Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Balloon test shows space tourism on horizon

19 hrs.

Not all space tourism is rocket science. A newly successful test of a balloon could allow paying human customers to enjoy stunning Earth views and the weightless astronaut experience by 2014.?

The test balloon carried a humanoid robot up to an altitude of almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) on Nov. 12 ? just a few miles shy of where skydiver Felix Baumgartner leaped from during his "space dive" in October. Startup Zero 2 Infinity wants to eventually offer hours of flight time for space tourists to do whatever they want in a near-space environment.?

"Some people will want to tweet," said Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales, founder and CEO of Zero 2 Infinity. "Some will want to put down a carpet and pray to mecca. Some people will want to eat their favorite buffalo wings while they're up there."

Video: Near-space balloon soars in flight test

The Spanish company already has customers on its wait list?who paid an early deposit of almost $13,000 (10,000 euros) as the first installment out of a total ticket price of $143,000 (110,000 euros). It has also attracted funding from the world's second-largest balloon manufacturer, Spain's third-largest bank, and several angel investors by proving its concept step-by-step and by relying on proven helium balloon technologies.?

Flight testing took place at an Air Force base near Virgen del Camino in Spain. But Lopez-Urdiales envisions future flights launching from many other locations in the country.?

The balloon experience?
A typical predawn flight would take several hours to reach maximum altitude, so that passengers could enjoy seeing the sun rise against the blackness of space and see the curvature of the planet Earth. Luckily, the balloon would not need to get anywhere near the 62-mile (100 km) altitude that marks the official edge of space for its riders to enjoy stellar views.?

"You would spend two hours at the floating altitude of 36 kilometers (22 miles)," Lopez-Urdiales told TechNewsDaily. "We could do it higher, but it would not make any difference, because you already see the same visual cues at 39 kilometers or even 100 kilometers."?

Getting back down would mean cutting the cord between the balloon and the enclosed passenger capsule. Passengers could experience about 40 to 60 seconds of weightlessness during free fall, before parachutes and a parafoil carried them safely down to Earth.?

The recent test flight gave Zero 2 Infinity its first successful test of a balloon capsule large enough to carry humans, but only if the two people spent the entire trip lying down. An earlier flight test scheduled in May was canceled after?wind gusts damaged the test balloon.?

Robot test pilots?
Future versions of the balloons, called "bloons" by the company, would have donut- or bagel-shaped capsules with plenty of standing room for two pilots and four passengers. But the test capsule proved just right for the humanoid robot named Nao ? made by Aldebaran Robotics ? that stands at knee-height compared to adult humans.?

The robot rode as a passive passenger, but could someday become an active pilot that tests the controls and life-support technologies meant for humans.?

"Little by little, we're teaching it how to pilot, but that's at a very early stage," Lopez-Urdiales explained. "The idea in the future is to have?humanoid robots?testing future complex aerospace vehicles."?

The company has almost finished building a bigger test balloon that could comfortably carry two people standing up. That larger balloon could make an attempt at breaking the manned high-altitude balloon record set in the 1960s ? a record that requires the pilot to take off and land in the balloon. (Space diver Baumgartner intentionally disqualified himself by leaping out of his high-flying balloon.)?

The inner journey?
But Zero 2 Infinity doesn't just want to make money. Lopez-Urdiales envisions his balloons carrying scientific experiments or scientists high into Earth's atmosphere. His inspiration for creating the startup company came from his dad, an astrophysicist who worked on an experiment that went with the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn's moon Titan.?

"I was growing up around balloons, rockets and telescopes," Lopez-Urdiales said. "My dad tested a Huygens scientific instrument on a high-altitude balloon."?

The balloon space tourism's relatively more affordable price tag could also open the eyes of many more people through the "overview effect," Lopez-Urdiales said. Frank White, a communications director at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, coined the term to describe how astronauts gained a better appreciation of global and environmental issues after seeing the Earth surrounded by the darkness of space.?

"That's probably the biggest benefit?private spaceflight?will offer to civilians and members of the public," Lopez-Urdiales said. "The overview effect is personal experience, but then you share it. I think it goes a much longer way than bragging rights."?

You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter?, or on?Facebook.

More?stories from TechNewsDaily:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/balloon-test-shows-space-tourism-horizon-1C7290082

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Were They or Weren't They? | Diversity Journal

By Debra L. Stang

One of the banners frequently flown at LGBTQ pride parades reads, ?Unfortunately, history has set the record a little too straight.? The following historical cases seek to rectify that mistake by opening the closet doors on a few notable LGBTQ people throughout history.

Case #1
Richard I of England (1157-1199)

King Richard, known as the Lionheart, ruled England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He is perhaps best known as the king who led the Third Crusade which tried?and ultimately failed?to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims.

Although King Richard was married to Berengaria of Navarre, the marriage was without love and the couple spent almost no time together. Romantically, Richard has been linked to the King of France (with whom he shared a bed) and various soldiers who fought with him in the Crusade.

Even though the Encyclopedia Britannica states of Richard, ?. . . he was, there seems no doubt, a homosexual,? some historians have argued that Richard?s relationships with men were no more than ?diplomacy.?

Case #2
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)

Florence Nightingale, who modernized and revolutionized nursing, rarely said much about her personal life.

However, several sources including Parted Lips: Lesbian Love Quotes Through the Ages, credit her with the following statement: ?I have lived and slept in the same bed with English countesses and Prussian farm women . . . no woman has excited passions among women more than I have.?

Although that statement seems unambiguous, there are still biographers who declare that there is no evidence of Nightingale having any same sex relationships.

Case #3
Herman Melville (1819-1891)

Herman Melville was an American novelist who also wrote short stories, essays, and poems. Although largely unknown in his time, he is now famous for prose such as Moby-Dick and Billy Budd.

Melville was married, but the relationship was not a happy one, and he preferred to spend his time in the company of men. Whether he actually had physical relationships with men is unknown, but many of his stories center around the themes of close friendship and ?unnatural crimes? between males.

He formed a close friendship with fellow author Nathaniel Hawthorne and seems to have had a crush on him, but Hawthorne, whose interests lay strictly in women, did not reciprocate these feelings.

Biographer Rictor Norton states bluntly that Melville was ?confused.?

Case #4
Bessie Smith (1894-1937)

In her day, Bessie Smith was one of the most famous blues singers. According to biographer Chris Albertson, who spoke extensively to Smith?s niece, Ruby Walker, Smith was comfortable with both male and female partners.

Like many of the female blues singers, she also made positive references to lesbianism in her music.

Smith married Jack Gee in 1923, but they separated in 1929, partly because he could not cope with her bisexuality. Later, Smith formed a common law relationship with a man named Richard Morgan, and the two stayed together until her death.

Case #5
Anderson Cooper (1967- )

Anderson Cooper is an American journalist and a well-known television personality who has frequently spoken out in favor of LGBTQ rights. Several witnesses say that they have seen him with male companions at gay functions.

For many years, Cooper himself did not publicly acknowledge being gay, declining to talk about his personal life and saying that he wants the news stories he covers to be about the issues, not about his sexuality.

He ended years of speculation on July 2, when he sent an email to Andrew Sullivan, a blogger for the Daily Beast: ?The fact is, I?m gay.? He also described himself as happy and proud.

Case #6
Jodie Foster (1962- )

Jodie Foster is an American actress, director, and producer. She was unwillingly thrust into the spotlight in 1981 when John Hinckley Jr. became obsessed with her and shot then-President Ronald Reagan in an effort to gain her attention. Since then, however, it has been Foster?s talent that has gotten her recognized for her performances in films such as Silence of the Lambs and The Accused.

Foster has long been suspected of being a lesbian by celebrity-watchers, but she has been fiercely protective of her personal life.

In December 2007, she referred to her longtime companion Cydney Bernard as ?my beautiful Cydney.? The relationship ended shortly thereafter. Since then, fans have urged her to come out of the closet and comedian Ricky Gervais ?outed? her publicly with a crude joke, but Foster herself has remained silent on the matter.

Case #7
Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Peter Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer famous today for many pieces including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. Although brilliant in his work, Tchaikovsky suffered from severe bouts of depression and nervous breakdowns. His mental health became even more fragile after his marriage.

He also developed a passionate crush on an adult nephew, but it is not clear whether this relationship was consummated.

Towards the end of his life, Tchaikovsky is quoted as saying, ?Only now, especially after the story of my marriage, have I finally begun to understand that there is nothing more fruitless than not wanting to be that which I am by nature.?

In recent years, revisionist historians have claimed the composer killed himself to cover up a same-sex affair. The research, however, indicates that he died from cholera after unknowingly drinking bad water.

Case #8
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Eleanor Roosevelt was married to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was the First Lady between 1933 and 1945. But her place in history would be assured even without her husband. She was passionate about racial justice and worked closely with the NAACP to improve conditions in the United States for African Americans. During World War II she became involved in the war effort by encouraging volunteerism and founding the Office of Civilian Defense. Later, she became a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and wrote several books about her life and experiences.

Letters and eyewitnesses show that Eleanor Roosevelt had a long-term intimate relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok. There is no proof that they were lovers, but passages from their correspondence strongly suggest that they were.

In one letter, for instance, Roosevelt wrote, ?Funny, everything I do my thoughts fly to you. Never are you out of my heart.? In another, ?I want to put my arms around you. I ache to hold you close.?

Sadly, little information remains about their relationship because both Roosevelt?s family and Hickok?s family destroyed letters and pictures in an attempt to keep the affair private.

Case #9
J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972)

J. Edgar Hoover was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Although he certainly helped build the FBI into a strong, crime-fighting agency, he also used his power to harass those he didn?t like.

Hoover was openly homophobic and persecuted anyone he knew or believed to be gay. Yet at the same time, according to Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals by Keith Stern, Hoover was reportedly seen at gay parties thrown by Roy Cohn. Some witnesses even reported he was dressed in women?s clothing.

More telling, Hoover conducted a 44-year relationship with FBI Special Agent Clyde Tolson. They were together until Hoover died in 1972. At the funeral service, Tolson was given the flag draped over Hoover?s coffin.

Some historians have tried to argue that the relationship between Hoover and Tolson was platonic and ?fraternal,? but there can be little doubt that, whether or not he considered himself gay, Hoover was a man who had sex with men.

Case #10
Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Jane Addams is credited for founding the profession of social work. She was a Nobel Peace Prize winner (the first woman in the United States to win that award) and she worked closely with those who were poor and underprivileged. She also founded Hull House in Chicago to help immigrants to the United States become adjusted and find work.

Although Addams never spoke about her sexuality, historian Lillian Faderman has noted that Addams spent all of her adult life in relationships with women. Her longest relationship, with Mary Rozet Smith, lasted for 40 years. The two owned property together, slept in the same bed, traveled together, and were acknowledged by friends as a couple. Addams frequently called Smith ?dearest? and said ?I am yours ?til death.?

If you?d like to read about more famous people who had same-sex relationships, the following resources are a great place to start:
? Queers in History by Keith Stern
? Out of the Past by Neil Miller
? The Gay 100 by Paul Russell
? Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman
? Hollywood Gays by Hadleigh

Source: http://www.diversityjournal.com/9922-were-they-or-werent-they/

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Industrial Computers: Why Are They Being Used for Programming ...

Posted Yesterday, 03:10 PM

Codecall admin: This article (provided by Dell) is intended to provide you with information on products and services that we consider useful and of value to developers.

For several years now, the term ?industrial computers? has referred almost exclusively to computer that were meant to be used in harsh environments. Their programming features were behind the times?sometimes nonexistent. These computers had no moving parts and the components needed to be small, compact and efficient, with the ability to run productively for several years.??The graphics on industrial computers were only adequate and the hardware was often multiple years out of date.
This could be incredibly frustrating when trying to keep up with the latest technology. However, recently some changes have been made to industrial computers to combat these issues. Industrial computers are now made to keep up with the latest advances, including in software development, and still maintain performance of their key functions.

Customizable Programs

The industrial computers of today are generally used for data collection or to operate equipment. Because of this, the modern industrial computers have been made to be high adaptable for programming needs. These computers can now run programs from software developers or be customized with a unique program made specifically for its task to be preformed. These computers now come with more programmable features and software such as terminal emulation and even advanced image processing.
??
??Design

Traditional industrial computers are made to withstand several elements that traditionally would kill a personal computer. This includes designs that can cope with and withstand grease, water, ice and extreme heat, dust and even getting beat up and thrown around a little. This is what makes an industrial computer, but the programming issues have made them outdated and underrated. To battle this image of industrial computers, several new design elements have been released that do all the key things an industrial computer needed to do before, but also look good while doing it.
Modern industrial computers have been manufactured to be far less expensive than traditional industrial computers and can now be made with almost any type of material, including food-grade stainless steel. Stainless steel can withstand all the dust and heavy temperatures that an industrial computer may experience but reduce the cost of the computer and provide efficient computers for programming.
??
??Working with Embedded Systems

Another programmable and design aspect of modern industrial computers is their ability to function with embedded systems. This feature is essential in factories or other environments that rely on industrial computers to interact with their equipment. In this way, industrial computers are able to work more efficiently, in terms of both productivity cost and actual usage.??For even more information on how embedded systems read this.
??
??Industrial Computers

Modern industrial computers use all the positive elements and aspects of traditional industrial computers and provide a way to make these computers programmable and efficient through design and embedded parts. And it is because of these new developments and technologies being applied that industrial computers are now used consistently for programming purposes.??To read more on industrial computers??click here.

Chad Calimpong works with Dell and has been recognized locally and nationally for his photography and video documentaries. He enjoys cooking, baking, and has a passion for technology and computers. He currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife and two cats.

Source: http://forum.codecall.net/topic/73078-industrial-computers-why-are-they-being-used-for-programming/

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Statement Against High-Stakes Standardized Testing by ...

DEY?s Senior Adviser, Nancy Carlsson-Piage recently initiated a Statement against High- Stakes Testing? which is being signed by Massachusetts professors and researchers.? Below, read a ?call to action? letter aimed at all Massachusetts professors and researchers, explaining the why it is important and how to sign on.

Dear Professor,

There is a new sense of possibility for change in our outmoded high-stakes testing policies, thanks to a growing national movement of educators, parents and students. A National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing has gained more than 13,600 individual and 460 organizational signers. Thanks in large part to testing fiascos around the country, the mainstream press has started to take note and editorials have begun to question this approach to education ?reform.?

Inspired by recent statements by education professors in New York and Chicago, we have written a Massachusetts version of a statement against high-stakes testing that we hope would draw similarly large numbers of signers (New York?s has 1,160 ? http://www.nyclu.org/files/releases/testing_professor_letter.pdf; Chicago?s has 88 ? http://createchicago.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html; a new letter from Georgia professors has 38 ? http://www.empoweredga.org/Articles/greater-support.html).

We would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to review this letter and consider endorsing it. If you are willing to sign this statement, please send an email to matestingstatement@gmail.com with the heading ?I Will Sign On? and your name and position in the body of the email. And if you do endorse it, will you help us reach additional signers? These could be colleagues at your college or at another college, in schools of education or in other departments.

Attached to this message is a copy of the statement with a list of the 32 original endorsers and four initiators.

Sincerely,

?Chris Buttimer, Ed.D. candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor Emerita, Lesley University

Lisa Guisbond, FairTest and Citizens for Public Schools

Monty Neill, Executive Director, FairTest

Below?read the statement in its entirety:

Statement against High-Stakes Standardized Testing

by Massachusetts Professors and Researchers

There has been a ground swell of opposition to the overuse and misuse of standardized testing across the United States. This includes statements from more than 670 Texas school boards, nearly one-third of all New York State principals, and hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals who have endorsed the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing. Against this backdrop, two significant statements have come from groups of educators and researchers in Chicago, Georgia and New York.We applaud these actions and have come together in solidarity with their efforts.

We respectfully present this statement to the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, the Secretary of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) because you have it within your power to dramatically improve state assessment policies and thereby improve the learning opportunities and conditions for all of our students.? We also copy this to the Governor and key legislators, as they too have the power to enact positive changes.

As educators and researchers from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we strongly oppose our state?s continued overreliance on high-stakes standardized testing to assess student achievement, evaluate teacher effectiveness, and determine school quality. Given that standardized tests provide only one indicator of student achievement, and that their high-stakes uses produce ever-increasing incentives to teach to the test, narrow the curriculum, or even to cheat, we call on the BESE to stop using standardized tests in high-stakes decisions affecting students, teachers, and schools.

Researchers have documented, and a nine-year study by the National Research Council (Hout & Elliott, 2011) has confirmed, that the past decade?s emphasis on testing has yielded little learning progress. Further, testing experts and the test-makers themselves have consistently warned against using standardized tests for high-stakes decisions such as graduation or retention, or to hire, fire, or reward teachers (AERA, 2000).? The tests provide only a snapshot of a limited range of knowledge and skills, so they can provide only limited information to teachers. Because the tests are not designed to determine teacher effectiveness, no accurate conclusions can be drawn about an individual teacher from her students? test scores. Research indicates that a teacher?s impact on student learning cannot be reliably isolated from the myriad other factors that impact student learning (Baker et al., 2009). Finally, test experts have shown that test scores can be raised without increasing true student learning (Koretz, 2008), and that the higher the stakes attached to a test, the less trustworthy the test scores are.? Cheating scandals in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and dozens of other major cities dramatically illustrate this problem. Problems with the use of MCAS interact with other educational problems, such as continued funding inequities and the growth of poverty within the state (MassBudget, 2012). While MCAS may help identify the consequences of inequities, its high-stakes uses exacerbate these consequences. These MCAS problems include but are not limited to:

Disparate impact on students. Numerous studies document that the use of high-stakes testing ? including test barriers to high school graduation ? bears adverse impact on students and is accompanied by widening racial/ethnic and income-based gaps.? MCAS testing has not significantly reduced disparities in achievement or eliminated gaps, thus the negative consequences of the high-stakes tests fall disproportionately on the groups that most need help. In Massachusetts? low-income, urban districts, large numbers of students perform below proficiency on the MCAS. Twice as many urban as suburban public high school graduates fail college placement tests in math and English and must take noncredit, remedial classes (Massachusetts DESE, 2008). Results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show a failure to achieve significant reduction in the achievement gap separating Massachusetts? white students from African-American and Latino students since 2003. The negative effects of our high-stakes testing environment are perhaps most pronounced for English Language Learners (ELLs) ? for whom the tests were not designed ? who cumulatively and consistently fail to achieve proficiency within the limited school time of a year and a day before they are required to take the exam in English. According to a 2011 Gaston Institute report, ?In high school, about 18% of [ELL] students were retained in grade, many of them several times and many of them in the ninth grade to avoid having them fail the tenth grade MCAS graduation requirement.? In Massachusetts, ELLs are, on average, nine times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers. The disparate impact of the graduation requirement on students with disabilities also is striking. For example, of the 2,798 students who did not pass all the required MCAS tests by the end of their senior year in 2011, 75% were students with disabilities. The fact remains that Massachusetts has placed the most severe accountability on the backs of its most disadvantaged students.

Negative impact on curriculum and instruction. Surveys of teachers in Massachusetts (Abrams et al., 2003; Clarke et al., 2003) and nationally (McMurrer, 2007; Moon et al., 2003; Hinde, 2003) show a marked increase in teaching to the test and narrowing the curriculum to tested subjects as a result of high-stakes testing. In addition, research compiled by the NRC and others shows this comes with a negative impact on school climate, often creating an environment of intimidation, fear, anxiety and stress for both teachers and their students, including kindergarten children (Hout & Elliott, 2011). Further, investigators of the Atlanta cheating scandal identified high-stakes testing as a cause of the problem (Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 2011). Under such conditions, it becomes difficult for teachers to create a learning environment that promotes creativity, critical thinking, risk-taking, experimentation and a love of learning. Moreover, as with other negative consequences, there is a disparate impact: teaching to the test, curricular narrowing and damaging school climates more frequently affect low income and minority students.

Negative impact on educators. High-stakes testing creates adverse consequences not only for students but also for educators. Researchers have challenged the validity, reliability, effectiveness, and ethics of using high-stakes test scores to evaluate educators. Further, as argued in an open letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel by Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE, 2012), ?There is no evidence that evaluation systems that incorporate student test scores produce gains in student achievement? [and] Teachers will subtly but surely be incentivized to avoid students with health issues, students with disabilities, students who are English Language Learners, or students suffering from emotional issues. Research has shown that no model yet developed can adequately account for all of these ongoing factors.? Student growth measures are not capable of identifying with reasonable accuracy and consistency over time who is or is not an effective teacher. Already some highly effective teachers are leaving the profession. Further, Massachusetts? new system requires that ?measures of student learning? be developed as part of annually evaluating every teacher in every subject and grade. This could further inundate students with testing and test preparation.

Negative impact on schools. The problems discussed above harm many schools, as well as their students and teachers individually.? While federal law requires assessments, it does not require high-stakes standardized testing. There is nothing to prevent Massachusetts from using a very different assessment system, using multiple sorts of indicators gathered over time, as was proposed in the Education Reform Act of 1993.

Recommendations

Because of these and other problems with the high-stakes uses of standardized tests to evaluate students, teachers and schools, we call on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to:

  • Work with educators, parents and the public to craft a new assessment system that will more fully assess the many competencies our children need to succeed in the 21st century and that will avoid the current overreliance on standardized tests.
  • Stop using MCAS test results as a barrier to high school graduation.
  • Prohibit the use of test scores in educator evaluations and in decisions for hiring, firing, laying off or rewarding teachers.
  • Focus teacher evaluations on the appropriate use of evidence-based teaching practices and a comprehensive set of indicators of classroom and school-based student learning rather than one-shot test scores.
  • Stop using test scores to designate schools for punitive turnaround reform measures that mandate the firing of 50% or more of the staff.
  • Focus turnaround reform efforts on school-wide, research-based approaches.

We know that reforming the current high-stakes testing system will take time and political capital, but we believe that it is not only possible but also imperative if we want to improve the lives of all children and ensure their future success. Given the recent unprecedented attention focused on problems with current testing practice, this is exactly the right time to transform recommendations into reality. Therefore, we make ourselves available to the BESE to assist in these efforts in whatever ways are necessary.

Massachusetts Professors and Researchers

Statement on High-Stakes Testing

Endorsers

1. Jorgelina Abbate-Vaughn, UMass Boston

2. Laura Baker, Assistant Professor, Westfield State University

3. Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor Emerita, Lesley University

4. Steve Cohen, Education Department, Tufts University

5. Eric DeMeulenaere, Ph.D., Clark University
6. Robin DiAngelo, Ph.D., Westfield State University

7.? R. Clarke Fowler, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education, Salem State University

8. Ken Haar, Associate Professor, Associate Vice President for Government Relations, Westfield State University

9. Vanessa?Holford Diana, Westfield State University

10. Chris Gallagher, Northeastern University

11. Lisa Guisbond, FairTest

12. Jim Horn, Professor, Cambridge College

13. Jonathan King, MIT

14. Trudy Knowles, Ed. D., Westfield State University

15. Louis Kruger, Northeastern University

16. Diane Levin, Wheelock College
17. Aviva Liebert, Ph.D., Framingham State University
18. George Madaus, Boisi Professor of Education and Public Policy Emeritus at Boston College

19. Robin Marion, Westfield State U.

20. James E. McDermott, Ed. D., Assistant Professor, Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education, Clark University

21. Terry Meier, Associate professor of education, Wheelock College
22. Edward Miller, Wellfleet, Mass.; teacher and writer; former editor,?Harvard Education Letter

23. Linda Nathan, Ex. Director, Center for Arts in Education, Boston Arts Academy, Founding Headmaster, Boston Arts Academy.

24. James Nehring, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, UMass/Lowell

25. Monty Neill, Ed.D., FairTest

26. Floriz Wilma Ortiz, Westfield State University

27. Leigh Patel, Boston College

28. Erika Pilver, Westfield State University

29. Ricardo D. Rosa ? University of Massachusetts ? Dartmouth / Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

30. Dennis Shirley, Boston College Lynch School of Education
31. Elizabeth Stassinos PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Westfield State University

32. Amanda Walker Johnson, UMass-Amherst

Initiators

Chris Buttimer, Ph.D. candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor Emerita, Lesley University

Lisa Guisbond, FairTest and Citizens for Public Schools

Monty Neill, Executive Director, FairTest

References

AERA, 2000. AERA Position Statement on High-Stakes Testing in Pre-K ? 12 Education. http://www.aera.net/AboutAERA/AERARulesPolicies/AERAPolicyStatements/Position...

Abrams, L.M., Pedulla, J.J., & Madaus, G.F. 2003. Views from the classroom: Teachers? opinions of statewide testing programs.?Theory into Practice 42(1), 18-29.

Baker, E. et al. 2009. ?Problems with the Use of Student Test Scores to Evaluate Teachers,? Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper. Available at http://epi.3cdn.net/b9667271ee6c154195_t9m6iij8k.pdf

Clarke et al. 2003. Perceived Effects of State-Mandated Testing Programs on Teaching and Learning: Findings from Interviews with Educators in Low-, Medium-, and High-Stakes States. Boston: NBETTP. Available at http://www.bc.edu/research/nbetpp/reports.html

CReATE, 2012. ?Misconceptions and Realities about Teacher and Principal Evaluation.? Available at http://createchicago.blogspot.com/2012/03/misconceptions-and-realities-about.html

Uriarte, M., et al. (2011, November). Improving educational outcomes of English Language Learners in schools and programs in Boston Public Schools. Boston, MA: Mauricio Gast?n Institute. Available at: http://www.ccebos.org/ell_Uriarte_et_al_2011_Executive_Summary.pdf

Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). 2011. Special Investigation into CRCT Cheating at APS. Available at http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/cms/lib/GA01000924/Centricity/Domain/44/APS_CRCT_-_vol3_-_28455206.pdf

Hinde, E. R. 2003, May 27. The tyranny of the test: Elementary teachers? conceptualizations of the effects of state standards and mandated tests on their practice. Current Issues in Education [On-line], 6(10). Available at http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume6/number10/

Hout, M. and Elliott, S.W. Editors. 2011. Incentives and Test-Based Accountability in Education (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press), 30. Available at? http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12521.

Koretz, D. M. (2008). Measuring up: What educational testing really tells us. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. 2011. ?2010 Poverty Rate Increases in Both Massachusetts and Across the Country.? http://www.massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=PovertyFacts_9.22.11.html

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008.

Massachusetts School-to-College Report High School Class of 2005. Available at www.doe.mass.edu/research/reports/0208bhe.pdf

McMurrer, J. 2007. Choices, changes, and challenges: Curriculum and instruction in the NCLB era. Washington, DC: Center on Education Policy.

Moon, T. R., Callahan, C. M., & Tomlinson, C. A. 2003, April 28. Effects of state testing programs on elementary schools with high concentrations of student poverty-good news or bad news? Current Issues in Education, 6(8). Available at? http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume6/number8/

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Source: http://dakufebd.posterous.com/statement-against-high-stakes-standardized-te

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Ex-Elmo puppeteer faces new sex-with-minor allegation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The puppeteer formerly behind the "Sesame Street" character Elmo faces a new accusation of having sex with an underage boy, a week after a similar allegation prompted him to resign from the iconic public television children's program.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, a man identified only as John alleges Kevin Clash engaged in oral sex and other sex acts with him when John was 16 years old. The suit seeks at least $75,000 in damages.

The suit alleges the incident occurred in either 2000 or 2001 when John, who is from Florida, visited New York for modeling opportunities. John came to know Clash, then 40, through a telephone chat line for gays on which Clash claimed to be a 30-year-old named Craig, according to the suit.

John returned to New York when he turned 18, and he and Clash renewed the relationship, the lawsuit said.

"Mr. Clash believes the lawsuit has no merit," Clash's publicist, Risa B. Heller, said in an emailed statement.

It is the latest charge levied against Clash, now 52, who resigned on November 20 from Sesame Workshop, the company behind "Sesame Street," after nearly 30 years on the show.

His resignation came the same day Cecil Singleton filed a claim seeking more than $5 million in damages from Clash. Singleton claims he met the then-32-year-old puppeteer in 1993 in a gay chat room when he was 15.

It added that on numerous occasions over a period of years Clash engaged in sexual activity with Singleton.

The newest allegation comes about two weeks after another man recanted his claims that Clash had sex with him when he was 16 years old. The man later said the relationship was consensual.

Clash had denied the allegations and acknowledged a past relationship with his first accuser. He added the pair were both consenting adults at the time.

The Elmo character debuted on "Sesame Street" in 1979, 10 years after the show premiered and introduced the now-iconic characters Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, among others, to American children.

While Clash was the third performer to animate the child-like shaggy red monster, Sesame Workshop credits him with turning Elmo into the international sensation he became.

(Reporting by Dan Burns; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-elmo-puppeteer-faces-sex-minor-allegation-174928762.html

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ScienceDaily: Gene News

ScienceDaily: Gene Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/genes/ Genes and Genetics News. Read today's medical research in genetics including what can damage genes, what can protect them, and more.en-usSun, 25 Nov 2012 19:37:05 ESTSun, 25 Nov 2012 19:37:05 EST60ScienceDaily: Gene Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/genes/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.New molecular culprit linked to breast cancer progressionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121124090511.htm Researchers have uncovered a protein ?partner? commonly used by breast cancer cells to unlock genes needed for spreading the disease around the body. A report on the discovery details how some tumors get the tools they need to metastasize.Sat, 24 Nov 2012 09:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121124090511.htmNew insights into virus proteome: Unknown proteins of the herpesvirus discoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121123092132.htm The genome encodes the complete information needed by an organism, including that required for protein production. Viruses, which are up to a thousand times smaller than human cells, have considerably smaller genomes. Using a type of herpesvirus as a model system scientists have shown that the genome of this virus contains much more information than previously assumed. The researchers identified several hundred novel proteins, many of which were surprisingly small.Fri, 23 Nov 2012 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121123092132.htmScientists describe elusive replication machinery of flu viruseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121122152928.htm Scientists have made a major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells. The researchers used cutting-edge molecular biology and electron-microscopy techniques to ?see? one of influenza?s essential protein complexes in unprecedented detail. The images generated in the study show flu virus proteins in the act of self-replication, highlighting the virus?s vulnerabilities that are sure to be of interest to drug developers.Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121122152928.htmProtein folding: Look back on scientific advances made as result of 50-year old puzzlehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121122152910.htm Fifty years after scientists first posed a question about protein folding, the search for answers has led to the creation of a full-fledged field of research that led to major advances in supercomputers, new materials and drug discovery, and shaped our understanding of the basic processes of life, including so-called "protein-folding diseases" such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type II diabetes.Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121122152910.htmStep forward in regenerating and repairing damaged nerve cellshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145638.htm Researchers recently uncovered a nerve cell's internal clock, used during embryonic development. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new tools to repair and regenerate nerve cells following injuries to the central nervous system.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145638.htmArchitecture of rod sensory cilium disrupted by mutationhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145621.htm Using a new technique called cryo-electron tomography, scientists have created a three-dimensional map that gives a better understanding of how the architecture of the rod sensory cilium (part of one type of photoreceptor in the eye) is changed by genetic mutation and how that affects its ability to transport proteins as part of the light-sensing process.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145621.htmAging: Scientists further unravel telomere biologyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130933.htm Researchers have resolved the structure of that allows a telomere-related protein, Cdc13, to form dimers in yeast. Mutations in this region of Cdc13 put the kibosh on the ability of telomerase and other proteins to maintain telomeres.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130933.htmDrug resistance biomarker could improve cancer treatmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130811.htm Cancer therapies often have short-lived benefits due to the emergence of genetic mutations that cause drug resistance. A key gene that determines resistance to a range of cancer drugs has been reported in a new study. The study reveals a biomarker that can predict responses to cancer drugs and offers a strategy to treat drug-resistant tumors based on their genetic signature.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:08:08 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130811.htmGenome packaging: Key to breast cancer developementhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130703.htm Two recent studies delve into the role of chromatin modifying enzymes and transcription factors in tumour cells. In one, it was found that the PARP1 enzyme activated by kinase CDK2 is necessary to induce the genes responsible for the proliferation of breast cancer cells in response to progesterone. In another, extensive work has been undertaken to identify those genes activated by the administration of progesterone in breast cancer, the sequences that can be recognized and how these genes are induced.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130703.htmShort DNA strands in genome may be key to understanding human cognition and diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130643.htm Previously discarded, human-specific ?junk? DNA represents untapped resource in the study of diseases like Alzheimer?s and autism.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:06:06 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130643.htmBiomarking time: Methylome modifications offer new measure of our 'biological' agehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130633.htm In a new study, researchers describe markers and a model that quantify how aging occurs at the level of genes and molecules, providing not just a more precise way to determine how old someone is, but also perhaps anticipate or treat ailments and diseases that come with the passage of time.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:06:06 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130633.htmKidney tumors have a mind of their ownhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104552.htm New research has found there are several different ways that kidney tumors can achieve the same result -- namely, grow.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:45:45 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104552.htmMechanism to repair clumped proteins explainedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104416.htm Clumped proteins can be dissolved with the aid of cellular repair systems -- a process of critical importance for cell survival especially under conditions of stress. Researchers have now decrypted the fundamental mechanism for dissolving protein aggregates that involves specific molecular chaperones.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:44:44 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104416.htmNovel mechanism through which normal stromal cells become cancer-promoting stromal cells identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104401.htm New understanding of molecular changes that convert harmless cells surrounding ovarian cancer cells into cells that promote tumor growth and metastasis provides potential new therapeutic targets for this deadly disease, according to new research.Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:44:44 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121104401.htmNew test for tuberculosis could improve treatment, prevent deaths in Southern Africahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120194932.htm A new rapid test for tuberculosis (TB) could substantially and cost-effectively reduce TB deaths and improve treatment in southern Africa -- a region where both HIV and tuberculosis are common.Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120194932.htmEvolution of human intellect: Human-specific regulation of neuronal geneshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120194926.htm A new study has identified hundreds of small regions of the genome that appear to be uniquely regulated in human neurons. These regulatory differences distinguish us from other primates, including monkeys and apes, and as neurons are at the core of our unique cognitive abilities, these features may ultimately hold the key to our intellectual prowess (and also to our potential vulnerability to a wide range of 'human-specific' diseases from autism to Alzheimer's).Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120194926.htmRibosome regulates viral protein synthesis, revealing potential therapeutic targethttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120132906.htm Rather than target RNA viruses directly, aiming at the host cells they invade could hold promise, but any such strategy would have to be harmless to the host. Now, a surprising discovery made in ribosomes may point the way to fighting fatal viral infections such as rabies.Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120132906.htmHow does antibiotic resistance spread? Scientists find answers in the nosehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120121835.htm Microbiologists studying bacterial colonization in mice have discovered how the very rapid and efficient spread of antibiotic resistance works in the respiratory pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as the pneumococcus). The team found that resistance stems from the transfer of DNA between bacterial strains in biofilms in the nasopharynx, the area just behind the nose.Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120121835.htmScientists identify inhibitor of myelin formation in central nervous systemhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120100155.htm Scientists have discovered another molecule that plays an important role in regulating myelin formation in the central nervous system. Myelin promotes the conduction of nerve cell impulses by forming a sheath around their projections, the so-called axons, at specific locations -- acting like the plastic insulation around a power cord.Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:01:01 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120100155.htm'Obese but happy gene' challenges the common perception of link between depression and obesityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120084725.htm Researchers have discovered new genetic evidence about why some people are happier than others. The scientists have uncovered evidence that the gene FTO -- the major genetic contributor to obesity -- is associated with an eight per cent reduction in the risk of depression. In other words, it's not just an obesity gene but a "happy gene" as well.Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:47:47 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120084725.htmTelomere lengths predict life expectancy in the wild, research showshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119213144.htm Researchers have found that biological age and life expectancy can be predicted by measuring an individual's DNA. They studied the length of chromosome caps -- known as telomeres -- in a 320-strong wild population of Seychelles Warblers on a small isolated island.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119213144.htmCancer: Some cells don't know when to stophttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119171403.htm Certain mutated cells keep trying to replicate their DNA -- with disastrous results -- even after medications rob them of the raw materials to do so, according to new research.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119171403.htmMultiple sclerosis ?immune exchange? between brain and blood is uncoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119163301.htm DNA sequences obtained from a handful of patients with multiple sclerosis have revealed the existence of an ?immune exchange? that allows the disease-causing cells to move in and out of the brain.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119163301.htmFruit fly studies guide investigators to molecular mechanism frequently misregulated in human cancershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119132056.htm Changes in how DNA interacts with histones ?- the proteins that package DNA ?- regulate many fundamental cell activities from stem cells maturing into a specific body cell type or blood cells becoming leukemic. These interactions are governed by a biochemical tug of war between repressors and activators, which chemically modify histones signaling them to clamp down tighter on DNA or move aside and allow a gene to be expressed.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119132056.htm3-D light switch for the brain: Device may help treat Parkinson's, epilepsy; aid understanding of consciousnesshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119114249.htm A new tool for neuroscientists delivers a thousand pinpricks of light to individual neurons in the brain. The new 3-D "light switch", created by biologists and engineers, could one day be used as a neural prosthesis that could treat conditions such as Parkinson's and epilepsy by using gene therapy to turn individual brain cells on and off with light.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119114249.htmNew factor of genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer's diseasehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119104944.htm A large-scale international study has just discovered a gene for susceptibility to a rare disease providing evidence of the heterogeneous aetiology of Alzheimer's disease.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119104944.htmBlood cancer gene BCL6 identified as a key factor for differentiation of nerve cells of cerebral cortexhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119093848.htm The cerebral cortex is the most complex structure in our brain and the seat of consciousness, emotion, motor control and language. In order to fulfill these functions, it is composed of a diverse array of nerve cells, called cortical neurons, which are affected by many neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. Researchers have opened new perspectives on brain development and stem cell neurobiology by discovering a gene called BCL6 as a key factor in the generation of cortical neurons during embryonic brain development.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119093848.htmMinority report: Insight into subtle genomic differences among our own cellshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141530.htm Scientists have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cells -- the embryonic-stem-cell look-alikes whose discovery a few years ago won this year's Nobel Prize in medicine -- are not as genetically unstable as was thought.Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141530.htmSkin cells reveal DNA's genetic mosaichttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141524.htm The prevailing wisdom has been that every cell in the body contains identical DNA. However, a new study of stem cells derived from the skin has found that genetic variations are widespread in the body's tissues, a finding with profound implications for genetic screening.Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141524.htmLikely basis of birth defect causing premature skull closure in infants identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141432.htm Geneticists, pediatricians, surgeons and epidemiologists have identified two areas of the human genome associated with the most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis premature closure of the bony plates of the skull.Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141432.htmDNA packaging discovery reveals principles by which CRC mutations may cause cancerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121117184658.htm A new discovery concerning a fundamental understanding about how DNA works will produce a "180-degree change in focus" for researchers who study how gene packaging regulates gene activity, including genes that cause cancer and other diseases.Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121117184658.htmHepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the labhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116161059.htm Adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated in the lab, thanks to a research team. The new method aids understanding of recent failures of hepatitis C antiviral drugs in some patients, and could help to identify medications that eliminate adverse effects. The findings may aid the development of safer and more effective treatments for hepatitis C and other pathogens such as SARS and West Nile virus.Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116161059.htmReconsidering cancer's bad guyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116124644.htm Researchers have found that a protein, known for causing cancer cells to spread around the body, is also one of the molecules that trigger repair processes in the brain.Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116124644.htmGene distinguishes early birds from night owls and helps predict time of deathhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116124551.htm New research shows that a gene is responsible for a person's tendency to be an early riser or night owl -- and helps determine the time of day a person is most likely to die.Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:45:45 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116124551.htmClues to cause of kids' brain tumorshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116091226.htm Insights from a genetic condition that causes brain cancer are helping scientists better understand the most common type of brain tumor in children.Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116091226.htmArthritis study reveals why gender bias is all in the geneshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115210541.htm Researchers have pieced together new genetic clues to the arthritis puzzle in a study that brings potential treatments closer to reality and could also provide insights into why more women than men succumb to the disabling condition.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115210541.htmClass of RNA molecules protects germ cells from damagehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115172255.htm Passing one's genes on to the next generation is a mark of evolutionary success. So it makes sense that the body would work to ensure that the genes the next generation inherits are exact replicas of the originals. Biologists have now identified one way the body does exactly that.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115172255.htmQuick test speeds search for Alzheimer's drugs: Compound restores motor function and longevity to fruit flieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115152655.htm Researchers report that an efficient, high-volume technique for testing potential drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease uncovered an organic compound that restored motor function and longevity to fruit flies with the disease.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:26:26 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115152655.htmProtein-making machinery can switch gears with a small structural change process; Implications for immunity and cancer therapyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115133414.htm For the past several years, research has focused on the intricate actions of an ancient family of catalytic enzymes that play a key role in translation, the process of producing proteins. In a new study, scientists have shown that this enzyme can actually also work in another fundamental process in humans.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115133414.htmPlant derivative, tanshinones, protects against sepsis, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115133312.htm Researchers have discovered that tanshinones, which come from the plant Danshen and are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine, protect against the life-threatening condition sepsis.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115133312.htmStructure of enzyme topoisomerase II alpha unravelled providing basis for more accurate design of chemotherapeutic drugshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132903.htm Medical researchers have for the first time described the structure of the active site core of topoisomerase II alpha, an important target for anti-cancer drugs. The type II topoisomerases are important enzymes that are involved in maintaining the structure of DNA and chromosome segregation during both replication and transcription of DNA. One of these enzymes, topoisomerase II alpha, is involved in the replication of DNA and cell proliferation, and is highly expressed in rapidly dividing cancer cells.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132903.htmNewly discovered enzyme important in the spreading of cancerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132901.htm Enzyme hunters at UiO have discovered the function of an enzyme that is important in the spreading of cancer. Cancer researchers now hope to inhibit the enzyme.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132901.htmGenetics point to serious pregnancy complication, pre-eclampsiahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132613.htm New research has revealed a genetic link in pregnant moms - and their male partners - to pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening complication during pregnancy.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:26:26 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132613.htmMolecular mechanisms underlying stem cell reprogramming decodedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132344.htm Thanks to some careful detective work, scientist better understand just how iPS cells form ? and why the Yamanaka process is inefficient, an important step to work out for regenerative medicine. The findings uncover cellular impediments to iPS cell development that, if overcome, could dramatically improve the efficiency and speed of iPS cell generation.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:23:23 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132344.htmSurprising genetic link between kidney defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in kidshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132342.htm About 10 percent of kids born with kidney defects have large alterations in their genomes known to be linked with neurodevelopmental delay and mental illness, a new study has shown.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:23:23 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115132342.htmEven moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172833.htm Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child's IQ, according to a new study using data from over 4,000 mothers and their children.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:28:28 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172833.htmGene nearly triples risk of Alzheimer's, international research team findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114171710.htm A gene so powerful it nearly triples the risk of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by an international team of researchers. It is the most potent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's identified in the past 20 years.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:17:17 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114171710.htmDiscovery could lead to faster diagnosis for some chronic fatigue syndrome caseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114171708.htm For the first time, researchers have landed on a potential diagnostic method to identify at least a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome - testing for antibodies linked to latent Epstein-Barr virus reactivation.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:17:17 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114171708.htmResearch breakthrough could halt melanoma metastasis, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114153227.htm In laboratory experiments, scientists have eliminated metastasis, the spread of cancer from the original tumor to other parts of the body, in melanoma by inhibiting a protein known as melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 (mda-9)/syntenin.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:32:32 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114153227.htmPig genomes provide massive amount of genomic data for human healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114134512.htm Researchers provide a whole-genome sequence and analysis of number of pig breeds, including a miniature pig that serves a model for human medical studies and therapeutic drug testing.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:45:45 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114134512.htmRare parasitic fungi could have anti-flammatory benefitshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114134054.htm Caterpillar fungi are rare parasites found on hibernating caterpillars in the mountains of Tibet. For centuries they have been highly prized as a traditional Chinese medicine - just a small amount can fetch hundreds of dollars.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114134054.htmCancer therapy: Nanokey opens tumors to attackhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113803.htm There are plenty of effective anticancer agents around. The problem is that, very often, they cannot gain access to all the cells in solid tumors. A new gene delivery vehicle may provide a way of making tracks to the heart of the target.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113803.htmHigh sperm DNA damage a leading cause of 'unexplained infertility', research findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113235.htm New research has uncovered the cause of infertility for 80 per cent of couples previously diagnosed with 'unexplained infertility': high sperm DNA damage.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:32:32 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113235.htmA risk gene for cannabis psychosishttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114083928.htm The ability of cannabis to produce psychosis has long been an important public health concern. This concern is growing in importance as there is emerging data that cannabis exposure during adolescence may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, a serious psychotic disorder. Further, with the advent of medical marijuana, a new group of people with uncertain psychosis risk may be exposed to cannabis.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114083928.htmBacterial DNA sequence used to map an infection outbreakhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113214635.htm For the first time, researchers have used DNA sequencing to help bring an infectious disease outbreak in a hospital to a close. Researchers used advanced DNA sequencing technologies to confirm the presence of an ongoing outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a Special Care Baby Unit in real time. This assisted in stopping the outbreak earlier, saving possible harm to patients. This approach is much more accurate than current methods used to detect hospital outbreaks.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113214635.htmGenetic variation may modify associations between low vitamin D levels and adverse health outcomeshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113161506.htm Findings from a study suggest that certain variations in vitamin D metabolism genes may modify the association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with health outcomes such as hip fracture, heart attack, cancer, and death.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113161506.htmNew type of bacterial protection found within cells: Novel immune system response to infections discoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113143656.htm Biologists have discovered that fats within cells store a class of proteins with potent antibacterial activity, revealing a previously unknown type of immune system response that targets and kills bacterial infections.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113143656.htmGlutamate neurotransmission system may be involved with depression riskhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134807.htm Researchers using a new approach to identifying genes associated with depression have found that variants in a group of genes involved in transmission of signals by the neurotransmitter glutamate appear to increase the risk of depression.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:48:48 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134807.htmTargeting downstream proteins in cancer-causing pathway shows promise in cell, animal modelhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134230.htm The cancer-causing form of the gene Myc alters the metabolism of mitochondria, the cell?s powerhouse, making it dependent on the amino acid glutamine for survival. Depriving cells of glutamine selectively induces programmed cell death in cells overexpressing mutant Myc. Using Myc-active neuroblastoma cells, a team three priotein executors of the glutamine-starved cell, representing a downstream target at which to aim drugs. Roughly 25 percent of all neuroblastoma cases are associated with Myc-active cells.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134230.htmEven low-level radioactivity is damaging, scientists concludehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134224.htm Even the very lowest levels of radiation are harmful to life, scientists have concluded, reporting the results of a wide-ranging analysis of 46 peer-reviewed studies published over the past 40 years. Variation in low-level, natural background radiation was found to have small, but highly statistically significant, negative effects on DNA as well as several measures of health.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121113134224.htm

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/health_medicine/genes.xml

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This week's forecast: Sunny with a 40 percent chance of flu

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? New computer model takes a page from weather forecasting to predict regional peaks in influenza outbreaks

Scientists have developed a system to predict the timing and severity of seasonal influenza outbreaks that could one day help health officials and the general public better prepare for them. The system adapts techniques used in modern weather prediction to turn real-time, Web-based estimates of influenza infection into local forecasts of seasonal flu.

Results appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Year to year, and region to region, there is huge variability in the peak of flu season, which, in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere, can happen as early as October or as late as April. The forecast system can provide "a window into what can happen week to week as flu prevalence rises and falls," says Jeffrey Shaman, PhD, an assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

As a test case, Dr. Shaman and Alicia Karspeck, PhD, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, used Web-based estimates of flu-related sickness from the 2003-2008 influenza seasons in New York City to retrospectively generate weekly flu forecasts and found that the technique could predict the peak timing of the outbreak more than seven weeks in advance of the actual peak.

In the future, such flu forecasts might conceivably be disseminated on the local television news along with the weather report, says Dr. Shaman. Like the weather, flu conditions vary from region to region; Atlanta might peak weeks ahead of Anchorage. "Because we are all familiar with weather broadcasts, when we hear that there is a 80% chance of rain, we all have an intuitive sense of whether or not we should carry an umbrella," says Dr. Shaman. "I expect we will develop a similar comfort level and confidence in flu forecasts and develop an intuition of what we should do to protect ourselves in response to different forecast outcomes."

As individuals, a flu forecast could prompt us to get a vaccine, exercise care around people sneezing and coughing, and better tune in to how we feel. For health officials, it could inform decisions on how many vaccines and antiviral drugs to stockpile, and in the case of a virulent outbreak, whether other measures, like closing schools, is necessary.

"Flu forecasting has the potential to significantly improve our ability to prepare for and manage the seasonal flu outbreaks that strike each year," says Irene Eckstrand, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which provided funding for the study.

Worldwide, influenza kills an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 people each year; in the U.S. about 35,000 die from the flu every year.

The seed of the new study was planted four years ago in a conversation between the two researchers, in which Dr. Shaman expressed an interest in using models to forecast influenza. Dr. Karspeck "recommended incorporating some of the data assimilation techniques used in weather forecasting to build a skillful prediction system" remembers Dr. Shaman.

In weather forecasting real-time observational data are used to "nudge the model to conform with reality and reduce error in the model simulations," he explains. Applying this method to flu forecasting, the researchers used near-real-time data from Google Flu Trends, which estimates outbreaks based on the number of flu-related search queries in a given region.

Going forward, Dr. Shaman will test the model in other localities across the country using up-to-date data. This is necessary, he says, since "there is no guarantee that just because the method works in New York it will work in Miami."

Funding for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers GM100467, GM088558 and ES009089) and the Department of Homeland Security.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Jeffrey Shamana and Alicia Karspeckb. Forecasting seasonal outbreaks of influenza. PNAS, 2012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1208772109

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/swvqLtuchdA/121126151052.htm

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Save Time Making Your Favorite Holiday Dressing or Stuffing Recipe

Entry #1870, November 26, 2012

Whether you live in the north or south, east or west will dictate if you refer to your holiday sides as ?stuffing? or ?dressing?. Either way the bread based side is a favorite recipe of the season. You can?t help but be ready with some unexpected guests that will give short notices this holiday season. This has been a part of the holiday rush that you have to deal with. Of course, it?s not enough to just welcome your guests but also be ready with offering something for snacks or meal.

The quickest and easiest thing to make for your guests is to provide those sandwiches or dressing recipes for a sumptuous visit. Although there?s no pressure or any responsibility involve to serve a delicious snack or meal but then getting ready for something to offer and show hospitality is an excellent move.

dressing ideas

Save time with these dressing ideas this holiday

Image via

Since making a dressing can be a great treat for your guests, it is not only important to know how holiday dressing recipes are perfectly done. In this case, saving time to make holiday dressing recipes will help a lot in the preparations.

Here are some time-saving tips to make your dressing recipe:

Plan ahead

There?s no better way to do things faster and easier than having it plan ahead. Whether you have your shopping list on hand a few weeks before the holiday or already have it, these steps are very helpful. You just have to remember that not all can be stored in a period of time.

Freeze your dressing ahead of time

This is one of the best ways to save time in making your desired dressing recipes this holiday. For instance, the Sage Cornbread Dressing recipe can be prepared ahead and freeze unbaked. This dressing recipe only requires a little last-minute preparation before serving.

stuffing ideas

Create a delicious stuffing recipe this holiday season

Image via

Have your cooking utensils and equipment ready

With all your cooking utensils and equipment ready, you can be sure that you will not spend time looking for anything essential in the cooking or baking procedure. It is better if you have all of them within your reach but beyond your kids?.

Save time in making dressing this holiday and you can be sure that you will have more time entertaining your guests rather than in the kitchen.

For more food recipe ideas on Stagetecture, click here

Source: http://stagetecture.com/2012/11/save-time-making-your-favorite-holiday-dressing-or-stuffing-recipe/

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Monday, November 26, 2012

NASA video captures massive solar eruption

NASA spacecraft captured HD video of a giant plasma eruption on the surface of the Sun Friday. This plasma eruption is not headed toward Earth, so isn't expected to cause any communication problems. The sun is currently in the middle of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle.

By Tariq Malik,?Space.com / November 19, 2012

A giant solar eruption is captured on Nov. 16, 2012 by NASA's sun-watching Solar Dynamics Observatory. The solar eruption was not aimed at Earth.

NASA/SDO

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The sun unleashed a monster eruption of super-hot plasma Friday (Nov. 16) in back-to-back solar storms captured on camera by a NASA spacecraft.

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The giant sun eruption, called a solar prominence, occurred at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), with another event flaring up four hours later. The prominences was so large, it expanded beyond the camera view of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which captured high-definition?video of the solar eruption.

In the video, a colossal loop of glowing red plasma erupts from the lower left of the sun, arcing up and out of frame as it blasts away from the star.

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"The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas made of electrically charged hydrogen and helium," officials with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, which oversees the SDO mission, explained in a description. "The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun?s internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma."

?Friday's solar eruption does not appear to be aimed at Earth, so will likely have little effect on our planet. But that was not the case earlier this week when a powerful solar flare erupted on Monday (Nov. 12). That flare registered as an M6-class eruption, a moderate but still intense solar event.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 13 and 14), space weather conditions sparked a geomagnetic storm that supercharged the Earth's auroras, creating spectacular northern lights displays for observers at high latitudes.

When aimed directly at Earth, the most powerful solar flares and eruptions can pose a threat to satellites and astronauts in orbit, and also interfere with communication, navigation and power systems on the ground.

The sun is currently in the middle of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle. The current cycle is called Solar Cycle 24 and is expected to peak in 2013.

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Editor's note:?If you snap an amazing photo of the northern lights created by recent sun flares, or any other sky object, and you'd like to share it for a possible story or image gallery, send images, comments and location information to managing editor Tariq Malik at?tmalik@space.com.

You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter?@tariqjmalik?and?SPACE.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/i6dplRZEh_g/NASA-video-captures-massive-solar-eruption

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