We don't know for sure that Dell's been experiencing the weak demand for Windows RT Samsung's been so vocalabout, but significant price cuts to its XPS 10 tablet hybrid suggest it hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves. Not only has the $500 tag for the tablet with 32GB of storage dropped to $300, but adding another 32GB now only costs $50 more, instead of $100. Savings have extended to the keyboard dock, too -- opting for the bundle used to increase the overall cost by $180, but now that peripheral is only a $50 extra. (Make sure to lead with the bundle though, as it's $100 if added from the tablet-only customization options). The cost of optional LTE hasn't changed, however, so that 4G radio still costs an additional $100. While we haven't reached fire sale territory just yet, the cuts are still a welcome discount for consumers. In the interest of preserving profit margins, perhaps Dell should ask Acer's president to consult next time it's cooking up new hardware.
May 1, 2013 ? Men with prostate cancer who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are significantly less likely to die from their cancer than men who don't take such medication, according to study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The findings are published online today in The Prostate.
The study, led by Janet L. Stanford, Ph.D., co-director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program and a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, followed about 1,000 Seattle-area prostate cancer patients. Approximately 30 percent of the study participants reported using statin drugs to control their cholesterol. After a mean follow-up of almost eight years, the researchers found that the risk of death from prostate cancer among statin users was 1 percent as compared to 5 percent for nonusers.
"If the results of our study are validated in other patient cohorts with extended follow-up for cause-specific death, an intervention trial of statin drugs in prostate cancer patients may be justified," Stanford said.
"While statin drugs are relatively well tolerated with a low frequency of serious side effects, they cannot be recommended for the prevention of prostate cancer-related death until a preventive effect on mortality from prostate cancer has been demonstrated in a large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial," said first author Milan S. Geybels, M.Sc., formerly a researcher in Stanford's group who is now based at Maastricht University in The Netherlands.
The study is unique in that most prior research of the impact of statin use on prostate cancer outcomes has focused on biochemical recurrence -- a rising PSA level -- and not prostate cancer-specific mortality. "Very few studies of statin use in relation to death from prostate cancer have been conducted, possibly because such analyses require much longer follow-up for the assessment of this prostate cancer outcome," Geybels said. The potential biological explanation behind the association between statin use and decreased mortality from prostate cancer may be related to cholesterol- and non-cholesterol-mediated mechanisms.
? An example of the former: When cholesterol is incorporated into cell membranes, these "cholesterol-rich domains" play a key role in controlling pathways associated with survival of prostate cancer cells.
? An example of the latter: Statin drugs inhibit an essential precursor to cholesterol production called mevalonate. Lower levels of mevalonate may reduce the risk of fatal prostate cancer.
"Prostate cancer is an interesting disease for which secondary prevention, or preventing poor long-term patient outcomes, should be considered because it is the most common cancer among men in developed countries and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths," Geybels said. "While many prostate cancer patients have indolent, slow-growing tumors, others have aggressive tumors that may recur or progress to a life-threatening disease despite initial therapy with radiation or surgery. Therefore, any compound that could stop or slow the progression of prostate cancer would be beneficial," he said.
The National Cancer Institute, a grant from the Dutch Cancer Society and additional support from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Prostate Cancer Foundation funded the research.
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The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR ($199.95 direct) is the standard kit lens for APS-C Nikon D-SLR cameras. Buying it along with a body halves your out of pocket costs to acquire the lens, but owners of older Nikon D-SLRs bundled with its non-stabilized predecessor may consider it as an upgrade. It produces a field of view that is roughly equivalent to 27-83mm in terms of full-frame photography.
The lens is light at 9.3 ounces and measures just 3.1 by 2.9 inches (HD). It accepts 52mm filters, but the front element does rotate when focus is adjusted, so using a rotating circular polarizing filter can be tricky. Nikon keeps the weight down by using a plastic mount, rather than the more common metal variety, which is more prone to wear and tear over the years. There's an internal focus motor, which is speeider than older screw-drive systems, but because the front element rotates during focus it can be a bit noisy. A bayonet lens hood is available to reduce flare and improve contrast, but is not included?you'll have to spend another $23.50 if you want it.
I used?Imatest?to check the sharpness of that lens when paired with the 24-megapixel D5200. The lens managed a very impressive 2,362 lines per picture height at 18mm f/3.5 using our center-weighted testing method, with edge sharpness hovering around 1,600 lines. We declare an image with an 1,800-line center-weighted score to be acceptably sharp. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves the overall score only marginally to 2,410 lines, but edges sharpen up to 1,850 lines. There is noticeable barrel distortion at 18mm, about 3.3 percent. This will make straight lines noticeably curve outward, and is typical for an 18-55mm design. It can be corrected with software if it distracts from your photos.
Zooming to 35mm narrows the maximum aperture to f/5 and reduces the distortion to a negligible 0.4 percent. The lens scores 2,410 lines here, again with edges around 1,600 lines. Stopping down to f/8 improves overall sharpness to 2,683 lines, with edge sharpness at 2,111 lines. Zoom all the way in to 55mm and the maximum aperture is f/5.6, with an irrelevant 0.2-percent distortion figure. You'll get sharp photos at that setting as well; the lens manages 2,474 lines overall, but is again a little soft at the edges. Stopping down to f/8 improves edge performance to just under 1,800 lines, so your photos will be acceptably sharp from edge to edge.
The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR is one of the sharpest 18-55mm D-SLR lenses that we've tested, but it's not without its limitations. The narrow aperture limits your ability to shoot in lower light without a flash, and it won't blur the background like an f/2.8 zoom or an f/2 prime lens. It's a good starter lens, but it's one that you'll likely want to upgrade down the road. Nikon offers zoom lenses with longer telephoto reach, like the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED ($399.95), and ones with faster apertures so that you can capture more light like the pro-grade AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED ($1,539.95), but neither are as affordable as this basic 18-55mm optic.
By Jim FisherSenior Analyst, Digital Cameras
Jim Fisher is the digital camera analyst for the PCMag consumer electronics reviews team. He is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated on documentary video production. Jim's interest in photography really...
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The casket for country music legend George Jones lies in the Grand Ole Opry House before his funeral on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, one of country music's biggest stars who had No. 1 hits in four separate decades, died April 26. He was 81. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, Pool)
The casket for country music legend George Jones lies in the Grand Ole Opry House before his funeral on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, one of country music's biggest stars who had No. 1 hits in four separate decades, died April 26. He was 81. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, Pool)
Patty Loveless embraces Vince Gill, right, after they performed during the funeral for country music star George Jones in the Grand Ole Opry House on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, one of country music's biggest stars who had No. 1 hits in four separate decades, died April 26. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, Pool)
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2007 file photo, George Jones is shown in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today," has died. He was 81. Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after being hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, according to his publicist Kirt Webster. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)
Terah Jones, left, comforts her daughter Katie, of Burleson Texas, while waiting to enter the Grand Ole Opry House for the funeral of country music star George Jones on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, a country music legend who had No. 1 hits in four separate decades, died April 26. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Kid Rock speaks during the funeral for country music star George Jones in the Grand Ole Opry House on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, one of country music's biggest stars who had No. 1 hits in four separate decades, died April 26. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, Pool)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? For a guy who sang so many sad songs, George Jones left behind a lot of laughs.
There was more humor than sadness at Jones' funeral Thursday at the Grand Ole Opry House as thousands gathered in Nashville ? some arriving hours before sunrise ? to pay their respects to the man whose voice has defined country music for more than half a century.
Friend after friend related stories of Jones' kindness, his love for his widow, Nancy, who's credited with helping him survive his personal demons later in life, and the funny little moments that will stick with them always.
Barbara Mandrell remembered the kindnesses he gave a scared 13-year-old girl just getting her start in the business. Former first lady Laura Bush remembered dumping quarter after quarter into the jukebox to hear "The Race Is On." Wynonna Judd remembered his perfect hair and his friendship. And Vince Gill remembered the man who gave him the nickname "Sweet Pea," a moniker he wasn't sure he liked at first but now treasures.
"The great thing is every time someone calls me Sweet Pea, I'll get to think about him," Gill said before earning a standing ovation for his rendition of "Go Rest High on That Mountain" with Patty Loveless.
The nearly 3-hour memorial was attended by several major country stars and political figures. Nancy Jones sat flanked by Bush and Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam spoke, as did former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. CBS host Bob Schieffer recalled a 2009 interview with Jones where the singer's true personality seemed to show through.
"I came away feeling his whole life was a surprise to him and he never quite believed any of it," Schieffer said.
Each of the stars who performed had a personal connection to Jones. Randy Travis, who was anointed a traditional country voice by Jones, sang "Amazing Grace," a song Jones had once put his own personal stamp upon.
"When I heard him do this song, it literally gave me chills," Travis said.
Paisley remembered Jones allowing him to house his first horse on the Jones family farm and the visits the two would have, then sang "Me & Jesus." Kid Rock asked Nancy Jones to imagine Jones was actually singing as he performed "Best of Me," before checking himself to the delight of the crowd.
"I know that's a huge (leap of) imagination," Kid Rock said with an embarrassed smile. "Unshaven, long-haired confused country hip-hop rock 'n' roller trying to sing George Jones."
But it may have been Charlie Daniels who summed up Jones best in a long, beautifully rendered tribute. He noted Jones was probably the most imitated country singer of all time.
"George Jones' voice was a rowdy Saturday night uproar at a back-street beer joint, the heartbroken wail of the one who wakes up to find the other side of the bed empty, the far-off lonesome whistle of the midnight train, the look in the eyes of a young bride as that ring is placed on her finger, the memories of a half-asleep old man dreaming about the good old days," Daniels said. "Lost love, lost innocence, good and bad memories, and experiences that are just too much for a human being to deal with. He sang for us all, the non-stop partiers, the guys who are alone and the girl done wrong, the puppy lovers, the extrovert, the introvert and the guy at the end of the bar who never seems to go home ... George had a song for everybody."
The funeral was broadcast live on cable music television channels CMT and GAC and ? in a nod to simpler times when Jones was at his biggest ? on all local television networks.
The Beaumont, Texas, native was in the midst of a farewell tour that was to have wrapped up with an all-star salute in November in Nashville when he died. He postponed two performances two weeks ago and entered the hospital with a fever and irregular blood pressure. He'd been ill off and on over the previous year.
Jones' pure, matchless baritone defined the sound of country music for a half century, and his death brought universal reaction from the music community and fans. Known for hits like "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes," ''White Lightning" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which Alan Jackson used to close the memorial, Jones had No. 1s in four decades from the 1950s to the 1980s and "Possum" remained a popular figure in Music City until his death.
"Brother George taught us how to sing with a broken heart," Gill said.
Paisley said even though Jones has passed on, his legacy is still there, ready to inspire. He urged young viewers who might be tuning in to check out Jones' music.
"You must be thinking, 'Boy, they're making a ruckus,'" Paisley said. "I would encourage you if you don't know him, go find him now. Go buy his records and see what all this ruckus is about because it's worth it."
___
Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.
(Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday appealed a court order directing the agency to make "morning-after" emergency contraception pills available without a prescription to all girls of reproductive age.
Lawyers with the Justice Department filed the appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, according to court documents.
The appeal is the latest foray in the years-long legal battle over the pill known as "Plan B," a drug that has also sparked political and religious clashes. If taken up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, it is designed to prevent pregnancy.
The government is seeking to overturn U.S. District Judge Edward Korman's ruling from April 5 that required the FDA to make the emergency contraception available over-the-counter to women of all ages within 30 days.
The Justice Department has asked the district court to temporarily stop its order from taking effect while the appeal is pending, said FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson.
The district judge's ruling came in response to a lawsuit originally filed in 2005 by the Center for Reproductive Rights and other groups seeking to strike down age and access limits to the emergency contraception. They argued that there was no scientific proof that girls of reproductive age could not safely use the drug without supervision.
Korman's order reversed a surprise December 2011 decision by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. At the time, the FDA had decided to approve over-the-counter sales with no age limits when Sebelius ordered it to reverse course, barring girls under 17 from buying the pills without a prescription.
President Barack Obama supported that restriction, invoking his daughters. But the timing, 11 months ahead of the presidential election, sparked criticism that he was trying to placate social conservatives.
In his ruling, Korman called Sebelius' decision "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."
"The motivation for the secretary's action was obviously political," he wrote.
Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, criticized the government's decision to appeal.
Obama's "administration has decided once again to deprive women of their right to obtain emergency contraception without unjustified and burdensome restrictions," she said in a statement.
Before filing its appeal, the FDA said on Tuesday that it would allow girls as young as 15 years old to buy without a prescription the Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive, made by a unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
The agency said its decision to lower the age limit for Plan B One-Step was based on scientific data submitted by Teva that showed girls as young as 15 could safely use the drug without the intervention of a healthcare provider. Cashiers will still have to verify the customer's age before selling it, the FDA said.
The case is Tummino et al. v. Hamburg et al., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No. 12-763.
(Reporting by Terry Baynes in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
McLEAN, Va. (AP) ? Immigration officials have removed two domestic workers from a northern Virginia home owned by the government of Saudi Arabia as part of an investigation into a report of human trafficking.
Agents went to the home in McLean on Tuesday night, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Brandon Montgomery said Thursday. Fairfax County police were called in to help.
Montgomery said the investigation is in the early stages. The two women who were removed from the home are from the Philippines, Montgomery said, but there has been no formal determination that they needed to be rescued.
Officials received a tip that alleged two workers were being held in circumstances that amounted to human trafficking, said John Torres, ICE's special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in the Washington field office. But he declined in an interview Thursday to discuss the case in more detail.
ICE is investigating whether there may be other potential victims connected to the home, Torres said. He wouldn't discuss the specific allegations but said that generally in cases of domestic workers, ICE prioritizes those involving allegations of workers being held against their will or threats of violence against workers or their families.
According to real estate records, the Virginia home is owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Armed Forces Office. A representative of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia could not be reached for comment Thursday. A guard at the gated home, near the CIA headquarters in Langley, waved off a request to speak to residents there Thursday morning.
At a press briefing Thursday, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said that the agency was aware of the case but that ICE is taking the lead on the investigation. He referred questions there.
Ventrell declined to answer specific questions about whether diplomatic immunity had been invoked. Countries traditionally grant immunity to foreign diplomats to receive reciprocal treatment for their own diplomats and to ensure open lines of communication. Ventrell said that in general, the State Department honors its treaty obligations that provide for immunity while expecting diplomats to observe and respect U.S. laws.
Trafficking cases have been a priority in recent years for the Justice Department, which reports that it has brought an average of 24 cases alleging forced labor in each of the past three fiscal years ? nearly twice as many as the prior period.
Recent cases have involved an Italian government worker at the consulate in San Francisco who was prosecuted in 2011 for keeping a Brazilian woman as an involuntary servant. The same year, a naval officer from the United Arab Emirates was acquitted at a federal trial in Providence, R.I., on charges that he had kept a Filipino woman as an unpaid servant.
Tiffany Williams, an anti-trafficking campaign coordinator for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, works specifically on the issue of diplomats exploiting domestic workers. She said such exploitation can be a particular problem in the diplomatic community because officials know they hold immunity, and it is difficult to punish them.
Generally, though, she said the underlying issue is no different than in cases involving the community at large: The power dynamic is tilted heavily toward the employer. Domestic workers' visas are tied to employment with a particular household, so quitting or standing up to abuse runs the risk of deportation. For domestic workers who live in the home, leaving a job also can mean homelessness, Williams said.
Torres said trafficking cases involving domestic workers are a particular problem in the Washington area, in part because of the presence of a large diplomatic corps and cultural differences ? some countries consider it acceptable to treat workers more harshly than is allowed in the U.S.
To be proactive, Torres said ICE works with nonprofit groups and provides brochures and information to all incoming diplomats who want to bring domestic help from other countries.
May 2, 2013 ? National Institutes of Health researchers used the popular anti-wrinkle agent Botox to discover a new and important role for a group of molecules that nerve cells use to quickly send messages. This novel role for the molecules, called SNARES, may be a missing piece that scientists have been searching for to fully understand how brain cells communicate under normal and disease conditions.
"The results were very surprising," said Ling-Gang Wu, Ph.D., a scientist at NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Like many scientists we thought SNAREs were only involved in fusion."
Every day almost 100 billion nerve cells throughout the body send thousands of messages through nearly 100 trillion communication points called synapses. Cell-to-cell communication at synapses controls thoughts, movements, and senses and could provide therapeutic targets for a number of neurological disorders, including epilepsy.
Nerve cells use chemicals, called neurotransmitters, to rapidly send messages at synapses. Like pellets inside shotgun shells, neurotransmitters are stored inside spherical membranes, called synaptic vesicles. Messages are sent when a carrier shell fuses with the nerve cell's own shell, called the plasma membrane, and releases the neurotransmitter "pellets" into the synapse.
SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) are three proteins known to be critical for fusion between carrier shells and nerve cell membranes during neurotransmitter release.
"Without SNAREs there is no synaptic transmission," said Dr. Wu.
Botulinum toxin, or Botox, disrupts SNAREs. In a study published in Cell Reports, Dr. Wu and his colleagues describe how they used Botox and similar toxins as tools to show that SNAREs may also be involved in retrieving message carrier shells from nerve cell membranes immediately after release.
To study this, the researchers used advanced electrical recording techniques to directly monitor in real time carrier shells being fused with and retrieved from nerve cell membranes while the cells sent messages at synapses. The experiments were performed on a unique synapse involved with hearing called the calyx of Held. As expected, treating the synapses with toxins reduced fusion. However Dr. Wu and his colleagues also noticed that the toxins reduced retrieval.
"The results were very surprising," said Dr. Wu. "Like many scientists we thought SNAREs were only involved in fusion."
For at least a decade scientists have known that carrier shells have to be retrieved before more messages can be sent. Retrieval occurs in two modes: fast and slow. A different group of molecules are known to control the slow mode.
"Until now most scientists thought fusion and retrieval were two separate processes controlled by different sets of molecules," said Dr. Wu.
Nevertheless several studies suggested that one of the SNARE molecules could be involved with both modes.
In this study, Dr. Wu and his colleagues systematically tested this idea to fully understand retrieval. The results showed that all three SNARE proteins may be involved in both fast and slow retrieval.
"Our results suggest that SNAREs link fusion and retrieval," said Dr. Wu.
The results may have broad implications. SNAREs are commonly used by other cells throughout the body to release chemicals. For example, SNAREs help control the release of insulin from pancreas cells, making them a potential target for diabetes treatments. Recent studies suggest that SNAREs may be involved in neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and spastic ataxia.
"We think SNARES work like this in most nerve cell synapses. This new role could change the way scientists think about how SNAREs are involved in neuronal communication and diseases," said Dr. Wu.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
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Journal Reference:
Xu J et al. SNARE proteins synaptobrevin, SNAP-25 and syntaxin are involved in rapid and slow endocytosis at synapses. Cell Reports, May 2, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellrep.2013.03.010
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.
Sunny skies ahead for the developers of ultra prime real estate.
Great news, guys?the rich are getting richer and New York is one of the safe havens where the global billionaires will be stashing their fortunes in the coming years. While this might make New Yorkers who don?t number among the financial elite fret over things like the city?s growing income gap, affordable housing and public education, the developers of luxury real estate developers are totally stoked.
These are good times to cater to the ultra high net worth individuals of the world, according to a recent study about the very bright futures of the filthy rich and the multiple trophy properties they?ll be amassing in coming years.
Always keeping an eye on the fates of the world?s ultra high net worthers, Candy & Candy, Savills and Deutsche Bank? compiled the study on the UHNWI?s (surely, there must be a better acronym) proliferation and increasing wealth in the future. They found that by 2017, the UHNWI population is expected to have increased by 20 percent and their wealth by 30 percent. Basically, the richest of the rich will be following the same upward trajectory as these last few years. While the merely wealthy suffered in the recession, ultra high net worthers were more or less unaffected by the global financial turmoil, as evidenced by their recent appetite for trophy properties.
?A trophy ?safe haven? property in a global city is typically at the top of the shopping list for wealthy individuals,? wrote Nick Candy, CEO of ultra-prime London developer Candy & Candy. ?Their continuing appetite for such investments is expected to exert even greater influence over global property markets in the next few years.?
Obviously, this is good news for the brother duo behind the painfully posh One Hyde Park, a project that launched in the early stages of the financial crisis, but nonetheless managed to fetch London price-per-square-foot records thanks to the UHNWI who bought in. Though few people know who the individuals actually are, as is the case with so many top luxury deals, the units were bought by shell companies registered in tax havens.
In any event, the coming years look likely to bring more cash to developers who provide luxurious condos/safe deposit boxes for the world?s financial elite. In 2012, the financial hubs of London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong saw 300 sales over $15.4 million, which are expected to increase to 400 per year by 2017, according to the study.
With all these very, very rich people buying more trophy properties to store their vast fortunes in, the property values will also be going up, according to the study, especially in New York, which has the largest share of ultra high net worthers in North America, but comparatively low prices because of the housing collapse.
The only dark spot on the horizon for luxury developers are property taxes (New York, the study notes ominously, has an annual property tax?how dare it, right?). While this has not been known to actually have an impact on the super wealthy, their real estate handmaidens are a little panicky. ?Although tax changes have failed to have a noticeable impact on the buying habits of UHNWIs, there are fears that manoeuvres by governments will put off investors down the line,? the study worries.
After all, despite hoarding a larger and larger share of the world?s capital, incredibly rich individuals seem increasingly disinclined to share the spoils. Although perhaps the greatest luxury of all is not bothering to spend all your time and energy hiding your excessive wealth from the tax man.
Follow Kim Velsey on Twitter or via RSS. kvelsey@observer.com
It?s no surprise that small towns and rural communities don?t have the same abundance of fast food restaurant choices, clothing stores, movie theaters and retail shopping as metropolitan areas in the United States. Although fewer resources are available in small towns, the needs are still very present. Just like any other person in the country, the residents of small towns and communities have responsibilities and tasks that need to get done, but for those small town residents it may be a bit more daunting to get errands done. The same can be said for small businesses in these rural areas; they often don?t have access to the resources needed to grow their businesses.
We know small towns are built on small business. So to better serve small business owners in all areas of the country, The UPS Store has introduced its new Main Street franchise model ? designed to extend our small business support into small towns and rural communities within the U.S. The UPS Store now brings its expertise in small business services ? like printing, packing and shipping ? to small business owners in underserved communities.? The new The UPS Store franchise model makes it easier to support local business with services typically only found in larger cities. As part of the new The UPS Store franchise model, qualifying franchisees can save on franchise fees and other The UPS Store franchise costs compared to a traditional center.
In the past ten years, self-employment continues to rise, especially in rural areas and if current trends continue, one rural worker will be self-employed for every three wage-and salary workers by 2015*. With positive trends in rural small business, there is more reason than ever to expect a continued increase in self-employment and business startups in small towns. The UPS Store is here to support and is coming to a Main Street near you.
Contact: John Sullivan js29@princeton.edu 609-258-4597 Princeton University, Engineering School
Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.
The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.
"In general, there are mechanical and thermal challenges with interfacing electronic materials with biological materials," said Michael McAlpine, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton and the lead researcher. "Previously, researchers have suggested some strategies to tailor the electronics so that this merger is less awkward. That typically happens between a 2D sheet of electronics and a surface of the tissue. However, our work suggests a new approach -- to build and grow the biology up with the electronics synergistically and in a 3D interwoven format."
McAlpine's team has made several advances in recent years involving the use of small-scale medical sensors and antenna. Last year, a research effort led by McAlpine and Naveen Verma, an assistant professor of electrical engineering, and Fio Omenetto of Tufts University, resulted in the development of a "tattoo" made up of a biological sensor and antenna that can be affixed to the surface of a tooth.
This project, however, is the team's first effort to create a fully functional organ: one that not only replicates a human ability, but extends it using embedded electronics
"The design and implementation of bionic organs and devices that enhance human capabilities, known as cybernetics, has been an area of increasing scientific interest," the researchers wrote in the article which appears in the scholarly journal Nano Letters. "This field has the potential to generate customized replacement parts for the human body, or even create organs containing capabilities beyond what human biology ordinarily provides."
Standard tissue engineering involves seeding types of cells, such as those that form ear cartilage, onto a scaffold of a polymer material called a hydrogel. However, the researchers said that this technique has problems replicating complicated three dimensional biological structures. Ear reconstruction "remains one of the most difficult problems in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery," they wrote.
To solve the problem, the team turned to a manufacturing approach called 3D printing. These printers use computer-assisted design to conceive of objects as arrays of thin slices. The printer then deposits layers of a variety of materials ranging from plastic to cells to build up a finished product. Proponents say additive manufacturing promises to revolutionize home industries by allowing small teams or individuals to create work that could previously only be done by factories.
Creating organs using 3D printers is a recent advance; several groups have reported using the technology for this purpose in the past few months. But this is the first time that researchers have demonstrated that 3D printing is a convenient strategy to interweave tissue with electronics.
The technique allowed the researchers to combine the antenna electronics with tissue within the highly complex topology of a human ear. The researchers used an ordinary 3D printer to combine a matrix of hydrogel and calf cells with silver nanoparticles that form an antenna. The calf cells later develop into cartilage.
Manu Mannoor, a graduate student in McAlpine's lab and the paper's lead author, said that additive manufacturing opens new ways to think about the integration of electronics with biological tissue and makes possible the creation of true bionic organs in form and function. He said that it may be possible to integrate sensors into a variety of biological tissues, for example, to monitor stress on a patient's knee meniscus.
David Gracias, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins and co-author on the publication, said that bridging the divide between biology and electronics represents a formidable challenge that needs to be overcome to enable the creation of smart prostheses and implants.
"Biological structures are soft and squishy, composed mostly of water and organic molecules, while conventional electronic devices are hard and dry, composed mainly of metals, semiconductors and inorganic dielectrics," he said. "The differences in physical and chemical properties between these two material classes could not be any more pronounced."
The finished ear consists of a coiled antenna inside a cartilage structure. Two wires lead from the base of the ear and wind around a helical "cochlea" the part of the ear that senses sound which can connect to electrodes. Although McAlpine cautions that further work and extensive testing would need to be done before the technology could be used on a patient, he said the ear in principle could be used to restore or enhance human hearing. He said electrical signals produced by the ear could be connected to a patient's nerve endings, similar to a hearing aid. The current system receives radio waves, but he said the research team plans to incorporate other materials, such as pressure-sensitive electronic sensors, to enable the ear to register acoustic sounds.
In addition to McAlpine, Verma, Mannoor and Gracias the research team includes: Winston Soboyejo, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton; Karen Malatesta, a faculty fellow in molecular biology at Princeton; Yong Lin Kong, a graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton; and Teena James, a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins.
The team also included Ziwen Jiang, a high school student at the Peddie School in Hightstown who participated as part of an outreach program for young researchers in McAlpine's lab.
"Ziwen Jiang is one of the most spectacular high school students I have ever seen," McAlpine said. "We would not have been able to complete this project without him, particularly in his skill at mastering CAD designs of the bionic ears."
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Support for the project was provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, NIH, and the Grand Challenges Program at Princeton University.
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Contact: John Sullivan js29@princeton.edu 609-258-4597 Princeton University, Engineering School
Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.
The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.
"In general, there are mechanical and thermal challenges with interfacing electronic materials with biological materials," said Michael McAlpine, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton and the lead researcher. "Previously, researchers have suggested some strategies to tailor the electronics so that this merger is less awkward. That typically happens between a 2D sheet of electronics and a surface of the tissue. However, our work suggests a new approach -- to build and grow the biology up with the electronics synergistically and in a 3D interwoven format."
McAlpine's team has made several advances in recent years involving the use of small-scale medical sensors and antenna. Last year, a research effort led by McAlpine and Naveen Verma, an assistant professor of electrical engineering, and Fio Omenetto of Tufts University, resulted in the development of a "tattoo" made up of a biological sensor and antenna that can be affixed to the surface of a tooth.
This project, however, is the team's first effort to create a fully functional organ: one that not only replicates a human ability, but extends it using embedded electronics
"The design and implementation of bionic organs and devices that enhance human capabilities, known as cybernetics, has been an area of increasing scientific interest," the researchers wrote in the article which appears in the scholarly journal Nano Letters. "This field has the potential to generate customized replacement parts for the human body, or even create organs containing capabilities beyond what human biology ordinarily provides."
Standard tissue engineering involves seeding types of cells, such as those that form ear cartilage, onto a scaffold of a polymer material called a hydrogel. However, the researchers said that this technique has problems replicating complicated three dimensional biological structures. Ear reconstruction "remains one of the most difficult problems in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery," they wrote.
To solve the problem, the team turned to a manufacturing approach called 3D printing. These printers use computer-assisted design to conceive of objects as arrays of thin slices. The printer then deposits layers of a variety of materials ranging from plastic to cells to build up a finished product. Proponents say additive manufacturing promises to revolutionize home industries by allowing small teams or individuals to create work that could previously only be done by factories.
Creating organs using 3D printers is a recent advance; several groups have reported using the technology for this purpose in the past few months. But this is the first time that researchers have demonstrated that 3D printing is a convenient strategy to interweave tissue with electronics.
The technique allowed the researchers to combine the antenna electronics with tissue within the highly complex topology of a human ear. The researchers used an ordinary 3D printer to combine a matrix of hydrogel and calf cells with silver nanoparticles that form an antenna. The calf cells later develop into cartilage.
Manu Mannoor, a graduate student in McAlpine's lab and the paper's lead author, said that additive manufacturing opens new ways to think about the integration of electronics with biological tissue and makes possible the creation of true bionic organs in form and function. He said that it may be possible to integrate sensors into a variety of biological tissues, for example, to monitor stress on a patient's knee meniscus.
David Gracias, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins and co-author on the publication, said that bridging the divide between biology and electronics represents a formidable challenge that needs to be overcome to enable the creation of smart prostheses and implants.
"Biological structures are soft and squishy, composed mostly of water and organic molecules, while conventional electronic devices are hard and dry, composed mainly of metals, semiconductors and inorganic dielectrics," he said. "The differences in physical and chemical properties between these two material classes could not be any more pronounced."
The finished ear consists of a coiled antenna inside a cartilage structure. Two wires lead from the base of the ear and wind around a helical "cochlea" the part of the ear that senses sound which can connect to electrodes. Although McAlpine cautions that further work and extensive testing would need to be done before the technology could be used on a patient, he said the ear in principle could be used to restore or enhance human hearing. He said electrical signals produced by the ear could be connected to a patient's nerve endings, similar to a hearing aid. The current system receives radio waves, but he said the research team plans to incorporate other materials, such as pressure-sensitive electronic sensors, to enable the ear to register acoustic sounds.
In addition to McAlpine, Verma, Mannoor and Gracias the research team includes: Winston Soboyejo, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton; Karen Malatesta, a faculty fellow in molecular biology at Princeton; Yong Lin Kong, a graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton; and Teena James, a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins.
The team also included Ziwen Jiang, a high school student at the Peddie School in Hightstown who participated as part of an outreach program for young researchers in McAlpine's lab.
"Ziwen Jiang is one of the most spectacular high school students I have ever seen," McAlpine said. "We would not have been able to complete this project without him, particularly in his skill at mastering CAD designs of the bionic ears."
###
Support for the project was provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, NIH, and the Grand Challenges Program at Princeton University.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Willem-Alexander became the first Dutch king in more than a century Tuesday and pledged to use his ceremonial position as head of state to help steer his country through uncertain economic times.
The generational change in the House of Orange-Nassau gave the Netherlands a moment of celebration, pageantry and brief respite as this trading nation of nearly 17 million struggles through a lengthy recession brought on by the European credit crisis.
Visibly emotional, the much-loved Beatrix ended her 33-year reign as queen in a nationally televised signing ceremony as thousands of orange-clad people cheered outside. Millions more were expected to watch on television.
Just over four hours later, King Willem-Alexander, wearing a fur-trimmed ceremonial mantle, swore an oath of allegiance to his country and the constitution in the historic New Church.
In a speech in the church, Europe's youngest monarch underscored the ceremonial nature of his monarchy in an egalitarian society but also the symbolic and economic value a king can deliver on state visits aimed at drumming up trade.
"I will proudly represent the kingdom and help discover new opportunities," he said.
The investiture ceremony was the final formal act on a day of high emotion within the House of Orange-Nassau and was to be followed by an evening boat tour around the historic Amsterdam waterfront.
The new king gripped his mother's hand and looked briefly into her eyes after they both signed the abdication document in the Royal Palace on downtown Amsterdam's Dam Square.
Beatrix looked close to tears as she then appeared on a balcony decked out with tulips, roses and oranges, overlooking 25,000 of her subjects.
"I am happy and grateful to introduce to you your new king, Willem-Alexander," she told the cheering crowd, which chanted: "Bea bedankt" ("Thanks Bea.")
Moments later, in a striking symbol of the generational shift, she left the balcony and King Willem-Alexander, his wife and three daughters ? the children in matching yellow dresses and headbands ? waved to the crowd.
"Dear mother, today you relinquished the throne. Thirty-three moving and inspiring years. We are intensely, intensely grateful to you," the new king said.
The former queen becomes Princess Beatrix and her son becomes the first Dutch king since Willem III died in 1890.
The 46-year-old king's popular Argentine-born wife became Queen Maxima and their eldest of three daughters, Catharina-Amalia, became Princess of Orange and first in line to the throne.
Willem-Alexander has said he wants to be a 21st century king who unites and encourages his people; not a "protocol fetishist," but a king who puts his people at ease.
He will do so as unemployment is on the rise in this traditionally strong economy. European Union figures released Tuesday showed Dutch unemployment continuing to trend upward to 6.4 percent ? still well below the EU average of 10.9 percent, but higher than it has been for years in the Netherlands.
"I am taking the job at a time when many in the kingdom feel vulnerable and uncertain," Willem-Alexander said. "Vulnerable in their work or health. Uncertain about their income or home environment."
Amsterdam resident Inge Bosman, 38, said she doubted Willem-Alexander's investiture would give the country much of an employment boost.
"Well, at least one person got a new job," she said.
Els Nederstigt, 38, said she got up at 5:30 a.m. to travel to Amsterdam and sat on a camping stool close to the Royal Palace wearing an orange cowboy hat and tiara.
"It's a special moment. I was a very small girl when Beatrix came to the throne so this is the first change in the monarchy I can really experience," she said. "We were here when Willem-Alexander and Maxima got married and what you remember is that you were there ? you forget how early you had to get up and how tired you were."
The square was overwhelmingly orange, but one blue and white Argentine flag being held up in front of the palace was emblazoned with the Dutch language text: "Netherlands thanks for loving and having faith in Maxima."
The day is expected to be a huge party culminating in a boat trip by the new king and queen around the Ij waterway, but security also was tight with thousands of police ? uniformed and plain clothes ? and an untold number of civil servants assisting in the logistics.
Police arrested two protesters on Dam Square ? one of them wearing a white shirt indicating he was a republican ? shortly after the abdication for not following officers' orders to leave. Amsterdam police released both without charge shortly afterward and apologized for detaining them.
At an anti-monarchist demonstration on the nearby Waterloo Square, protestors dressed in white instead of orange and carried signs mocking Willem-Alexander.
"Monarchy is a sexually-transmitted disease," one sign said.
Amsterdammer Jan Dikkers said he came out to show his disapproval for the inauguration of Willem-Alexander, who he said Dutch people only tolerate because "people like his wife."
He said Beatrix is overrated.
"People say the queen did a 'good job', but she didn't really do any job," Dikkers said. "Maybe she seems like a nice person, so people like her, but there's a difference."
The celebrations were peaceful across the city, in stark contrast to Beatrix's investiture in 1980 when squatters protesting a chronic housing shortage fought with police, and clouds of tear gas drifted through parts of the city.
The airspace above Amsterdam was closed Monday for three days. Dutch police swept Dam square for bombs, with assistance from German agents with sniffer dogs.
Royal guests from 18 countries are attending, including Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, and the Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako. Charles was also in attendance when Beatrix was crowned in 1980.
Observers believe Beatrix remained on the throne for so long in part because she was seen as a stabilizing factor in the country that struggled to assimilate more and more immigrants, mainly Muslims from North Africa, and shifted away from its traditional reputation as one of the world's most tolerant nations.
In recent years, speculation about when she might abdicate had grown, as she endured personal losses that both softened her image and increased her popularity further as the public sympathized.
Her husband Prince Claus died in 2002; and last year her youngest son, Prince Friso, was hit by an avalanche while skiing in Austria and suffered severe brain damage. Friso remains in a near comatose state.
By Jim Fisher 
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Public release date: 1-May-2013
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