SHANGHAI (AP) ? A topping out ceremony was held Saturday for China's tallest building in the financial hub of Shanghai.
At 632 meters (2,073 feet), the Shanghai Tower in the city's Pudong district is the world's second-tallest building, surpassed only by Dubai's Burj Khalifa, which soars 829.8 meters (2,722 feet).
Topping out means the final beam has been placed at the top of the building. Once completed next year, the Shanghai Tower will have retail and office space, and a luxury hotel. It was designed by the U.S. architectural firm Gensler.
China's booming economy has fuelled a building frenzy, including some of the world's tallest buildings. The Shanghai Tower replaces the Shanghai World Financial Center ? completed in 2007 ? as the country's highest building.
The Shanghai Tower is the last piece in a group of super-tall skyscrapers in Shanghai's Pudong, which includes the Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower, both among the tallest in the world.
And in the south-central city of Changsha, developers are in the midst of building Sky City, an 838-meter (2,749-foot) structure that would overtake Burj Khalifa.
This summer, China also unveiled the world's largest building in terms of floor space in the western city of Chengdu. The New Century Global Center edged out the previous record-holder, the Dubai airport.
Source: elitestv.com --- Saturday, August 03, 2013 by Adedayo A. Onitilo, Richard L. Berg, Jessica M. Engel, Ingrid Glurich, Rachel V. Stankowski, Gail Williams, Suhail A. Doi Background Historically, studies exploring the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and Cancer lack accurate definition of date of DM onset, limiting temporal analyses. We examined the temporal relationship between colon Cancer risk and DM using an electronic algorithm and clinical, administrative, and laboratory data to pinpoint date of DM onset. Methods Subjects diagnosed with DM (N = 11,236) between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2009 were identified and matched at a 5?1 ratio with 54 365 non-diabetic subjects by age, gender, smoking history, residence, and diagnosis reference date. Colon Cancer incidence relative to the reference date was used to develop Cox regression models adjusted for matching variables, body mass index, insurance status, and comorbidities. Primary outcomes measures included hazard ratio (HR) and number needed to be exposed for one additional person to be harmed (NNEH). Results The adjusted HR for colon Cancer in men before DM onset was 1.28 (95% CI 1.04?1.58, P = 0.0223) and the NNEH decreased with time, reaching 263 at DM onset. No such difference was observed in women. After DM onset, DM did not appear to alter colon Cancer risk in either gender. Conclusions Colon Cancer risk is increased in diabetic men, but not women, before DM onset. DM did not alter colon cance ...
It's that time of the week again, when the iMore writing staff comes together to share with you some of those apps we've been using the most this week. Once again we've got a good spread, covering both iOS and Mac, with apps for tracking expenses, a few iOS games, and something to keep the kids busy!
No one likes to have their valuables stolen. It's a terrible thing to have happen and thankfully, thus far I've been lucky. That doesn't mean I don't prepare for things like that to happen though. My computer houses a TON of information and honestly, if there was one thing that could be stolen that would be vital it would be my MacBook. Although I hope to never need it, to keep my computer safe I use Prey AKA Prey Project, which offers a free solution for tracking stolen computers, iOS devices and even Android devices. Prey runs in the background waiting to be triggered from an online control panel, should your computer be stolen you can activate it and perform actions on the device such as snap photos, sound alarms, remote lock and even activate Wi-Fi connections. It's lightweight, simple to install and easy to use. Set it and forget it ? and hope you never need it. I encourage you to check it out more.
Ember is to digital images what Evernote is to note-taking - an app that helps you gather all of your images in one place for easy sorting, cataloging and sharing. Sure, you can use iPhoto, Lightroom or Aperture to do the same thing, but those apps are skewed towards photos. Ember helps you grab images from the web, from your iOS devices and elsewhere and provides an easy way to sort through what you're looking for. You can create collections that contain specific images, or Smart Collections that sort based on criteria like rating, tags, originating URL and more. A built-in browser lets you save web pages at widths specific to iPad or iPhone orientations, you can subscribe to web sites that produce photos that inspire you, and sketch feeback right on your images. Once you're done, you can share the images with friends and colleagues using e-mail, AirDrop, Messages, or social media including Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and others.
Ember also has the screen capture capabilities of Littlesnapper, the Realmac app that Ember replaces, which makes it terrifically useful if you create tutorials or other content that relies on screen captures to get the point across. Realmac just released the software last week but they've already updated it with new features like new keyboard shortcuts, easier movement of snaps between collections, and more.
Cannon Crasha is a castle defense game that's easy enough to grasp, though you'll need to spend some time in order to master it. Your castle trades cannon fire with a castle on the opposite side of the map. You earn coins throughout each level that you use to buy everything from new types of ammunition to various soldiers that you can deploy during play to different defensive structures. Your goal is to knock the health meter of your opponent's castle down from 100 to 0 before they do the same to you. The game features a 40-level campagin mode, as well as an arena that can pit you against AI in custom games, a wave-based survival mode, and goal hunt mode. There is also a multiplayer mode, allowing you to play a friend either on one device or two. Cannon Crasha does have an in-app purchase component, allowing you to buy large amounts of coins for use in-game. Cannon Crasha is a universal game for iPad and iPhone, and costs $0.99 on the App Store. If your a fan of castle defense, then you should definitely check this one out.
After much anticipation, The Drowning has finally landed on iOS. Though this first-person shooter game has all of the similar free-to-play trappings we're used to, the control scheme is decidedly unique. Instead of leaning on the tired old dual virtual joystick paradigm that straight-up doesn't work well on mobile, you actually employ more finger-friendly techniques. For example, in order to fire, players tap two fingers on the screen, and your shot goes off directly between them. Getting around is really easy - tap on the ground, you'll find a path to that spot. Tap a button at the bottom in the middle to do a 180-degree turn, or swipe for more subtle changes. Things get pretty advanced when using this in conjunction; for example, tapping on a spot to start moving, then doing a 180 turn so you can keep an eye on things while backing up. This is genius. It promotes a different skillset than most are used to, and takes a step in the right direction to making touch-friendly FPS titles. Beyond the controls, I'm really digging the gritty zombie apocalypse feel, mainly since it has a very interesting twist to the old formula.
My godchildren, all 4 and 7-year olds of them, are currently, fiercely in love with Reading Rainbow. Yes, that LeVar Burton PBS show we all remember from the television of our youths has been re-imagined for the iPad of their youths. They love that they can choose books, that they can return the ones they've finished through a delightfully skeuomorphic slot and choose another one to keep their virtual backpacks full.
They have range of mountains, and each mountain has a genre, including family, action, fantasy, and non-fiction, with new content coming all the time. The books are interactive, full of sound and animation, and at the end they're rewarded with stickers they can put on their virtual islands.
It's educational, it's entertaining, it's a classic, and it's just one more example of why the iPad is the best, most accessible computing appliance in history. If you have kids, point them at the Reading Rainbow, and you'll all be dazzled.
I have a thing for expense tracking apps. I'm not quite sure why but I find myself wanting to try new ones and switch between them occasionally. xPence Plus is another great one for the iPhone that works as a series of customizable colored grids that show different categories for expenses. You can edit and create new ones labeled however you want. When you add an expense, it will automatically filter into the category you assign. The main grid view gives you a nice picture of what you're spending and on what. xPence Plus is divided into four easy to use categories: expenses, income, statistics, and settings. Each category will give you a nice picture of where your money is going and how fast you're spending it compared to how fast you earn it.
xPence Plus supports recurring transactions such as monthly rent or mortgage payments as well as photo attachments for times you'd like to attach receipts to something. The only catch is that you can only track so much for free. If you need to track more than 4 categories, you can upgrade to the pro version as an in-app purchase for $2.99 for unlimited transactions and categories. You can also only track up to 10 expenses at a time using the free version. The pro option removes this limitation. Even at $2.99 it's a great buy for what you get.
So, those are our picks for the week, but what about yours? Found a great app you think others might like? Share it with us and the community in the comments below!
Unlike many countries where national statistics agencies make household surveys public, Venezuelan researchers find even the most basic data is restricted.
By David Smilde,?WOLA / August 2, 2013
??David Smilde is the moderator of WOLA's blog:?Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights.?The views expressed are the author's own.
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Dr. Anitza Freitez is Professor of Demography and Director of the Economic and Social Sciences Institute at the Universidad Cat?lica Andr?s Bello. I recently sat down with her to talk about a little discussed aspect of transparency and freedom of information: the access policy researchers have to public information.
There is a lot of discussion these days regarding the importance of freedom of information in a functioning democracy. But that discussion usually focuses on budgets, yearly reports, financial accounts, and who has influence on governmental decisions. What is at issue with respect to policy research?
For us to carry out relevant research we need access to databases. Yet, our National Statistics Institute [INE] has progressively restricted the supply of information. While in other countries their household surveys are available on web pages that anyone can have access to, here that is not the case. The administrative registry where you find the numbers of births and deaths?information that is vital, for example, for understanding reproductive patterns of vulnerable populations and health issues?is not open, or is open only to a minimal degree. Yearly mortality ledgers, information on morbidity, epidemiological alerts?all of that information has been increasingly restricted.
We went for a whole year in which the Ministry of Health decided not to publish the epidemiological alert, which is the compulsory registry of certain diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue that every health center is obliged to report on a weekly basis. It was taken off the Ministry?s web page because they claimed that it was being used for purposes other than research.
On migration issues, the Identification and Immigration Service (SAIME) put a note on its web page that said that entrance and exit numbers from the country were of exclusive access to agencies of public administration. Therefore, since the 1990s we do not know the annual migratory balance of Venezuela. We do not know how many Venezuelans leave and how many foreigners come in, their nationality or whether they stay.
We can look at almost any issue and we will find the same scarcity and lack of access to information: problems with its availability, the timing of its availability, and what is made available. In the year 2010 a national demographic survey was conducted with the support of the United Nations Population Fund, but that survey was kept shelved and still today we do not have access to it. Just yesterday we were handed the 2011 Census, and the data is limited to already calculated indicators and charts. But what we need is access to the raw data so that we can generate the indicators that we need according to the goals of our research and according to the segment of the population we are looking at.
And why is this happening? Why is the government limiting access to this type of information?
This is a government that is very sensitive to criticism. When you do research you don?t do it to sweeten the pill for whoever is in government, but to show what is being done well, to diagnose situations, to identify problems that need interventions. That?s what universities are for. Institutions that do research need freedom of information; they need information without censorship.
And what they want to give you are charts, not the data?
Charts, and there is very little you can do with them. They generally reflect an average of the country that says very little about how to guide interventions. We need to go down to the regional level and distinguish socioeconomic segments. It?s really no use if you give me a chart with only basic cross-tabulations. They come as PDFs or as images, and you end up having to transcribe the information or cracking those files if you can.
But is there not a legal framework for this?
According to the law, the information produced by public institutions is public domain and everyone should have access to it. The restriction of epidemiological alerts gave rise to appeals to international organisms by human rights groups and especially by organizations that work with HIV patients. There was a ruling that forced the Ministry of Health to again publish the alerts on its webpage.
And have they complied?
They have. But the issue is how they have complied. They put up the information for one week?because the information has to updated weekly. But at any given moment I should be able to find there 52 weeks of the epidemiological alert. However they upload some weeks, they take down others. Or when they are there you can?t download the files.
Thank you.
Translated by Hugo P?rez Hern?iz
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[unable to retrieve full-text content]... compatible match. As a baby boomer, I'll be the first to admit that some aspects of dating have significantly changed. It's up to you. ... Do You Know How To Let Go Of A Relationship And Survive? 6 Steps You Can Feel Sexy ...
As it turns out, yesterday wasn't the last opportunity to get your Windows Phone chatting with Google Sync. At the final hour, El Goog decided it wasn't the right time to block new connections for contact and calendar syncing -- the end date has been postponed again, this time to December 31st. That should leave plenty of time for all handsets to receive the GDR 2 update, letting CalDAV and CardDAV take over syncing duties so that Google Sync can finally retire with a clear conscience.
SAN DIEGO The attorney for San Diego's embattled mayor says the city failed to provide Bob Filner state-required sexual harassment training and therefore should pay to defend him against a lawsuit by his former communications director, who alleges he asked her to work without wearing panties.
Filner's lawyer Harvey Berger made the argument in a letter to City Attorney Jan Goldsmith one day before the City Council voted unanimously to deny Filner funds for his legal defense. Local media published parts of the letter Wednesday.
Berger said the training was scheduled but the city trainer canceled and did not reschedule.
"While, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, many might argue that `you don't need a weatherperson to tell you which way the wind blows,' and an adult male should not need sexual harassment training," Filner may not be facing a lawsuit today if he had undergone the classes, Berger wrote.
"This is not an excuse for any inappropriate behavior which may have occurred, but having conducted sexual harassment training many times over the years, I have learned that many ? if not most ? people do not know what is and what is not illegal sexual harassment under California law. There is a very, very good reason for mandatory sexual harassment training; if nothing else it makes people think about the subject, and how they interact with their fellow employees," Berger wrote.
Filner is facing allegations of unwanted advances from at least eight women, including his former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, who filed a lawsuit July 22 against the mayor and the city. In the lawsuit, McCormack alleges Filner asked Jackson to work without panties, demanded kisses, told her he wanted to see her naked, and dragged her in a headlock while whispering in her ear.
The accusations have prompted a recall effort and a chorus of calls for Filner to resign, including from seven of nine City Council members.
Dealing a double rebuke to its mayor, the council voted unanimously Tuesday to sue Filner to require the mayor pay for any damages or attorney fees out of his own pocket if the city is held liable. It also moved to deny Filner funds for his legal defense.
"His employers, San Diego taxpayers, did not have to bail him out for the mess he created," City Councilman Kevin Faulconer said.
Play Video
New accuser describes unwanted advances from San Diego's Mayor Filner
Under state law, Filner cannot accept more than $440 a year in donated services from his attorney, and campaign money can be used only to defend against alleged violations of the state's campaign finance law, said Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
He can, however, create a legal defense fund, Ravel said.
Filner, who is 70 and divorced, said Friday he would enter two weeks of "intensive" therapy Aug. 5, defying calls from his own party leaders to resign. The former 10-term congressman is less than eight months into a four-year term. He is San Diego's first Democratic mayor in 20 years.
Besides the sexual harassment allegations, Filner also is facing questions over a June trip to Paris.
Filner declined for weeks to say who paid for the trip, and the chairman of San Diego's city audit committee expressed concern.
Play Video
San Diego mayor to undergo therapy
The mayor later said the $9,839 in travel expenses were covered in part by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities to attend a conference. He said the group was a nonprofit, which would have allowed him to accept the trip as a gift.
Internal Revenue Service spokesman Bruce Friedland told U-T San Diego on Tuesday that the organization is not designated as a nonprofit.
Filner said Wednesday the group had told him incorrectly it was.
The Washington, D.C.-based Iranian American group's vice chairman, Ross Amin, told U-T San Diego on Monday that he was not sure what kind of tax-exempt organization the group was, but he said, "We are a nonprofit organization."
Amin said he would forward questions about the group's nonprofit status to "the right department to answer technical questions."
Contacted again Tuesday, Amin said he had not received any more information.
A new tool for brain researchPublic release date: 1-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emma Rayner emma.rayner@nottingham.ac.uk 44-011-595-15793 University of Nottingham
Scientists have used fMRI and EEG to unlock one of the human brain's mysteries
Physicists and neuroscientists from The University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham have unlocked one of the mysteries of the human brain, thanks to new research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).
The work will enable neuroscientists to map a kind of brain function that up to now could not be studied, allowing a more accurate exploration of how both healthy and diseased brains work.
Functional MRI is commonly used to study how the brain works, by providing spatial maps of where in the brain external stimuli, such as pictures and sounds, are processed. The fMRI scan does this by detecting indirect changes in the brain's blood flow in response to changes in electrical signalling during the stimulus.
A signal change that happens after the stimulus has stopped is also observed with the fMRI scan. This is called the post-stimulus signal and up until now it has not been used to study how the brain works because its origin was uncertain.
In novel experiments, the research team has now combined fMRI techniques with EEG, which measures electrical activity in the brain, to show that the post-stimulus signal also actually reflects changes in brain signalling.
18 healthy volunteers were monitored by using EEG to measure the electrical activity generated by their brains' neurons (the signalling cells) while simultaneously recording fMRI measurements. A stimulus of electrical pulses was used to activate the part of the brain that controls movement in the right thumb.
The scientists then compared the EEG and fMRI signals and found that they both vary in the same way after the stimulus stops. This provides compelling evidence that the post-stimulus fMRI signal is a measure of neuronal activity rather than just changes in the brain's blood flow. Curiously, the team also found the post-stimulus fMRI signal was not consistent, even though the stimulus input to the brain was the same each time. This natural variability in the brain response was also reflected by the EEG activity and the researchers suggest that this signal might help the brain make the transition from processing stimuli back to their internal thoughts in different ways.
Dr Karen Mullinger from The University of Nottingham's Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre said: "This work opens a new window of time in the fMRI signal in which we can look at what the brain is doing. It may also open up new research avenues in exploring the function of the healthy brain and the study of neurological diseases."
Dr Stephen Mayhew from Birmingham University Imaging Centre said "We do not know what the exact role of the post-stimulus activity is or why this response is not always consistent when the stimulus input to the brain is the same. We have already secured funding through the Birmingham-Nottingham Strategic Collaboration Fund to continue this research into further understanding of human brain function using combinations of neuroimaging methods."
Director of the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Professor Peter Morris, said: "Functional magnetic resonance imaging is the main tool available to cognitive neuroscientists for the investigation of human brain function. The demonstration in this paper, that the secondary fMRI response (the post-stimulus undershoot) is not simply a passive blood flow response, but is directly related to synchronous neural activity, as measured with EEG, heralds an exciting new chapter in our understanding of the workings of the human mind."
###
The work has been funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), The University of Nottingham Anne McLaren Fellowships and University of Birmingham Fellowship and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The full paper, 'Post-stimulus undershoots in BOLD and CBF fMRI responses are modulated by post-stimulus neuronal activity' with a manuscript tracking number of 2012-21287RR is available now online.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
A new tool for brain researchPublic release date: 1-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emma Rayner emma.rayner@nottingham.ac.uk 44-011-595-15793 University of Nottingham
Scientists have used fMRI and EEG to unlock one of the human brain's mysteries
Physicists and neuroscientists from The University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham have unlocked one of the mysteries of the human brain, thanks to new research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).
The work will enable neuroscientists to map a kind of brain function that up to now could not be studied, allowing a more accurate exploration of how both healthy and diseased brains work.
Functional MRI is commonly used to study how the brain works, by providing spatial maps of where in the brain external stimuli, such as pictures and sounds, are processed. The fMRI scan does this by detecting indirect changes in the brain's blood flow in response to changes in electrical signalling during the stimulus.
A signal change that happens after the stimulus has stopped is also observed with the fMRI scan. This is called the post-stimulus signal and up until now it has not been used to study how the brain works because its origin was uncertain.
In novel experiments, the research team has now combined fMRI techniques with EEG, which measures electrical activity in the brain, to show that the post-stimulus signal also actually reflects changes in brain signalling.
18 healthy volunteers were monitored by using EEG to measure the electrical activity generated by their brains' neurons (the signalling cells) while simultaneously recording fMRI measurements. A stimulus of electrical pulses was used to activate the part of the brain that controls movement in the right thumb.
The scientists then compared the EEG and fMRI signals and found that they both vary in the same way after the stimulus stops. This provides compelling evidence that the post-stimulus fMRI signal is a measure of neuronal activity rather than just changes in the brain's blood flow. Curiously, the team also found the post-stimulus fMRI signal was not consistent, even though the stimulus input to the brain was the same each time. This natural variability in the brain response was also reflected by the EEG activity and the researchers suggest that this signal might help the brain make the transition from processing stimuli back to their internal thoughts in different ways.
Dr Karen Mullinger from The University of Nottingham's Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre said: "This work opens a new window of time in the fMRI signal in which we can look at what the brain is doing. It may also open up new research avenues in exploring the function of the healthy brain and the study of neurological diseases."
Dr Stephen Mayhew from Birmingham University Imaging Centre said "We do not know what the exact role of the post-stimulus activity is or why this response is not always consistent when the stimulus input to the brain is the same. We have already secured funding through the Birmingham-Nottingham Strategic Collaboration Fund to continue this research into further understanding of human brain function using combinations of neuroimaging methods."
Director of the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Professor Peter Morris, said: "Functional magnetic resonance imaging is the main tool available to cognitive neuroscientists for the investigation of human brain function. The demonstration in this paper, that the secondary fMRI response (the post-stimulus undershoot) is not simply a passive blood flow response, but is directly related to synchronous neural activity, as measured with EEG, heralds an exciting new chapter in our understanding of the workings of the human mind."
###
The work has been funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), The University of Nottingham Anne McLaren Fellowships and University of Birmingham Fellowship and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The full paper, 'Post-stimulus undershoots in BOLD and CBF fMRI responses are modulated by post-stimulus neuronal activity' with a manuscript tracking number of 2012-21287RR is available now online.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? United Nations investigators hoped they would get some help from Facebook when they asked to see information on suspected pirates operating in Somalia.
But Facebook refused.
A report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea this month pointed out that while many private companies helped in the group's investigative work on matters such as piracy, al-Qaida-linked militants and government corruption, Facebook provided no such assistance.
"Despite repeated official correspondence addressed to Facebook Inc., it has never responded to Monitoring Group requests to discuss information on Facebook accounts belonging to individuals involved in hijackings and hostage-taking," the report said.
Facebook said in a statement Tuesday that the U.N. group had no legal authority to demand data from the company. "We therefore declined their request and referred them to law enforcement authorities," the company said in an e-mailed statement.
Facebook's refusal to share information with U.N. investigators comes as reverberations continue from the disclosure by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, that the NSA has cooperated with companies as Yahoo, Google and Facebook to access emails, video chats and pictures. U.S. officials have said the program is narrowly focused on foreign targets, and technology companies say they turn over information only if required by court order.
"Facebook has faced such pressures relating to privacy and the use of account information in various jurisdictions, even just for marketing purposes, that I would expect them to be very cautious about sharing personal information even with a U.N. Monitoring Group," said Matt Bryden, a former coordinator of the Somalia monitoring group.
The nearly 500-page U.N. report said that investigations have confirmed that numerous piracy facilitators "are interlinked through various communication channels and employ social network services, such as Facebook."
In any case, two Somali pirates who spoke to The Associated Press said pirates don't use social networks for piracy work.
"There are more personal accounts than general ones for the pirates," said Bile Hussein, a Somali pirate commander in Gracad, a pirate base in central Somalia by phone. "We use emails for deals."
"Many of us keep our distance away from the Internet to avoid getting tracked or captured," said another pirate, Hassan Abdi.
The U.N. Monitoring Group would have been interested in access to non-public phone numbers and email addresses that might be listed on Facebook accounts, or to see what "friends" a pirate might have, said Bryden, now the director of Sahan Research, a think tank focusing on peace and security in the Horn of Africa
A page in Facebook's "Safety Center" titled "Information for Law Enforcement Authorities" says that a valid subpoena in connection with a criminal investigation is required to compel the disclosure of basic subscriber records. If a matter could result in the imminent harm of a child or risk of death or serious injury, a law enforcement official is asked to contact Facebook.
The U.N. Monitoring Group does not have subpoena power. Bryden said international companies often resist, at least at first, assisting the U.N. group because the companies aren't familiar with its work or authority.
"All it has is the force of the Security Council mandate that requests all member states and private entities ... to assist the Monitoring Group's efforts, so cooperation varies considerably," Bryden said.
Bradley Shear, a Washington D.C.-based lawyer who runs a blog focusing on social media law, noted that Facebook frequently cooperates with U.S. law enforcement officials investigating issues surrounding child safety, but he speculated that Facebook may be reluctant to help a U.N. body because the U.N. is trying to become involved with Internet regulation.
Shear said Facebook is not likely to be legally culpable just because Somali pirates or members of al-Shabab use their social media platforms.
"In general, absent knowledge that illegal activity is occurring on your platform, social/digital media platforms have little legal liability for the illegal activity that is occurring on their websites," Shear wrote in an email. "However, there is a growing trend to hold social media/digital media operators accountable for the illegal content/activity on their websites if they turn a blind eye towards it."
Social media use by al-Shabab militants in Somalia is common. Twitter shut down the account of an al-Shabab spokesman earlier this year after the micro-blogging site was used to post a hostage video and death threat, posts that violated Twitter's terms of service.
A new Twitter handle that the U.N. Monitoring group believes is run by a British member of al-Shabab opened a short time later and remains in use.
Everybody is praising Before Midnight, Richard Linklater's third film about the love between Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke). Nine years after the second installment, Before Sunset, this new chapter first premiered at Sundance 2013 and was released theatrically in the US on May 24.
Considering I watched both "Sunrise" and "Sunset" on DVD, the fact that the company Diamond Films is taking the risk to go theatrical in Mexico with Before Midnight is definitely an exciting situation. Ryland Aldrich reviewed the film at Sundance and had this warning to share:
"Not every movie needs its audience to know nothing about the plot or story going in. We live in a world of trailers and Twitter and even spoilers from Lego toys. But the plain fact is, you will enjoy the third installment of Richard Linklater's 'Before...' series, Before Midnight, more if you know nothing. The knowledge that nine years have passed in the lives of Ethan Hawke's Jesse and Julie Delpy's Celine is all you need."
Before Midnight opens in Mexico City this Friday, August 2. You can watch the trailer below with Spanish subtitles!
TORONTO - An alleged member of the Dixon City Bloods gang ? who was once photographed with Mayor Rob Ford along with shooting victims Anthony Smith and Muhammad Khattak ? was freed Tuesday on $3,000 bail.
Monir Kasim, 20, said nothing as he walked briskly out of the 2201 Finch Ave. W. courthouse, refusing to answer any queries from reporters.
Kasim?s mother, Fathiya Abasheikh, who celebrated her son?s release by pumping her fist in the courtroom, said she has never asked her son about the controversial photo with the mayor.
?Rob Ford has done so much for our community. I?ll be voting for him and so will everybody on Dixon,? said Abasheikh, who is fluent in five languages, including Somalian, Arabic, English and Swahili.
?Politicians pose in photos with regular people all the time.?
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is seen posing with Anthony Smith, left, who was gunned down outside a King St. W. club, in a photo released by Gawker.com. One of the other men in the photo is believed to have been injured in the Smith shooting.
According to his bail conditions, Kasim will live under house arrest at the Mississauga home of his truck-driver father, Mohamed. Kasim is prohibited from associating with any of his co-accused in the massive Project Traveller investigation.
"MasterChef" season three runner-up Joshua Marks was arrested and charged with aggravated battery against a police officer after a bizarre run-in with University of Chicago police on Tuesday.
Marks, who is 7 foot, 2 inches and weighs 260 pounds, was taken into custody at 3:50 a.m. after he attacked and attempted to disarm an officer at a nearby apartment complex, according to Jeremy Manier, news director for the university.
The 26-year-old, who finished "MasterChef" in second place behind Christine Ha (the show's first blind contestant), is currently in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections, a representative for the police confirmed to TODAY.com. However, Marks is not currently behind bars, and is instead being held at a nearby medical facility. The spokesperson did not say what Marks is being treated for.
The former reality show contestant is currently being held on $150,000 bail. His next court date is set for Aug. 5 in Chicago.
Before he appeared on "MasterChef," Marks was a contract specialist in the U.S. Army. He grew up in Chicago, and moved to Jackson, Miss., to attend Tougaloo College on a basketball scholarship. He graduated in 2009.
This simple band has square-ish edges and is made from solid 18k palladium white gold from recycled sources. It measures 7mm x 1.5mm and has a brushed/matte, hammered finish. I would be happy to do other finishes upon request, just ask.
18k palladium white gold is a nickel-free alloy that incorporates a bit of palladium, which provides a nice smoky grey color that is more resistant to yellowing over time than un-plated white gold, eliminating the need for rhodium plating.
The fourth listing photo also shows a narrower band in the same style, which is available separately here - https://www.etsy.com/listing/158159855 . The set of two rings is also listed here - https://www.etsy.com/listing/158149080 . This listing is for one 7mm wide band only.
Please plan for a three to four week turnaround time for your custom made ring.
Due to the value of this piece, shipping costs have been adjusted to include insurance within the United States. I do offer international shipping; if you live outside the US, please contact me for a quote specific to your location. Due to the lack of availability of insurance through the US postal service for international packages, I use FedEx when shipping overseas; this is a more expensive but far safer option. International buyers, please be aware that you are solely responsible for any duties/taxes that your country may charge on imported goods.
If you would like to make two payments (50% now and 50% upon completion), please note your preference in the 'notes to seller' field and select 'other' as your payment method. Once I receive your order I will send a Paypal money request for half the total, or you can call me to process the partial payment on your credit card over the phone.
As is all my jewelry, this piece is vegan, meaning no animal products (pearls, silk, leather, etc.) were used in its construction.
As I?ve noted from time to time, For Sale By Owners (?FSBO?s?) are prone to multiple mistakes, any one of which can easily negate (or worse) any money such Sellers hope to?save on commission.
Along with the two biggest mistakes I routinely see FSBO?s?commit ? overpricing and not knowing how to market ? come a raft of smaller ones that cumulatively can be just as costly.
Like the Lake Nokomis FSBO I showed this Sunday.
Waste of Time
Make that, tried to show.
When I opened up the lockbox to access the house . . . no key.
After calling the contact number listed on MLS and leaving a voicemail, my client and I headed down the street to get a cup of coffee while we waited for a return phone call.
I?m glad we moved on after 15 minutes:? almost two days later, I still haven?t?heard back.
Tagged as: commission, For Sale by Owner, FSBO, FSBO mistake, lockbox, missing key, poor marketing, save commission
Post by
Ross Kaplan
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Physical therapy and over-the-counter painkillers usually more appropriate, guidelines say
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Many doctors ignore guidelines about the treatment of back pain and instead turn to extensive use of scans like MRIs and the most addictive types of painkillers, new research finds.
It's not clear exactly how many aren't following recommendations, nor whether they're causing harm or perhaps just not helping patients get better. Researchers also don't know if the physicians are unaware of the guidelines or simply don't want to follow them.
Still, the findings are troublesome, said study author Dr. John Mafi, chief medical resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. While they may be appropriate in some cases, treatments like scans and powerful painkillers "are increasingly being overused, and unnecessarily so," he said. "Doctors are increasingly not following guidelines."
Back pain and neck pain (which the new study combines into one category) are very common in the United States. According to estimates, they account for more than 10 percent of all visits to primary care doctors and cost $86 billion to treat.
Established, national guidelines suggest that routine back pain be treated with physical therapy and painkillers including aspirin-like drugs and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Only rare cases are thought to need more aggressive treatment, such as imaging scans.
The study authors looked at a database of nearly 24,000 U.S. medical visits from 1999 to 2010 that were related to back pain. People with serious conditions potentially linked to their back pain -- like cancer -- were not included.
The researchers found that the use of aspirin-like painkillers and acetaminophen fell from about 37 percent in 1999-2000 to 24.5 percent in 2009-2010, while the use of narcotics -- which can be addictive -- jumped from 19 percent to 29 percent. Use of physical therapy remained steady at about 20 percent, while referrals to other physicians doubled, from nearly 7 percent to 14 percent.
Meanwhile, use of X-rays remained stable at about 17 percent, while use of CT scans and MRIs rose from about 7 percent to 11 percent. CTs and MRIs have become much more common over the past two decades, prompting some physicians to warn that they're exposing too many patients to unnecessary and dangerous levels of radiation.
"There's a huge potential for cost savings, to improve the quality of care and reduce unnecessary procedures that can lead to patient harm," Mafi said.
Why do so many physicians seem to be ignoring the guidelines? The study doesn't offer insight into that question, but Mafi suspects the desire for a "quick fix" is at play. "The problem is that it really takes a lot of patience to manage back pain," he said.
To make matters more complicated, the existing treatments don't cure back pain but only treat its symptoms, he said. Even so, "patients want a cure, and doctors want to be able to give them a cure."
Dr. Donald Casey Jr., a general internist and chief medical officer for the NYUPN Clinically Integrated Network, wrote a commentary about the new study and offers ideas about how to fix things. It's not a matter of doctors not doing their jobs properly, he said. Instead, "it's that health care has gotten so complex."
What to do? For one, he said, "we've got to put better training in place to help sort out which of these patients falls into the category of more serious problems versus something that's more run of the mill."
The study appeared online July 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers have developed a cementitious material incorporating carbon nanofibers in its composition, turning cement into an excellent conductor of electricity capable of performing functions beyond its usual structural function.
For republicans and monarchists alike, Prince George looks to have brought about general agreement on one issue at least: His very birth is a positive sign for the future of the monarchy.
John Fraser, the master at Toronto's Massey College and author of The Secret of the Crown: Canada's Affair with Royalty, says that even he feels sorry for republicans following the royal birth on July 22.
One of Fraser's favourite republican sparring partners, the eminent historian Michael Bliss, concedes the royals are "on a good run now" ? a view that seems to be ricocheting around the globe.
British journalist Claudia Joseph, author of Kate: the Making of a Princess, told Associated Press, "I think this baby is hugely significant for the future of the monarchy," at least partly because George is the first offspring of a "commoner" in 350 years to be an heir to the throne.
Meanwhile, the editors of the New Zealand Herald opined that countries like New Zealand now "may be less anxious to cast off a connection of heritage that presents no threat to their constitutional sovereignty."
And the Australian Times reports that the royal birth "could prove to be the change that was needed for Australia to renew its commitment to the Commonwealth."
Author and journalist John Fraser defends the Crown in this 2012 book. But part of its dedication is to 'Michael Bliss: Historian, Conservative, Republican.'(CBC)
Not everyone was overwhelmed, mind you. In Northern Ireland, after brooding over "an heir backlog within the House of Windsor," the Belfast Telegraph observed that "it is hard even to envisage the future for a royal child born in the age of Twitter."
And Andrew Vine, an assistant editor at the Yorkshire Post, took the BBC to task for what he calls its "nasty little caveat" -- by repeatedly using the phrase "as things stand" in stories about George that implies "doubt hangs over the future of the monarchy."
"It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that within the BBC lies a mentality that regards the monarchy as a tiresome and outdated anachronism, and by extension, the millions who rejoiced at news of the birth as little more than deluded peasants in thrall to the pomp, pageantry and spectacle of royal events, an easily-pleased rabble who turn ga-ga with starry-eyed adoration and abandon all critical faculty when the glass coach passes by," Vine writes.
What does history tell us about the monarchy?s future?
Last year Fraser and Bliss were debating the monarchy before large audiences across Canada. So after the new prince's name was revealed, CBC News checked in with the two eminent Canadians for their thoughts on the future of the Crown in Canada.
Bliss, ever the historian, looks to what recent world history tells us about about forms of government and counts fewer monarchies. "You don't have many countries that adopt a monarchy and you have various countries that get rid of it, so the historical trend is against the poor baby," he said.
He also pointed out the decline of the monarchy among Commonwealth nations over the last half-century. Only 16 of the 53 members nations recognize the Queen as their head of state.
"I would bet my money the baby will never be the king of Australia and New Zealand, and my guess is not of Canada either," Bliss said.
John Fraser says the test for the Royal Family is not the good times but how they weather 'the crises, and so far they look pretty resilient.'(Massey College)
When it comes to monarchy, much depends on public opinion, both he and Fraser agree. "The polls do show that with every generation of Canadians, there's less interest in the monarchy," says Bliss and he expects that trend to continue.
Fraser's view: "Any institution that depends on the goodwill of the masses has clouds over it, they're built in."
But he also noted that the same applies to parliamentary democracy or the American republican system.
Testing constitutional monarchy
"The test is not the good times, these nice times of renewal for the constitutional monarchy. But how it weathers the crises and so far they look pretty resilient," Fraser said about the the Royal family.
"They've been counted down so many times," he added. But "if you project from today, things are looking good."
Fraser argues that, in Canada, the monarchy "probably will continue, because to open up any kind of constitutional issue in Canada is always so fraught, and it had better be for a pretty important reason, and I don't think the constitutional monarchy actually constitutes a very important reason to hurl each other at each other."
Bliss concedes "there's a certain amount of truth in that, and that's the inertia factor, which is probably [Prince George's] best hope.
In 2008, with the opposition parties planning to bring down his government, Prime Minister Stephen Harper succeeded in getting then governor general Michaelle Jean to approve his controversial recommendation to prorogue Parliament. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
"The problem with that is that as we've seen at least once, maybe more often in recent history, the status quo can get us into some serious problems."
As Bliss sees it, "there is a serious flaw in the Constitution related to the monarchy, and the flaw is that the monarchy is so completely ceremonial and toothless that it is nothing more than a creature of the government of the day."
Abuse of prime ministerial power
That toothlessness results in the Governor General having no legitimacy to be a serious check on prime ministerial power, Bliss said.
It is a serious problem that "crops up whenever a prime minister appears to be abusing power, as in proroguing Parliament. In the next 65 years it's hard to think that Canada will sail along quietly, constitutionally."
This week the Quebec government said it would be an intervener in support of a court challenge to the legislation passed unanimously by the House of Commons in March that removed the gender bias in the rules on royal succession.
Since Henry VIII (in portrait), British monarchs have had the title, 'Defender of the Faith.' Prince Charles, shown here in 2004, has proposed dropping the 'the.' (Fiona Hanson/Reuters)
The challenge is mostly about the way the changes were implemented. The Quebec law professors bringing the case argue Canada's Constitution requires the consultation and agreement of all the provinces for a change of this magnitude to become law.
The federal government disagrees, arguing that a change to the rules of succession is not a constitutional amendment to the role of the monarchy. But Bliss says that this case could be "a real sleeping stick of dynamite."
Only Anglicans need apply
Another argument in the court challenge is that the change discriminates on the basis of religion because it requires the heir to be Anglican.
Fraser points out that, in Britain, there is the real possibility of the disestablishment of the Church of England as the state church. "The moment that happens, the denomination of the sovereign is irrelevant," he argues.
In 1521, Pope Leo X bestowed on Henry VIII the title "Defender of the Faith," and every monarch since then has taken on that title at their coronation. Prince Charles has argued for a slight but important change in the title ? dropping the word "the."
And while the suggestion provoked a firestorm, Fraser argues that Charles's view is important for the survival of the monarchy. "The monarchy has to be inclusive, not exclusive, that's his instinct and that's being passed on to his heir."
Historian Michael Bliss says we are entering the age of the geriatric monarchy, with the prospect of only elderly men succeeding each other once Charles becomes king.(CBC)
Fraser and Bliss both agree that Catherine has boosted the monarchy's popularity at the moment, essentially because shecomes across as a lovely young woman with an easygoing nature.
But Bliss points out that we are also in what he calls the age of the geriatric monarchy.
As things stand, to invoke the BBC caveat, after Queen Elizabeth the crown passes to her already 64-year-old son, Charles.
Given the longevity of the Windsors, and their opposition to abdication, the future of this royal family looks to be one of elderly men succeeding each other for at least three generations.
For Bliss, the likelihood there may not be another young queen like Elizabeth poses a problem for the monarchy's future image.
The Quebec law professors' motion for judgment on the Succession to the Throne Act:
Daniel Schwartz is both a Massey College alumnus and a former student of Prof. Bliss.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gas prices have been declining over the past week after increasing steadily earlier in July.
In a weekly report Sunday on the price of gas, AAA Mid-Atlantic says the national average dropped to $3.65 per gallon on Friday. That's a 2.5-cent drop in the past week.
But the cost is still 11 cents more expensive than a month ago and 16 cents more expensive than a year ago.
AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend says the decline in gas prices over the past seven days offers motorists a small sign of relief ahead of August vacations.
The average price in the District of Columbia was $3.89 on Sunday. Maryland drivers were paying $3.69 on average, and Delaware drivers were paying $3.67. Virginia had the lowest price in the region at $3.48.
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Like many consumers the launch of the upcoming game consoles from Microsoft and Sony are a hotly contested, yet highly anticipated event.? For this article I am not going to be taking a stance on the merits of one system over the other but simply pointing out some interesting maneuverings in the presell battles.? The other day I was contacted by some people who told me that they had a cryptic message from Amazon regarding their day one pre-order of PlayStation 4.? I did some checking with other people improve ordered and even looked at a pre-order we had set aside as a gift. Upon checking the status of the order, I was given the following message ?.Thank you for shopping with us. We?d like to let you know that Amazon has received your order, and is preparing it for shipment. Your estimated delivery date is: Monday, January 6, 2014 ? Wednesday, January 8, 2014.
While I appreciated the attention to detail this does raise some rather interesting questions .? Since all the people I checked with were day one pre-orders either the supply of new PlayStation 4 consoles is going to be very limited or perhaps the January date signifies a later release date then fans had originally intended as most of them had been expecting the new consoles somewhere around November of 2014.? Now I understand this could simply be investment and should I release date in November arrived that certainly would not be out of the question for the consuls to ship early.? However as somebody who regularly purchases through Amazon, they generally do not commit to a ship date without a pretty good understanding of one product will be available.? The standard line has always been we have received your order and able ship once the product is ready and that she will be given an e-mail at a time to verify this.
I went to the local GameStop to do some browsing as I often do and talk with the staff .? The employee told me that Microsoft has only allocated a very small amount of Xbox One units to retailers for launch.? He said this tactic allows Microsoft to count that they have sold out of all of their pre-orders as well as create demand for the unit through orders that will be filled in the weeks and months ahead.
He said that Sony on the other hand has set no limits as to their pre-orders.? As a result, he believes that several people who pre-ordered expecting a day one release, will actually receive their unit for several months or weeks down the road when supplies start to catch up with demand.? He said there will likely be some very upset people who thought they would be getting a day one shipment as a pre-ordered at the first available date from their retailer but will find out that they may not see unit for a few months after street date.
Interestingly enough, GameStop yesterday indicated that they had received a limited allocation of Xbox One units that were available for pre-order and that consumers wishing to get their hands on the new console needed to take advantage of this offer before they were gone.
In the end what really will matter is the quality of the unit?s , the games , and the features of each console, but for people who purchased pre-orders on day one with the anticipation of having units for the upcoming holiday season, this could lead to a lot of frustration for both consumers and retailers alike if people with day one pre-orders are forced to wait weeks or months for delivery.
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Public release date: 1-Aug-2013
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See, ?FSBO Mistake #1 (and #2, #3, etc.)?; ?FSBO Mistake #4?; ?FSBO Mistake #37.?
Author and journalist John Fraser defends the Crown in this 2012 book. But part of its dedication is to 'Michael Bliss: Historian, Conservative, Republican.' (CBC)
John Fraser says the test for the Royal Family is not the good times but how they weather 'the crises, and so far they look pretty resilient.' (Massey College)
In 2008, with the opposition parties planning to bring down his government, Prime Minister Stephen Harper succeeded in getting then governor general Michaelle Jean to approve his controversial recommendation to prorogue Parliament. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
Since Henry VIII (in portrait), British monarchs have had the title, 'Defender of the Faith.' Prince Charles, shown here in 2004, has proposed dropping the 'the.' (Fiona Hanson/Reuters)
Historian Michael Bliss says we are entering the age of the geriatric monarchy, with the prospect of only elderly men succeeding each other once Charles becomes king. (CBC)
