juhansingh

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Deal or no deal: Five year olds make smart decisions in games of risk

Jan. 9, 2013 ? You may have to be over a certain age to be a contestant on "Deal or No Deal," but children as young as five start to maximize their profits -- in cookies -- when making decisions similar to those on the show, according to research published Jan. 9 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Valerie Dufour and colleagues from the National Center for Scientific Research in France.

Children aged 3-9 were given a cookie and presented the option to either keep it or exchange it for one of 6 identical cups containing cookies. The cookies in the cups could be larger, smaller or equal in size to what they already had. The chances of winning a larger cookie were altered by presenting different combinations of cookie sizes in the cups (3 large, 2 equal and 1 small, for example). In each case, the children were told how many cups had a 'winning' cookie before they made their decision.

Three to four-year-olds could not distinguish between the profits to be had by choosing to exchange their cookie when the odds of winning were greater. Kids aged five and up were better at understanding the odds of winning, and their decisions were affected by chances of losing. They also framed their decisions in the context of previous wins or losses.

The researchers found that though children over the age of five were risk-seekers, they also exhibited an aversion to loss typically seen in adults. This aversion arises from a 'better safe than sorry' choice but can also lead to judgment errors in adults, causing a loss of potential profits. The results of this study suggest that this is a decision-making pattern that we begin to learn as early as age five.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Sophie Steelandt, Marie-H?l?ne Broihanne, Am?lie Romain, Bernard Thierry, Val?rie Dufour. Decision-Making under Risk of Loss in Children. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (1): e52316 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052316

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/STR04_JFb4Q/130109185843.htm

warren sapp the masters i robot the big c the visitor king of kings ostara

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Banks Win! Banks Win! (New Year, Same Old ... - Yahoo! Finance

It?s a new year but the same old story when it comes to regulators? efforts to rein in the banks: The banks always win.

Over the weekend, global regulators agreed to substantially ease the new Basel III regulations and delay their full implementation by four years. The global liquidity standards were designed to ensure banks had sufficient capital on hand to survive another Lehman-like crisis, as well as require that capital be high-quality and liquid. There was a lot of fanfare from regulators when the regulations were first announced in 2010 -- and a lot of gnashing of teeth from investors about how they would ?cripple? the industry and potentially hurt economic growth.

After coming under pressure from the banking industry, global regulators agreed to loosen the definition of "high-quality liquid assets" to include highly rated residential mortgage-backed securities. ?Ultimately, the negotiators agreed to let banks use less-traditional assets to satisfy up to 15% of their [capital] requirements under the rule,? The WSJ reports.

Given that triple-A rated mortgage-backed securities were at the heart of the 2008 crisis, it?s mind-boggling that banks were able to successfully lobby for this change. Moreover, with the Fed aggressively buying mortgage-backed securities and the U.S. housing market starting to heat up, it's the definition of insanity to expect a different result from the banks if they're given a green-light to both invest in MBS and treat them on par with government bonds and cash for liquidity purposes.

In addition, regulators downgraded the severity of crises banks are supposed to be buttressed against and delayed full implementation of the rule until Jan. 1, 2019 vs. the originally proposed Jan. 1, 2015. In other words, banks have been given four more years (four more years!) to continue business as usual, without much fear of regulatory pushback.

In separate but related news:

Bank of America reached a $10 billion settlement with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over claims related to loans written by its Countrywide Financial subsidiary. Bank of America says it will pay the bulk of the settlement from cash reserves. This will reduce its fourth-quarter net income by $2.7 billion but the deal is seen as a victory for Bank of America as it removes uncertainty over the litigation. Plus, the bank having that much cash on hand is a reminder of how profitable the business is, especially when regulators use kid gloves.
U.S. regulators are reportedly close to a $10 billion settlement with a group of banks to settle charge of improper foreclosure practices. The settlement means a halt to investigations into the so-called robo-signing scandal and will surely require occur without banks admitting to any wrongdoing. Notably, the banks were eager to get the deal done so they could include the settlement in fourth-quarter (and year-end) results -- yet regulators backed down after the banks ?threatened to walk away from the deal if the Fed's demand for an additional $300 million was included,? The WSJ reports. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about who holds the power in these negotiations.

These settlements are in addition to the $25 billion deal the banks reached with the White House and state attorneys general last year, as well as big fines levied in recent years against Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo among others.

The settlements and fines do add up to ?real? money but let?s put them in some perspective: For 2012, the six biggest investment banks are expected to pay employee bonuses totaling nearly $38 billion while annual profits for the S&P 500 Financials Index are expected to approach $155 billion, according to Bloomberg. And that's just one year!

Given this industry can produce those kind of profits in a sluggish economy, what disincentive do banks have to rein in bad behavior ? or big leveraged bets ? when regulators continually go easy and ?not a single senior banker from a major firm has gone to prison for conduct related to the 2008 financial crisis,? as Jesse Eisinger and Frank Partnoy lament in The Atlantic.

Related: What's What's Inside America's Banks? No One Knows, Says ProPublica's Jess Eisinger

Tim Geithner may be stepping down as Treasury Secretary but the era of policymaking designed to benefit the banks and the bankers above all else rolls on.

Aaron Task is the host of The Daily Ticker and Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo! Finance. You can follow him on Twitter at @aarontask or email him at altask@yahoo.com

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/banks-win-banks-win-same-old-story-165729454.html

michigan football michigan football askew blue moon ann romney marco rubio marco rubio

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Gene therapy reprograms scar tissue in damaged hearts into healthy heart muscle

Monday, January 7, 2013

A cocktail of three specific genes can reprogram cells in the scars caused by heart attacks into functioning muscle cells, and the addition of a gene that stimulates the growth of blood vessels enhances that effect, said researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University Medical Center in a report that appears online in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"The idea of reprogramming scar tissue in the heart into functioning heart muscle was exciting," said Dr. Todd K. Rosengart, chair of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at BCM and the report's corresponding author. "The theory is that if you have a big heart attack, your doctor can just inject these three genes into the scar tissue during surgery and change it back into heart muscle. However, in these animal studies, we found that even the effect is enhanced when combined with the VEGF gene."

"This experiment is a proof of principle," said Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and a pioneer in gene therapy, who played an important role in the research. "Now we need to go further to understand the activity of these genes and determine if they are effective in even larger hearts."

During a heart attack, blood supply is cut off to the heart, resulting in the death of heart muscle. The damage leaves behind a scar and a much weakened heart. Eventually, most people who have had serious heart attacks will develop heart failure.

Changing the scar into heart muscle would strengthen the heart. To accomplish this, during surgery, Rosengart and his colleagues transferred three forms of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene that enhances blood vessel growth or an inactive material (both attached to a gene vector) into the hearts of rats. Three weeks later, the rats received either Gata4, Mef 2c and Tbx5 (the cocktail of transcription factor genes called GMT) or an inactive material. (A transcription factor binds to specific DNA sequences and starts the process that translates the genetic information into a protein.)

The GMT genes alone reduced the amount of scar tissue by half compared to animals that did not receive the genes, and there were more heart muscle cells in the animals that were treated with GMT. The hearts of animals that received GMT alone also worked better as defined by ejection fraction than those who had not received genes. (Ejection fraction refers to the percentage of blood that is pumped out of a filled ventricle or pumping chamber of the heart.)

The hearts of the animals that had received both the GMT and the VEGF gene transfers had an ejection fraction four times greater than that of the animals that had received only the GMT transfer.

Rosengart emphasizes that more work needs to be completed to show that the effect of the VEGF is real, but it has real promise as part of a new treatment for heart attack that would minimize heart damage.

"We have shown both that GMT can effect change that enhances the activity of the heart and that the VEGF gene is effective in improving heart function even more," said Dr. Crystal.

The idea started with the notion of induced pluripotent stem cells ? reprograming mature specialized cells into stem cells that are immature and can differentiate into different specific cells needed in the body. Dr. Shinya Yamanaka and Sir John B. Gurdon received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for their work toward this goal this year.

However, use of induced pluripotent stem cells has the potential to cause tumors. To get around that, researchers in Dallas and San Francisco used the GMT cocktail to reprogram the scar cells into cardiomyocytes (cells that become heart muscle) in the living animals.

Now Rosengart and his colleagues have gone a step farther ? encouraging the production of new blood vessels to provide circulation to the new cells.

###

Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu/index.html

Thanks to Weill Cornell Medical College for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 44 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126151/Gene_therapy_reprograms_scar_tissue_in_damaged_hearts_into_healthy_heart_muscle

alicia keys Susan Rice American Airlines the Who jon bon jovi jon bon jovi Kliff Kingsbury

Monday, January 7, 2013

Comp plan details extreme sports site, community/rec center, indoor ...

When the new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Storm Lake debuts at a Jan. 9 public forum, it will include concepts designed to spur growth and recreation.

?We?re getting into the esoteric as well as the practical,? says City Manager Jim Patrick.

The plan will address the coming 20 years, with expectations that it will be updated every five years. The City is looking for public input before it finalizes the plan next spring.

Included in the 11-chapter document are mapped possibilities for a new indoor sports field, possibly even a dome, in an expansion of the Field of Dreams complex.

A Community Center is a prime focus of the plan. ?This is a very strong suggestion, it would be a great thing to have,? Patrick said. ?The plan does not set out an exact location. Renovating old South School remains a possibility, but so would building something new that would be more useable.?

The comp plan foresees a ?community/arts/cultural/recreation? multi-use center.

Several new parks are also suggested, including one to locate in the downtown area. A possible site could be the area of the current Sara Lee/Hillshire Brands feed mill, as the company is considering multiple possible locations to build a new mill, Patrick said. The proposal calls for a ring of townhouse/condo developments to face the park.

An ?East City Square? with parkland is proposed for the east part of town, and a new Seneca Park in the 10th-13th street areas.

The City has been considering possible uses for an old dredging spoil site, and the comp plan proposal suggests an extreme sports park for the site ? where ATVs, motocross motorcycles, BMX bikes, snowmobiles and cross-country skis could use trails.

An off-leash dog park is proposed for the areas behind the Storm Lake cemetery.

The comp plan proposes cross-town recreation trails to add to existing trails and a scheduled construction project adding a trail along North Lake Avenue.

The plan also details continued efforts to develop new housing, which has been identified as a pressing need in recent years, as population growth of about 10 percent a year has outstripped the available housing.

The proposed comp plan anticipates growth and development to the north and west edges of the City, with some potential for expansion to the south, Patrick says. A major focus would be to develop the Highway 7 corridor with natural resource areas, office space and retail stores. The King?s Pointe area is a key focus, where commerical development has yet to live up to expectations from the Project AWAYSIS planning seven years ago. The City is especially interested in bringing in restaurants and new stores to the area, Patrick said.

The plan?s vision includes changes to the traffic patterns and handling systems to slow vehicles down as they pass through Storm Lake, and increase options for pedestrians, runners and bikers. Capital improvement plans and continued replacement of aging infastructure are also addressed.

?This document is a lot of good reading ? basically it serves as a set of suggestions for where the City?s efforts should be focused in the years to come,? he added. ?The idea is that we need to pull the whole community together a little more, os that we can have everyone working side by side in the same direction. It?s going to take not just government, but all of us.?

The January 9 session at King?s Pointe is open to the public, and begins at 5:30 p.m.

Source: http://www.stunttube.com/?p=1226

masters par 3 contest google augmented reality glasses wonderlic test texas tornado fantasy baseball jared sullinger jaleel white

Source: http://abannebell32.posterous.com/comp-plan-details-extreme-sports-site-communi

nba playoff schedule

Source: http://williehernan3.posterous.com/comp-plan-details-extreme-sports-site-communi

christine christine will ferrell double fine adventure turbo tax katharine mcphee cold mountain

Friday, January 4, 2013

Hormel buying No. 2 peanut butter Skippy for $700M

AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) ? Hormel Foods apparently has a hankering for a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. The company primarily known for cured, smoked and deli meats said Thursday that it's buying Skippy, the country's No. 2 peanut butter brand, for about $700 million.

Skippy, which was introduced in 1932 and is a staple in American pantries, is intended to increase Hormel's presence in the center of the supermarket where shelf-stable foods are sold. It also gives the Austin, Minn.-based company a clearer path for growth overseas; Skippy is sold in about 30 countries and is the leading peanut butter brand in China, where Hormel is also looking to expand its Spam line.

In the U.S., the Skippy line consists of 11 varieties of peanut butter, including Skippy Natural. Hormel noted that Skippy is the leading brand in the faster-growing subcategory of natural peanut butter. It estimated peanut butter as a $2 billion category.

Hormel expects annual Skippy sales of about $370 million, with almost $100 million of that from outside the U.S. The deal includes Skippy manufacturing plants in Little Rock, Ark., and Weifang, China. Hormel Foods Corp. said that it expects the deal to modestly add to its fiscal 2013 results and add 13 cents to 17 cents per share to fiscal 2014 earnings.

The transaction, which still needs regulatory approval, is expected to close early this year.

Unilever, based in the Netherlands and the U.K., is one of the largest consumer products companies in the world. It makes Vaseline, Dove soaps and Lipton tea. The company had indicated last year it was considering selling Skippy as part of a strategic review.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-03-Hormel-Skippy/id-09dfdb2aaa9048ed91201dbf99626f27

Kohls Black Friday www.walmart.com Macho Camacho Rise of the Guardians Pumpkin Pie Jack Taylor Apple Pie Recipe

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Unpakt Is A Comparison Engine For Moving Companies, And Now It?s Launching In 15 Cities

With Unpakt, moving out of your house or apartment doesn't have to be a nightmare. Unpakt lets you browse reputable moving companies, compare prices, and book online. Now it's launching in 15 cities with 100 movers after starting in NYC. Like Kayak plus Yelp, Unpakt could earn juicy referral fees, bring transparency to an industry laden with hidden rates, and make moving easy as booking a flight.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/N0HnaqyqVE0/

Barack Obama & Joe Biden Am I registered to vote Voter registration Election Election results 2012 exit polls Presidential Polls

For those short on time, aerobic, not resistance, exercise is best bet for weight- and fat loss

Jan. 2, 2013 ? A new study led by North Carolina researchers has found that when it comes to weight- and fat loss, aerobic training is better than resistance training. The study is believed to the largest randomized trial to directly compare changes in body composition induced by comparable amounts of time spent doing aerobic and resistant training, or both in combination, among previously inactive overweight or obese non-diabetic adults.

The study is entitled "Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults". It is published in the December 2012 edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology published by the American Physiological Society.

Methodology

A total of 234 previously sedentary overweight or obese males and females, age 18-70 years of age, were enrolled in one of three eight-month supervised protocols: aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), or a combination (AT/RT). Of the total, 119 participants completed the trials and had complete data for the variables of interest in the article.

Those assigned to aerobic training exercised vigorously, at about 70-85% of maximum heart rate. They exercise approximately 45 minutes three days per week throughout the study period.

Individuals assigned to resistance training also exercised three days a week, completing three sets of 8-12 reps on eight resistance machines that targeted all major muscle groups. Resistance was increased throughout the study to maintain a steady level of challenge as the participants gained strength.

Individuals who were assigned to AT/RT performed all the exercises assigned to both AT and RT groups. At the end of study each enrollee was assessed for weight, body composition, waist circumference, cardiopulmonary fitness and strength compared to their baseline.

Key Findings and Conclusions

The researchers found:

? The groups assigned to aerobic training and aerobic plus resistance training lost more weight than those that did resistance training only. In fact, those who did resistance training only actually gained weight due to an increase in lean body mass.

? Fat mass and waist circumference significantly decreased in the AT and AT/RT groups, but were not altered in RT. However, measures of lean body mass significantly increased in RT and AT/RT, but not in AT. The finding suggest that aerobic exercise is more effective in reducing these measures.

? Lean body mass increased with both RT and AT/RT, but not AT. Having the benefit to of both modes of exercise allowed AT/RT to decrease body fat percent significantly more than either AT or RT due to decreased fat mass combined with increased lean body mass.

Importance of the Findings

According to Leslie H. Willis, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center and the study's lead author, "Given our observations, it may be time to seriously reconsider the conventional wisdom that resistance training alone can lead to weight and fat loss."

Willis added, "If increasing muscle mass and strength is a goal, then resistance training is required. However, the majority of Americans could experience health benefits due to weight and fat loss. The best option in that case, given limited time for exercise, is to focus on aerobic training. When you lose fat, it is likely you are losing visceral fat, which is known to be associated with cardiovascular and other health benefits."

In addition to Leslie Willis, the study was conducted by Cris A. Slentz, Lori A. Bateman, Lucy W. Piner, Connie W. Bales and William E. Kraus of the Duke University Medical Center; and Joseph A Hourmard and A. Tamlyn Shields of East Carolina University.