শুক্রবার, ৩১ মে, ২০১৩

NATO Secretary General rejects western military role in Syria (cbsnews)

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EU seeks to abolish data roaming charges in Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) ? A top European Union official says mobile phone network operators should be forced to end charging customers for data roaming when traveling across the 27-nation bloc.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes told the European Parliament on Thursday the roaming fees should cease to exist by next year.

The Commission, the bloc's executive arm, has already cracked down on roaming charges for international cellphone calls. It has also mandated lower maximum ceilings for data roaming costs, but bills for using the Internet on smartphones or tablets when traveling in Europe still rise quickly.

Kroes said abolishing data roaming fees will be another step to accomplishing the bloc's single market, saving citizens and companies money.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-seeks-abolish-data-roaming-charges-europe-155408387.html

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Researchers design sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear

Researchers design sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Catherine Meyers
cmeyers@aip.org
301-209-3088
American Institute of Physics

Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids. The scientists will present their results at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics, held June 2-7 in Montreal.

Ronald Miles, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Binghamton University, studies the hearing of Ormia ochracea, a house fly-sized insect that is native to the southeast United States and Central America. Unlike most other flies, Ormia ochracea has eardrums that sense sound pressure, as do our ears, and they can hear "quite well," says Miles. The female flies use their "remarkable" directional hearing to locate singing male crickets, on which they deposit their larvae.

Previously, Miles and colleagues Daniel Robert and Ronald Hoy described the mechanism by which the fly achieves its directional hearing, despite its small size. Now Miles and his group have designed a new microphone inspired by the fly's ears.

The new design uses a microelectromechanical microphone with a 1 mm by 3 mm diaphragm that is designed to rotate about a central pivot in response to sound pressure gradients. The motion of the diaphragm is detected using optical sensors. To minimize the adverse effects of resonances on the response, Miles and his colleagues used a feedback system to achieve so-called active Q control.

"Q control basically is an electronic feedback control system to introduce electronic damping," Miles explains. "You don't want a microphone diaphragm to ring like a bell. It turns out that in order to achieve a very low noise floor which is the quietest sound that can be detected without the signal being buried in the microphone's noise it is important to minimize any passive damping in these sensors. If you do that, the diaphragm will resonate at its natural frequency. We are the first group to show that you can use this sort of electronic damping in a microphone without adversely affecting the noise floor of the microphone."

Indeed, the noise floor of the fly-inspired microphone is about 17 decibels lower than what can be achieved using a pair of low-noise hearing aid microphones to create a directional hearing aid. The new design could be used in applications ranging from hearing aids and cell phones to surveillance and acoustic noise control systems, Miles says, and "could easily be made as small as the fly's ear."

###

The presentation 2aEA1, "A biologically inspired silicon differential microphone with active Q control and optical sensing," is in the morning session of Tuesday, June 4. Abstract: http://asa.aip.org/web2/asa/abstracts/search.jun13/asa394.html

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICA 2013 MONTREAL

USEFUL LINKS:

Main meeting website: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/

Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/meetings/ica-2013/

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Jason Bardi (jbardi@aip.org, 240-535-4954), who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

This news release was prepared for the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, ECHOES newsletter, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Researchers design sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Catherine Meyers
cmeyers@aip.org
301-209-3088
American Institute of Physics

Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids. The scientists will present their results at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics, held June 2-7 in Montreal.

Ronald Miles, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Binghamton University, studies the hearing of Ormia ochracea, a house fly-sized insect that is native to the southeast United States and Central America. Unlike most other flies, Ormia ochracea has eardrums that sense sound pressure, as do our ears, and they can hear "quite well," says Miles. The female flies use their "remarkable" directional hearing to locate singing male crickets, on which they deposit their larvae.

Previously, Miles and colleagues Daniel Robert and Ronald Hoy described the mechanism by which the fly achieves its directional hearing, despite its small size. Now Miles and his group have designed a new microphone inspired by the fly's ears.

The new design uses a microelectromechanical microphone with a 1 mm by 3 mm diaphragm that is designed to rotate about a central pivot in response to sound pressure gradients. The motion of the diaphragm is detected using optical sensors. To minimize the adverse effects of resonances on the response, Miles and his colleagues used a feedback system to achieve so-called active Q control.

"Q control basically is an electronic feedback control system to introduce electronic damping," Miles explains. "You don't want a microphone diaphragm to ring like a bell. It turns out that in order to achieve a very low noise floor which is the quietest sound that can be detected without the signal being buried in the microphone's noise it is important to minimize any passive damping in these sensors. If you do that, the diaphragm will resonate at its natural frequency. We are the first group to show that you can use this sort of electronic damping in a microphone without adversely affecting the noise floor of the microphone."

Indeed, the noise floor of the fly-inspired microphone is about 17 decibels lower than what can be achieved using a pair of low-noise hearing aid microphones to create a directional hearing aid. The new design could be used in applications ranging from hearing aids and cell phones to surveillance and acoustic noise control systems, Miles says, and "could easily be made as small as the fly's ear."

###

The presentation 2aEA1, "A biologically inspired silicon differential microphone with active Q control and optical sensing," is in the morning session of Tuesday, June 4. Abstract: http://asa.aip.org/web2/asa/abstracts/search.jun13/asa394.html

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICA 2013 MONTREAL

USEFUL LINKS:

Main meeting website: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/

Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/meetings/ica-2013/

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Jason Bardi (jbardi@aip.org, 240-535-4954), who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

This news release was prepared for the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, ECHOES newsletter, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-05/aiop-rds053113.php

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Microsoft?s Xbox One controller will last longer than the console itself

A family practice doctor in Maine is refusing all forms of health insurance, including Medicare, in order, he says, to provide better service to his patients. Dr. Michael Ciampi told the Bangor Daily News that he wants to practice medicine without being dictated to by insurance companies. On April 1, Ciampi lowered his prices and [...]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-xbox-one-controller-last-longer-console-itself-020038372.html

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Budget cuts eat into U.S. economic growth

By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drop in government spending dragged more on the U.S. economy than initially thought in the first three months of the year, a sign of increasing pain from Washington's austerity drive.

Another report on Thursday showed the number of new jobless claims rose last week, and together the data reinforced the view that the U.S. economy may be entering yet another soft patch.

Gross domestic product, a measure of the country's total economic output, expanded at a 2.4 percent annual rate during the first quarter, down a tenth of a point from an initial estimate, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. Analysts had forecast a 2.5 percent gain.

That is much faster than the prior quarter's pace, but likely still too weak to fuel faster improvements in the labor market.

"We are dramatically under-spending in Washington," said Michael Strauss, a market strategist at Commonfund in Wilton, Connecticut.

Investors took the data as a sign of weakness in the economy, and futures for U.S. stock indexes trimmed gains while yields on U.S. government debt fell slightly.

Growth in the first quarter was held back as government spending fell across all levels of government and as businesses outside the farm sector stocked their shelves at a slower pace.

Washington has been tightening its belt for several years but ramped up austerity measures in 2013, hiking taxes in January and slashing the federal budget in March.

Still, economic growth has been surprisingly resilient, supported by the Federal Reserve's low interest rate policies which have helped families buy homes and cars.

Thursday's data could add to the case that the economy still needs a lot of monetary stimulus, although policymakers at the central bank have been talking up the possibility of easing back on their bond buying program this year.

Most economists expect growth will slow around the middle of 2013 as budget cuts bite across the public sector. But growth is seen picking up by year end, propelled by consumer spending and an apparently entrenched housing market recovery.

Government spending has now fallen sharply in two straight quarters and economists believe agencies have pulled back in anticipation of budget cuts that were initially due to begin in January but which took effect in March.

In the first quarter, government spending dropped at a 4.9 percent annual rate, faster than the 4.1 percent rate initially estimated. Spending fell at federal, state and local government offices, though the majority of the downward revision in Thursday' report came at the state and local level.

Washington has been trimming deficits for several years as programs enacted to fight an economic crisis have wound down. This year, the federal government is on track to slash its budget shortfall by the most in nearly a half century.

In the first quarter, the drag from government and inventories was partially offset by an upward revision to consumer spending, which rose at a 3.4 percent annual rate, up two tenths of a point from the government's previous estimate.

However, a cloud hung over that category, as most of the upward revision was due to higher sales of gasoline. Higher prices at the pump are a burden on consumers, leaving them less money to spend on other things. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

Excluding the volatile inventories component, GDP rose at an upwardly revised 1.8 percent rate, slightly higher than analysts had forecast.

MORE JOBLESS CLAIMS

A separate report showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 354,000, above analysts' expectations, Labor Department data showed.

A Labor Department analyst said claims for five states, including Virginia, Minnesota and Oregon, were estimated since state offices had less time to prepare data because of the national holiday on Monday.

This could have the distorted the readings, making last week's claims a less useful gauge of labor market trends.

The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 6,750 to 347,250.

Despite the rise last week, claims remained in the middle of their range for this year and below levels economists normally associate with modest job gains.

Steady improvement in labor market conditions and rising house prices are helping to sustain consumer spending, limiting the impact of the drag from fiscal policy on the economy.

(Additional reporting by Richard Leong in New York; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-quarter-gdp-revised-slightly-lower-austerity-bites-123522067.html

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Amazon announces new 'Login with Amazon' service for apps, games and websites (video)

Amazon announces new 'Login with Amazon' service for apps, games and websites video

In an effort to reducing keyboard wear-and-tear, Amazon is opening up its own login service to both app developers and websites. Login With Amazon taps into your account credentials to login, with the ability to even share parts of your profile through apps, games and sites. It uses the retailer's existing trusted sign-in security and has already been tested on both Zappos and Woot, with both trials apparently noting "significant" pickup from customers. The service is free to use and if you're thinking of adding it to your own site (and tapping into those 200 million registered Amazon users), you can find all the technical details at the source -- or a gentler explanation in a video after the break.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Amazon (1), (Login with Amazon)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/29/amazon-login-service-password/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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RolePlayGateway?

Other Things You Want To Know

Details about the world/city

The world and the city are connected. It is like a grading system. Seele being the capital and most powerful, it is the wealthiest and cleanest place. Seele is surround by 4 other cities, than it goes on and on, there are a total of 13 cities including Seele, each 4 cities being surrounded by another 4 cities until you get to the last four, and beyond that is no mans land. The technology and climate depends on the area you are in. Seele's technology is quite advanced, cellphones being able to show you virtual images, and computers being able to talk to you, etc.If you watch the video called "A day made of glass.", That is what the technology is based off of. Now technology in the other 12 cities aren't as advanced. Like I said the farther you go the poorer the cities. Basically the time and age we live in know is how the technology looks in the poorest 4 cities and it advances as you go up to the next four, until you get to Seele. The climate of Seele shows more man made plants and environmental area than natural. The other kingdoms as you go down become more and more natural, so you could say the air in Seele and weather are both controlled by Prime, unlike the other cities which aren't.

Details about Prime
Prime you could say are just like Colours but different. Unlike Colours who are the opposite to the Colourless disease, The people of Prime are the closet, as you can see by their Colours being not as Colourful but more dull, closer to transparent. Just like how the Colours suffered through the virus Primes did too, but you can kinda guess they had it worse seeing that their Colours aren't bright. They are like failed experiments, who have "lost" their true Colour, unlike the Colours who made it through the whole transformation without losing theirs. All the primes came from different areas, so they could or couldn't know each other. They were found by Eien, and is by their own choice that they follow him. Prime is in charge of everything, they control everything.

What are the actual motives of Prime, or, is Eien the only one who knows what that is, what the others know about it or were told about it, whether that be the truth or lies.

Eien has never told them anything about his past or main goals when they meet. Prime only knows one thing, that Eien wants to "change" the world. He never told them that it was for better or for worse. Or how he was going to change it. They just know he wants to change it. The choice of following him was up to them, if they wanted to believe in that statement or not was also up to them. No one knows if what Eien said was true or if it was a lie he made up to make them follow him. They're just left in the dark, but they choose to follow him anyway knowing this. They all know and understand Eien is hiding something much greater than what he is telling them, and they all want to know what it is. So you can say while they follow him, they are also searching for the "truth" of Eien and is plans.

Religion

Misato was originally whoever ruled they were the one you worshiped,but there were some who disobeyed and secretly worshiped whoever, depending on their religion. When Eien came on the scene he said the world should be free of a religion. So at this moment it is a free for all when it comes to religion

Powers & Virus

Powers must have a set back. For example: if you can control the weather you have a short period of time to do so or after you use your ability you become extremely weak or something. Also just to make sure everyone knows. Everyone has caught Colourless virus, Primes and Colours.

Military

During the time of Misato the military force wasn't so technological, they used more swords than guns, but when Seele came it completely changed. Though they still use swords and less technological devices, it is more advanced.

Living arrangements

Colours Live with Colours, and Prime Live with Primes

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Re-commerce Gets A Revamp With Threadflip's New iPhone App Built For An Exploding Mobile Audience

ThreadflipiOS-single-item-pageThreadflip, the online and mobile marketplace which helps users clean out their closets, or buy from those who are doing just that, is today introducing a completely revamped mobile experience for its iOS application, following a surge of growth from its mobile user base. It’s a welcome change, and one which should help the company better compete with similar services from Poshmark or ThredUP, for example. The update comes at a time when everyone is shifting their shopping behavior to mobile, forcing companies to quickly ramp up their mobile experiences to meet that demand. For example, Fab reported last month that a third of its sales were placed via mobile, ModCloth says a quarter of its traffic came from mobile devices?(even before it had released its iPhone app!), and JackThreads just a couple of weeks ago said that nearly half its orders were coming in through mobile. The numbers Threadflip is seeing fit right in with this trend. “We’re noticing a pretty big paradigm shift towards the mobile companion use cases both on the buyer’s side as well as the seller’s side,” Threadflip CEO and founder Manik Singh tells us. “Forty percent of our daily uploads (people selling items) are coming from mobile. Twenty percent of our daily transactions are coming from mobile. We’re seeing seventy percent of the emails we send to our consumers – both marketing and transactional – opened on mobile devices,” he says. Threadflip’s iOS application was released around a year ago, but it’s only been over the past three to four months that mobile began to take off in a huge way. Singh attributes this shift both to Threadflip’s growing traction as a brand, as well as the fact that as its users shift from being buyers to sellers, it’s easier to snap photos of their fashion items using their phone’s camera, which then leads them to download the mobile app. WHAT’S NEW Because of this growing mobile audience, Threadflip wanted to revamp the app to better serve its users’ needs and address their feedback. Most noticeably, the overall appearance has been redesigned. Now, instead of dropping users directly into the shopping experience, the app starts you off on a new homepage where you can choose a category (e.g. clothing, shoes, accessories, all, or “Editor’s Picks,” for a best-of-the-best view). There’s also a better filtering menu which lets you find items by size, price, category

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0YqsaHa_C-U/

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ৩০ মে, ২০১৩

Omega-3 fatty acids may help heal a broken heart

May 30, 2013 ? Procedures like angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery may save lives, but they also cause excessive inflammation and scarring, which ultimately can lead to permanent disability and even death. A new research report appearing in The FASEB Journal, shows that naturally derived compounds from polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s) may reduce the inflammation associated with these procedures to help arteries more fully and completely heal.

"Our study suggests that biologically active, naturally occurring compounds derived from omega-3 PUFAs reduce inflammation and improve the healing of blood vessels after injury," said Michael S. Conte, M.D., a researcher involved in the work from Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and the Heart and Vascular Center at the University of California, in San Francisco, CA. "They suggest a new opportunity to improve the long-term results of cardiovascular procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty by the therapeutic application of this class of agents or their dietary precursors."

To make this discovery, Conte and colleagues studied the effects of the compounds (resolvin or RvD) first in cultured vascular cells taken from patients who had undergone bypass operations, and then in rabbits who were treated with a balloon angioplasty procedure in the arteries of the hind limb. In the human cells, treatment with RvD dramatically reduced features that are associated with the typical vascular injury response -- inflammation, cell migration, and cell growth in vascular smooth muscle cells. The potency of these compounds corresponds to concentrations that have been measured in the blood of human subjects taking high dose fish oil supplements for short periods of time. In rabbits, researchers treated the artery with RvD at the time of the balloon angioplasty procedure by infusing the drug directly into the vessel, and found that this one-time treatment reduced inflammation and subsequent scarring of the vessel after one month.

"If successful in further studies, this finding could be a huge benefit to patients undergoing these procedures," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "What's even better, is that these potentially lifesaving compounds are already available in any fish market or grocery store."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 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:

  1. T. Miyahara, S. Runge, A. Chatterjee, M. Chen, G. Mottola, J. M. Fitzgerald, C. N. Serhan, M. S. Conte. D-series resolvin attenuates vascular smooth muscle cell activation and neointimal hyperplasia following vascular injury. The FASEB Journal, 2013; 27 (6): 2220 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-225615

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/PGZa9EYaQKE/130530111155.htm

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Xi, Obama look to strike up relationship at summit | The Galion Inquirer

BEIJING (AP) ? Pres?i?dent Barack Obama and Chi?nese Pres?i?dent Xi Jin?ping face weighty issues when they meet at a pri?vate estate in Cal?i?for?nia next week, but their most impor?tant task may sim?ply be estab?lish?ing a strong rapport.

Tucked away at a man?sion with a pri?vate golf course on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Obama and Xi will search for the kind of per?sonal chem?istry that has eluded their pre?de?ces?sors for the past sev?eral decades. With the bilat?eral rela?tion?ship grow?ing ever more crit?i?cal and com?plex, how well the lead?ers click mat?ters even more?now.

Dis?trust has grown between the world?s sole super?power and the ris?ing Asian giant. Bei?jing sees Wash?ing?ton as try?ing to thwart China?s ascen?dancy. The U.S. accuses China of wide?spread com?puter hack?ing and unfair trade. Mean?while, there?s worry their mil?i?taries might be drawn into con?flict as China tries to elbow aside U.S. allies Japan and the Philip?pines over dis?puted, remote islands.

?There are a lot of prob?lems between China and the U.S. that aren?t going to be easy to solve. The hope, there?fore, is that a way can be estab?lished so that at the times of cri?sis, dia?logue will pre?vail based on trust and the per?sonal rela?tion?ship between the two lead?ers,? said Zhu Feng, deputy direc?tor of the Cen?ter for Inter?na?tional and Strate?gic Stud?ies at Peking University.

The June 7?8 get-together at the pri?vate Sun?ny?lands estate of late pub?lish?ing tycoon Wal?ter Annen?berg is the first face-to-face meet?ing between the pres?i?dents since Obama?s re-election and Xi?s pro?mo?tion to Com?mu?nist Party chief last Novem?ber. Under China?s dual party-government sys?tem, Xi didn?t offi?cially assume the title of pres?i?dent until?March.

The sum?mit comes months before the two lead?ers had been orig?i?nally sched?uled to meet, high?light?ing a per?cep?tion on both sides that the lead?ers need to refo?cus on the U.S.-China rela?tion?ship fol?low?ing their polit?i?cal tran?si?tions and amid myr?iad dis?trac?tions at home and abroad.

The accel?er?ated tim?ing con?sti?tutes ?a clear mes?sage that China wants to empha?size the impor?tance of U.S.-China rela?tions for the future,? said Cheng Li, a Chi?nese pol?i?tics expert at the Brook?ings Insti?tu?tion in Wash?ing?ton,?D.C.

It?s not clear yet how big the two del?e?ga?tions will be or whether Xi and Obama will meet one-on-one. Li said that?s some?thing Xi?s stiff and for?mal pre?de?ces?sor, Hu Jin?tao, was unwill?ing to?do.

But there are hope?ful signs that the two men will gel. Xi already has a warm rela?tion?ship with Vice Pres?i?dent Joe Biden, whom he accom?pa?nied to west?ern China on a visit in 2011. Xi also boasts a greater famil?iar?ity with the U.S. than any of his pre?de?ces?sors, hav?ing vis?ited fre?quently and main?tained his ties to fam?i?lies he stayed with in Mus?ca?tine, Iowa, while a vis?it?ing provin?cial offi?cial in 1985. He also sent his daugh?ter to Harvard.

The two men share a love of sports: swim?ming and foot?ball on Xi?s side, bas?ket?ball and golf on Obama?s. Both are mar?ried to glam?orous, high-profile wives who have played a strong role in shap?ing their images.

Xi?s wife, People?s Lib?er?a?tion Army songstress Peng Liyuan, was for many years bet?ter known to the pub?lic than her hus?band. Chi?nese media and Inter?net users closely fol?lowed her activ?i?ties dur?ing the couple?s first for?mal state vis?its to Rus?sia and three African coun?tries ear?lier this?year.

?It will be inter?est?ing to see how the chem?istry will develop. It?s impor?tant, because par?tic?u?larly in China, per?sonal rela?tion?ships always carry a lot of weight in state-to-state rela?tions,? said the Brook?ings Institution?s Li.

Xi has already proved him?self a dif?fer?ent leader by his prag?ma?tism. With rela?tions edgy, he was will?ing to forgo the pomp of an offi?cial White House visit for the lower-key meet?ing in California.

Trust between the coun?tries has dwin?dled over the decades. After U.S. planes bombed the Chi?nese Embassy in Yugoslavia in what Wash?ing?ton says was an acci?dent dur?ing the Kosovo war in 1999, angry Chi?nese pro?test?ers nearly breached the U.S. Embassy in Bei?jing. In the dis?cord, Chi?nese Pres?i?dent Jiang Zemin refused a call from the White House. Two years later, when a Chi?nese fighter jet col?lided with a U.S. sur?veil?lance plane off south?ern China, Bei?jing held the Amer?i?can crew and waited for an accept?able apol?ogy from the?U.S.

In 2009, the U.S. Navy accused Chi?nese sailors of harass?ing one of its ocean floor map?ping ves?sels in a game of high-seas chicken.

The trust gap was fur?ther under?scored by newly pub?li?cized claims Tues?day that China employed cyber?at?tacks to access data from nearly 40 Pen?ta?gon weapons pro?grams and almost 30 other defense tech?nolo?gies rang?ing from mis?sile defense sys?tems to the F-35 joint strike fighter.

The dis?clo?sure was included in a Defense Sci?ence Board report released ear?lier this year, mean?ing U.S. offi?cials knew of it before plan?ning for the sum?mit began. The disclosure?s pub?lic release allows U.S. offi?cials to high?light an issue of con?cern with?out nec?es?sar?ily over?shad?ow?ing the summit.

China?s Defense Min?istry on Thurs?day called the accu?sa?tions faulty and said they under?es?ti?mated both the Pentagon?s abil?ity to pro?tect its secrets, and the capa?bil?i?ties of China?s domes?tic defense industry.

?China is entirely capa?ble of pro?duc?ing the weaponry needed for national defense,? spokesman Geng Yan?sheng told reporters at a monthly brief?ing, point?ing to recent domes?tic tech?no?log?i?cal break?throughs such as the country?s first air?craft car?rier, new gen?er?a?tion fighter jets, large trans?port planes and the Bei?dou satel?lite system.

China has con?sis?tently denied claims its mil?i?tary is engaged in hack?ing, includ?ing those in a report by U.S. cyber?se?cu?rity firm Man?di?ant that traced the hack?ing back to a People?s Lib?er?a?tion Army unit based in Shanghai.

Other likely agenda items include the North Korean and Iran?ian nuclear pro?grams, con?flict in Syria, cli?mate change and expand?ing bilat?eral mil?i?tary ties. China will likely press its claims of busi?ness dis?crim?i?na?tion in the U.S. mar?ket, along with its deep dis?com?fort over Washington?s shift?ing of mil?i?tary assets to Asia and renewed empha?sis on its regional alliances, moves seen by China as part of an effort to con?tain its?rise.

The per?cep?tion of U.S. decline and Chi?nese ascen?dancy forms much of the sub?text to the cur?rent rela?tion?ship, with Bei?jing seek?ing greater inter?na?tional influ?ence com?men?su?rate with its sta?tus as the world?s second-largest econ?omy. Many in China see the U.S. as a wan?ing power weak?ened by the eco?nomic cri?sis, par?ti?san feud?ing and the con?flicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In their lat?est con?tri?bu?tion to diplo?matic argot, Chi?nese lead?ers now say they are seek?ing a ?new model of major coun?try rela?tions? in their deal?ings with Wash?ing?ton. Assis?tant For?eign Min?is?ter Zheng Zeguang defined that Wednes?day as ?dif?fer?ent from the old model fea?tur?ing con?fronta?tion and conflict.?

?We believe a new model of major coun?try rela?tions between China and the United States should be based on mutual trust, equal?ity, inclu?sive?ness, mutual learn?ing and win-win coop?er?a?tion,? Zheng said at a Wednes?day briefing.

Xi and Obama first met early last year when Xi, then China?s vice pres?i?dent, vis?ited the White House on a trip to meet key Amer?i?can polit?i?cal play?ers and intro?duce him?self to the Amer?i?can pub?lic. The visit afforded Xi a chance to show his human side, recon?nect?ing with his old Iowa friends, chat?ting with stu?dents at a school in Los Ange?les and even catch?ing part of a Lak?ers bas?ket?ball?game.

Known pri?mar?ily for his pedi?gree as the son of a com?mu?nist elder, Xi is seen by many observers as a strong nation?al?ist will?ing to press ter?ri?to?r?ial claims and what Bei?jing broadly pro?claims as the ?great reju?ve?na?tion of the Chi?nese nation.?

Unlike for?mer Pres?i?dent Hu, who often seemed uncom?fort?able out?side offi?cial set?tings and stuck closely to his offi?cial talk?ing points, Xi appears at ease around for?eign vis?i?tors and is known for speak?ing with?out notes and allow?ing ses?sions to run well over their sched?uled time limits.

?On a per?sonal level, he?s con?fi?dent, he?s on top of his brief and you get a very dis?tinct sense that he has a roadmap in his head in terms of where China needs to go. He?s not only a very adroit polit?i?cal oper?a?tor, but he?s also a real?ist,? said for?mer U.S. Ambas?sador to China Jon Huntsman.

Source: http://galioninquirer.com/2013/05/xi-obama-strike-relationship-summit/

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Music review: Ciara feat. Nicki Minaj "I'm Out" - She Knows

Ciara is back

In a page taken directly out of The National Enquirer, the latest and smallest bit of drama emerged on the release of a song. Apparently, Ciara and Rihanna have been feuding, and a line?? yes, just one ? has stirred the pot.

But take it straight from the horse's mouth, Ms. Nicki Minaj herself (when she made it clear via Twitter), that Ciara's latest single, "I'm Out," is not an attack on Rihanna.

Nicki cleared the air with this lovely message geared to BET on the social network:

"Da&n fam, I wld expect a black channel to actually understand rap bars. Song is a male bashing song. FOH@106andpark @ciara @rihanna?

Rihanna loves Twitter drama >>

Well, now that you are caught up on the drama surrounding Ciara's most recent try at a "Goodies"-level comeback, we can actually focus on what matters??? the music.

So I made a small jab at Ciara's inability to drop a hit similar to her freshman debut, but "Body Party" did do a decent job of coming close. While I'm still not convinced this track will surpass fan's expectations, it is a sassy and fierce track. "I'm Out" appears to be actually less about Rihanna, and more about empowering women post a messy breakup.

Ciara has a "caramel" way of oozing her presence onto a track, doesn't she? She's sensual, but full of sex appeal, and brings a summer-ready single to our doorstep pre-packaged for the club. And while I'm usually ready with an artillery of insults against Minaj, she does come close to killing it on this song.

Nicki may have more time to make music given she may have an expiry date on American Idol >>

Oh, and in case you care, and want to see the famous one line that has got people creating unnecessary and predictable celebrity drama? Nicki raps:

"You gon? play me, on Instagram trying to shade me"

Rihanna reportedly made jabs at Ciara on the picture-sharing network. Wonder what started it? Ciara doesn't seem to know. Maybe Rihanna was annoyed at Ciara's latest pics on what she ate for dinner and lost it? All I know is, I can't keep up. Their feud has been thought to have stemmed from a 2011 comment Ciara made on E!'s Fashion Police, to which Rihanna retaliated with a harsh tweet.

But if you couldn't care less for celebrity gossip and care more for new music, and a possible summer hit, check out the track below!

Care about music? Want to stay updated on all the latest news on new releases? Sign up for our newsletter! >>

Photo courtesy of Brian To/WENN.com

Get that music playlist summer ready with new music! Check out these reviews:

Robin Thicke "4 The Rest of My Life"
Kanye West "New Slaves"
Emblem3 "Chloe"

Source: http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/994963/music-review-ciara-feat-nicki-minaj-im-out

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MacBreak Weekly 352: Black and White and Flat All Over

Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, Alex Lindsay, and I discuss WWDC, the new iOS, possibly a new iWatch, and more.

Subscribe and download: TWiT.tv

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/1SVw8b4Zq6c/story01.htm

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MJMA: commonwealth community recreation center, edmonton

first image
'commonwealth community recreation center' by MJMArchitects, edmonton, alberta, canada
all images courtesy of MJMArchitects

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toronto-based firm maclennan jaunkalns miller architects (MJMA) has just shared with us photos of their recently completed a large scale
sports facility addition for the city of edmonton. the 'commonwealth community recreation center (CCRC)' was a joint project between the
city and the edmonton eskimo football club, designed in collaboration with HIP architects. the sizable campus synthesizes 60,000 ft2 of aquatic
facilities, 80,000 ft2 field house, 30,000 ft2 community program and fitness center, and 30,000 ft2 of administrative spaces and the subsequent
urban planning involved in assuring an efficient flow of pedestrian and vehicular circulation, also integrating with the existing neighborhood and
the LRT lightrail transit system. the project is organized around three primary zones - the field house, aquatics center, and gymnasium -
that delineate a central lobby area.

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the particular form responds to the interior functions, suggesting speed and movement, with sections of glazing large enough for views and
natural light while still maintaining necessary overhangs for shade. the interior walls are clad in fritted glazed ceramic tiles that passively control
glare and heat gain coupled with triple-glazed windows. a black corrugated metal heat wall on the upper south side naturally heats the air intake
for the winter months and operable openings allow for ventilation throughout any part of the program. the original 1978 recreation center was
preserved and adapted to the new construction cutting down on demolition costs. the surrounding landscape was also pedestrianized and revitalized
to return public green space to the community - endeavors that earned the project a LEED silver rating.

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main entrance

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view to the gymnasium and indoor field

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overhanging elements illuminate the spaces while blocking direct sunlight

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reception

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lobby space

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pool area

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view from the water slide

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indoor field and running track

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indoor football field with large clerestory lighting

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view from the adjacent existing stadium

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full article here

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project info:

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client/owner: edmonton eskimo football club and city of edmonton
construction costs: $96 million
project size: 220,000 sq.ft.

Source: http://www.designboom.com/architecture/mjma-commonwealth-community-recreation-center-edmonton/

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: biospheres, X-wings and energy-creating shoes

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

Inhabitat's Week in Green biospheres, Xwings and

News that Amazon will add three large biospheres to its downtown Seattle headquarters had the tech world buzzing this week. The domed structures will feature a mix of workspaces and gardens, and they'll be flanked by a public park. Amazon's big announcement wasn't the week's only surprise, though. A multinational consortium announced plans to develop a Dubai-style artificial island with a space hotel and a zero-gravity spa off the coast of Barcelona. And new research finds that "pinkhouses" -- vertical farms that use only pink light -- are much more efficient than those that use the full light spectrum.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/rhFuJtfNVdM/

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'Preferred retinal location' may aid rehabilitation in patients with central vision loss

'Preferred retinal location' may aid rehabilitation in patients with central vision loss [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 28-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Connie Hughes
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com
646-674-6348
Wolters Kluwer Health

Dr. Susana T.L. Chung receives Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award for research on 'visual plasticity' in older adults

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 28, 2013) - Perceptual learning techniques may provide a useful new approach to rehabilitation in patients with central vision losstaking advantage of visual plasticity that persists even in old age, according to a special article in the June issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

The paper by Susana T.L. Chung, OD, PhD, FAAO, 2012 recipient of the prestigious Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award, presents new research findings on plasticity of the visual system in older adults with central vision loss. Anthony Adams, OD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Optometry and Vision Science, comments: "This award-winning author explored whether the new 'preferred retinal location' (PRL) in these typically older patients adopted important properties of the original fovea and hence provide evidence that even the older brain's visual cortex shows plasticity."

Evidence of 'Visual Plasticity' in Central Vision Loss

Patients with loss of vision in the central part of the visual field face major challenges for daily living. The most common cause is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is also the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Central vision loss results from destruction of the fovea the central pit of the retina, where visual acuity is sharpest.

Patients with central vision loss have problems with tasks requiring detailed vision, such as reading and recognizing faces. Although magnification can help, "Alternative rehabilitation strategies need to be developed to improve the functional vision of people with central vision loss, which hopefully will lead to an improved quality of life," Dr Chung writes.

One potentially useful approach is "perceptual learning"improving various aspects of sensory function through repeated practice. Perceptual learning can improve vision in younger patients with amblyopia ("lazy eye"). It was previously thought that older patients, like those with AMD, no longer had enough visual plasticity to benefit from this approach.

Dr Chung's research takes advantage of the fact that people with central vision loss often adopt another location in the maculathe so-called preferred retinal locationto perform visual tasks. She reports a series of experiments "demonstrate[ing] the presence of plasticity in the visual system after bilateral central vision loss, especially at and around the PRL."

May Lead to New Rehab Strategies in Central Vision Loss

These results show that "The visual system for these individuals is still plastic and can be modified through experiences," Dr Chung writes. She tested this hypothesis in a preliminary study of six older adults with central vision loss. In these patients, perceptual learning techniques targeting the PRL led to an average 50 percent increase in reading speed.

However, perceptual learning can't improve visual acuitypatients still needed large-print books or magnification to see print. In addition, they would likely need continued practice in order to retain the improvement in reading speed. Dr Chung concludes, "The presence of this experience-dependent plasticity offers us an exciting opportunity to adopt perceptual learning as an alternative rehabilitative strategy for improving visual functions for people with central vision loss."

Dr. Chung received the 2012 Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award in recognition of her research contributions. This prestigious award was established by American Optometric Foundation to honor Dr. Glenn A. Fry, who contributed so much to the profession of optometry through his writings, teachings, and administrative duties at the Ohio State University.

###

About Optometry and Vision Science

Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry, is the most authoritative source for current developments in optometry, physiological optics, and vision science. This frequently cited monthly scientific journal has served primary eye care practitioners for more than 75 years, promoting vital interdisciplinary exchange among optometrists and vision scientists worldwide.

About the American Academy of Optometry

Founded in 1922, the American Academy of Optometry is committed to promoting the art and science of vision care through lifelong learning. All members of the Academy are dedicated to the highest standards of optometric practice through clinical care, education or research.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


'Preferred retinal location' may aid rehabilitation in patients with central vision loss [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 28-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Connie Hughes
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com
646-674-6348
Wolters Kluwer Health

Dr. Susana T.L. Chung receives Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award for research on 'visual plasticity' in older adults

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 28, 2013) - Perceptual learning techniques may provide a useful new approach to rehabilitation in patients with central vision losstaking advantage of visual plasticity that persists even in old age, according to a special article in the June issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

The paper by Susana T.L. Chung, OD, PhD, FAAO, 2012 recipient of the prestigious Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award, presents new research findings on plasticity of the visual system in older adults with central vision loss. Anthony Adams, OD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Optometry and Vision Science, comments: "This award-winning author explored whether the new 'preferred retinal location' (PRL) in these typically older patients adopted important properties of the original fovea and hence provide evidence that even the older brain's visual cortex shows plasticity."

Evidence of 'Visual Plasticity' in Central Vision Loss

Patients with loss of vision in the central part of the visual field face major challenges for daily living. The most common cause is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is also the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Central vision loss results from destruction of the fovea the central pit of the retina, where visual acuity is sharpest.

Patients with central vision loss have problems with tasks requiring detailed vision, such as reading and recognizing faces. Although magnification can help, "Alternative rehabilitation strategies need to be developed to improve the functional vision of people with central vision loss, which hopefully will lead to an improved quality of life," Dr Chung writes.

One potentially useful approach is "perceptual learning"improving various aspects of sensory function through repeated practice. Perceptual learning can improve vision in younger patients with amblyopia ("lazy eye"). It was previously thought that older patients, like those with AMD, no longer had enough visual plasticity to benefit from this approach.

Dr Chung's research takes advantage of the fact that people with central vision loss often adopt another location in the maculathe so-called preferred retinal locationto perform visual tasks. She reports a series of experiments "demonstrate[ing] the presence of plasticity in the visual system after bilateral central vision loss, especially at and around the PRL."

May Lead to New Rehab Strategies in Central Vision Loss

These results show that "The visual system for these individuals is still plastic and can be modified through experiences," Dr Chung writes. She tested this hypothesis in a preliminary study of six older adults with central vision loss. In these patients, perceptual learning techniques targeting the PRL led to an average 50 percent increase in reading speed.

However, perceptual learning can't improve visual acuitypatients still needed large-print books or magnification to see print. In addition, they would likely need continued practice in order to retain the improvement in reading speed. Dr Chung concludes, "The presence of this experience-dependent plasticity offers us an exciting opportunity to adopt perceptual learning as an alternative rehabilitative strategy for improving visual functions for people with central vision loss."

Dr. Chung received the 2012 Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award in recognition of her research contributions. This prestigious award was established by American Optometric Foundation to honor Dr. Glenn A. Fry, who contributed so much to the profession of optometry through his writings, teachings, and administrative duties at the Ohio State University.

###

About Optometry and Vision Science

Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry, is the most authoritative source for current developments in optometry, physiological optics, and vision science. This frequently cited monthly scientific journal has served primary eye care practitioners for more than 75 years, promoting vital interdisciplinary exchange among optometrists and vision scientists worldwide.

About the American Academy of Optometry

Founded in 1922, the American Academy of Optometry is committed to promoting the art and science of vision care through lifelong learning. All members of the Academy are dedicated to the highest standards of optometric practice through clinical care, education or research.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-05/wkh-rl052413.php

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