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A Republican group in Kansas wants Topeka city officials to remove fluoride from the city's drinking water in order to preserve the intelligence of legislators in the state's capital.
Citing concerns about the chemical's impact on IQ, the Kansas Republican Assembly, a conservative group that has campaigned against fluoridation, is sending a letter to Topeka's top leaders urging that the city's fluoride pipe be shut off during the annual legislative session. A draft of the letter and the minutes of the group's January meeting where the proposal was made surfaced on the KRA's website in recent days.
The minutes read:
After hearing the fluoride update, Brian Coss made a motion for the KRA Secretary to write a tactful letter to each Topeka City Council member, Topeka?s City Manager, and Topeka Mayor Bill Bunten, asking that the fluoride valve be turned off during the legislative session to protect our legislators from potential loss of I.Q. and other negative side effects of fluoride while in Topeka. In addition to our legislators and the many others who go to Topeka during the session, Topeka residents would also benefit from the move, and the city could save a lot of money. Eric Henderson seconded the motion, and after some discussion, the 33 members present approved the motion unanimously.
Mark Gietzen, the president of the KRA, told The Huffington Post that a study from the Harvard University School of Public Health released last year confirmed the group's fears about the impacts of fluoride. The Harvard study said that children exposed to flouride had lower IQs than those not exposed to it. The report was based on studies conducted on children in China.
"They are finding that it's doing damage to children?s brains and lowering IQ," Gietzen told HuffPost. "It is probably having the same effects on adults.?
Critics of the Harvard report at the time pointed to other studies that show fluoride has no long-term impact on children's intelligence.
Still, the KRA has made fluoridation a key issue. Last year, the group was active in a successful campaign to defeat a referendum in Wichita to add fluoride to the city's drinking water. The group has drafted a resolution for state legislators to call on local governments in the state to remove fluoride from the water supply.
Fluoride is often added to drinking water to help fight tooth decay. Gietzen told HuffPost that while fluoride has benefits for teeth, those should be obtained through the use of the ingredient in toothpaste, not through drinking water. He pointed to toothpaste packages that warn consumers not to swallow the product. In addition to the chemical's alleged affects on IQ, Gietzen said he and his colleagues count brittle bones and prostate issues among their health concerns about fluoridation.
?Lowering IQ is a terrible thing to do to a population," Gietzen said. "I can?t believe I am alone in it being an urgent thing to take care of.?
He is currently working with officials in Lawrence and Salina in an effort to remove fluoride from the drinking water in those cities.
Topeka Councilman Chad Manspeaker told HuffPost that he has not yet received a letter from the KRA regarding fluoride and its alleged impact on legislators. He did say that he questions the group's decision to use scientific research in its current proposal, considering issues previously advocated by the KRA were not based in science.
Manspeaker, a leader in Kansas's liberal Democratic wing, does not believe legislators should be concerned about the effects of fluoride in Topeka's drinking water, nor is he concerned about the impact of the chemical on intelligence. But he suggested, jokingly, that the conservative KRA may disagree.
?They would likely point to me as a argument for why the water is bad," Manspeaker said, "but I?ve been drinking it my whole life and I?m fine."
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The 'Idol' alum 'just sailed through it like it was nothing,' Jewel tells MTV News about rerecording 'Foolish Games' together.
By Cory Midgarden
Jewel and Kelly Clarkson
Photo: Getty Images
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702111/jewel-kelly-clarkson-foolish-games.jhtml
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Since captivating the world with his groundbreaking Olympic trip to London, Oscar Pistorius' life seemed like an extended victory lap.More than 230,000 Twitter followers have been given a glimpse into a life of fast cars and luxury holidays as the hero was feted by an adoring public. The ``Blade Runner'' has reveled in the fame that came from becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Among dozens of tweets in recent weeks, there are only a scattering of references to the girlfriend he is now accused of killing earlier Thursday.
Quoting a tweet from Reeva Steenkamp on Dec. 6 _ ``Wondering what my stalker is up to? Kinda miss him lurking around 2nyt'' _ Pistorius replies: ``Heard he is taking a water break with the boys!;)''
Steenkamp gushed over Pistorius on Twitter, seeming to relish going out with one of South Africa's biggest stars.
By contrast, there was little outpouring of affection from Pistorius, although there was no indication their relationship had soured or that his mindset had darkened.
The only reference to guns was a Twitter image of him on Nov. 28, 2011, firing off rounds at a shooting range, and a boast: ``Had a 96% headshot over 300m from 50shots! Bam!'')
Steenkamp was shot four times at Pistorius' home in Pretoria early on Thursday. With his arrest and charge, Pistorius went from podium to police cell.
At the Olympics in August, Pistorius reached the finals of the 4x400 relay and semifinal in the 400 sprint, with his carbon fiber blades clattering into the history books on the London track.
... contd.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/oscar-pistorius-twitter-feed-is-a-long-victory-lap/1074726/
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Now that we?ve got multiple upcoming Star Wars movies in development, I guess we need to prepare ourselves for the fact that Star Wars rumours are going to become a weekly, if not daily, reality for the foreseeable future. Something tells me that for the first time, it?s going to be awfully hard to avoid spoilers for an upcoming J.J. Abrams flick. Everyone is dying for more information and it would seem that many of the people behind the scenes are all too eager to talk about it. This week we?ve already got our very first casting rumour for the next Star Wars movie and while I wouldn?t exactly call it a bombshell, it?s definitely going to get people talking. Believe it or not, it looks like Harrison Ford is the first actor to officially commit to starring in Star Wars: Episode VII.
It's not often we hear about Vimeo making any type of acquisition, but today the company let it be known that it has picked up the team (and assets) behind Echograph, an iOS application that focuses on turning videos into animated GIFs. What's more, Vimeo, as part of the move, is making Echograph a gratis download going forward, marking a notable shift from the previous charge of about three bucks for the app. According to Vimeo, Echograph creator Nick Alt will also go from CEO of Clear-Media, the app's previous owner, to taking on the role of Vice President of Mobile at the video-focused firm, adding that his "proven track record of building innovative video apps made it a perfect fit for Vimeo." No details were given on the deal's financial terms, but we can only imagine a good amount of fancy GIFs were made in order to help celebrate the new property.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Vimeo
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TUCSON, Ariz. ? Real Salt Lake drew its opening match of the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup on Wednesday night, tying the New York Red Bulls 2-2 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
RSL head coach Jason Kreis ran out a reserve-laden starting lineup, beginning the match with zero expected 2013 regulars on the field. New York took a different approach, running Designated Players Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill out in a strong first XI.
Joao Plata and Cole Grossman scored for RSL.
RED-HOT WRANGLERS CORRAL GRIZZLIES
WEST VALLEY CITY ? The Las Vegas Wranglers broke up a 3-2 third-period game to beat the Utah Grizzlies 5-2 Wednesday evening at Maverik Center. Las Vegas won its eighth straight game.
? Deseret News staff and wire reports
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This blog is meant as a community for those suffering from and recovering eating disorders, but those who are lucky enough to not have one are welcome to browse. If you find something on this blog triggering, mis-tagged, etc., please tell us! We'll do what we can to fix the problem. If you have ideas of your own, we do appreciate submissions However, be advised that pro-ED submissions will be laughed at and deleted.
I hope you enjoy your stay.
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Calcutta, Feb. 13: Coal India has posted a 9 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 4,395 crore in the third quarter ended December against Rs 4,037 crore in the same period last year on the back of higher sales.
Net income from operations of the PSU miner stood at Rs 17,325 crore, an increase of 13 per cent over the same period a year ago. Total expenses went up to Rs 13,457 crore because of an increased spending on employee benefits.
?The growth has been on account of a growth in volume. We did not increase prices,? chairman S. Narsing Rao said.
Total production increased 2 per cent to 117 million tonnes (mt) from 114.6mt during the October-December period of the last fiscal. Coal offtake rose to 120mt from 110mt in the year-ago quarter.
For the nine months ended December, production stood at 308.91mt against 291.24mt in the same period last year. Sales through e-auction fell 5.34 per cent to 34.24mt.
The miner has set an output target of 464mt during 2013-14. Rao said he was hopeful of meeting the target and urged Indian Railways to provide more rakes to increase offtake. ?We have to increase our production by 10 per cent from today to reach the target,? Rao said. ?We need to have at least 238 rakes per day.?
In the third quarter, 190.3 rakes were loaded per day on an average against 171.8 rakes in the year-ago period.
Meanwhile, the deregulation of diesel price for bulk consumers will cost Coal India around Rs 1,300 crore a year. ?Diesel price hike of Re 1 costs us Rs 120 crore a year and the increase is Rs 11 a litre. Cost will increase accordingly,? Rao said.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130214/jsp/business/story_16560492.jsp
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Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American who has gone on to become a best-selling science fiction writer. We talk about his latest book, Extinction, an apocalyptic tale hinging on brain-machine interfaces.
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Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American who has gone on to become a best-selling science fiction writer. We talk about his latest book, Extinction, an apocalyptic tale hinging on brain-machine interfaces.???????? ?
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Feb. 13, 2013 ? A search for genes that change their levels of expression in response to nutrient deprivation has uncovered potential clues to the mechanism underlying the health benefits of omega fatty acids. In the Feb. 15 issue of Genes & Development, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers describe finding that feeding omega-6 fatty acids to C. elegans roundworms or adding them to cultured human cells activates a cellular renewal process called autophagy, which may be deficient in several important diseases of aging. A process by which defective or worn-out cellular components and molecules are broken down for removal or recycling, autophagy is also activated in metabolically stressful situations, allowing cells to survive by self-digesting nonessential components.
"Enhanced autophagy implies improved clearance of old or damaged cellular components and a more efficient immune response," says Eyleen O'Rourke, PhD, of MGH Molecular Biology, lead author of the report. "It has been suggested that autophagy can extend lifespan by maintaining cellular function, and in humans a breakdown in autophagic function may involved in diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson's disease, and in a more complex way in cancer and metabolic syndrome."
O'Rourke is a research fellow in the laboratory of MGH investigator Gary Ruvkun, PhD, whose team investigates the development, longevity and metabolism of C.elegans. Ruvkun and other researchers have discovered that simple mutations in genetic pathways conserved throughout evolution can double or triple the lifespan of C. elegans and that similar mutations in the corresponding mammalian pathways also regulate lifespan. Many of these mutations also make animals resistant to starvation, suggesting that common molecular mechanisms may underlie both response to nutrient deprivation and the regulation of lifespan.
To find these mechanisms O'Rourke searched genomic databases covering many types of animals for shared genes that respond to fasting by changing their expression. She found that expression of the C. elegans gene lipl-4 increases up to seven times in worms not given access to nutrients. A transgenic strain that constantly expresses elevated levels of lipl-4, even when given full access to food, was found to have increased levels of arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6, and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid and to resist the effects of starvation.
Following the implication that omega fatty acids stimulate a process leading to starvation resistance, the researchers found that feeding AA and another omega-6 fatty acid, but not EPA, activated autophagy in non-transgenic C. elegans with full access to nutrients. Since activation of autophagy has been shown to increase lifespan in several genetic models, the authors tested the effect of omega-6 fatty acids on C. elegans lifespan and found that roundworms consuming a full normal diet supplemented with omega-6 fatty acids lived 20 to 25 percent longer than usual.
Since dietary supplementation with both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids has been shown to prevent or improve several human health conditions, the researchers tested the response of cultured human cells to omega fatty acid supplementation. As in C. elegans, the human cells responded to supplementation with the omega-6 acids, but not to EPA, by activation of autophagy, measured by levels of marker proteins. That result suggests that omega-6 acids induce autophagy across the full range of multicellular animal species. The researchers then showed that the lifespan-increasing properties of omega-6 fatty acids in C. elegans depend on the presence of genes required for autophagy.
"Almost all the mechanisms of lifespan extension studied until now -- sterility, insulin insensitivity, and caloric restriction -- have been shown to depend on activation of autophagy," says O'Rourke. "Our finding that omega-6 supplementation activated roundworms' cellular response to fasting -- namely autophagy -- even though the worms were eating normally suggests that consumption of omega-6 fatty acids may provide the benefits of caloric restriction without the need to limit food consumption. It also suggests that the reported benefits of omega-6 acids could depend in part on activation of an evolutionarily ancient program for surviving food deprivation."
O'Rourke and her co-authors note that many investigators and clinicians believe that omega-6 fatty acids -- commonly found in meats, poultry and vegetable oils -- may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, despite epidemiologic evidence that omega-6 consumption actually reduces cardiovascular risks. "We hope that our findings -- made by investigating the cellular responses of a 1-millimeter roundworm -- will lead the scientific and medical community to look back at all the epidemiologic, basic and clinical research data and to study the effects of omega-6 fatty acids on multiple types of human cells and live animals in order to gain better knowledge on how balanced intake of these nutrients benefits human health," she says.
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Vaccines could be kept for longer and administered more easily in the next few years, if research at King's College London pans out. The delivery method uses a dried vaccine and micro-needles made, amazingly, out of sugar.
It's not quite a candy-coated hypodermic, but that's actually pretty close. The researchers, led by Dr. Linda Klavinskis, were attempting to solve two problems. First, hypodermic delivery can be painful and requires some expertise. Second, keeping vaccines alive and cold is difficult, especially in places like rural Africa, where such help is desperately needed.
As it turned out, there was one solution for both problems: sugar. The team managed to preserve a vaccine dose by drying it in sugar, and then form that sugar into a set of microneedles. The end result is a tiny disc covered in microscopic spikes that penetrate the skin painlessly and dissolve, delivering the vaccine instantly.
It has only been tested on mice so far, but there doesn't seem to be any reason why the mechanism shouldn't work on humans. Further testing will be required, but the potential is huge: These little vaccine patches would stay viable for much longer and in a greater range of temperatures, meaning they could be transported easily, air-dropped or simply mailed to anyone who needs them. No expertise necessary to administer.
There are other efforts to modernize the science of vaccine delivery, including other dissolving patches. Several were described a few months ago in this NBC News story.
The multi-institutional research project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has contributed immensely to the immunization and vaccination effort worldwide. Gates himself considers it the foundation's most important work, as he explained in an online Q&A on Reddit Monday.
The paper describing the technique was published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More information can be found at the King's College London website, and in the video below.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
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A unanimous vote with endless possibilities.
On Monday, the Lansing City Council voted to market for sale a massive piece of city-owned land containing the former Waverly Golf Course and Michigan Avenue Park. An important step in what Mayor Virg Bernero says is necessary for the city.
"We've recognized that things are different," said Mayor Bernero. "We're downsizing, we've downsized our employees and in the same way, we have to downsize the amount of property that we own."
In turn, selling the property could bring some much-needed money into Lansing.
"Now is the time to really put up the 'for sale' sign and invite the private sector and say, 'hey, what would you like to see here?," said the Mayor. "'What would you pay to put here?'"
Mayor Bernero says there currently aren't any bids on the property, but he has received some calls from people who are interested. Since the land technically sits in Lansing Township, Councilman Brian Jeffries says the township must be included in any development decisions for the property.
"It may require some additional change in zoning that would require the township to step forward," said Jeffries.
Jeffries agrees there are plenty of possibilities for the land. He also knows what doesn't want to see put there.
"My preference is not to see another strip mall there," said Jeffries. "We have enough strip malls along Saginaw."
The Mayor says he's looking for anything that will help the region.
"What I want to see is development and jobs," said Mayor Bernero.
The land, in question, has yet to be appraised, so there is currently no number value on it.
Source: http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/City-Council-OKs-Waverly-Golf-Course-Sale-190788761.html
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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Feb. 12, 2013 // GLOBE NEWSWIRE // - Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:DFRH) ("DRH" or the "Company"), the creator, developer and operator of the unique, full-service, ultra-casual restaurant and bar Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern(R) ("Bagger Dave's") and one of the largest franchisees for Buffalo Wild Wings(R) ("BWW"), announced preliminary sales results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 30, 2012.
Total revenue for the 2012 fourth quarter (a 14-week period) increased nearly 64% to approximately $26.3 million from $16.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 (a 13-week period). For the full year 2012 (a 53-week period), the Company estimates total revenue increased approximately 28.0% to $77.6 million compared with $60.7 million in 2011 (a 52-week period). At the end of 2012, the Company had 45 restaurants operating, comprised of 12 Bagger Dave's and 33 BWW, an increase of 61% from 28 restaurants at the end of 2011. Excluding the additional week, same-store-sales were up 9.2% and 7.6% for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012, respectively.
"We accomplished a great deal in 2012. In addition to achieving record sales performance, we added 17 restaurants to our portfolio through organic expansion, acquisitions, and franchising. We continued to strengthen the brand recognition of Bagger Dave's by opening six new restaurants, including one franchise, and we augmented our team to enable continued growth," commented T. Michael Ansley, President and CEO of DRH.
"Through our acquisition of nine Buffalo Wild Wings' franchised restaurants, we expanded our geographic footprint into the Indiana and Illinois markets and consequently established our first Bagger Dave's in the Indianapolis market. We believe our differentiated concepts and the brand affinity shown by our customers have made these results possible."
The increase in the number of restaurants was the result of two expansion programs. The Company opened nine restaurants, six Bagger Dave's and three BWW, during 2012 which included the late fourth quarter opening of the largest BWW, by square footage, in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The first franchised Bagger Dave's was also opened in Missouri in June 2012. Additionally, the Company acquired eight BWW restaurants with four operating in Illinois and four in Indiana. The acquisition included the right to develop a fifth Indiana BWW restaurant location, which the Company intends to open by the end of 2013.
In 2013, the Company plans to open 11 to 13 additional restaurants which will be comprised mostly of Bagger Dave's. Over the next five years, in total, the Company expects to open 35 to 45 new Bagger Dave's and 14 new Buffalo Wild Wings.
Preliminary results remain subject to the completion of normal year-end accounting procedures and are subject to change. The Company expects to release financial and operating results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 30, 2012 in mid-March.
Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. ("DRH" or the "Company") is the owner, operator, and franchisor of the unique, full-service, ultra-casual restaurant concept, Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern(R) ("Bagger Dave's") and one of the largest Buffalo Wild Wings(R) ("BWW") franchisees. Between the two concepts, the Company currently operates 44 corporate-owned restaurants in Michigan, Florida, Illinois, and Indiana, and one franchised Bagger Dave's in Missouri, for a total of 45 restaurants. The Company routinely posts news and other important information on its website at www.diversifiedrestaurantholdings.com.
Bagger Dave's offers a full-service, family-friendly restaurant and bar with a casual, comfortable atmosphere. The menu features freshly-made burgers (never frozen), accompanied by more than 30 toppings from which to choose, along with fresh-cut fries, hand-dipped milkshakes, and a selection of craft beer and wine. Signature items include Sloppy Dave's BBQ(R), Train Wreck Burger(R), and Bagger Dave's Amazingly Delicious Turkey Black Bean Chili(R). The Bagger Dave's concept emphasizes local flair by showcasing historical photos of the city in which each restaurant resides and features an electric train that runs above the dining room and bar areas. Currently, there are 11 corporate-owned locations and one franchised location. For more information, visit www.baggerdaves.com.
DRH operates 33 BWW restaurants: 15 in Michigan, 10 in Florida, four in Illinois and four in Indiana. The Company has opened 19 new BWW restaurants in fulfillment of its 32-restaurant Area Development Agreement ("ADA") with franchisor Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (Nasdaq:BWLD). The remaining 13 restaurants under the ADA agreement, along with an additional franchise agreement in Indiana, suggest that the Company will operate 47 BWW's by 2017.
The information made available in this news release contains forward-looking statements which reflect DRH's current view of future events, results of operations, cash flows, performance, business prospects and opportunities. Wherever used, the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "will continue," "will likely result," "may," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements as such term is defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and the Company's actual growth, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance, business prospects and opportunities could differ materially from historical results or current expectations. Some of these risks include, without limitation, the impact of economic and industry conditions, competition, food and drug safety issues, restaurant expansion and remodeling, labor relations issues, costs of providing employee benefits, regulatory matters, legal and administrative proceedings, information technology, security, severe weather, natural disasters, accounting matters, other risk factors relating to our business or industry and other risks detailed from time to time in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of DRH. Forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date made and, thus, DRH undertakes no obligation to update or publicly announce the revision of any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect new information, future events, developments or changed circumstances or for any other reason.
Investor
Deborah K. Pawlowski
Kei Advisors LLC
716.843.3908
dpawlowski@keiadvisors.com
Company
David Burke
Chief Financial Officer
248.223.9160
###
Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130212_diversified_restaurant_holdings_reports_preliminar.html
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Feb. 11, 2013 ? Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.
Robots are increasingly being used in the manufacturing industry to perform tasks that bring them into closer contact with humans. But while a great deal of work is being done to ensure robots and humans can operate safely side-by-side, more effort is needed to make robots smart enough to work effectively with people, says Julie Shah, an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT and head of the Interactive Robotics Group in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
"People aren't robots, they don't do things the same way every single time," Shah says. "And so there is a mismatch between the way we program robots to perform tasks in exactly the same way each time and what we need them to do if they are going to work in concert with people."
Most existing research into making robots better team players is based on the concept of interactive reward, in which a human trainer gives a positive or negative response each time a robot performs a task.
However, human studies carried out by the military have shown that simply telling people they have done well or badly at a task is a very inefficient method of encouraging them to work well as a team.
So Shah and PhD student Stefanos Nikolaidis began to investigate whether techniques that have been shown to work well in training people could also be applied to mixed teams of humans and robots. One such technique, known as cross-training, sees team members swap roles with each other on given days. "This allows people to form a better idea of how their role affects their partner and how their partner's role affects them," Shah says.
In a paper to be presented at the International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction in Tokyo in March, Shah and Nikolaidis will present the results of experiments they carried out with a mixed group of humans and robots, demonstrating that cross-training is an extremely effective team-building tool.
To allow robots to take part in the cross-training experiments, the pair first had to design a new algorithm to allow the devices to learn from their role-swapping experiences. So they modified existing reinforcement-learning algorithms to allow the robots to take in not only information from positive and negative rewards, but also information gained through demonstration. In this way, by watching their human counterparts switch roles to carry out their work, the robots were able to learn how the humans wanted them to perform the same task.
Each human-robot team then carried out a simulated task in a virtual environment, with half of the teams using the conventional interactive reward approach, and half using the cross-training technique of switching roles halfway through the session. Once the teams had completed this virtual training session, they were asked to carry out the task in the real world, but this time sticking to their own designated roles.
Shah and Nikolaidis found that the period in which human and robot were working at the same time -- known as concurrent motion -- increased by 71 percent in teams that had taken part in cross-training, compared to the interactive reward teams. They also found that the amount of time the humans spent doing nothing -- while waiting for the robot to complete a stage of the task, for example -- decreased by 41 percent.
What's more, when the pair studied the robots themselves, they found that the learning algorithms recorded a much lower level of uncertainty about what their human teammate was likely to do next -- a measure known as the entropy level -- if they had been through cross-training.
Finally, when responding to a questionnaire after the experiment, human participants in cross-training were far more likely to say the robot had carried out the task according to their preferences than those in the reward-only group, and reported greater levels of trust in their robotic teammate. "This is the first evidence that human-robot teamwork is improved when a human and robot train together by switching roles, in a manner similar to effective human team training practices," Nikolaidis says.
Shah believes this improvement in team performance could be due to the greater involvement of both parties in the cross-training process. "When the person trains the robot through reward it is one-way: The person says 'good robot' or the person says 'bad robot,' and it's a very one-way passage of information," Shah says. "But when you switch roles the person is better able to adapt to the robot's capabilities and learn what it is likely to do, and so we think that it is adaptation on the person's side that results in a better team performance."
The work shows that strategies that are successful in improving interaction among humans can often do the same for humans and robots, says Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. "People easily attribute human characteristics to a robot and treat it socially, so it is not entirely surprising that this transfer from the human-human domain to the human-robot domain not only made the teamwork more efficient, but also enhanced the experience for the participants, in terms of trusting the robot," Dautenhahn says.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Helen Knight.
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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FILE - This undated file family photo provided by Damon Stewart shows 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton of Chicago who was was shot Jan. 29, 2013 while she talked with friends in a park about a mile from President Barack Obama?s Chicago home. First Lady Michelle Obama will join some of Illinois? most recognizable politicians and clergy to mourn the 15-year-old honor student whose death has drawn attention to staggering gun violence in the nation?s third-largest city. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Damon Stewart, File)
FILE - This undated file family photo provided by Damon Stewart shows 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton of Chicago who was was shot Jan. 29, 2013 while she talked with friends in a park about a mile from President Barack Obama?s Chicago home. First Lady Michelle Obama will join some of Illinois? most recognizable politicians and clergy to mourn the 15-year-old honor student whose death has drawn attention to staggering gun violence in the nation?s third-largest city. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Damon Stewart, File)
CHICAGO (AP) ? Two men were taken into custody Sunday as "persons of interest" in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Chicago girl, a Chicago police spokeswoman said.
Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said the two men, ages 18 and 20, were taken into custody early Sunday morning and are being questioned. She said no charges have been filed.
The development comes one day after Hadiya Pendleton's funeral, which was attended by first lady Michelle Obama and several other dignitaries.
Pendleton was shot to death Jan. 29 in a park that is about a mile from President Barack Obama's home on the city's South Side. Police have said Pendleton was an innocent victim in a gang-related shooting.
Just days before her death, the band majorette was among the performers during events for Obama's inauguration.
Her slaying brought new attention to Chicago's homicide rate, and came in a January that was the city's deadliest in a decade. In 2012, Chicago recorded 506 homicides.
Among the other dignitaries at Saturday's funeral were Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush.
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I'm still trying to perfect hat hair. With the nasty winter weather we've been trudging through in the Northeast (thanks Nemo!), you'd think I'd have it down pat by now. Yet, my naturally curly hair takes Gumby form as soon as I put on a slick topper. Womp! Womp!
But after seeing Janelle Mon?e's hat hair at the 2013 Grammys (and at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala), I haven't lost hope just yet.
The "Cold War" singer looked dapper in her signature black-and-white uniform. As she reminisced with E! host Giuliana Rancic about crowd surfing at the 2011 Grammys, we zoned in on Mon?e's perfectly-perched pompadour. A natural at sculpting the retro-inspired hairstyle herself, she admitted to Rancic that she relied on stylists for tonight's event.
Mon?e's pompadour has just the right amount of sheen so that it doesn't go missing underneath her black bolero. And can we discuss her matte foundation, well-groomed brows and bright red lipstick? She's owning her CoverGirl status!
What do you think about Janelle Mon?e's Grammys hairstyle? Should she toss the bolero hat? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.
See all the fashion hits and misses at the 2013 Grammy Awards in our continually-updated slideshow below!
Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostBeauty. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)
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Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/janelle-monae-hair-grammys-2013_n_2658989.html
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? A room full of engineers, computer whizzes and technicians brought the crew of the Starship Enterprise down to Earth for a night at the Sci-Tech Oscars.
Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine hosted the annual awards dinner in which the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences beams its spotlight on the latter half of its name.
"We're truly humbled, by all means, man. We can fly into space because of you," Saldana told honorees at the event Saturday night.
The "Avatar" and "Star Trek" star pumped her fist and shouted "WETA!" before the first of two teams from the New Zealand-based special effects house, which worked on "Avatar," took the stage.
Pine and Saldana took turns attempting to describe technical accomplishments like "pose space deformation" and "wavelet turbulence." Pine allowed that one software innovation was too complex for "dumb actors" to fully comprehend.
It was a mostly rare brush with Hollywood glitz for the 26 men who received plaques, certificates and one statuette on a stage adorned with four large Oscar statues.
Steve LaVietes, a backend pipeline architect at Sony Pictures Imageworks, said he often had to "dispel the misconceptions of friends and family members about our glamorous lifestyle. Mostly because we sit in the dark typing and drawing diagrams on whiteboards."
"Just for tonight we can let that slide because what's more glamorous than the crew of the Starship Enterprise?" he said. He was being recognized for work on Katana, software used in "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Paranorman" that allows artists to make changes efficiently to large computer graphics scenes.
Richard Mall, honored for creating the Matthews Max menace arm rig used to place lighting in hard-to-reach spots on sets, choked up after thanking his parents.
"I kind of just built something in my garage," Mall said. "I'm a little nervous because as a key grip for 36 years, if I see a camera in front of me, I'm in the wrong place."
Visual effects supervisor Bill Taylor noted in receiving one of the night's top honors that the green- and blue-screen pioneer Petro Vlahos, a two-time Oscar winner, was near death.
"He created the whole of composite photography as we know it at this time," Taylor said of Vlahos, who he described as a mentor. "Whenever you see Mary Poppins dancing with penguins, when you see Pi in a boat in the middle of the ocean ... you are seeing ... Vlahos' genius at work."
Saldana, who danced to the house band during lulls in the presentation, was the lone woman on stage. Many of the winners noted long hours spent away from families and thanked their wives for support of what Drew Olbrich of PDI/DreamWorks termed "all my geeky endeavors."
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www.oscars.org
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson: http://twitter.com/ryanwrd
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tech-innovators-honored-oscars-dinner-093136468.html
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I am not one to write about award recipients but I find it pretty awesome that the founders of?Mo De, a mobile micro finance company from Kenya, won the IBM SmartCamp entrepreneur of the year award this week in New York. Julian Kyula and Josphat K. Kinyua started Mo De to fill a need that impacts the millions of African customers who buy mobile service by the minute. Often, people will run out of minutes at night or over the weekend and can't refill until the local telecom company reopens for business.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4XeEOIJUqcA/
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It may be crowded with heavyweights Frank Ocean and Fun, but the newbie category has recently been one of surprises.
By Rob Markman
The Lumineers
Photo: Kevin Winter
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701638/2013-grammy-awards-best-new-artist-possible-upsets.jhtml
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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank held its main interest rate at a record low of 0.75 percent on Thursday, maintaining its policy in order to see whether an economic recovery sets in later this year or is derailed by the euro's rise.
The appreciation of the euro to a 14-month peak against the dollar and a 30-month high versus the yen prompted French President Francois Hollande to call on Tuesday for an exchange rate policy to protect the currency from "irrational movements".
The ECB does not have a exchange rate policy target but the currency's rise could slow the euro zone's economic recovery and delay discussion of an exit from the ECB's crisis policy mode.
The ECB left its main interest rate on hold for the seventh month running. It also left the interest rate on its deposit facility at 0.0 percent and held its marginal lending facility - or emergency borrowing rate - at 1.50 percent.
(Writing by Paul Carrel. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecb-holds-rates-waiting-recovery-hold-124858687--business.html
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French pianist Richard Clayderman plays the piano to Galapagos tortoises Dirk, aged 70, and Polly, in an attempt to put the reptiles in the mood to mate, at London zoo, Thursday Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/PA, Lewis Whyld) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE
French pianist Richard Clayderman plays the piano to Galapagos tortoises Dirk, aged 70, and Polly, in an attempt to put the reptiles in the mood to mate, at London zoo, Thursday Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/PA, Lewis Whyld) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE
LONDON (AP) ? No wonder they're endangered.
Galapagos tortoises at London's zoo lumbered around impassively as famous French pianist Richard Clayderman serenaded them with music from his latest album, "Romantique," on Thursday.
The music ? billed by his record company as an attempt to put the reptiles in the mood to mate ? appeared lost on the slow-moving giants. The tortoises didn't appear particularly impressed by Clayderman's hit, "Ballade pour Adeline," and even a rousing rendition of "Chariots of Fire" did little to lift their spirits.
They only seemed to perk up when zookeepers brought them some carrots.
Galapagos tortoises are the largest in the world and can live for over 150 years. But the gentle animals have struggled to fend off predators and are now under threat.
Clayderman said that his golden retriever loved to lie by the piano when he was playing, "so maybe it's good for the animals to listen to music."
Maybe. But it's possible tortoises just don't appreciate what Clayderman has described as his "New Romantic" style.
Clayderman himself seemed a bit bemused by his record company's launch stunt.
"After playing all around the world ? I used to do concerts in Asia, in South America, in Europe ? it's funny to be here, in this very nice zoo," he said.
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10 drops on April 2, ahead of the group's Package Tour with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kelly Marino
New Kids on the Block
Photo: MTV News
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701559/new-kids-on-the-block-new-album-roots.jhtml
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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) ? As Indiana Jones might say: Why did it have to be the Year of the Snake?
When the Chinese-speaking world ushers in its new year on Sunday, its 12-year zodiac will turn from the dragon to one of the world's most despised animals. As undeserved as the snake's reputation might be, its last two years did not go so well: 2001 was the year of the Sept. 11 attacks and 1989 was when Chinese forces crushed pro-democracy protests around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Some wonder if this one also could hold bad tidings. "In Chinese mythology, snakes were often associated with monsters, or with incarnations of monsters, so some political turbulence can be expected," said Taiwanese astrologer Tsai Shang-chi.
Chinese New Year remains the most important festival in the region, a weeklong round of family reunions, temple visits and gastronomic excess. It is Mardi Gras, Christmas and the Fourth of July rolled into one, marked by the clacking of mahjong tiles and explosions of firecrackers. With businesses and markets hermetically closed, it brings a rare calm to the otherwise frenetic pace of what is arguably the world's most dynamic economic region.
In China, some couples have apparently been trying to schedule their pregnancies to avoid having children born during the snake year, in contrast to the coveted Year of the Dragon.
In Beijing, a manager with the government office that arranges appointments with obstetricians said there was a noticeable drop in appointment requests compared to those received as the Year of the Dragon approached, though she offered no firm statistics. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the press.
For souvenir makers, snakes have been a tough sell.
"Last year, our business was a lot better, because everybody loves the dragon, whatever his or her animal sign," said Lin Peixiang, who owns the Beixiang Souvenir Factory in the city of Wenzhou. "This year, business is a lot worse, because only those born in the year of the snake love the animal. The snake sign is a symbol of fear. People get scared when they see or hear the snake."
But if many fear the snake, some astrologers and masters of feng shui, the Chinese art of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck, also see good signs for 2013.
Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo is trying to put a positive spin on the year. He points out that according to astrological tables, this year's variety is the relatively mild "morning dew" type of common water snake, less venomous than recent predecessors.
"It's more moderate, humble and patient," Lo said of the 2013 snake. He added that he is bullish on the year's prospects for the world as a whole, and sees good opportunities for economic growth.
Still, Lo said, people should probably take precautions against the snake's traditionally destructive power, perhaps by wearing monkey pendants around their necks. That goes double for anyone born in a year of the snake, he said, like incoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Xi's 1953 birth coincided with the final convulsions of the Korean War.
"The monkey is the only animal that really knows how to handle the snake," Lo said.
Tsai is also largely upbeat on the new Chinese year. He believes much-needed liquidity will be injected into struggling world economies, and that babies born over the next 12 months will be both self-motivated and agile.
On the down side, he warned, there could also be massive flooding and tsunamis.
The New Year's season is implacably festive, and people have been out in force in cities across the region in recent days, stocking up on provisions and traditional new year symbols.
In Taipei, revelers were particularly enamored of snake-shaped paper lanterns supplied by the municipal government, as well as coins imprinted with snake logos and snake-like toys thought to bring good luck.
At the Temple of White Snakes in suburban Taoyuan county, director Lo Chin-shih presided over a glass-encased display of dozens of slithering snakes, replete with flashing pink tongues and slowly molting skin, a symbol of change, renewal and hope for a better future.
Lo said this snake year will be a time of steady progress, in contrast to the more turbulent nature of the outgoing dragon year.
"Unlike dragons that make abrupt, attention-getting moves, snakes take slow and steady steps," he said, making it clear he considers the hiss of the Year of the Snake worse than its bite.
___
Annie Ho and K.M. Chan in Hong Kong and researcher Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-world-worries-snake-may-bite-062719651.html
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