ishrat.sharma: December 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

Levi-Montalcini, A Giant of Neuroscience Leaves a Living Legacy

By Gary Stix?| December 30, 2012 |??

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What may have been Rita Levi-Montalcini?s last paper was published almost a year ago in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. By no means a retrospective of a career that produced a Nobel Prize, the paper (?Nerve growth factor regulates axial rotation during early stages of chick embryo development?) added still one more bit of knowledge about the protein involved with? the growth and survival of nerve cells, a molecule that was Levi-Montalcini?s passion for 60 years.

Until her death on Sunday in Rome? at 103, Levi-Montalcini had been the oldest living Nobelist and a woman who had never let anything stop her from pursuing a destiny as a scientist.? The barriers were sometimes formidable. First there was her father, who discouraged her from becoming a physician but later provided support. Later the Nazis threatened?she set up a makeshift lab in her wartime hideout?and then finally came the confrontation with the inexorability of aging. The New York Times obit included this 2009 quotation: ?At 100, I have a mind that is superior ? thanks to experience ? than when I was 20.?

The awarding of the Nobel represented more than a lifetime achievement award for work performed decades earlier: the relevance of Levi-Montalcini?s research continues to the present day. Months after the PNAS report, one of her coauthors wrote an article in Molecular Neurobiology about the prospects for investigating research on brain deficits in nerve growth factor as an early pivotal event in Alzheimer?s, research that could suggest new drug leads for an illness that has so far eluded any meaningful treatment.

Image Source: Presidenza della Repubblica Italiana

About the Author: Gary Stix, a senior editor, commissions, writes, and edits features, news articles and Web blogs for SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. His area of coverage is neuroscience. He also has frequently been the issue or section editor for special issues or reports on topics ranging from nanotechnology to obesity. He has worked for more than 20 years at SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, following three years as a science journalist at IEEE Spectrum, the flagship publication for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He has an undergraduate degree in journalism from New York University. With his wife, Miriam Lacob, he wrote a general primer on technology called Who Gives a Gigabyte? Follow on Twitter @@gstix1.

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The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a023d0e2cc0f885cf3c5ef2cf627d53a

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Black boxes examined in fatal Russian plane crash

MOSCOW (AP) ? Investigators on Sunday examined flight recorders and other evidence to try to determine the cause of the airliner crash in Moscow that killed five people, an official said.

The Tu-204 belonging to Russian airline Red Wings was carrying eight people, all of them crew members, when it careered off the runway Saturday while landing at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. It went partly into an adjacent highway, broke into pieces and caught fire.

Four people were pronounced dead soon after the crash and the airline said on its Twitter account that a fifth, a flight attendant, died Sunday. Those who died Saturday were the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and another attendant, Red Wings said.

The survivors were reported in critical or serious condition in Moscow hospitals.

Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, was quoted by Russian news agencies saying the data recorders were being examined, along with fuel samples. In addition, he said flight documents for the plane have been taken from the airline for examination.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/black-boxes-examined-fatal-russian-plane-crash-104700903.html

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Senate leaders still have no fiscal cliff deal, time running out: senior aide

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The FBI is still searching for one of two convicted bank robbers who escaped last week from a high-rise jail in downtown Chicago by lowering themselves on a makeshift rope nearly 20 stories to the street. Kenneth Conley, 38, and his cellmate, Joseph Jose Banks, 37, escaped from the Metropolitan Correctional Center early on the morning of December 18. The pair apparently broke a window in the cell they shared, squeezed through the opening and lowered themselves to the street. They then hailed a cab to make their getaway. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-leaders-still-no-fiscal-cliff-deal-time-182946677--business.html

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College football bowls: 5 games on the last Saturday ever

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2012 Armed Forces Bowl results: Rice rallies to beat Air Force, 33-14

Behind a strong defensive effort and a breakout performance by backup quarterback Driphus Jackson, the Rice Owls earned a two-touchdown victory over the Air Force Falcons, who gained a season-low 214 yards of total offense.

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Pinstripe Bowl? More like Snowstripe Bowl, amirite?

It's snowing at Yankee Stadium, and everything is wonderful.

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Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Shakara123(m): 3:11pm On Dec 29In our present society, there seem to be an increased awareness and crave for smart phones by all (infants, youths and adults alike).

These devices no doubt help in easy and fast communication but have we considered the effects they have on our written and spoken communication skills, especially our students??

Today, words are abbreviated in chat platforms to the extent that most students find it difficult to spell some words correctly, place punctuations appropriately, or even differentiate tenses. Examples; I don?t know becomes ?dunno?, okay becomes ?kk?, what is going on becomes ?sup?, don?t becomes ?dnt?, bother becomes ?boda? and the list goes on and on. It is at such moments that I praise some universities that ban the use of smart phones on campus.

Secondly, have we observed that some persons who are able to use these abbreviated words so much and type so fast with their phones during chats find it quite difficult to speak as effectively when physically present before their chat mates?

These are only my thoughts anyway. I will appreciate your comments as well.

Compliments.

4 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by 2legit2qwt: 3:52pm On Dec 29Yes, we're definitely letting it affect the written aspect of the language. I once had the opportunity to review some applicants cover letter during a job application process and it's pathetic that simple errors such as replacing '4' with 'for' were common.

A lot of people on Nairaland would rather write in 'text' language than the actual language thereby making it difficult to read/understand. Once you start writing that way consistently, you get used to it and it becomes the norm for you.

I can understand the need for 'text' words based on the number of characters you're restricted to in SMS

I'd rather read a sentence constructed in broken/pidgin English than in 'text' language outside of actual mobile texting, it does my head in

14 Likes

This post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Clefcentfelix: 3:53pm On Dec 29

it depends on the individual

This post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Chuckeey (m): 3:54pm On Dec 29

really affecting us badly

1 Like

This post has been hiddenThis post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by vanstanzy(m): 3:56pm On Dec 29Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Cori_corde(f): 3:56pm On Dec 29

Exactly. I don't remember reading a text with the words written in full. Eveybody talks lyk dis noe. What is this nonsense?

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by messiah(m): 3:56pm On Dec 29

"you're" becomes "your"

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Sunymoore(m): 3:58pm On Dec 29

Quite tru cox i rembrd whn i was wrtng englsh dis yea, instd of schools i wrote .~~skulls~~. Its truli quite unfotunt. But as frm nw, i will tri as much as i can to wrte a complt wrd even in a forum o chat rum.

6 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by kunletiwoo(m): 3:58pm On Dec 29

Clefcentfelix: it depends on the individual

seconded! Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by afam4eva(m): 4:00pm On Dec 29

God punish spoken English. How about spoken Igbo and Yoruba. Why's no one worried about them?

11 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by egift(m): 4:01pm On Dec 29I will not say badly. If the user is lazy it will help him more. But if the person really cares for the quality of spoken and written words, phones and PCs could be really helpful.

For me the use of computer makes me spell words correctly, even the ones I can not easily put together (I just keep right-clicking till it suggest the right spelling).

1 Like

This post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Yomieluv(m): 4:02pm On Dec 29

I dnt knw of som1 else,but its not affectin me at all,dats y I wrote dis in gud english

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by caesaraba(m): 4:04pm On Dec 29It does. But I wouldn't say smartphones only. I'd say social media and all its shorthand has really reduced the quality of written English we see (among youths) these days.

E.g, A lot of people now replace the letter 's' with 'x' when they spell words.

There are many more examples but the crux of the matter is that social media has really affected the quality of written English among youths. Go through the comments on NL and see for yourself.

2 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Goldenheart(m): 4:05pm On Dec 29

place reserved.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Shaw007(m): 4:05pm On Dec 29I thinK it actuaLLy depends On the individuaL. . .if ur(you're) someone who cannot pLace a distinctIOn on ur(your) "chat/texting" Life and the normaL,formaL Life u'LL(you will) reaLLY find it hard

and one other thing is the consciousness,most fOLks when writing tend to forget they are not messaging their friends or updating some status But writing a note ,an exam,or maybe an application. . .most ppl(people) can actually write normally,but when this behaviour starts to eat deep,i'm afraid the person is Lost

and of course on occasions,he intentionally tries to break that jinx

yes,it definitelY affects the writing aspect,but i dnt(don't) think it affects anyone speaking. . .at Least to my knowledge

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Koolking(m): 4:06pm On Dec 29

It irritates me, in fact, I don't even waste my resource (time) reading short-worded comments and documents. What stops people from typing words the way they were taught, even when they have enough space to accommodate what they have to pass across to their listeners/readers. Personally, I see people who form such habits as unintelligent, docile and boring. It has nothing to do with Smart phones.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by ebucha: 4:06pm On Dec 29

Queens English does not improve the economy of a nation, ask the Chinese prime minister (fastest growin economy), Germans or maybe Japanese. The English currency and Economy overtook ours years back cos they made us slave to their language. Gramma good oh,but e no go giv us light,water and road. SEEK FOR DEVELOPMENTAL KNOWLEDGE!!

2 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by ebucha: 4:09pm On Dec 29

Chuckeey :
really affecting us badly

how? Ok, it increased the price of fuel and damaged our roads.Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Troll: 4:10pm On Dec 29@OP Is English My Language Or Are You A Learner!?

...Typing From My Nokia 3310 With GPS, 3G, WIFI & Bluetooth

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Blackteeth(m): 4:10pm On Dec 29

I dont know. But ever since I started texting and chatting, I always write in full like its official. My friends I chat with always ask me why I write in full letters and I tell them its because I dont want to get used to those shorthand styles. Maybe its paying off for me.

5 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Sunymoore(m): 4:12pm On Dec 29

For those of u who have nt see the text under ''dis has affect us badly'' because its hidden, the text is
Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our
Written And Spoken English Skills?
by Clefcentfelix: 3:55pm
first to comment. placeholladele:
reserved
u're high on rice n stew.
(Quote) (Report) (Like)
Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our
Written And Spoken English Skills?
by Clefcentfelix: 3:55pm
holladele: first to comment. place
reserved
first?

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Richfella(m): 4:12pm On Dec 29

Some posts here, written in text-speak, make me want to hit my head on the wall. Yikes!

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by A-ZeD(m): 4:13pm On Dec 29

You don't blame smart phones for the laziness of humans. No smart phone/phone comes with "text speak".

2 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by A-ZeD(m): 4:16pm On Dec 29

Richfella: Some posts here, written in text-speak, make me want to hit my head on the wall. Yikes!

Its truly annoying when adults resort to writing "text speak" on a public forum. I can tolerate bad grammar but "text speak" just makes me write you off as un intelligent and not worth responding to.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Prodigee(m): 4:18pm On Dec 29

@OP: Welcome to the jet age...no time for time.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by omodapson(m): 4:19pm On Dec 29

I would have to support this assertion. We now have a new form of written language, (no language is exempted) which is destructive to the way we communicate. Before long, abnormalities may become the norm and we may not have answers to right the wrong.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by bara pistis(m): 4:23pm On Dec 29

the thing they affect person die....
me don go back to school lol, as i don forget the spelling of most common words

Source: http://www.nairaland.com/1145632/smartphones-affecting-written-spoken-english

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Washington State men beat Idaho State 74-39 - Sat, 29 Dec 2012 PST

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Washington State?Cougars
(Full-size photo)

KENNEWICK ? This trip to the Tri-Cities felt very business-like for the Washington State men?s basketball team.

Get in, win, get out. And get on with a stretch of games that figure to be much more difficult than the one the Cougars played Saturday afternoon at the frigid Toyota Center.

An overmatched Idaho State team offered WSU little resistance in its nonconference finale, as the Cougars led by 20 points at halftime and rolled to a 74-39 win before 4,590 mostly crimson supporters in a home-away-from-home game.

WSU finishes its nonleague schedule with a 9-4 record, three of those losses coming by two or fewer points. The Cougars have yet to defeat a team from a BCS conference ? they?ve played just two ? but coach Ken Bone said he?s relatively pleased with his team?s progress since the start of the season.

?If I were to put a letter grade on it, I would say a B-plus,? Bone said. ?It?s not exactly where we want to be, but I think we?ve made great strides in certain areas that could really help us out in Pac-12 play.?

One of those areas, Bone said, is the acclimation of senior Mike Ladd to the point guard position. Ladd steadied WSU during a sloppy start on Saturday, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the game?s first 12 minutes.

?Mike again stepped up and provided what we needed,? Bone said. ?It?s being a point guard and running the show, but at the same time tonight it was providing points at a time we had a hard time getting points.?

Another facet of WSU?s game that pleases Bone: the Cougars? ability to find shots for senior forward and leading scorer Brock Motum, who scored 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting against ISU?s unconventional 1-3-1 zone defense.

?We know our strengths,? said sophomore guard DaVonte Lacy, who scored 16 points. ?We go to Brock and we go to whoever?s on fire. Mike played well today so we went to him. I think we know our strengths, we know where our bread is buttered so that?s what we?re going to continue to get better at.?

The butter went on smooth enough yesterday. WSU was simply the superior team, and enjoyed overwhelming margins in a number of statistical categories ? field-goal percentage (49.0 to 37.2), second-chance points (20-0) and, perhaps most important to Bone and the Cougars, rebounding (43-16 overall and 15-2 on the offensive glass).

?Rebounding is a big key,? said Ladd, who also led the team with nine rebounds. ?Defensive rebounding, blocking out, finding guys, and (also) on the offensive end.?

They did all of that against the Bengals (1-10). No ISU player had more than three rebounds, and the game was won in the first half when WSU allowed ISU to shoot just 6 for 20 from the field. That fueled a 34-14 halftime lead.

?We?ve got to try to put two halves together every game,? Motum said. ?If we played defense the same way we did tonight in the first half in the second half, they?d have had 28 for the game and that?d have been outstanding.?

That?s where WSU has been most consistent. Entering the weekend, the Cougars led the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 56.5 points per game, and ranked second in field-goal percentage defense at 37.3.

Idaho State might have hung around longer than it did if it had been able to make some shots. The Bengals actually led, 8-6, with 10:51 remaining in the first half. But the Cougars reeled off a 10-0 run, ISU made just three field goals the rest of the half and WSU won for the seventh time in eight games.

Pac-12 play begins Jan. 5 with a game in Pullman against Washington.

?We want to continue our momentum,? Lacy said. ?I don?t think we?ve lost since the Gonzaga game, so we want to keep that win streak alive going into next?week.?

Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/dec/29/washington-state-men-beat-idaho-state-74-39/

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

The iMac In A World Of MacBooks On The Brink Of iPads

Modern Apple owes pretty much everything to the iMac. Yes, it was the iPod and later the iPhone and iPad that took the company to new, almost unimaginable heights. But as everyone knows, the company was at death?s door when Steve Jobs unveiled the ?Bondi Blue? iMac in 1998. The iMac saved Apple, giving the company the time to do everything else that followed. But as we enter 2013, the world is a much different place than 1998. Beyond the aforementioned iPods, iPhones, and iPads, in the ?traditional? computing space, everyone seems to be using a laptop nowadays. In fact, something like three quarters of Apple?s Mac sales are now made up of their MacBook lines. And yet, the iMac still exists.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/JftoWhlD38k/

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We Both Go Down Together (Unqualified Offerings)

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UFO-shaped gas station among this year's 'Preservation Wins'

13 hrs.

A. Pawlowski , NBC News contributor

It?s a travel itinerary as eclectic as they come: From a gas station shaped like a UFO, to an inn once proclaimed one of the most magnificent hotels in the country, to mystical rock pillars that fascinated an ancient culture.

Put them all together and you have part of a collection that may make history buffs smile and explorers reach for their maps.

Behold the list of ?Preservation Wins of 2012? put together by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that has made it its mission to save America?s historic sites.

?These are places that were threatened in some way ? whether it was demolishing them or (fearing they would) fail and maybe they wouldn?t be preserved ? and essentially, they ended up being maintained or restored,? said Rebecca Morgan, a spokeswoman for the trust.

The list was assembled in no particular order???Morgan declined to rank the successes, calling each a great save.

Here are the sites that made the cut:

Cesar Ch?vez National Monument???Keene, Calif.
In October, President Obama designated the property known as Nuestra Se?ora Reina de la Paz???the home, workplace and burial site of labor leader C?sar Ch?vez ? a national monument.

?This site marks the extraordinary achievements and contributions to the history of the United States made by C?sar Ch?vez and the farm worker movement that he led with great vision and fortitude,? the presidential proclamation reads.

?La Paz reflects his conviction that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.?

National Trust President Stephanie Meeks applauded the move, noting it was a big first step in celebrating the life and legacy of Ch?vez.

Howard Theatre ? Washington
This historic landmark, which helped launch the careers of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes, sat vacant for decades, the trust said.

But in the spring of 2012, it was restored to its original 1910 appearance after a $29 million renovation. The venue is now once again showcasing artists and drawing stars including B.B. King, Little Richard and Tracy Morgan.

Michigan Bell Building???Detroit, Mich.
Built in 1929 as the headquarters for Western Electric, this building was transformed this year from a vacant warehouse into a mixed-use space that will provide housing for the homeless, the trust noted.

The Neighborhood Service Organization, a Detroit nonprofit group, took charge of the project, creating 155 furnished, one-bedroom apartments inside the structure, along with a health care clinic, gym, library, computer room, art and music rooms, and a chapel.

'The Flying Saucer' Phillips 66 Gas Station???St. Louis.
When local preservationists found out this former gas station was threatened with demolition, they launched a public campaign to save the landmark, the trust said. Built in 1967, the glass and concrete building features a 120-foot circular roof and is a ?prized example of mid-century modern architecture,? the activists told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Their work paid off. In September, the saucer-shaped structure opened as a Starbucks and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chimney Rock National Monument???Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Located on more than 4,000 acres in the San Juan National Forest and home to the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians, this area was designated a national monument by President Obama in September.

?It is a living landscape that shapes those who visit it and brings people together across time,? he noted in a statement.

The ancient inhabitants who lived here 1,000 years ago left behind more than 200 homes and ceremonial structures on the mesa overlooking the two stone spires called Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. The moon rises perfectly between the rocks every 18.6 years.

The National Trust calls the area the single most important cultural site managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Pillsbury A Mill???Minneapolis, Minn.
Declaring the mill ?a masterpiece of industrial architecture and the largest and most advanced facility in the world at the time of its completion in 1881,? the trust included the vacant complex on its list of America?s 2011 Most Endangered Historic Places.

But this year, local lawmakers gave a thumbs-up to a plan which will convert the building into 250 low-income apartments.

Los Angeles Boyle Hotel???Los Angeles
Built in 1889, the hotel later fell into disrepair and was converted into an apartment complex. The nonprofit East Los Angeles Community Corporation bought the property in 2006 and began an extensive renovation, seeking to restore some of its grandeur. The project was completed in August, with many of the original features back in place, including the grand staircase and foyer, the brick fa?ade, and the corner cupola and cap.

Emerson School???Denver
This 1885 schoolhouse underwent a ?green rehabilitation? in May, and now features a new geothermal heating and cooling system, a complete interior rehabilitation, window restoration, and new fencing, trees and landscaping.

Wake Forest Biotech Place???Winston Salem, N.C.
Two former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. warehouses now serve as a state-of-the-art life sciences center. Opened this year, this development enhances Winston-Salem?s rich history and architectural heritage, the trust said.

Hotel Lafayette???Buffalo, N.Y.
When it opened its doors in 1904, this inn boasted a grand lobby, enormous windows and posh rooms, prompting reviewers of the time to proclaim it "one of the most perfectly appointed and magnificent hotels in the country,? according to its biography. This year marked the completion of a rehabilitation project that converted the hotel into a mixed use building of apartments and businesses. ? ?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/ufo-shaped-gas-station-among-years-preservation-wins-1C7751714

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Microsoft hunting down Halo 4 headless Spartans | bettor.com

Microsoft hunting down Halo 4 headless Spartans

Microsoft has taken an aggressive stance against Halo 4 players that are using the headless Spartan exploit on modded consoles.

Players have complained to the company about coming across headless Spartans during their online multiplayer sessions.

The encounters have left them confused and angry at the same time, as the hit box appears to be missing and thus making it seem as if a headshot cannot be performed.

Kotaku has reported that the headless Spartan exploit can be achieved through the use of an official mod and modded Xbox 360.

Players using the exploit can remove the armour of their character completely, including the head irrespective of how weird it looks.

?Microsoft is clearly not too happy about the mod and its user and has therefore issued a statement in which it has warned Halo 4 players against using the exploit.

A representative of the company told Kotaku that a strict action is being taken against anyone found to be using the headless Spartan cheaters, which includes the banning of their accounts.

"We are aware of the issue and have already taken action to identify and ban the accounts of these modders and cheaters," said the Microsoft spokesperson.

The company further went on to assure the Halo 4 players that even though they do come across the headless Spartans during their multiplayer sessions, they can still take them down in the usual way as the hit box remains intact irrespective of the invisible head.

"We want players to know that while the mod makes a player's head and armor appear to be invisible, the hit boxes are still intact, so competing players can still defeat them as usual. While the problem was very isolated, we will continue to diligently identify and take action against all offenders."

Hacking and cheating has plagued the online space for as long as one can remember, but many companies have started to take an aggressive action against users that cheat or use hacks to gain unfair advantage over legitimate players, which is not only against the spirit of the game but also ruins the online experience for other players.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Microsoft-hunting-down-Halo-4-headless-Spartans-a211342

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What a simple eye test might predict about MS

A simple look into the eye could help clinicians know how fast multiple sclerosis (MS) will progress. Results of a new study show retinal thinning ? the membrane that covers the inner eye ? thins at a fast rate when MS occurs early and progresses rapidly.

For the study, researchers at Johns Hopkins investigators studied 164 patients from the MS clinic and followed them for 21 months. They measured the thickness of the retina every 6 months for the duration of the study period ? 59 of the patients had no disease activity.

The test is performed with a test known as OCT (optical coherence tomography) that can be performed in the doctor?s office. Patients in the study also underwent brain scans (MRI) at the start of the investigation and then yearly.

The finding showed people with active MS had 42 percent faster thinning of the retina compared to those whose disease was in remission.

Patients with multiple sclerosis with gadolinium-enhancing lesions, or ?bright spots? that appear on MRI and signal active disease, had 52% faster thinning of the retina.

Another type of scan commonly used to gauge activity of the disease is called a T2 weighted scan, also performed using magnetic resonance imaging. They also appear as bright lesions on MRI.

In the study T2 lesions were associated with 32% more rapid thinning of the eye membrane, compared to patients who did not have the activity on MRI.

Early MS - less than 5 years - was associated with 43 percent faster thinning, compared to patients who had been diagnosed with the disease more than 5 years. There was 37 percent less thinning among patients who had no change in their level of disability.

Changes in the retina of the eye have been a source of interest for researchers. Scientists know the disease is associated with inflammation and atrophy.

MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the lining of nerves in the brain, known as myelin, which is what leads to symptoms of lack of coordination and vision problems. There is no cure for the disease. Symptoms vary widely between patients. Some people do well with no treatment, while others experience devastating symptoms.

Treatment is geared toward slowing down progression of the disease that can come and go. For other patients, MS progresses rapidly.

The finding suggests a simple eye test could be used to measure the effectiveness of therapies used to treat the disease. Nerve cells in the retina of the eye don?t have a myelin sheath like brain cells do. Retinal thinning that can be performed with a simple eye exam might be an early sign that MS is progressing.

Source:
Neurology
"Active MS is associated with accelerated retinal ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer thinning"
John N. Ratchford, MD, et al
January 1, 2013

Image credit:
Moreguefile

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/what-simple-eye-test-might-predict-about-multiple-sclerosis

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Apple granted design patent for fourth-gen iPod touch, reminds us of the shorter, plumper past

Merry Christmas! The USPTO is celebrating in a big way, with the copyright stamp making some pretty big rounds today. First up is a design patent for an iPod touch, which Cupertino filed back in August of 2011. It looks to be the fourth-gen model from 2010, especially given that the patent focuses on the very rounded edges. This iPod touch was the first version to include both front- and rear-facing cameras, and in any case, the design is miles thicker and shorter than this year's touch. As Patently Apple points out, this document also happens to be one of the last to list Steve Jobs as an inventor.

Filed under: Cellphones, Apple