Mar. 26, 2013 ? Africa isn't the kind of place you might expect to find penguins. But one species lives along Africa's southern coast today, and newly found fossils confirm that as many as four penguin species coexisted on the continent in the past. Exactly why African penguin diversity plummeted to the one species that lives there today is still a mystery, but changing sea levels may be to blame, the researchers say.
The fossil findings, described in the March 26 issue of the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, represent the oldest evidence of these iconic tuxedo-clad seabirds in Africa, predating previously described fossils by 5 to 7 million years.
Co-authors Daniel Thomas of the National Museum of Natural History and Dan Ksepka of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center happened upon the 10-12 million year old specimens in late 2010, while sifting through rock and sediment excavated from an industrial steel plant near Cape Town, South Africa.
Jumbled together with shark teeth and other fossils were 17 bone fragments that the researchers recognized as pieces of backbones, breastbones, wings and legs from several extinct species of penguins.
Based on their bones, these species spanned nearly the full size spectrum for penguins living today, ranging from a runty pint-sized penguin that stood just about a foot tall (0.3 m), to a towering species closer to three feet (0.9 m).
Only one penguin species lives in Africa today -- the black-footed penguin, or Spheniscus demersus, also known as the jackass penguin for its loud donkey-like braying call. Exactly when penguin diversity in Africa started to plummet, and why, is still unclear.
Gaps in the fossil record make it difficult to determine whether the extinctions were sudden or gradual. "[Because we have fossils from only two time periods,] it's like seeing two frames of a movie," said co-author Daniel Ksepka. "We have a frame at five million years ago, and a frame at 10-12 million years ago, but there's missing footage in between."
Humans probably aren't to blame, the researchers say, because by the time early modern humans arrived in South Africa, all but one of the continent's penguins had already died out.
A more likely possibility is that rising and falling sea levels did them in by wiping out safe nesting sites.
Although penguins spend most of their lives swimming in the ocean, they rely on offshore islands near the coast to build their nests and raise their young. Land surface reconstructions suggest that five million years ago -- when at least four penguin species still called Africa home -- sea level on the South African coast was as much as 90 meters higher than it is today, swamping low-lying areas and turning the region into a network of islands. More islands meant more beaches where penguins could breed while staying safe from mainland predators.
But sea levels in the region are lower today. Once-isolated islands have been reconnected to the continent by newly exposed land bridges, which may have wiped out beach nesting sites and provided access to predators.
Although humans didn't do previous penguins in Africa in, we'll play a key role in shaping the fate of the one species that remains, the researchers add.
Numbers of black-footed penguins have declined by 80% in the last 50 years, and in 2010 the species was classified as endangered. The drop is largely due to oil spills and overfishing of sardines and anchovies -- the black-footed penguin's favorite food.
"There's only one species left today, and it's up to us to keep it safe," Thomas said.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Daniel B. Thomas, Daniel T. Ksepka. A history of shifting fortunes for African penguins. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013; DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12024
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? David Petraeus apologized Tuesday night to an audience of veterans for the conduct that led to his resignation as head of the CIA following the disclosure of an extramarital affair.
"Needless to say, I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago," Petraeus said. "I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing. So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret ? and apologize for ? the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."
Dressed in a civilian's dark suit and red tie, Petraeus gave his first public speech since his resignation to about 600 people, including many uniformed and decorated veterans at the University of Southern California's annual ROTC dinner. The hero of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has remained largely in seclusion since resigning. His lawyer, Robert B. Barnett, has said that Petraeus has spent much of that time with his family.
While the speech was peppered with jokes about USC and UCLA's longstanding rivalry, he mostly talked about getting better treatment for veterans and soldiers, but stopped short of criticizing current practices.
"While our country continues to improve its support and recognition for all of our veterans and their families, we can and must do more," he said.
Petraeus received applause and a standing ovation before he began the evening's program by cutting a cake with a sword in military tradition, a task reserved for the highest ranking person in the room.
The retired four-star general's affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, was discovered during an FBI investigation into emails she sent to another woman she viewed as a rival for his attention.
"I know I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and a number of others," said Petraeus, in a somber tone to the audience that included his wife. He also mentioned their children.
At the time the affair was made public, Petraeus told his staff he was guilty of "extremely poor judgment."
"Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours," he said.
On Tuesday night, Petraeus noted the challenges of transitioning from military life to civilian life, a path he is currently navigating.
"There's often a view that because an individual was a great soldier, he or she will naturally do well in civilian world," Petraeus said. "In reality, the transition from military service to civilian pursuits is often quite challenging."
As the military leader credited with reshaping the nation's counterinsurgency strategy, turning the tide in the U.S. favor in both Iraq and Afghanistan and making the U.S. safer from terrorism, Petraeus had a friendly audience at the ROTC dinner.
At least one expert in crisis communications said that if his apology comes across as heartfelt and sincere, the public will indeed be seeing much more of him.
"America is a very forgiving nation," said Michael Levine who, among dozens of other celebrity clients, represented Michael Jackson during his first child molestation investigation.
"If he follows the path of humility, personal responsibility and contrition, I submit to you that he will be very successful in his ability to rehabilitate his image," he said.
Another longtime crisis communications expert, Howard Bragman, said Petraeus has handled the situation perfectly so far and he expects he'll continue to do so. He noted that unlike former President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards and other public figures caught in extramarital affairs, Petraeus didn't try to lie his way out of it, immediately took responsibility and moved on.
"I think the world is open to him now," said Bragman, vice chairman of the image-building company Reputation.com. "I think he can do whatever he wants. Realistically, he can even run for public office, although I don't think he'd want to because he can make more money privately."
Ahead of the speech, Petraeus drew lavish praise from USC's president, C. L. Max Nikias, who called him "arguably the most effective military commander since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower."
"In our post 9/11 world, Gen. Petraeus' influence on our military is unmatched, and his contributions to the CIA are far-reaching," Nikias said.
While at USC, Petraeus also planned to visit faculty and students at the Price School of Public Policy, which administers the ROTC program, and USC's School of Social Work, which trains social workers in how to best help veterans returning from war.
Petraeus was presented with a gift of silver cuff links by Nikias after his speech.
___
Associated Press writer Pauline Jelinek in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story.
Just ahead of T-Mobile's event in New York City, we've noticed that the carrier has already listed the BlackBerry Z10 on its website. It looks like the smartphone will be available for a $100 down payment with a $18 monthly installment for 24 months, though the UnCarrier also lists the BB Z10 for $532 up front. Notably, the handset's page says it supports 4G LTE -- and we imagine we'll hear a good deal more about T-Mobile's network plans when the event kicks off in just a bit.
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Geiger Gibson Program recognizes 8 emerging leaders at annual symposiumPublic release date: 25-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Brittany McAllister bdm@gwu.edu 202-994-4307 George Washington University
WASHINGTON Each year, the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) honors young Emerging Leaders in community health. Emerging Leaders are nominated by community health centers and primary care associations nationally and are selected by a committee drawn from the senior health center leadership. Award recipients are announced at the annual winter meeting of the National Association of Community Health Centers during the Geiger Gibson Symposium.
"Our Emerging Leaders reflect the enormous range of talented young people who have made a career in the health center family and personify the enduring strength of health centers," said Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and founder of the Geiger Gibson Program at SPHHS.
Julio Bellber, President and CEO of the RCHN Community Health Foundation, whose ongoing gift supports the activities of the Geiger Gibson Program, added, "the Emerging Leaders selected each year represent the future of health centers. The policy and program advocates, clinicians, health educators, and clinic administrators recognized each year truly will become the next generation of senior leaders."
The following 8 individuals were selected as 2013 Emerging Leaders:
2013 Emerging Leaders Award Recipients
RENATO BARUCCO
Community Healthcare Network, Bronx, NY
PHARA BENOIT
Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc., Miami, FL
STACY CRASE
Foothills Health and Wellness, Clay City, KY
SARAH DIXON GALE
Iowa Primary Care Association, Urbandale, IA
MABLE DUNN
Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc., Washington, DC
DUSTIN PARKER
McGrath Regional Health Center, McGrath, AK
ANGELICA ROJAS
San Benito Health Foundation, Hollister, CA
ELIZABETH WEST
Health Partners of Western Ohio, Lima, OH
###
About the Emerging Leader Award:
The Emerging Leader award was established in 2007 to highlight and share with the health center community the accomplishments of a new generation of health center leaders. One or more Emerging Leaders are selected annually by the Program, with the assistance of an advisory group comprised of health center leaders. The key qualities of leadership highlighted by this award are commitment, motivation, professional achievement, and leadership qualities that together further the health center mission.
About the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy:
The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy is a special initiative of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Housed in the Department of Health Policy, and named after Drs. H. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, pioneers in community health practice and tireless advocates for civil and human rights, the program aims to develop the next generation of community health leaders by offering education, research and training in community health practice and leadership. The program's research and educational activities seek to advance the education and policy development in the fields of health centers, primary health care for medically underserved populations, and health disparities reduction. The Geiger Gibson Program also offers a Fellows program; a health policy elective for medical residents; scholarship opportunities; an annual Distinguished Visitorship and more. For more information on the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy, visit http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/healthpolicy/ggprogram
About the RCHN Community Health Foundation:
The RCHN Community Health Foundation is a not-for-profit operating foundation established to support community health centers through strategic investment, outreach, education, and cutting-edge health policy research. The only foundation in the U.S. dedicated solely to community health centers, RCHN CHF builds on a long-standing commitment to providing accessible, high-quality, community-based healthcare services for underserved and medically vulnerable populations. The Foundation's gift to the Geiger Gibson program supports health center research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.rchnfoundation.org.
About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:
Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/
[ | 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.
Geiger Gibson Program recognizes 8 emerging leaders at annual symposiumPublic release date: 25-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Brittany McAllister bdm@gwu.edu 202-994-4307 George Washington University
WASHINGTON Each year, the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) honors young Emerging Leaders in community health. Emerging Leaders are nominated by community health centers and primary care associations nationally and are selected by a committee drawn from the senior health center leadership. Award recipients are announced at the annual winter meeting of the National Association of Community Health Centers during the Geiger Gibson Symposium.
"Our Emerging Leaders reflect the enormous range of talented young people who have made a career in the health center family and personify the enduring strength of health centers," said Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and founder of the Geiger Gibson Program at SPHHS.
Julio Bellber, President and CEO of the RCHN Community Health Foundation, whose ongoing gift supports the activities of the Geiger Gibson Program, added, "the Emerging Leaders selected each year represent the future of health centers. The policy and program advocates, clinicians, health educators, and clinic administrators recognized each year truly will become the next generation of senior leaders."
The following 8 individuals were selected as 2013 Emerging Leaders:
2013 Emerging Leaders Award Recipients
RENATO BARUCCO
Community Healthcare Network, Bronx, NY
PHARA BENOIT
Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc., Miami, FL
STACY CRASE
Foothills Health and Wellness, Clay City, KY
SARAH DIXON GALE
Iowa Primary Care Association, Urbandale, IA
MABLE DUNN
Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc., Washington, DC
DUSTIN PARKER
McGrath Regional Health Center, McGrath, AK
ANGELICA ROJAS
San Benito Health Foundation, Hollister, CA
ELIZABETH WEST
Health Partners of Western Ohio, Lima, OH
###
About the Emerging Leader Award:
The Emerging Leader award was established in 2007 to highlight and share with the health center community the accomplishments of a new generation of health center leaders. One or more Emerging Leaders are selected annually by the Program, with the assistance of an advisory group comprised of health center leaders. The key qualities of leadership highlighted by this award are commitment, motivation, professional achievement, and leadership qualities that together further the health center mission.
About the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy:
The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy is a special initiative of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Housed in the Department of Health Policy, and named after Drs. H. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, pioneers in community health practice and tireless advocates for civil and human rights, the program aims to develop the next generation of community health leaders by offering education, research and training in community health practice and leadership. The program's research and educational activities seek to advance the education and policy development in the fields of health centers, primary health care for medically underserved populations, and health disparities reduction. The Geiger Gibson Program also offers a Fellows program; a health policy elective for medical residents; scholarship opportunities; an annual Distinguished Visitorship and more. For more information on the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy, visit http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/healthpolicy/ggprogram
About the RCHN Community Health Foundation:
The RCHN Community Health Foundation is a not-for-profit operating foundation established to support community health centers through strategic investment, outreach, education, and cutting-edge health policy research. The only foundation in the U.S. dedicated solely to community health centers, RCHN CHF builds on a long-standing commitment to providing accessible, high-quality, community-based healthcare services for underserved and medically vulnerable populations. The Foundation's gift to the Geiger Gibson program supports health center research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.rchnfoundation.org.
About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:
Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/
[ | 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.
In a witty new set of TV commercials for Newcastle Brown Ale, the brewer admits it retouches beauty shots of its product for its advertising.
In a montage meant to display the beer's hand-crafted heritage, a voiceover intones, "Handcrafted by master breweers, and hand Photoshopped by underpaid interns."
The tagline: "Newcastle: No bollocks."
The ad agency is Droga5 New York.
See four more spots in the campaign here and here and here and here.
Forget the War of 1812. How about a home whose historic foundation dates back a full century earlier that has just been listed for sale in Newark, N.J.? The Sydenham House was built in 1712 as a two-room saltbox over a root cellar and was later expanded in 1826. It's now a five-bedroom, two-bathroom residence with a distinct calling card: It's the oldest house in Newark and the oldest private residence in the metropolitan New York area.
The home has been refurbished to its original condition and modernized with amenities necessary for modern living. It has been listed since 1970 on the National Register of Historic Places. Sydenham House appears to have come a long way since 2005, when it was last on the real estate market and featured in The New York Times. At that time, the home was in rough shape, occupied only by a caretaker employed by descendants of a Newark couple who had for 40 years worked on preserving the residence. The home still retains its original floors, doors and hardware, windows and fireplaces, but has been bolstered with new wiring, plumbing, roof and gourmet kitchen.
The Times noted that the home had been listed for sale at $699,000 in 2005, which many neighbors deemed too high, especially because strict guidelines were set forth by its now-deceased owners regarding the way in which the house can be remodeled or maintained. Now, however, the home is priced at $438,000, though it still raises the question: How much value should be placed on a property for which there are no comparable homes?
See the listing for more details.
Find more homes for sale in Newark, N.J., or search listings in your area.
See more on Zillow: Pros & Cons of Owning a Home in a Historic District Homes of the Future: Atomic-Age Design Lives Bob Hope's Iconic House for Sale in Palm Springs
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Palm Sunday was far from calm Sunday in North Texas, as powerful winds gusting to 45 mph made temperatures in the 50s feel like the 40s.
But now that the wind has died down, it's time for the big chill.
The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for all of North and Central Texas from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday morning. Temperatures will fall into the upper 20s and low 30s before the start of the weekday rush hour.
So if you got a little ahead of yourself with spring gardening chores, beware: Cover up those tender plants overnight.
The weather service also urges you to make sure that automatic sprinkler systems are turned off to avoid the possibility of ice forming on roads, driveways and sidewalks.
High pressure will keep the forecast quiet for the beginning of the week; still cool with highs only in the upper 50s to low 60s.
Our next chance of rain may come on Thursday.
WFAA meteorologist Colleen Coyle contributed to this report.
GARFIELD, N.J. (AP) -- The neighborhood looks exceedingly normal: single-family homes and apartment buildings packed together, dogs barking from postage-stamp-size lawns, parents hustling down narrow sidewalks to fetch their children from school. But something with very dangerous potential lies below the surface, officials say.
The residents' toenails will provide confirmation.
A plume of hexavalent chromium, a metal used in industrial production that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls a "well-established carcinogen," has spread under Garfield, putting about one-tenth of the city's homes ? about 600 structures and 3,600 residents ? at risk.
The Environmental Protection Agency is about to start drilling on the spill site to determine how much chromium is pooled beneath and remove tainted soil. The agency is also testing the broader area to determine how it will be cleaned up. Now a group of scientists from New York University is working to assess how much chromium residents may have been exposed to.
Researchers will collect toenail clippings from city residents. The nails will be tested for traces of chromium. Because toenails grow slowly, it is possible to see how much chromium has accumulated in the body over the past 18 months or so, said Judith Zelikoff, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University.
"Our major goal is to try to relieve their fears," Zelikoff said. "With the economy, they can't sell their homes. They don't know if they got exposed."
The contamination started 30 years ago, when thousands of pounds of hexavalent chromium? the same stuff that sickened Californians whose story was told in "Erin Brockovich" ? leaked from a tank at the EC Electroplating Co., a factory surrounded on all sides by houses and apartments. The state started cleaning up the spill but stopped two years later. In 1993, chromium was found at a now-shuttered firehouse and later in homes.
The EPA designated the area as a Superfund site ? marking it as of the nation's most toxic uncontrolled hazardous waste sites ? in 2011, and officials cautioned residents to stay out of their basements to prevent potential chromium exposure. EPA officials removed chromium from the building and demolished it last year, and found that some tanks had holes in them, potentially releasing even more chromium into the groundwater.
Officials say the contamination has not affected the city's drinking water, which is drawn from an outside source. Instead, they worry that people could inhale chromium dust that has been found in basements where groundwater has leached in.
The chromium plume is about three-quarters of a mile wide and slightly more than an eighth-mile long, EPA officials said. The substance has traveled from the site underneath the Passaic River and into the city of Passaic. The agency has installed about 40 monitoring wells to monitor how far the metal has spread.
"We're trying to find out the extent of the plume," said Rich Puvogel, a project manager with the EPA.
High quantities of the metal have been found in 14 homes that have since been cleaned up. Trace amounts were found in 30 to 40 homes. Testing continues, and a nearby school did not show elevated chromium levels.
Cathy Garrone, who bought a house in the neighborhood in 1985, walked her small dog recently across the street from the site where the plant once stood, a lot now fenced off and peppered with mounds of rocks and dirt.
She said she wouldn't have bought there if she had known about the chromium spill, and thinks much more testing needs to be conducted, both of the environment and people.
"I'd like them to do more testing to assure my safety," she said.
The research study is being done in conjunction with the city of Garfield. Officials are hoping the testing can bring some answers to residents.
"It's just been left," Zelikoff said. "A lot of people made mistakes."
Zelikoff and her team hope to test as many as 250 residents; some must live close to the plume and others about 3 miles away as a control group. When residents sign up, they will be given a kit that contains stainless steel toenail clippers (cheap ones contain chrome), instructions on how to clip the nails (samples from all 10 are needed) and an envelope for the clippings. It will take weeks to know the results, and people will be advised by public health nurses and others once the results return.
Test subjects must be between 18 and 65, have lived in Garfield for at least two years, not take chromium supplements, and not smoke.
Many residents are immigrants and relative newcomers, and some don't know about the contamination, Zelikoff said. City officials are working to educate residents, disseminating information about the cleanup to local churches and in four languages: English, Spanish, Polish and Macedonian, said city manager Tom Dutch.
Dutch said an initial health consultation indicates that there's no higher incidence of cancer in the neighborhood than anywhere else in the city, but he thinks the issue needs additional scientific testing.
"I have some concerns," Dutch said. "There are residents who have come to meetings and said, 'This one died, that one died,' and I think it warrants further investigation."
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Harvard University will be stripped of four national quiz championship titles after organizers found a competitor from the Ivy League school inappropriately accessed information about questions used in the tournament.
The National Academic Quiz Tournaments said that a security review found that Harvard competitor Andy Watkins accessed pages on its administrative Website just before the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Intercollegiate Championship Tournaments or "Quiz Bowls".
"We can't have that happen," said Robert Hentzel, NAQT president said on Friday.
The quiz organizers said their review found that Watkins accessed Web pages that showed the first 40 characters of questions to be asked at the tournaments, though it said it had no direct or statistical evidence that Watkins and three others took advantage of their prior access in game situations.
Hentzel, the group's president, said sometimes even the first 40 characters of a question can be telling.
At the time of the review, Watkins was working for the quiz organizer as question writer for high-school level contests. The NAQT said Watkins has been terminated as a question writer.
Watkins denied any wrongdoing.
"My immaturity damaged my much-prized relationship with NAQT and cast undue doubt on three remarkable accomplishments by three Harvard teams," said Watkins, in a statement issued by the organization. "I regret my breaches of question security .... Though I know everyone will make their own judgments, I did compete in good faith."
A Harvard spokesman declined to comment on the news.
The academic setback for the prestigious New England school came a day after Harvard scored a rare athletic triumph -- winning its first-ever game in the national college basketball championships.
It follows an incident last year when dozens of students were forced to withdraw temporarily from the university after cheating on a final exam in the largest academic scandal to hit the nearly four-century-old school in recent memory.
The National Academic Quiz Tournaments said they would vacate all of Harvard's wins at the Division I events in 2009 through 2011 and recognize other teams as national champions.
It named the University of Minnesota as undergraduate champion in 2009; the University of Chicago as Division I champion in 2010; the University of Minnesota as Division I champion in 2011, and Virginia Commonwealth University as undergraduate champion in 2011.
Rhys Millen, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record-holder and Chanelle Sladics, Winter Games Medallist, race down the notoriously treacherous Loveland Pass.
One has a 616-bhp McLaren 12C Spider. The other has a snowboard.
Let?s imagine for a minute that six identical 23-year-old female sextuplets were born and raised in a secluded U.S. town. The town is too small to provide six eligible male bachelors, so the women post their pictures on a nationwide online dating site. Their pictures are almost identical, but the women distinguish themselves by wearing six different-colored plain T-shirts. Based on their profile pictures alone, you might expect them to attract similar levels of interest?but you?d be profoundly wrong.
Nobody's going to win an Emmy for a parody of the TV show "Star Trek" filmed by Internal Revenue Service employees at an agency studio in Maryland.?
Instead, the IRS got a rebuke from Congress for wasting taxpayer dollars.?
The agency says the video, along with a training video that parodied the TV show "Gilligan's Island," cost about $60,000. The "Star Trek" video accounted for most of the money, the agency said.
The IRS said Friday it was a mistake for employees to make the six-minute video. It was shown at the opening of a 2010 training and leadership conference but does not appear to have any training value.
The video features an elaborate set depicting the control room, or bridge, of the spaceship featured in the hit TV show. IRS workers portray the characters, including one who plays Mr. Spock, complete with fake hair and pointed ears.
The production value is high even though the acting is what one might expect from a bunch of tax collectors. In the video, the spaceship is approaching the planet "Notax," where alien identity theft appears to be a problem.
"The IRS recognizes and takes seriously our obligation to be good stewards of government resources and taxpayer dollars," the agency said in a statement. "There is no mistaking that this video did not reflect the best stewardship of resources."
The agency said it has tightened controls over the use of its production equipment to "ensure that all IRS videos are handled in a judicious manner that makes wise use of taxpayer funds while ensuring a tone and theme appropriate for the nation's tax system."
The agency also said, "A video of this type would not be made today."
The video was released late in the day Friday after investigators from the House Ways and Means Committee requested it.
"There is nothing more infuriating to a taxpayer than to find out the government is using their hard-earned dollars in a way that is frivolous," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., chairman of the Ways and Means oversight subcommittee. "The IRS admitted as much when it disclosed that it no longer produces such videos."
The film was made at an IRS studio in New Carrollton, Md., a suburb of Washington. The agency said it uses the studio to make training films and informational videos for taxpayers.
"The use of video training and video outreach through the in-house studio has become increasingly important to the IRS to reach both taxpayers and employees," the agency said. "In the current budget environment, using video for training purposes helps us save millions of dollars and is an important part of successful IRS cost-efficiency efforts."
IRS YouTube videos have been viewed more than 5 million times, the agency said. A video on the IRS website called "When Will I Get My Refund?" has been seen 950,000 times this filing season.
The disclosure of the "Star Trek" video comes as agencies throughout the federal government face automatic spending cuts, including employee furloughs at many of them.
Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller has told employees they could be furloughed five to seven days this summer. The furloughs, however, will be delayed until after tax filing season so refunds should not be affected.
The agency said the "Star Trek" video "was a well-intentioned, light-hearted introduction to an important conference during a difficult period for the IRS."
Congressional investigators initially sought both the "Star Trek" video and the "Gilligan's Island" video but after viewing them determined that the "Gilligan's Island" video was a legitimate training video. The IRS did not release the "Gilligan's Island" video.
"The video series with an island theme provided filing season training for 1,900 employees in our Taxpayer Assistance Centers in 400 locations," the IRS said. "This example of video training alone saved the IRS about $1.5 million each year compared to the costs of training the employees in person."
? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Long-sought specificity on the shapes of serotonin binding sites could aid in the discovery of new drugs to combat depression, as well as in the study of consciousness
By Arran Frood and Nature magazine
Two studies have decoded the structure of two of the brain's serotonin receptors. Here shown is a receptor known as 1B with the migraine drug ergotamine (pink) locked into one of its binding pockets.Image: Chong Wang & Huixian Wu
Researchers have deciphered the molecular structures of two of the brain's crucial lock-and-key mechanisms. The two molecules are receptors for the natural neurotransmitter serotonin ? which regulates activities such as sleep, appetite and mood ? and could provide targets for future drugs to combat depression, migraines or obesity.?
?This is huge,? says Bryan Roth, a neuropharmacologist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical School, and a co-author of the two studies published in Science today. ?Before this there was no crystal structure for any serotonin receptor. A lot of what was theoretical is now known with a great degree of certainty,? he says.
Scientists have been trying to decipher serotonin receptors for years. Armed with information on the atomic level, they might now be able to make breakthroughs in drug discovery and in understanding how the physical structures of the brain produce consciousness, says Roth.
Christoph Anacker, a neuropharmacologist at King's College London, agrees that the findings are important for drug discovery. ?These receptors are involved in so many conditions, especially depression, and knowing the molecular structures will help to develop more specific drugs and avoid the expression of undesired side effects.?
Chemical messengers There are 14 different known serotonin receptors. The molecules lie on the outer membranes of nerve cells; when drugs or neurotransmitters lock into the receptors from outside the cell, they trigger the release of other chemicals inside the cell. Those chemicals ? which can be different depending on what drug or neurotransmitter has triggered them ? activate further hormones and metabolites, producing signaling cascades that are ultimately responsible for many aspects of the way we feel, perceive and behave.
Some drugs bind at more than one receptor, setting off not-fully-understood reactions that can produce unwanted side effects. To avoid this, researchers want to fine-tune drugs so that they activate only the desired signaling pathway.
Roth and his colleagues uncovered the receptor structures using X-ray crystallography, in which X-ray beams are fired at crystals of the compound, and the structure is deduced from how the beams scatter.
The teams focused on two receptors, called 1B and 2B. They found that the molecules had very similar structures in the areas where serotonin docks.
But in one area of the 1B receptor, the binding pocket was wider than in the 2B receptor. Although the difference was a mere 0.3 nanometers, about the width of three helium atoms, the difference is enough to explain why the two receptors bind differently to certain compounds.
This distinction may be relevant to drug safety: some drugs that activate the 2B receptor have been thought to cause heart problems, and have been withdrawn as unsafe. The connection has earned the 2B the nickname of death receptor.
ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ Read the latest research in child development including how newborns learn to think, how sleep patterns emerge, problems with toddlers and more.en-usWed, 13 Mar 2013 06:27:28 EDTWed, 13 Mar 2013 06:27:28 EDT60ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Autistic children may be at greater risk of suicide ideation and attemptshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152049.htm Children with an autism spectrum disorder may be at greater risk for contemplating suicide or attempting suicide than children without autism, according to researchers.Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152049.htm'I don't want to pick!' Preschoolers know when they aren't surehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152002.htm Children as young as 3 years old know when they are not sure about a decision, and can use that uncertainty to guide decision making, according to new research.Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152002.htmChildren who avoid scary situations likelier to have anxietyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201019.htm Children who avoid situations they find scary are likely to have anxiety a study of more than 800 children ages 7 to 18 found.Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:10:10 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201019.htmMom's sensitivity helps language development in children with hearing losshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htm Psychologists demonstrate the impact sensitive parenting has on language growth for children who receive cochlear implants.Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htmUsing human brain cells to make mice smarterhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htm What happens when human brain cells that surround and support neurons are implanted into the brains of newborn mice? Researchers recently found that such mice had enhanced learning and memory when compared with normal mice that hadn't received the transplanted human cells. The findings indicate that these supportive cells, called glia, play an important role in human cognition.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htmWhen food is scarce, a smaller brain will dohttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htm A new study explains how young brains are protected when nutrition is poor. The findings reveal a coping strategy for producing a fully functional, if smaller, brain. The discovery, which was made in larval flies, shows the brain as an incredibly adaptable organ and may have implications for understanding the developing human brain as well, the researchers say.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htmExercise shields children from stress, research indicateshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htm Exercise may play a key role in helping children cope with stressful situations, according to a recent study.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htmFlip of a single molecular switch makes an old mouse brain younghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htm The flip of a single molecular switch helps create the mature neuronal connections that allow the brain to bridge the gap between adolescent impressionability and adult stability. Now researchers have reversed the process, recreating a youthful brain that facilitated both learning and healing in the adult mouse.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htmSolving the 'Cocktail Party Problem': How we can focus on one speaker in noisy crowdshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htm In the din of a crowded room, paying attention to just one speaker's voice can be challenging. Research demonstrates how the brain homes in on one speaker to solve this "Cocktail Party Problem." Researchers discovered that brain waves are shaped so the brain can selectively track the sound patterns from the speaker of interest while excluding competing sounds from other speakers. The findings could have important implications for helping individuals with a range of deficits.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htmFamily intervention improves mood symptoms in children and adolescents at risk for bipolar disorderhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htm Psychologists have found that children and adolescents with major depression or subthreshold forms of bipolar disorder - and who had at least one first-degree relative with bipolar disorder - responded better to a 12-session family-focused treatment than to a briefer educational treatment.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htmHelp in reading foreign languageshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htm Recent research into how we learn is set to help people in their efforts to read a second or foreign language (SFL) more effectively. This will be good news for those struggling to develop linguistic skills in preparation for a move abroad, or to help in understanding foreign language forms, reports, contracts and instructions.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htmPotential target to better treat, cure anxiety disordershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htm Researchers have, for the first time, identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement sleep is critical for the regulation of emotional memory processing.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htmMental picture of others can be seen using fMRI, finds new studyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htm It is possible to tell who a person is thinking about by analyzing images of his or her brain. Our mental models of people produce unique patterns of brain activation, which can be detected using advanced imaging techniques according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htmChildren of divorced parents more likely to switch, pull away from religionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htm Adults whose parents were divorced are more likely to switch religions or disassociate themselves from institutional religions altogether -- but growing up in a single-parent family does not have any effect on private religious life, including praying, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htmStress hormone foreshadows postpartum depression in new mothershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htm Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to develop postpartum depression, according to a new study.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htmMom's placenta reflects her exposure to stress and impacts offsprings' brainshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htm The mammalian placenta is more than just a filter through which nutrition and oxygen are passed from a mother to her unborn child. According to a new study, if a mother is exposed to stress during pregnancy, her placenta translates that experience to her fetus by altering levels of a protein that affects the developing brains of male and female offspring differently.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htmIs baby still breathing? Is mom's obsession normal?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htm A new mother may constantly worry and check to see if her baby is breathing. Or she may obsess about germs. A new study found postpartum moms have a much higher rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than the general population. This is the first large-scale study of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in new moms. The symptoms could result from hormonal changes or be adaptive, but may indicate a psychological disorder if they interfere with a mother's functioning.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htmSpeech emerges in children on the autism spectrum with severe language delay at greater rate than previously thoughthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htm Study could reveals key predictors of speech gains. New findings reveal that 70 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who have a history of severe language delay, achieved phrase or fluent speech by age eight.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htmADHD takes a toll well into adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htm The first large, population-based study to follow children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into adulthood shows that ADHD often doesn?t go away and that children with ADHD are more likely to have other psychiatric disorders as adults. They also appear more likely to commit suicide and to be incarcerated as adults.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:47:47 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htmInfection during pregnancy and stress in puberty play key role in development of schizophreniahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htm The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviorists demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htmBritish children more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults, experts warnhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htm Children in Britain are more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults and need much stronger protection, warn experts.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmCloser personal relationships could help teens overcome learning disabilitieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htm A new study from Israel says that children with learning disabilities develop less secure attachments with mothers and teachers, and that closer and more secure relationships with parents and adults may help them overcome these disabilities.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htmEating junk food while pregnant may make your child a junk food addicthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htm A healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children. New research suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food cause developmental changes of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children. Consequently, these children are less sensitive to opioids released upon consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, and need to eat more to achieve a "feel good" response.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htmChildren with autism show increased positive social behaviors when animals are presenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htm The presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htmHomeric epics were written in 762 BCE, give or take, new study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htm One of literature's oldest mysteries is a step closer to being solved. A new study dates Homer's The Iliad to 762 BCE and adds a quantitative means of testing ideas about history by analyzing the evolution of language.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htmPraising children for their personal qualities may backfirehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htm Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htmFirst grade math skills set foundation for later math abilityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htm Children who failed to acquire a basic math skill in first grade scored far behind their peers by seventh grade on a test of the mathematical abilities needed to function in adult life, according to researchers.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htmResearch explores factors that impact adolescent mental healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htm Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htmAuthors: Develop digital games to improve brain function and well-beinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htm Neuroscientists should help to develop compelling digital games that boost brain function and improve well-being, say two professors specializing in the field.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htmStudy connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htm New research examines how childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and maternal depression increase the risk of major depression and chronic pain when they become adults.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htmNew studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmHigher levels of several toxic metals found in children with autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htmGiving a voice to kids with Down syndromehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htm A new case study shows children with Down syndrome can benefit from conventional stuttering treatment.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htmUltrasound reveals autism risk at birth, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htm Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htmParents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimentalhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htm Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htmScientists make older adults less forgetful in memory testshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htm Scientists have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests. The cognitive boost comes from a surprising source -- a distraction learning strategy.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htmHow human language could have evolved from birdsong: Researchers propose new theory on deep roots of human speechhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htm The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which "might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions." Linguistics and biology now researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htmEarly life stress may take early toll on heart functionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htm Early life stress like that experienced by ill newborns appears to take an early toll of the heart, affecting its ability to relax and refill with oxygen-rich blood, researchers report.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htmSignaling pathway linked to fetal alcohol risk: Molecular switch promises new targets for diagnosis and therapyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htm Scientists have identified a molecular signaling pathway that plays an important role in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htmBullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adultshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htm Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htmChildren with brain lesions able to use gestures important to language learninghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220123413.htm Children with brain lesions suffered before or around the time of birth are able to use gestures -- an important aspect of the language learning process -- to convey simple sentences.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220123413.htmAdding movement to 'dry run' mental imagery enhances performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219201523.htm Adding movement to mental rehearsal can improve performance finds a new study. For high jumpers the study shows that dynamic imagery improves the number of successful attempts and the technical performance of jumps The technique of mental rehearsal is used to consolidate performance in many disciplines including music and sport. Motor imagery and physical practice use overlapping neural networks in the brain and the two together can improve performance as well as promoting recovery from injury.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219201523.htmBiological marker of dyslexia discovered: Ability to consistently encode sound undergirds the reading processhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172159.htm Researchers believe they have discovered a biological marker of dyslexia, a disorder affecting up to one out of 10 children that makes learning to read difficult. The researchers found a systematic relationship between reading ability and the consistency with which the brain encodes sounds. The good news: Response consistency can be improved with auditory training.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172159.htmLanguage protein differs in males, femaleshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172153.htm Male rat pups have more of a specific brain protein associated with language development than females, according to a new study. The study also found sex differences in the brain protein in a small group of children. The findings may shed light on sex differences in communication in animals and language acquisition in people.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172153.htmInfants in poverty show different physiological vulnerabilities to the care-giving environmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219141016.htm Some infants raised in poverty exhibit physical traits that make them more vulnerable to poor care-giving, according to new research. The combination of physiological vulnerability and poor care-giving may lead these children to show increased problem behaviors later in childhood.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219141016.htmMusic therapy improves behavior in children with autism, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219140100.htm Weekly music therapy sessions can have a positive effect on behavior in children with autism, reports a new article. In a study of 41 children, improvements were seen particularly in inattentive behaviors over a ten month period.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:01:01 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219140100.htmReduced risk of preterm birth for pregnant women vaccinated during pandemic fluhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121351.htm Pregnant women who received the H1N1 influenza vaccine during the 2009 pandemic were less likely to have premature babies, and their babies weighed more on average.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121351.htmSports, shared activities are 'game changers' for dad/daughter relationshipshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121212.htm The most frequent turning point in father-daughter relationships is shared activity -- especially sports -- ahead of such pivotal events as when a daughter marries or leaves home, according to a new study.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121212.htmIs there a link between childhood obesity and ADHD, learning disabilities?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121021.htm A new study has established a possible link between high-fat diets and such childhood brain-based conditions as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory-dependent learning disabilities.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121021.htmChildren with auditory processing disorder may now have more treatment optionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219120936.htm Researchers are helping children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment. They have developed a program that uses evidence-based practices and incorporates speech-language pathologists into therapy.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219120936.htm'Simplified' brain lets the iCub robot learn languagehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102649.htm The iCub humanoid robot will now be able to understand what is being said to it and even anticipate the end of a sentence.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:26:26 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102649.htmIt may be educational, but what is that TV show really teaching your preschooler?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102118.htm Most parents carefully select what television programs and movies their children can watch. But a psychologist says educational shows could come with an added lesson that influences a child?s behavior. Children exposed to educational programs were more aggressive in their interactions than those who weren't exposed.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102118.htmFear, anger or pain: Why do babies cry?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219090649.htm Researchers have studied adults' accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition. It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:06:06 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219090649.htmShedding new light on infant brain developmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218164126.htm A new study finds that the infant brain does not control its blood flow the same way as the adult brain, that the control of brain blood flow develops with age. These findings could change the way researchers study brain development in infants and children.Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218164126.htmExcessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behavior, New Zealand study showshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218092711.htm Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behavior when they become adults, according to a new study.Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:27:27 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218092711.htm
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Public release date: 25-Mar-2013
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The home has been refurbished to its original condition and modernized with amenities necessary for modern living. It has been listed since 1970 on the National Register of Historic Places. Sydenham House appears to have come a long way since 2005, when it was last on the real estate market and featured in The New York Times. At that time, the home was in rough shape, occupied only by a caretaker employed by descendants of a Newark couple who had for 40 years worked on preserving the residence. The home still retains its original floors, doors and hardware, windows and fireplaces, but has been bolstered with new wiring, plumbing, roof and gourmet kitchen.
