Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011The U.S. population 65 and older is now the largest in terms of size and percent of the population, compared with any previous census, according to a new 2010 Census brief released today from the U.S. Census Bureau on the nation's older population. The group grew at a faster rate than the total population between 2000 and 2010.
According to the 2010 Census, there were 40.3 million people 65 and older on April 1, 2010, increasing by 5.3 million since the 2000 Census when this population numbered 35.0 million. The percentage of the population 65 and older also increased during the previous decade. In 2010, the older population represented 13.0 percent of the total population, an increase from 12.4 percent in 2000. --- Population 85 and Older Increased in All States
Between 2000 and 2010, all states experienced increases in the number of people who were 85 and older. However, the magnitude of growth varied among states.
Alaska had the largest percent change between 2000 and 2010 (78.9 percent), increasing from 2,634 in 2000 to 4,711 in 2010. Mississippi had the smallest growth rate (3.4 percent) and increased from 42,891 in 2000 to 44,359 in 2010. Alaska was also the state with the lowest number and percentage of the population 85 and older when compared with other states.
Other Highlights
In the 2010 Census, there were 53,364 centenarians (people 100 and older), an increase of 5.8 percent since 2000.
The number of people 65 and older more than doubled in 21 counties in the United States.
Approximately 1.3 million people 65 and older - or 3.1 percent of this population - lived in skilled-nursing facilities in 2010. ---
Britain said on Wednesday that it had closed its embassy in Tehran, withdrawn all its diplomats and ordered Iran to do the same within 48 hours at its own diplomatic mission in London in the worst rupture of relations in decades.
The measures were announced in Parliament by Foreign Secretary William Hague a day after Iranian protesters shouting “Death to England” stormed the British Embassy compound and a diplomatic residence in Tehran, tearing down the British flag, smashing windows, defacing walls and briefly detaining six staff members in what appeared to be a state-sponsored protest against Britain’s tough new economic sanctions against Iran.
The attack was the most serious diplomatic breach since the traumatic assault on the American Embassy after Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. /New York Times
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Konsumentverket/KO behandlar anmälningar från privatpersoner. De eventuella åtgärder som sedan vidtas har som syfte att öka konsumentskyddet för framtiden. Anmälningar från privatpersoner är mycket viktiga för konsumentskyddsarbetet. För personlig rådgivning och stöd måste Konsumentverket/KO hänvisa till de kommunala konsumentvägledarna och de nationella rådgivningsbyråerna. Är du näringsidkare och medlem i någon branschorganisation, till exempel Svensk Handel, kan du vända dig dit för att få hjälp.
Vad din anmälan bör innehålla Din anmälan bör innehålla den annons, de avtalsvillkor, den förpackning, den produkt eller annat som du reagerat på. I samtliga fall är det viktigt att tala om när och var marknadsföringen, produkten med mera har förekommit. Gäller det radio- eller TV-reklam, ange sändningsdag och -tid, kanal och vilken produkt marknadsföringen handlar om och vilket företag som står bakom produkten. Du får gärna uppge ditt telefonnummer och andra kontaktuppgifter om vi behöver ta kontakt med dig för kompletterande uppgifter.
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Anmälan via e-post Du kan skicka din anmälan via e-post. Även då är det viktigt att du bifogar det som nämns i stycket "Vad din anmälan bör innehålla", till exempel som en inskannad bilaga.
Hotel Södra Berget:
"Skål för
bronsmedaljören i
Varpkastnings-DM"
Det finns risk för inflation i Idrottsgalor. Jag, född med stort idrottsintresse, men följer aldrig idrottsgalor, allra minst de i den småpåvliga klassen. Nu visar sig det att till och med Västernorrlands Idrottförbund anordnar "Medelpads Idrottsgala". Är inte detta lite patetiskt? Det fina idrottsfolket kan (och bör alltid) uppmuntras på andra sätt än på ett fjantigt Hollywoodsätt. Om jag till exempel skulle bli trea i varpkaste-DM skulle jag ändå aldrig ställa upp på en idrottsgala på Södra Berget, även om jag skulle få princesstårta och bli hurrad av släkt, några personer till och bli omnämnd på lokaltidningens sportsida.
Påminnelse
Fredagen den 27 juli
Ullevi, Göteborg BILJETTSLÄPP I DAG. JAG GISSAR KL 09.00LiveNation.se, Ticnet.se / 077-1707070, Got Event Biljett Scandinavium 031-811020, samt direktköp hos Ticnet-ombud.
November 30, 2011
A study, supported in part by the National Science Foundation, found that female and male plain-tailed wrens cooperate to sing a duet that sounds as if a single bird sang it. The researchers assumed that the brain of each bird would have a memory of its own part of the duet, and also have a memory of the cues from its partner. They were surprised to find that both brains had a record of the complete duet--a performance that neither bird can do by itself
This image accompanied NSF press release "Bird Song Yields a New Understanding of Cooperation."
(Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation) >>
November 3, 2011 Bird Song Yields a New Understanding of Cooperation
A bird duet springs forth from each bird's knowledge of the entire song
The researchers were surprised to find that the brains of both birds had a record of the full duet.
The site of a volcano isn't the first place one might think of to study cooperation. But neuroscientist Eric Fortune of Johns Hopkins University and colleagues went to the slopes of Antisana volcano in Ecuador to study cooperation as it plays out with a very special songbird, the plain-tailed wren. Funded in part by the National Science Foundation, the researchers report their observations in the Nov. 4, 2011, issue of Science.
Rapidly alternating their singing back and forth, female and male wrens cooperate to sing a duet that sounds as if a single bird sang it. The researchers assumed that the brain of each bird would have a memory of its own part of the duet, and also have a memory of the cues from its partner. They were surprised to find that both brains had a record of the complete duet--a performance that neither bird can do by itself.
As with humans dancing a tango, one could assume that both people know their own parts of the dance and the cues from their partner, but this research suggests that both partners' brains have a powerful representation of the complete tango performance.
This simple insight from these dueting wrens is a new way to looking at cooperation. Perhaps in human endeavors it is more important to have an image of what a group wants to achieve than each participant's own tasks.
More information on this research is available in this news release from Johns Hopkins University.
-NSF-
Principal Investigators
Eric S. Fortune, Johns Hopkins University (410) 516 5520 eric.fortune@gmail.com
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2011, its budget is about $6.9 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives over 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
Cygnus X hosts many young stellar groupings. The combined outflows and ultraviolet radiation from the region's numerous massive stars have heated and pushed gas away from the clusters, producing cavities of hot, lower-density gas. In this 8-micron infrared image, ridges of denser gas mark the boundaries of the cavities. Bright spots within these ridges show where stars are forming today. Credit: NASA/IPAC/MSX
L.A. County sheriff's officials said Conrad Murray will only serve about two years of his four-year sentence behind bars. Under state law, nonviolent felons in California serve 50% of their sentences. And sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Murray's involuntary manslaughter conviction in the death of Michael Jackson at this time means he's not eligible for home detention.
The New York Film Critics Circle voted Tuesday morning for the black-and-white silent film "The Artist," and its director Michel Hazanavicius took the directing honor for the valentine to silent cinema.
Meryl Streep was named best actress for "The Iron Lady," and Brad Pitt took best actor for both "Moneyball" and "Tree of Life."
Vi måste se filmen. Inte bara för Bérénice Bejos skull.
Bérénice Bejo (born July 7, 1976) is a French actress, known for her role of Christiana in the 2001 film, A Knight's Tale. Bejo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Argentine filmmaker Miguel Bejo. At age 3, she moved to France where she started her acting career. In 2001, she entered America's big screen by performing in A Knight's Tale, and in 2002's 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman. She is set to star in the French psychological thriller Proie.
Bejo has supported Lionel Jospin's 2002 presidential campaign. She is married to director Michel Hazanavicius.
Los Angeles Times
Nov. 29, 2011 10 a.m.
Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced today to the maximum of four years in prison for his involuntary manslaughter conviction in the 2009 death of pop star Michael Jackson. Because of state prison overcrowding, Murray might serve only a portion of that sentence.
More soon at: latimes.com/entertainment. advertisement
November 21, 2011 Swarm of tiny, collaborative robots will be made available to researchers, educators, and enthusiasts
Photo courtesy of Michael Rubenstein
The Kilobots are coming.
Computer scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed and licensed technology that will make it easy to test collective algorithms on hundreds, or even thousands, of tiny robots.
Called Kilobots, the quarter-sized bug-like devices scuttle around on three toothpick-like legs, interacting and coordinating their own behavior as a team. A June 2011 Harvard Technical Report demonstrated a collective of 25 machines implementing swarming behaviors such as foraging, formation control, and synchronization.
Once up and running, the machines are fully autonomous, meaning there is no need for a human to control their actions.
The communicative critters were created by members of the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group led by Radhika Nagpal, the Thomas D. Cabot Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Her team also includes Michael Rubenstein, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS; and Christian Ahler, a fellow of SEAS and the Wyss Institute.
Thanks to a technology licensing deal with the K-Team Corporation, a Swiss manufacturer of high-quality mobile robots, researchers and robotics enthusiasts alike can now take command of their own swarm.
One key to achieving high-value applications for multi-robot systems in the future is the development of sophisticated algorithms that can coordinate the actions of tens to thousands of robots.
"The Kilobot will provide researchers with an important new tool for understanding how to design and build large, distributed, functional systems," says Michael Mitzenmacher, Area Dean for Computer Science at SEAS.
"Plus," he adds, "tiny robots are really cool!"
The name "Kilobot" does not refer to anything nefarious; rather, it describes the researchers' goal of quickly and inexpensively creating a collective of a thousand bots.
Inspired by nature, such swarms resemble social insects, such as ants and bees, that can efficiently search for and find food sources in large, complex environments, collectively transport large objects, and coordinate the building of nests and other structures.
Due to reasons of time, cost, and simplicity, the algorithms being developed today in research labs are only validated in computer simulation or using a few dozen robots at most.
In contrast, the design by Nagpal's team allows a single user to easily oversee the operation of a large Kilobot collective, including programming, powering on, and charging all robots, all of which would be difficult (if not impossible) using existing robotic systems.
So, what can you do with a thousand tiny little bots?
Robot swarms might one day tunnel through rubble to find survivors, monitor the environment and remove contaminants, and self-assemble to form support structures in collapsed buildings.
They could also be deployed to autonomously perform construction in dangerous environments, to assist with pollination of crops, or to conduct search and rescue operations.
For now, the Kilobots are designed to provide scientists with a physical testbed for advancing the understanding of collective behavior and realizing its potential to deliver solutions for a wide range of challenges.
Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation and the Wyss Institute.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional resources All materials courtesy of Radhika Nagpal, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Video 1: Introduction to Kilobot
Video 2: Demonstrations using a small number of Kilobots:
Video 3: Demonstrations of Kilobot collective behaviors on up to 29 robots:
Engineering and applied sciences at Harvard has a long and distinguished history at Harvard, beginning with the creation of the Lawrence Scientific School in 1847 (named for donor Abbott Lawrence). During the 19th and 20th centuries, the structure to support faculty and research in engineering applied sciences underwent several reorganizations (ranging from a graduate school, department (several), and division) and names (from DEAP to DAS to DEAS). In 2007, in recognition of the growing preeminence of engineering and applied sciences, the University transitioned the former Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences into a school. Through collaboration with researchers from all parts of Harvard, other universities, and industry, the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) brings discovery and innovation directly to bear on improving human life and society in the 21st century. In pursuing its aims, SEAS will grow, but will remain: a different kind of engineering program rooted in science, interdisciplinary in culture, and committed to embracing Harvard’s breadth and depth across the sciences and professions.
There is mounting speculation that the euro zone will break apart, or even that the single currency will be abandoned altogether. It often sounds as if such scenarios wouldn't be so bad for Germany. In fact the consequences would be catastrophic for Europe and for its largest economy. /Der Spiegel
Businessman Herman Cain told senior members of his campaign this morning that he is reassessing whether to remain in the Republican presidential race. One adviser said Cain is expected to make a decision by the end of the week. /Washington Post
'The Artist' and 'The Descendants' top the nominees for Film Independent's Spirit Awards
Los Angeles Times
Nov. 29, 2011 8:45 a.m.
"The Artist" nominated for five Film Independent Spirit Awards today, and "The Descendants" received four nominations. The winners will be announced at a ceremony Feb. 25.
Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, The Swedish Chef and the entire gang are back together for a hilarious new adventure after more than a decade out of the spotlight. Their new film is titled - appropriately - The Muppets.
Var med när Dagens Medicin frågar ut ledande politiker och företrädare för sjukvården under mässans tre dagar.
Svenska läkaresällskapets riksstämma inleds i Stockholm i morgon, onsdag. Tid 08.30. För första gången kommer intervjuerna från Dagens Medicins monter att direktsändas på sajten som webb-TV, och de går även att se i efterhand. >>http://www.dagensmedicin.se/nyheter/riksstamman-direkt-i-din-dator/
Den danske kompositören Jacob Gade, föddes den29november 1879 i Vejle Danmark-
Har gjort världssuccé med sin "Tango Jalousie" (oj vad många gånger man har lyssnat till den):
Neurosedynkatastrofen var den värsta läkemedelstragedi som drabbat Sverige, och troligen en av de värsta i världen. Men den gav också upphov till en rad nya kontrollsystem och institutioner som ska förhindra att katastrofen upprepas./Läkartidningen
A group of hard-line Iranian students have stormed the British Embassy in Tehran.
Dozens of youths are said to have torn down the Union flag and thrown documents from windows.
They clashed with anti-riot police and chanted "The Embassy of Britain should be taken over" and "Death to England". /The Independent
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THEESTREETBAND Fredagen den 27 juli Ullevi, Göteborg BILJETTSLÄPP I MORGON LiveNation.se, Ticnet.se / 077-1707070, Got Event Biljett Scandinavium 031-811020, samt direktköp hos Ticnet-ombud.
American Airlines and American Eagle’s parent companies are filing for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection.
AMR Corp. and AMR Eagle Holding Corp. said Tuesday that they filed voluntary petitions to reorganize, saying it’s in the best interest of the companies and its shareholders. /WASHINGTON POST
Breivik var psykotisk, såväl när han begick morden som när han undersöktes, menar de.
Breivik har också i samtalen med psykiatrikerna sagt att han ser sig som den ”den mest perfekta riddaren efter andra världskriget” och att hans tempelriddarorganisation kommer att ta makten i Europa. Han ser sig själv som framtida regent i Norge.
Om tingsrätten är enig med de sakkunniga om bedömningen så blir det troliga resultatet att Breivik döms till sluten psykiatrisk vård.
Men rätten kan också utnämna fler experter om man inte är nöjd med de bådas slutsatser.
Oavsett vad experter och tingsrätt kommer fram till nu så kommer rättegången mot Breivik i april nästa år hållas som planerat. Det säger Tor Langbach vid det norska domstolsverket till VG.
- Att Behring Breivik förklaras otillräknelig kommer inte ha någon större betydelse. Allt tyder på att saken kommer att föras på samma sätt och i lika stor omfattning som om det hade varit en vanlig rättssak. Det som skiljer sig är att bevisframläggandet i samband med straffutmätningen blir annorlunda. Men det avgör åklagaren, säger Langbach till VG.
Åklagaren Inga Bejer Engh bekräftade vid presskonferensen att rättegången mot Breivik hålls i april nästa år som planerat, och att den kommer att genomföras på ungefär samma sätt som om Breivik skulle dömas till fängelsestraff. /Svenska Dagbladet
BORTAPLAN: R Madríd, Barcelona och Valencia har förlorat en match vardera. Sevilla har inte förlorat någon match. Atlético, Villarreal, Getafe, Mallorca, Zaragoza och Rasing har inte vunnit någon match. HEMMAPLAN: R Madrid, Barcelona, Osasuna och Atlético har inte förlorat någon match. Atléticos målkvot 15-4.
SKYTTELIGAN:
16
Ronaldo 16 strutar varav 8 med foten 2 på nick 6 på straff 0 på frispark
Ett år efter att Irland fick sitt räddningspaket är läget fortfarande mycket mörkt. Konsumtionen faller, investeringarna likaså, och folket är förbannat eftersom nästa års budget mejlats runt i Tyskland innan det irländska parlamentet fått se den.
Crisis in Europe Tightens Credit Across the Globe By ERIC DASH and NELSON D. SCHWARTZ As European banks pull back on lending, companies around the globe are finding it harder to borrow, edging the world economy toward another slump. I
In a Surprise, Calm Prevails in Egypt' By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK After a week of violent clashes, the voting was largely peaceful and was hailed by the military as a triumph. Judge Blocks Citigroup Settlement With S.E.C. By EDWARD WYATT Judge Jed Rakoff said the proposed $285 million settlement over the sale of toxic mortgage debt was "neither fair, nor adequate, nor in the public interest" and ordered a trial.
QUOTATION OF THE DAY "What do I fear? I fear death. No one knows what's going to happen." NATALIE NOELLA, a 23-year-old student, after voting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SCIENCE
Video: Steven Pinker
An interview with the Harvard psychologist and linguist on violence, language and Twitter.
OPINION
Room for Debate Should Legislation Protect the Obese?
Should it be illegal for businesses to discriminate against unhealthy and heavily overweight applicants?
WORLD
Syria Calls the Arab League's Sanctions 'Economic War'
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
The country's foreign minister hinted at retaliation for the steps taken to punish Syria over its repression of the political uprising there.
Tripoli Journal A Capital Transforms, for Better and for Worse
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Changes in Tripoli, unthinkable only weeks ago when Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi still controlled the smallest details of daily life, have been both exhilarating and disturbing.
Militants Turn to Death Squads in Afghanistan
By RAY RIVERA, SHARIFULLAH SAHAK and ERIC SCHMITT
A new wave of killings has shown that the Haqqani militant network can still assert its influence even as NATO suggests that its power is weakening.
Washington, D.C. November 25, 2011 FBI National Press Office
1. San Antonio: Judge Limas Associate Pleads Guilty Another defendant pled guilty in the FBI’s public corruption investigation of former 404th District Court Judge Abel Corral Limas. Jose Longoria pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce under color of official right or extortion, two counts of extortion, and one count of aiding and abetting honest services wire fraud by Limas. 2. Atlanta: Tennessee Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Fraudulent Hedge Fund Scheme Jon Hankins was sentenced to prison 40 months in prison and three years of supervised released on charges of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to lure investors to invest into his fraudulent hedge fund. 3. Phoenix: Two More Involved in Internet Sports Gambling Ring Sentenced Two men were sentenced for their involvement in an Internet sports gambling conspiracy. Oscar Barden was sentenced to three years’ probation and 150 hours of community service, and Richard DiCapua was sentenced to two years’ probation and 100 hours of community service. 4. New York: Psychiatrist and Pharmacist Among 15 Charged with Narcotics Trafficking Fifteen individuals were charged for engaging in narcotics trafficking. Ten defendants are charged with unlawfully distributing large quantities of prescription pain medications and unlawfully distributing secobarbital, and a second complaint charges four individuals with conspiring to distribute several different narcotics. 5. Albuquerque: Two Texas Residents Indicted for Conspiracy and Bribery of a Public Official Debbie Ayala and David Rogelio Leyva were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges. 6. St. Louis: Former Coral Mortgage Operator Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million-Dollar Securities Fraud Matthew Kent, vice president and co-operator of Coral Mortgage Bankers Corporation’s University City office, pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud. 7. Newark:CEO of Home Start America Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Conspiracy Michael Kaufman, the CEO and founder of purported real estate investment firm Home Start America, Inc. who directed a long-running, large-scale wire fraud conspiracy with loan officer David Wynn through Kaufman’s company, was sentenced to 50 months in prison. 8. Omaha: Lincoln Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Vitaly Petrov Revenkov was charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine between May of 2010 and July of 2011. 9. Chicago: Three Men Plead Guilty to Fraud Involving Sports Memorabilia Three men pled guilty to separate but related fraud schemes involving the sports memorabilia business and the purchase and sale of equipment and uniforms used by professional and collegiate athletes. 10. Richmond: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty in $670 Million Fraud Scheme A certified public accountant and purported outside auditor for Provident Capital Indemnity Ltd. pled guilty for his role in a $670 million fraud scheme involving victims throughout the United States and abroad.
Det är inte varje dag som Sundsvall gästas av musiker i världsklass. Dock - igår var tenorsaxofonisten Scott Hamilton här tillsammans med Jan Lundgrens trio: Jan Lundgren piano, dansken Jesper Bodilsen bas och dansken Kristian Leth trummor. Liksom huvudpersonen själv, alla med högsta betyg. Det är åratal sedan som jag varit med om en sådan härlig musikupplevelse på plats i Sundsvall (det är dock mycket möjligt att jag missat något).
369,629 people died on America's roads between 2001 and 2009. Following its analysis of UK casualties last week, transport data mapping experts ITO World have taken the official data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - and produced this powerful map using OpenStreetMap. You can zoom around the map using the controls on the left or search for your town using the box on the right - and the key is on the top left. Each dot represents a life. Go here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/nov/22/us-road-accident-casualties
Den sjätte rapporten i den jämförande serien om svensk sjukvård visar att dödligheten i hjärtinfarkt och stroke minskat något. Men klasskillnaderna Enligt årets version av ”Öppna jämförelser av hälso- och sjukvårdens kvalitet och effektivitet” av Socialstyrelsen och Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting, SKL, har dödligheten efter hjärtinfarkt minskat med drygt en procentenhet för kvinnor och knappt två procentenheter för män sedan perioden 2005-2007.
Men skillnaderna i hur många som dör beroende på socioekonomisk situation finns kvar. De som har lite utbildning dör oftare i stroke och hjärtinfarkt än personer med en hög utbildningsnivå.
– Vi ser att kvaliteten och effektiviteten inom hälso- och sjukvården har blivit bättre i många avseenden de senaste åren. Samtidigt finns det mycket att förbättra, det gäller inte minst arbetet med att få en mer jämlik vård, säger Petra Otterblad Olausson, avdelningschef på Socialstyrelsen, i ett pressmeddelande.
I rapporten beskrivs också bland annat att mindre än hälften av diabetespatienterna når behandlingsmålen om blodtryck, blodfetter och blodsocker, att nästan var fjärde patient dör inom ett år efter att ha vårdats på sjukhus för blödande magsår och att skillnaderna i dödlighet är stora mellan landstingen samt att antalet operationer för svår fetma ökat kraftigt på tio år.
Göteborgsföretaget Immunicum har fått grönt ljus från Läkemedelsverket att starta en klinisk studie med bolagets cancervaccin.
Forskningsföretaget Immunicum utvecklar ett nytt sorts cancervaccin som baseras på dendritceller.
Vaccinet ska testas i en fas I/II-studie med tolv njurcancerpatienter vid Akademiska sjukhuset i Uppsala. Studien kommer att pågå i drygt ett år och ska utvärdera tolerans och effekt av vaccinet.
– Det är ett stort och viktigt steg att få testa vaccinet på människor. Våra djurförsök visar på bra resultat, så vi känner oss trygga att fortsätta, säger Jamal El-Mosleh, vd på Immunicum i ett pressmeddelande. /BiotechSweden
Isolating Syria, Arab League Imposes Broad Sanctions By NEIL MacFARQUHAR and NADA BAKRI The group approved a battery of economic sanctions meant to sever most trade and investment from the Arab world, an unprecedented step against a member state.
News Analysis
In Fog of War, Rift Widens Between U.S. and Pakistan By STEVEN LEE MYERS After a NATO airstrike killed at least two dozen Pakistani soldiers, actions by the United States and Pakistan reflected a distrust that gets harder to repair with each clash.
Greeks Balk at Paying Steep New Property Tax By SUZANNE DALEY Many Greeks, especially those on small fixed pensions, said they simply had no means to pay a new tax, which does not take into account income.
QUOTATION OF THE DAY "I don't relish the decision, but I don't think people are going to argue that we should keep a float when we are cutting libraries." MAYOR BOB FOSTER, of Long Beach, Calif., on his city's dropping out of the Tournament of Roses parade.
Det läkemedel som injiceras i ögat för att dämpa nybildning av blodkärl hos patienter med den svåraste formen av grön starr, neovaskulärt glaukom, kan ha en negativ inverkan på ögats fotoreceptorer, de celler i näthinnan som står för synskärpa, färg- och mörkerseendet.
Det visar en studie i en avhandling som lades fram vid Institutionen för kliniska vetenskaper i Lund, Lunds universitet, den 25 november.
Forskarna i Lund har studerat 19 patienter mellan 65-94 år, som alla drabbats av den svåraste formen av glaukom och fått antingen laser och en anti-VEGF injektion i ögat eller enbart laserbehandling, och upptäckt negativa effekter av behandlingen.
– Det är bevisat att behandlingen hjälper, dels mot att nya kärl bildas och dels att redan nybildade kärl reduceras, men med hjälp av fullfälts elektroretinografi har vi sett att behandling med anti-VEGF injektioner kan påverka fotoreceptorernas funktion negativt, säger Elisabeth Wittström, doktorand vid avdelningen för oftalmologi och överläkare vid Skånes universitetssjukhus.
De patienter som deltog i studien hade före behandlingen kraftigt nedsatt funktion i näthinnan och den blev inte bättre efter behandlingen.
– Näthinnans funktion försämrades ytterligare, både vid behandling med laser och med anti-VEGF injektioner, trots en betydande sänkning av trycket i ögat och att nybildandet av kärl i iris dämpats.
I ett annat delarbete i avhandlingen konstateras med hjälp av multifokal och fullfältselektroretinografi att hela näthinnans funktion påverkas av högt tryck hos patienter med måttligt till avancerad grön starr, jämfört med en frisk kontrollgrupp. Trycksänkande operation (trabekulektomi) resulterade i en signifikant sänkning av ögontrycket, vilket förbättrade funktionen i näthinnans centrala delar. Detta kunde konstateras med hjälp av multifokal elektroretinografi.
– Det krävs fler funktionsstudier för att bekräfta våra resultat, men jag tror att vi framöver kan få nya behandlingsmetoder som inte bara är inriktade på att sänka trycket i ögat utan också på att förbättra fotoreceptorernas funktion, säger Elisabeth Wittström.
Avhandlingen:
Electrophysiology, Optical Coherence Tomography and Molecular Genetic Analysis in Patients with Glaucoma and/or Best Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy as Part of Clinical Care http://www.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=12588&postid=2204981
Monday, November 28, 2011 10:55:53 AM CAIRO - Saboteurs on Monday blew up a pipeline that supplies gas to Israel, the official MENA news agency reported, just hours before the first election since Hosni Mubarak was ousted.
Masked gunmen planted explosives under the pipeline west of the town of El-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula, MENA said. A second blast occured seconds later around 100 metres away from the first explosion, a security official told AFP. Witnesses said they saw the masked men driving away from the area just minutes before the blasts, which sent raging flames into the sky, visible from miles away. Emergency services were rushed to the scene to try to control the blaze, the official said, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The attack – the ninth of its kind this year – came just hours before polling was due to start in landmark parliamentary elections. The pipeline, which carries gas through the Sinai and on to Jordan and Israel, has already been attacked eight times this year, the first during the mass uprisings that drove president Hosni Mubarak from power in February. The last attack was carried out on Friday.
Gas deliveries to Israel, agreed under Mubarak, have come under heavy criticism in Egypt. Israel generates 40 per cent of its electricity using natural gas, and Egypt provides 43 percent of its gas supplies.
Egyptian authorities have on several occasions announced measures to step up protection of the pipeline and try to arrest those behind the attacks. Egyptian gas also covers 80 percent of Jordan's electricity production demand – 6.8 million cubic metres a day. Egypt's Sinai region is particularly security sensitive due to tensions with the Bedouin community living there. Many goods are smuggled to the Palestinian enclave of Gaza through the Sinai, which the Israelis also charge is a rear base for militant attacks against its territory.
Los Angeles Times Nov. 28, 2011 12:03 a.m. The 12:01 a.m. deadline for closing the Occupy L.A. encampment has passed, but hundreds of protesters and supporters remain at the City Hall site. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Sunday night that the protesters would have "ample time" to leave before police begin clearing the encampment.
I kväll får Sundsvall storfrämmande.
Det är jazzklubben i stan som lockat hit tenorsaxofonisten Scott Hamilton för spel.
En eloge till Sundsvalls Jazzklubb!
Friedrich Engels, som tillsammans med Karl Marx grundade marxismen, föddes i en välbärgad och konservativ familj i Barmen (numera en del av Wuppertal), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Tyskland.
Marxism är beteckningen på en samhällsåskådning som bygger på Friedrich Engels och Karl Marx teorier och är den grund på vilken den ena grenen av socialismen, den där bland annat socialdemokrati och kommunism ingår, vilar den andra grenen grundar sig i anarkismen. Marxism betecknar dels en politiskideologi, men även en samling mer eller mindre icke-normativa samhällsteorier.
När ryssfödde Kissin spelar Chopin eller något annat blir man stum av häpnad. Hur kan man bli så skicklig? På tevekanalen Axess såg jag i kväll honom spela Chopin (Chopin är en av hans "specialiteter"). Mästerligt (understatement)! Kissin är idag 40 år; här är han 15 år:
Denne 19-årige engelsman har världens längsta fötter?
I alla fall Storbritanniens längsta.: Skonummer 57 ! Mitt skonummer är 32. Denne engelsmans fötter är lite över 1 dm längre än mina (2 x 1 dm ;)
Above: This artist concept features NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
CME AND RADIATION STORM: A solar radiation storm is in progress around Earth. At the moment (the late hours of Nov. 26th), the storm is classified as minor, which means it has little effect on our planet other than to disturb HF radio transmissions at high latitudes. Bigger effects, however, could be in the offing. The same blast that caused the radiation storm also hurled a CME into space, and this CME appears set to deliver a blow to Earth's magnetic field on Nov. 28th. Geomagnetic storms and auroras are possible when the cloud arrives. /Spaceweather
Partiklar strömmar ständigt ut från solen och skapar den så kallade solvinden, men ibland kan moln med uppemot miljardtals ton kastas ut i rymden genom väldiga explosioner på solytan. Det kallas koronamassutkastingar och förkortas ofta CME efter engelskans coronal mass ejection. Koronamassutkastningar är ett av de viktigaste solfenomenen som bestämmer rymdvädret. Om en CME når jorden påverkar den kraftigt jordens magnetosfär och ge upphov till en geomagnetisk storm – den stör bland annat radio- och kraftöverföringar och kan ge fantastiska polarsken. /Wikipedia Disturbances for Radio Propagation
Apropå radioamatöre och norrsken (och sydsken) får radioamatörer telegrafisignalerna att reflektera på norrskenet. Frekvenser som amatörer har möjligheter att använda för detta är 144.000 till 148.000 MHz = "2-metersbandet" ["VHF"]. Men även brukbara 6-metersbandet får användas, där det även lönar sig med telefoni till skillnad mot 2-metersbandet. Men, gissar jag, å andra sidan ger "2-metersbandet" fler möjligheter. Jag har varit inaktiv under många år och börjar glömma "sånt här", därav min gissning (mao ev.rättelser/tillägg emotses gärna - min adress hittas längst upp i bloggen). PS Vad gäller högre frekvenser (HF/kortvåg), t.ex. 20-metersbandet är aurora bara till besvär vad jag minns ;)
Apropå studs. Här ur ett inlägg i denna min blogg av den 19 maj 2009: EVE = Earth-Venus-Earth Sedan relativt många år har radioamatörer experimenterat och sänt radiosignaler , låtit dem att studsa på månen för att återvända till
en själv eller någon annan radioamatör. Den 25 mars hände något nytt. Nämligen att tyska radioamatörer (som planerar något så avancerat som en "mission" till planeten Mars) skickade signaler till Venus som efter en "resa" på 50 miljoner km, studsat på planeten och återvänt till radioamatörerna efter 5 minuter. Alltså en "resa" på 100 miljoner km. Om tyska språket behärskas, se >>http://www.amsat-dl.org/index.php option=com_content&task=view&id=166&I temid=97
Här en schweisk radioamatör, HB9Q som låter signaler med sitt tal studsa på månen för att återvända till honom själv:
PROPAGATION
Solar Flux: 133, A-index: 4 Report issued 2011 Nov 27 1205 UTC
Date Nov 27, 2011 Sun Spots 133 Flux 133 B3.9 Nov 26, 2011 171 133 B4.5 Nov 25, 2011 139 135 B3.9 Nov 24, 2011 123 137 B4.4 Nov 23, 2011 132 140 B4.8 Nov 22, 2011 101 142 B5.1 Nov 21, 2011 101 141 B6.0 Nov 20, 2011 149 140 B6.5 Nov 19, 2011 137 140 B6.9 Nov 18, 2011 122 144 B7.6
Highs for Cycle 24: Flux: 190 - 24 Sep 2011 Sunspots: 220 - 9 Nov 2011
