep apnea, which has also been linked with cardiovascular disease.

Pugh adds that some populations who tend to report sleeping shorter periods, such as the elderly, could be at an even higher risk of these adverse health effects.

He and his colleagues plan to continue studying these effects in more subjects to strengthen their results. Eventually, Pugh says, they hope to discover a mechanism to explain why restricting sleep harms vascular function and breathing control.

###

About Experimental Biology 2013

Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology, from April 20-24, 2013, in Boston. This meeting brings together the leading researchers from a broad array of life science disciplines. The societies include the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Physiological Society (APS), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), American Society for Nutrition (ASN), and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Additional information about the meeting is online at http://bit.ly/ymb7av.

About the American Physiological Society (APS)

The American Physiological Society (APS) is a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. The Society was founded in 1887 and today represents more than 11,000 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals.

NOTE TO EDITORS: To receive a copy of the abstract or schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact Donna Krupa at DKrupa@the-aps.org, 301.634.7209 (office) or 703.967.2751 (cell) or @Phyziochick on Twitter.

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/aps-cbo041813.php

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Fla. compounding pharmacy recalls sterile drugs

LAKE MARY, Fla. (AP) ? A Florida-based compounding pharmacy is voluntarily recalling all lots of its sterile non-expired drug products sold nationwide over concerns the products are not sterile and may contain bacteria, Food and Drug Administration officials said Sunday.

The FDA encouraged health care facilities and providers who have received sterile products, including all injectables, from Balanced Solutions Compounding Pharmacy to immediately check their medical supplies, quarantine the products, and follow the company's recall instructions. Patients who were administered any sterile drug products produced and distributed by Balanced Solutions should contact their health care providers.

The recall includes a few dozen sterile products furnished nationwide, according to a statement from the company. The majority of the products were injectable drugs.

An FDA inspection of the company revealed "poor practices and conditions which may have exposed the company's sterile products to microbial contamination," officials said in a statement.

The FDA sampled chromium chloride injections from Balanced Solutions and identified gram-negative bacteria in the product, which can cause disease and many types of infection. But officials said the bacteria do not usually cause infection in humans.

Balanced Solutions is a division of Axium Healthcare Pharmacy Inc., which is based in Lake Mary.

An email and phone call to the company were not immediately returned Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fla-compounding-pharmacy-recalls-sterile-drugs-171113736.html

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US doubles aid to Syrian rebels, who want more

ISTANBUL (AP) ? The United States said Sunday that it will double its non-lethal assistance to Syria's opposition as the rebels' top supporters vowed to enhance and expand their backing of the two-year battle to oust President Bashar Assad's regime.

Yet the pledge fell far short of what the opposition had made clear it wanted: weapons and direct military intervention to stop the violence that has killed more than 70,000 people. The Syrian National Coalition had sought drone strikes on sites from which the regime has fired missiles, the imposition of no-fly zones and protected humanitarian corridors to ensure the safety of civilians.

Instead, the Obama administration's pledged to provide an additional $123 million in aid, which may include for the first time armored vehicles, body armor, night vision goggles and other defensive military supplies. It was the only tangible, public offer of new international support as the foreign ministers of the 11 main countries supporting the opposition met in a marathon session in Istanbul.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the new package of assistance in a written statement at the conclusion of the conference that began Saturday afternoon and stretched into early Sunday.

The additional aid, which brings total non-lethal U.S. assistance to the opposition to $250 million since the fighting began, "underscores the United States' firm support for a political solution to the crisis in Syria and for the opposition's advancement of an inclusive, tolerant vision for a post-Assad Syria," he said.

Kerry said a portion of the new money would be used to follow through on President Barack Obama's recent authorization to expand direct supplies to the Free Syrian Army beyond food and medical supplies to include defensive items. Officials said the exact types of supplies would be decided in consultation with allies and the rebels' Supreme Military Council.

Kerry also announced nearly $25 million in additional food assistance for Syrians who remain inside the country as well as those who have fled to neighboring countries, bringing the total U.S. humanitarian contribution to the crisis to more than $409 million.

While pleased with the U.S. moves, the opposition appeared deeply disappointed, especially as it lost some ground in the latest clashes with Syrian troops backed by pro-government gunmen capturing at least one village in a strategic area near the Lebanese border.

"We appreciate the limited support given by the international community, but it is not sufficient," it said in a statement released at the end of the conference. "We call on the international community to be more forthcoming and unreserved to fulfill its responsibilities in extending support that is needed by the Syrian people."

Ahead of the meeting, the opposition said it wanted guns and ammunition. And, it said it wanted its friends to conduct drone strikes on Syrian territory to take out Assad's missile capabilities and renewed appeals for the creation of no-fly zones and safe corridors.

"The technical ability to take specific action to prevent the human tragedy and suffering of innocent civilians, mostly women and children, is available in the form of specific intelligence and equipment," it said. "Syrians understand that such ability is within the reach of a number of members of the Friends of Syria group, yet nothing serious has been done to put an end to such terror and criminality."

But none of those calls were specifically addressed by the foreign ministers in a joint statement of their own. Instead, they referred only to their recognition of the "need to change the balance of power on the ground." They said they would welcome additional pledges and commitments to the Free Syrian Army and delegated the rebels' Supreme Military Council to be the conduit for all military aid.

European nations are considering changes to an arms embargo that would allow weapons transfers to the Syrian opposition. But European Union action is unlikely before the current embargo is set to expire in late May.

Britain and France have been leading the calls to amend the embargo to test the strategy that merely giving its members permission to supply arms may cause Assad to rethink his calculation to hold on to power. But some in the EU, notably Germany and the Netherlands, are reluctant, believing that more weapons flowing into Syria will only increase the bloodshed and that they could fall into the hands of extremists.

In what appeared to be an attempt to soothe those fears, the opposition affirmed its commitment to an inclusive and pluralistic democracy that condemns extremism.

"Our revolution is for the entire Syrian people," opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib told reporters, standing alongside Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

The opposition also pledged in its statement that any military hardware it receives will be used responsibly.

"We will guarantee that weapons will be used in accordance with the specific purpose that they were supplied for, and that these weapons will not fall in the wrong hands," it said. "These weapons and military equipment will be returned to the relevant and appropriate institutions upon the conclusion of the revolution."

Obama has said he has no plans to send weapons or give lethal aid to the rebels, despite pressure from Congress, some administration advisers and the appeals from opposition. There are no plans to change that policy, although U.S. officials say they are not opposed to other countries sending arms as long as the recipients have been properly vetted.

But since February, the U.S. has shipped food and medical supplies directly to the Free Syrian Army and Kerry's announcement marked the first time that Washington has acted on Obama's recent authorization to expand that aid.

The U.S. and its European and Arab allies are struggling to find ways to stem the escalating violence that has led to fears that chemical weapons may have been used.

The foreign ministers urged an immediate investigation by the United Nations to substantiate claims that chemical weapons had been used. "If these allegations are proven to be correct, there will be severe consequences," they said in their statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-doubles-aid-syrian-rebels-want-more-001922585--politics.html

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4-year-old boy recovers from new bird flu in China

BEIJING (AP) ? A 4-year-old boy has recovered from a new strain of bird flu that has killed nine people in China, a doctor said Wednesday, as the country's premier said the outbreak was under control.

The child from Shanghai is among 33 people confirmed to have been infected with the H7N9 virus. The official Xinhua News Agency said he was the first to completely recover and be discharged from a hospital.

A doctor at the Infectious Disease Department of the Pediatric Hospital affiliated with Shanghai's Fudan University confirmed the boy had recovered and left the hospital, but said she didn't know if it was the first recovery from H7N9. She refused to give her name, as Chinese officials often do.

Five new cases of H7N9 infection were reported on Wednesday. Two of those were in Shanghai, two in Jiangsu province, and one in Zhejiang province, according to the websites of the provincial and city health authorities. Both Zhejiang and Jiangsu border Shanghai.

Premier Li Keqiang told Cabinet members that efforts to prevent and contain the virus were proceeding in an orderly manner and would be extended into areas including standardization of treatment and international cooperation.

"Overall, the outbreak is at a stage where it can be prevented and contained," Li was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.

China announced the first known cases on March 31, sparking concern among experts worldwide because it was the first time the strain of bird flu has been known to infect humans. They fear the virus could mutate in a way that allows it to spread easily among people, but so far there has been no sign of human-to-human transmission.

Chinese health officials believe people may be getting sick from direct contact with infected fowl, but the virus is hard to track because it appears to be spreading in birds without making them ill. The World Health Organization says at least two family clusters are being investigated, but that there is no evidence of infections among other contacts or health workers who cared for them. There have been no reported cases outside of eastern China.

Xinhua also said Wednesday that police in southwest China detained three people for up to 10 days for spreading false rumors online that the H7N9 virus had been detected in a live poultry market in Guizhou province. It said the report was reposted many times, causing fear among local people.

Meanwhile, Indonesia announced it is suspending the import of poultry products from China.

Vice Agriculture Minister Rusman Heriawan said the ban was signed Wednesday and would be lifted after the Chinese government confirms the country is free of the virus.

Indonesia currently only imports duck feathers from China, used to make shuttlecocks in the badminton-obsessed country. Some have expressed fears that the ban may lead to a shuttlecock shortage.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/4-old-boy-recovers-bird-flu-china-112000169.html

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Arggggh! American workers are at a breaking point

Cindy Perman , CNBC.com ? ? ? 5 hrs.

The economy is supposed to be in recovery mode, but you wouldn't know it by the grunts and groans coming from the next cubicle.

A whopping 83 percent of American workers said they are stressed out by at least one thing at work, up sharply from 73 percent in 2012, according to a survey by Harris Interactive for Everest College.

"When you look at all the other economic indicators, there have definitely been some positive signs," said John Swartz, regional director of career services at Everest College. But relief of workplace stress isn't one of them.

"More companies are hiring, but workers are still weary and stressed out from years of a troubled economy that has brought about longer hours, layoffs and budget cuts," Swartz said.

Just 17 percent said nothing stresses them out about their jobs. It's interesting that workers 65 and older were the most likely (38 percent) to be in that group.

Read More: The Most Stressful Jobs of 2013

Stress is so ubiquitous and so dangerous that the American Institute of Stress calls it "America's New Black Death." You know, that little plague that is thought to have wiped out more than 100 million people in the 14th century.

"If black plague is what killed most people in Europe in the Middle Ages, then stress is what's killing us the most right now," said Dr. Daniel L. Kirsch, the president of the institute.

And while many sectors are still trying to claw back, the stress industry is thriving.

"It's actually a very good time to be in the stress business," Kirsch said. "The stress business is booming!"

So what did workers say is causing them the most agita? Everyone act surprised, it was a tie for No. 1: Low pay and unreasonable workload (14 percent each).

That was followed by annoying co-workers (11 percent), job not in a chosen career (8 percent), poor work-life balance (7 percent), lack of opportunity for advancement (6 percent) and fear of being fired or laid off (4 percent).

One of the biggest problems, Swartz said, is that too many companies are making decisions for short-term benefits and not thinking about long-term effects.

"I think, ultimately, [stress] can have a huge impact and a negative impact," he said. "If workers are stressed out and not feeling good about what they're doing, they're going to reach a breaking point. And the worst thing that could happen is for an organization to lose someone that's valuable. Then, you have to start from scratch ? bring in new people. ? There are significant costs associated with that."

Read More: The Least Stressful Jobs of 2013

"In many ways, the workplace is much different than it was a decade ago, and a growing number of Americans are not just sitting back," Swartz said. "They're stepping up and taking charge of their careers."

Of course, it's easy to blame The Company or The Man for keeping you down?and, for sure, they're involved. But most American workers started behind the eight ball, so to speak, before we even got to to the layoffs and heavier workload part.

A separate survey by USA Network (a sister network of CNBC, both owned by NBC Universal and Comcast) showed that just 79 percent of full-time working Americans are in jobs that reflect their true career passion. And roughly the same number admit that they have at some point thought about abandoning their field for something else. Most say they work to pay the bills and survive, while just 13 percent said they live to work.

And just 20 percent of those lucky enough to have their ideal position started off there.

"These findings reflect that many Americans feel trapped in their jobs," said Kurt Warner, a former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl MVP who is the host of USA's "The Moment," a show about giving someone a shot at his or her dream job.

"As someone who went from working in a grocery store to ultimately becoming an NFL quarterback, I encourage everybody to follow their dreams," Warner said. "The key to being happy in your job?and life?is to find your passion and live it. It's never too late to rewrite your life story."

Until then, cubicles across America will be filled with daydreams of better jobs?and winning the lottery.

And in case there were any illusions about employee happiness, consider this: Forty-two percent said if they won the lottery they would be outta here! and find another job; 32 percent said they would quit working altogether and 25 percent said they would stay put.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a827090/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Carggggh0Eamerican0Eworkers0Eare0Ebreaking0Epoint0E1C9275554/story01.htm

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AppGratis Was Indeed Pulled By Apple, But ?Reports Of [Its] Death Are Greatly Exaggerated?

iOS App Discovery Service AppGratis just confirmed that it was indeed pulled from the App Store on Friday. At the time, commentators were left wondering what was wrong with AppGratis’ app. Founder and CEO Simon Dawlat wrote a long blog post explaining the full story. “AppGratis is very much up and running,” Dawlat said. “The reports of our death are greatly exaggerated,” he continued. While there have been other incidents, the App Store review team never went so far. For example, Apple said in October 2012 that AppGratis was spamming the App Store because it had released different localized apps for each country instead of a single app with multiple localizations. As a reminder, AppGratis helps App Store users discover new apps, provides a short description and makes paid apps free for a day. The company was surprised when Apple pulled the app over the weekend. The App Store review team approved the iPad app a week ago — AppGratis was about to promote its iPad launch, but it’s now futile. For now, the service will continue to function for existing users. AppGratis’ website and newsletter aren’t affected. But don’t expect to download the app again in the App Store or to get an update notification. On Monday, AllThingsD reported that Apple banned the app for violating two developer guidelines and not respecting the general philosophy of the App Store. Dawlat confirms that Apple pulled the app because of the two guidelines: 2.25: Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected. 5.6: Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind. This time around, it is much harder to fix the app — Dawlat doesn’t outline possible changes. His announcement is a way to shed light on the issue with Apple, and probably to make the review team change its mind. He promises more announcements soon. Over the past couple of months, AppGratis made a series of key announcements. In January, it has raised $13.5 million. It crossed the 10 million-user mark in February with apps seeing up to 1 million downloads in a day. And now it has 12 million users. In other words, AppGratis has grown a lot in a very short period of time. Selected apps now skyrocket to the first ranks of

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/20I5cPLhG0E/

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One dead, 66 wounded in Cairo clashes after funeral

Asmaa Waguih / Reuters

Clashes broke out between Coptic Christians and Muslims in central Cairo on Sunday after the funeral of four Coptics killed in sectarian violence outside the Egyptian capital on Friday night.

By Daniel Arkin and Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

One person was killed and 66 others were wounded during clashes that erupted in Cairo on Sunday following a funeral service at the city?s main cathedral for four Coptic Christians killed during sectarian violence on Friday, NBC News has confirmed.

Mobs reportedly attacked mourners leaving St. Mark?s Cathedral after a ceremony honoring Christians killed during the latest wave of ethnic tensions to grip the most populous Arab state.

Witnesses told local TV stations that the riot broke out after a throng of people lobbed rocks and petrol bombs at the mourners. Funeral-goers reportedly counterattacked by throwing stones at the mobs, BBC reported.

Riot police deployed around the cathedral sprayed tear gas into the teeming crowd to break up the violence.

At least 66 people were hurt in the melee, including one police officer, Reuters reported.

Mahrous Hana Ibrahim, 30, a Christian, was killed during the bloody clashes, NBC News has confirmed.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is reportedly holding meetings with key advisors to address the outbreak of violence. Morsi also phoned Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to offer his condolences and promise an immediate investigation, officials said.

Egypt's Minister of Interior, Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, and other key officials have arrived at St. Mark's Cathedral to inspect the general security situation.

Although the clashes had subsided, police presence was expected to remain heavy into the night.

The Coptic Christians, who make up roughly 10 percent of Egypt's 83 million people, have repeatedly alleged that the government has failed to protect them since former leader Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011.

Recent months have seen escalated tensions between Muslims and Coptic Christians. But Friday?s sectarian hostilities and Sunday?s chaotic clashes represent some of the worst of the recent violence.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a709e7d/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A70C176431620Eone0Edead0E660Ewounded0Ein0Ecairo0Eclashes0Eafter0Efuneral0Dlite/story01.htm

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96% War Witch

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (2)

Canadian writer-director Kim Nguyen spent nearly a decade researching this docudrama about child soldiers in Africa, and the film feels as authoritative as a first-hand account.

A haunting take on unspeakably grim subject matter, shot on location in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A powerful and upsetting portrait of a young girl compelled into unimaginably horrific circumstances.

Nguyen, astonishingly, manages to wring something vaguely like a happy ending from this tragic story.

War Witch is most effective not when we are looking in on Komona but when we are inside her head.

The powerful things we expect from "War Witch" are as advertised, but what we don't expect is even better.

You're likely to remember its images, its insights into a very foreign (for most of us) location and the tragic situation of Komona and others like her for a long time to come.

Is it accurate depiction of Africa's child soldiers? I don't know, thank God. But it feels authentic to its very core, and that makes it as hard to forget as it is to ignore.

Brutal without turning exploitative, the result is harrowing and heartbreaking.

Nguyen creates a mesmerizing tone through his camerawork, editing, sound and the infusion of African folk imagery and ritual, but it's Mwanza's performance as Komona that makes "War Witch" feel so miraculous.

Nguyen reportedly worked on "War Witch" for a decade, and it shows in both the immediacy and authenticity of his tale, and the meticulous craft with which it's told.

Made with extremely clear-eyed restraint from harangues, sentiment, message-mongering, or anything else that would cheapen its central character's suffering and fight.

War Witch features a standout performance by Rachel Mwanza, but the supernatural visions don't really suit the film's tone and mood.

Nguyen's compassion and commitment to the issue is admirable, and at its best, War Witch is devastating.

War Witch is remarkable for the fact that it never strays into sentimentality or sensationalism.

...a love story between youngsters who are forced to become adults all too early in their lives.

This is a straight ahead essay on warfare at its worst and the survival of the human spirit at its best.

An astonishing drama set in Africa that vividly depicts the courage and resiliency of a 12-year-old girl whose spiritual gifts enable her to survive.

It is astonishing that film that contains such violence can have such a serene tone. The source of the serenity is the measured, calm narration by Komona (voice of Diane Umawahoro) that is the telling of her story to her unborn child

An exquisitely made film in direct contrast to the ugliness of its subject matter

The portrait of a girl who retains her dignity and strength, her faith in the future, in the face of unimaginable horrors. It's inspirational in a very real way.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/war_witch/

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business net | eCommerce Investments

eCommerce Investments specializes in getting your business noticed. We are more than just investors; we are knowledgeable eCommerce web development experts in all aspects of eCommerce. It?s what we do.

Our team will apply all our eCommerce web development knowledge and experience to getting your business online and thriving.

As an eCommerce developer, we offer development and optimization of your online business, in exchange for a percentage of your online business sales.

We can take over all of your company?s eCommerce web development tasks, leaving you to focus on management and growth of the overall business.

The activation of your company?s online sales relies on three factors: an orderly process for the creation, adaptation, and insertion of your online business idea.

Our skills a an eCommerce developer give us the experience to focus on those factors in all of the following areas:

Products Catalog Creation
Webmaster Tools
Online Marketing
Marketing Strategy
Video Marketing.
Social Marketing
Branding Services
Press Releases
Online Reviews
Social Media Manage
Fan Pages Creation
Community Manager
Product Presentation Design
Social Branding.
Websites Content Develop And Optimization
Graphics And Design
Logo Design
Illustration
Web Design
Photography
Presentation Design
Banners & Headers
Landing Pages
Writing and Translation
Copywriting
Creative Writing
Transcripts
Website Content
Reviews Resumes
Speech Writing
Complete Service Of Translations

eCommerce Web Development might look easy, but in reality it?s actually quite complicated. The key is finding the correct niche for your business idea.

Our experienced team will work to find where your idea fits in the market, and grow your sales by making intelligent eCommerce web development decisions,
creating a valuable market position for your company.

By being an eCommerce developer who makes learning your business our priority, we will build an eCommerce solution tailored to your target audience. Our
focus is on finding the niche, then adapting our eCommerce web development practices to create a unique, attractive, easy-to-use website.

We facilitate you eCommerce web development by focusing on the following:

Online Niche Research
Keyword Research
Domain Research
Target Audience Research
Competition Analytics
Business Plan
Online Presence

Online Reputation

Continuous Analysis Business Plan
Continuous Niches Research
Continuous Keywords Research
Continuous Target Audience Research
Business Plan Expansion And New Sections Development

Positioning is of utmost importance. We will effectively position your business on Google and social networks using organic and natural SEO and audience
building techniques.

We have successful build many businesses through our eCommerce web development skills by focusing on the following marketing factors:

SEO
Natural Positioning
Organic Positioning
Articles
Press Releases
Bookmarks
Links
Blog Mentions
Social Marketing
Adwords Advertising
Facebook Advertising
Twitter Advertising
Google+ Advertising
Linkedin Advertising
Press Releases
Quality Content
Affiliate Traffic

Source: http://ecommerce-investments.com/business-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=business-net

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10 Things to See: A week of top AP photos

Here's your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.

This week's collection includes a three-alarm fire in New Orleans, the aftermath of a suicide car bombing in Iraq, a group of faithful men carrying a statue of Jesus in Peru and Kevin Ware writhing in pain after breaking his leg during a March Madness basketball game.

___

This gallery contains images published March 28, 2013 - April 4, 2013.

Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://apne.ws/VyAhxg

___

See other recent AP photo galleries:

Gazans turn wood into charcoal: http://apne.ws/XRJt2j

The Final Four is set: http://apne.ws/14QhcMG

Easter Sunday around the world: http://apne.ws/14GR3zq

Good Friday around the world: http://apne.ws/16ySu1h

Images from the Hindu festival of Holi: http://apne.ws/14GRaep

___

AP10ThingsToSee Week 1: http://apne.ws/ZWiCOl

AP10ThingsToSee Week 2: http://apne.ws/ZWiJt0

AP10ThingsToSee Week 3: http://apne.ws/10USsze

AP10ThingsToSee Week 4: http://apne.ws/14Qg5N1

___

Follow AP Images on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Images

Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com

___

This gallery is curated by news producer Caleb Jones in New York: http://apne.ws/XS18XB

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-see-week-top-ap-photos-170136692.html

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T-Mobile USA gains subscribers

NEW YORK (AP) ? T-Mobile USA's subscribers were more likely to stick with the company in the last three months, a welcome trend for a carrier that's struggling against larger competitors.

T-Mobile, the U.S. arm of Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG, on Thursday said it gained a net 3,000 customers under its own brand in the first quarter. It was the first report of a quarterly gain in years. In the same quarter last year, it lost a net 261,000 branded subscribers.

It ended the quarter with 26.1 million customers under its own brand, and another 7.8 million on wholesale access deals.

Customers may have been more likely to stick with T-Mobile because they knew it is getting the iPhone soon, analyst Kevin Smithen at Macquarie Securities said. T-Mobile starts selling the iPhone on April 12.

Deutsche Telekom's stock rose 2 percent in Frankfurt trading Thursday.

As has been the case for years, T-Mobile lost subscribers from contract-based plans, which are the most lucrative. However, the loss of 199,000 subscribers was smaller than usual, and beat Smithen's estimate of a loss of 500,000. T-Mobile was also helped by a slack season at the three bigger carriers ? Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel ? in the absence of a new blockbuster phone release from Apple or Samsung, Smithen said.

The news comes as T-Mobile is trying to buy MetroPCS Communications Inc., the fifth-largest carrier. That deal is awaiting approval from MetroPCS shareholders, some of whom have voiced opposition. The improving trends at T-Mobile are good news for MetroPCS shareholders, since their share of the combined company could be worth more, Smithen noted.

Shares of Dallas-based MetroPCS rose 20 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $11.15 in late trading.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-04-T-Mobile%20USA-Subscribers/id-67c902ad81d24628ba4111674d4bbedd

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KUTX in the Community - KUTX in the Community

').appendTo('#content'); } jQuery(data).insertBefore('#oe-authors-load-more'); //posts = posts + 4; /// here is where we can exit the DOM // hacks KUTX.flowplayer(); //BPM //jQuery('.contents').hide(); jQuery('.active').show() var i = 0; jQuery('.post_thumb').each(function(){ jQuery(this).off(); // Remove event handlers jQuery(this).on("click", function(){ if(jQuery(this).hasClass('active')){ } else { //jQuery('.active').closest('.post_thumb').hide(); //BPM //jQuery('.contents').hide(); //jQuery('.active').removeClass('active'); //jQuery('.contents:eq('+jQuery(this).data('idf')+')').slideToggle('normal'); //jQuery('.contents:eq('+jQuery(this).data('idf')+')').show(); //jQuery(this).parent().addClass('active'); } }); jQuery(this).data('idf',i); i++; }); }, error: function(MLHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown){ alert(errorThrown); } }); } //posts = 8; //author_posts = parseInt(); jQuery("#oe-authors-load-more").live('click',function() { //alert('posts - ' + posts + 'author posts - ' + author_posts); //if ((posts - author_posts) > 3) { jQuery("#oe-authors-load-more a").text('Loading Post...'); //} //else { //var category = ''; //var id = ''; //var firstname = ''; //var surname = ''; // alert(posts + category + id + firstname + surname); if(jQuery("#oe-authors-load-more").text() != 'No more posts!') { pager++; jQuery.ajax({ type: "POST", url: "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php", //dataType: 'json', dataType: 'html', data: { action: 'loadMore', 'pid': pid, 'pager': pager, 'category': category}, success: function(data){ //alert("here"); //jQuery('#oe-updates-grid').hide().fadeIn('slow').html(data); //alert(data.posts); jQuery(data).insertBefore('#oe-authors-load-more'); //posts = posts + 4; // this is where you can start Editing the DOM KUTX.flowplayer(); if (!jQuery.trim(data).length) { jQuery("#oe-authors-load-more a").text('No more posts!'); return false; }else{ jQuery("#oe-authors-load-more a").text('Load More Posts'); } //BPM //jQuery('.contents').hide(); jQuery('.active').show(); var i = 0; jQuery('.post_thumb').each(function(){ jQuery(this).off(); // Remove event handlers jQuery(this).on("click", function(){ if(jQuery(this).hasClass('active')){ } else { //jQuery('.active').closest('.post_thumb').hide(); //BPM //jQuery('.contents').hide(); //jQuery('.active').removeClass('active'); //jQuery('.contents:eq('+jQuery(this).data('idf')+')').slideToggle('normal'); //jQuery('.contents:eq('+jQuery(this).data('idf')+')').show(); //jQuery(this).parent().addClass('active'); } }); jQuery(this).data('idf',i); i++; }); } }); } }); });

At KUTX, we are dedicated to providing you the authentic Austin Music Experience. In order to do that ? we have to be out in the community. So, we cover the music festivals that happen in Austin. We provide live music for you to enjoy at the Four Seasons Hotel and we?ll broadcast that music on 98.9.

We work hard to find community partners that will help us promote the Austin Music Experience. Recently, a partnership has been developed between KUTX and the Paramount Stateside Theater. This is just one example of KUTX working with local music venues.

We hope you?ll take this opportunity to make a gift today to support the radio you hear and the institution that helps define Austin.

Source: http://kutx.org/support-kutx/kutx-in-the-community

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2 with gang ties sought in CO prison chief death

This undated photo provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows Thomas Guolee. El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said Wednesday, April 3, 2013 that deputies are seeking Guolee, 31, and 47-year-old James Lohr, members of a white supremacist prison gang, in connection with the death of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements. He says their names surfaced during the investigation and the men could be headed to Nevada or Texas. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)

This undated photo provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows Thomas Guolee. El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said Wednesday, April 3, 2013 that deputies are seeking Guolee, 31, and 47-year-old James Lohr, members of a white supremacist prison gang, in connection with the death of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements. He says their names surfaced during the investigation and the men could be headed to Nevada or Texas. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows paroled inmate Evan Spencer Ebel. A clerical error allowed Ebel, suspected of killing Colorado?s prisons chief, to be released from custody about four years early, officials said Monday, April 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections, File)

DENVER (AP) ? Authorities investigating the death of Colorado's prisons chief told law enforcement officers Wednesday to be on the lookout for two known associates of a white supremacist prison gang.

James Lohr, 47, and Thomas Guolee, 31, aren't being called suspects in the death of Colorado Department of Corrections chief Tom Clements, but their names have surfaced during the investigation, El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said. He wouldn't elaborate.

An officer safety bulletin regarding the two was sent out Wednesday. Kramer said Lohr and Guolee are known associates of the 211 Crew. That's the same gang whose members included Evan Ebel, who is a suspect in the death of Clements on March 19 and of Nathan Leon, a pizza deliveryman, two days earlier.

Ebel was killed in a shootout with Texas authorities after the deaths. Investigators have said the gun Ebel used in the shootout was also used to kill Clements when the prisons chief answered the front door of his home.

Ebel is the only suspect that investigators have named in Clements' death, but they haven't given a motive. They have said they're looking into his connection to the gang he joined while in prison, and whether that was connected to the attack.

"Investigators are looking at a lot of different possibilities. We are not stepping out and saying it's a hit or it's not a hit. We're looking at all possible motives," Kramer said Wendesday.

Sheriff's investigators said they don't know the whereabouts of Lohr and Guolee or if they are together, but Kramer said it's possible one or both of them could be headed to Nevada or Texas.

Both are wanted on warrants unrelated to Clements' death, and authorities believe they are armed and dangerous.

Guolee is a parolee who served time for intimidating a witness and giving a pawnbroker false information, among other charges, court records show. Lohr was being sought on warrants out of Las Animas County for a bail violation and a violation of a protection order, according to court records.

The 211 gang is one of the most vicious white supremacist groups operating in U.S. prisons, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups. It was founded in 1995 to protect white prisoners from attacks and operates only in Colorado, according to the center.

Ebel joined the 211 Crew after he entered prison in 2005 for a string of assault and menacing charges that combined for an eight-year sentence. He was supposed to spend an extra four years in prison for punching a prison officer in the face in 2006, but a clerical error led that sentence to be recorded as one to be served simultaneously with his previous sentences.

He was released on parole Jan. 28.

Records show that the vendor operating the electronic monitoring bracelet that Ebel wore noted a "tamper alert" March 14. Corrections officials left a message for Ebel telling him to report in two days and have the bracelet repaired, records show.

The next day, for the first time since his release, Ebel did not call in for his daily phone check-in.

On March 16, he missed his appointment to repair the bracelet. Only on the following day do the records show that a note was made in the corrections system that he failed to show up.

By then, Leon, a father of three, was shot and killed after answering a call for a pizza at a Denver truck stop.

On March 18, parole officers contacted Ebel's father, who said he was concerned his son had fled and gave them permission to search Evan Ebel's apartment. The next afternoon, two parole officers concluded he had fled.

Hours later, Clements answered his doorbell and was fatally shot.

The next morning, still unaware of a connection with the most recent slaying, the state issued a warrant for Ebel's arrest on parole violations.

A sheriff's deputy in rural Texas pulled Ebel over March 21, but he fled. Ebel was killed in the shootout that followed.

Clements, born in St. Louis, worked for 31 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, both in prison and as a parole officer, before he joined the Colorado Department of Corrections in 2011.

___

Associated Press writers P. Solomon Banda and Nicholas Riccardi contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-04-US-Corrections-Director-Killed/id-32cdbf4b6e3f463384437a19a41b3e73

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BRAIN initiative launched to unlock mysteries of human mind

Apr. 2, 2013 ? Today at the White House, President Barak Obama unveiled the "BRAIN" Initiative -- a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

The NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. Long desired by researchers seeking new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, this picture will fill major gaps in our current knowledge and provide unprecedented opportunities for exploring exactly how the brain enables the human body to record, process, utilize, store, and retrieve vast quantities of information, all at the speed of thought.

Why is the NIH BRAIN Initiative needed?

With nearly 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, the human brain remains one of the greatest mysteries in science and one of the greatest challenges in medicine. Neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, autism, epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, and traumatic brain injury, exact a tremendous toll on individuals, families, and society. Despite the many advances in neuroscience in recent years, the underlying causes of most of neurological and psychiatric conditions remain largely unknown, due to the vast complexity of the human brain. If we are ever to develop effective ways of helping people suffering from these devastating conditions, researchers will first need a more complete arsenal of tools and information for understanding how the brain functions both in health and disease.

Why is now the right time for the NIH BRAIN Initiative?

In the last decade alone, scientists have made a number of landmark discoveries that now create the opportunity to unlock the mysteries of the brain. We have witnessed the sequencing of the human genome, the development of new tools for mapping neuronal connections, the increasing resolution of imaging technologies, and the explosion of nanoscience. These discoveries have yielded unprecedented opportunities for integration across scientific fields. For instance, by combining advanced genetic and optical techniques, scientists can now use pulses of light in animal models to determine how specific cell activities within the brain affect behavior. What's more, through the integration of neuroscience and physics, researchers can now use high-resolution imaging technologies to observe how the brain is structurally and functionally connected in living humans.

While these technological innovations have contributed substantially to our expanding knowledge of the brain, significant breakthroughs in how we treat neurological and psychiatric disease will require a new generation of tools to enable researchers to record signals from brain cells in much greater numbers and at even faster speeds. This cannot currently be achieved, but great promise for developing such technologies lies at the intersections of nanoscience, imaging, engineering, informatics, and other rapidly emerging fields of science.

How will the NIH BRAIN Initiative work?

Given the ambitious scope of this pioneering endeavor, it is vital that planning for the NIH BRAIN Initiative be informed by a wide range of expertise and experience. Therefore, NIH is establishing a high level working group of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD) to help shape this new initiative. This working group, co-chaired by Dr. Cornelia "Cori" Bargmann (The Rockefeller University) and Dr. William Newsome (Stanford University), is being asked to articulate the scientific goals of the BRAIN initiative and develop a multi-year scientific plan for achieving these goals, including timetables, milestones, and cost estimates.

As part of this planning process, input will be sought broadly from the scientific community, patient advocates, and the general public. The working group will be asked to produce an interim report by fall 2013 that will contain specific recommendations on high priority investments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. The final report will be delivered to the NIH Director in June 2014.

How will the NIH BRAIN Initiative be supported?

In total, NIH intends to allocate $40 million in FY14. Given the cross-cutting nature of this project, the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research -- an initiative spanning 14 NIH Institutes and Centers -- will be the leading NIH contributor to its implementation in FY14. Of course, a goal this audacious will require ideas from the best scientists and engineers across many diverse disciplines and sectors. Therefore, NIH is working in close collaboration with other government agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Strong interest has also been expressed by several private foundations, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and The Kavli Foundation, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Private industries have also expressed a high level of interest in participation in this groundbreaking initiative.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/aA3wpX5QBvc/130402145803.htm

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