Nor is it credible to attribute the Spurs? obscurity to San Antonio?s alleged ?small market? status, a hoary clich? that fails to notice the extraordinary population growth in Texas since the ABA-NBA merger brought the Spurs into the league. It?s true that San Antonio remains considerably smaller than New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or even Dallas and Houston. But it?s far from the NBA?s smallest market. The San Antonio metropolitan area?s 2.2 million inhabitants ranks it above Sacramento, Orlando, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Memphis, New Orleans, and not least of all Oklahoma City.
Apple just confirmed that?its keynote event?will take?place on Monday, June 11,?during?the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).?As usual, expectations are high ? the event potentially?brings a new product?announcement?or two.
The keynote will take place at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on June 11. Apple typically kicks WWDC off with such an event, so no one's surprised by its appearance on the WWDC schedule. Instead, the focus is on whether or not a new product will be announced when?Apple CEO Tim Cook steps onto a stage in San Francisco, California two weeks from now.
As I've explained when I reviewed what we can expect to hear from Apple, both at WWDC and for the rest of the year, the Cupertino-based company is prone to releasing major iOS updates during the summer.?And besides, WWDC ??as its name implies ??is a global crossroads for Mac and iOS developers, and generally focuses on software, rather than hardware. So, if I were placing?bets on what will be announced at WWDC 2012, I'd put my big money on iOS 6.
Of course ??with the exception of the iPhone 4S ??every new iPhone model hit the?shelves in either June or July. This pattern has many believing that the next-generation Apple smartphone will be announced during WWDC.?Unfortunately for those hopeful folks,?most recent reports shoot down the idea?that the next iPhone will make an appearance on that day.
If you want to read more about this?? and other Apple-themed?? speculation, I suggest heading over to our recent rumor round-up. And once you're done with that, hit the comments and tell us what you think Apple's keynote event?will bring.
Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.
Nowhere to hide: New device sees bacteria behind the eardrumPublic release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Liz Ahlberg eahlberg@illinois.edu 217-244-1073 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, lll. Doctors can now get a peek behind the eardrum to better diagnose and treat chronic ear infections, thanks to a new medical imaging device invented by University of Illinois researchers. The device could usher in a new suite of non-invasive, 3-D diagnostic imaging tools for primary-care physicians.
The research team, led by University of Illinois electrical and computer engineering professor Stephen Boppart, will publish their advance in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of May 28.
Ear infections are the most common conditions that pediatricians treat. Chronic ear infections can damage hearing and often require surgery to place drainage tubes in the eardrum, and problems can persist into adulthood.
Studies have found that patients who suffer from chronic ear infections may have a film of bacteria or other microorganisms that builds up behind the eardrum, very similar to dental plaque on unbrushed teeth. Finding and monitoring these so-called biofilms are important for successfully identifying and treating chronic ear infections.
"We know that antibiotics don't always work well if you have a biofilm, because the bacteria protect themselves and become resistant," Boppart said. "In the presence of a chronic ear infection that has a biofilm, the bacteria may not respond to the usual antibiotics, and you need to stop them. But without being able to detect the biofilm, we have no idea whether or not it's responding to treatment."
However, middle-ear biofilms are difficult to diagnose. A doctor looking through a standard otoscope sees only the eardrum's surface, not the bacteria-seeded biofilm lurking behind it
waiting to bloom into infection. Invasive tests can provide evidence of a biofilm, but are unpleasant for the patient and cannot be used routinely.
The new device is an application of a technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging system devised by Boppart's group. It uses beams of light to collect high-resolution, three-dimensional tissue images, scanning through the eardrum to the biofilm behind it much like ultrasound imaging, but using light.
"We send the light into the ear canal, and it scatters and reflects from the tympanic membrane and the biofilm behind it," said graduate student Cac Nguyen, the lead author of the paper. "We measure the reflection, and with the reference light we can get the structure in depth."
The single scan is performed in a fraction of a second speed is a necessity for treating squirming tots and images a few millimeters deep behind the eardrum. Thus, doctors can see not only the presence of a biofilm, but also how thick it is and its position against the eardrum.
The paper marks the first demonstration of using the ear OCT device to detect biofilms in human patients. To test their device, the researchers worked with clinicians at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., to scan patients with diagnosed chronic ear infections, as well as patients with normal ears. The device identified biofilms in all patients with chronic infections, while none of the normal ears showed evidence of biofilms.
"I think this is now a technology that allows physicians to monitor chronic ear infection, and examine better ways to treat the disease," said Boppart, who is also affiliated with the departments of bioengineering and internal medicine, the Institute for Genomic Biology, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I. "We can use different antibiotics and see how the biofilm responds."
Next, the researchers plan to investigate different ear pathology, particularly comparing acute and chronic infections, and will examine the relationship between biofilms and hearing loss. They hope that improved diagnostics will lead to better treatment and referral practices.
The researchers hope to make their device currently a hand-held
prototype even more compact, easy to use, and low-cost. The device company Welch Allyn, based in Skaneateles Falls, N.Y., is a collaborator on the project, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Boppart's group and its collaborators also will work to apply OCT imaging to other areas commonly examined by primary-care physicians. The ear-imaging device is the first in a suite of OCT-based imaging tools that the group plans to develop. Doctors could change the tip of the new OCT device, for example, to look at the eyes, mouth, nose, or skin.
"All the sites that a primary-care physician would look at, we can now look at with this more advanced imaging, " Boppart said. "With OCT, we are bringing to the primary-care clinic high-resolution 3-D digital imaging and being able to look at many different tissue structures in real-time, non-invasively and in depth."
"As medicine gets more high-tech, we want to give the front-line doctor the best technology to detect disease early," Boppart said.
###
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?
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.
Nowhere to hide: New device sees bacteria behind the eardrumPublic release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Liz Ahlberg eahlberg@illinois.edu 217-244-1073 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, lll. Doctors can now get a peek behind the eardrum to better diagnose and treat chronic ear infections, thanks to a new medical imaging device invented by University of Illinois researchers. The device could usher in a new suite of non-invasive, 3-D diagnostic imaging tools for primary-care physicians.
The research team, led by University of Illinois electrical and computer engineering professor Stephen Boppart, will publish their advance in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of May 28.
Ear infections are the most common conditions that pediatricians treat. Chronic ear infections can damage hearing and often require surgery to place drainage tubes in the eardrum, and problems can persist into adulthood.
Studies have found that patients who suffer from chronic ear infections may have a film of bacteria or other microorganisms that builds up behind the eardrum, very similar to dental plaque on unbrushed teeth. Finding and monitoring these so-called biofilms are important for successfully identifying and treating chronic ear infections.
"We know that antibiotics don't always work well if you have a biofilm, because the bacteria protect themselves and become resistant," Boppart said. "In the presence of a chronic ear infection that has a biofilm, the bacteria may not respond to the usual antibiotics, and you need to stop them. But without being able to detect the biofilm, we have no idea whether or not it's responding to treatment."
However, middle-ear biofilms are difficult to diagnose. A doctor looking through a standard otoscope sees only the eardrum's surface, not the bacteria-seeded biofilm lurking behind it
waiting to bloom into infection. Invasive tests can provide evidence of a biofilm, but are unpleasant for the patient and cannot be used routinely.
The new device is an application of a technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging system devised by Boppart's group. It uses beams of light to collect high-resolution, three-dimensional tissue images, scanning through the eardrum to the biofilm behind it much like ultrasound imaging, but using light.
"We send the light into the ear canal, and it scatters and reflects from the tympanic membrane and the biofilm behind it," said graduate student Cac Nguyen, the lead author of the paper. "We measure the reflection, and with the reference light we can get the structure in depth."
The single scan is performed in a fraction of a second speed is a necessity for treating squirming tots and images a few millimeters deep behind the eardrum. Thus, doctors can see not only the presence of a biofilm, but also how thick it is and its position against the eardrum.
The paper marks the first demonstration of using the ear OCT device to detect biofilms in human patients. To test their device, the researchers worked with clinicians at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., to scan patients with diagnosed chronic ear infections, as well as patients with normal ears. The device identified biofilms in all patients with chronic infections, while none of the normal ears showed evidence of biofilms.
"I think this is now a technology that allows physicians to monitor chronic ear infection, and examine better ways to treat the disease," said Boppart, who is also affiliated with the departments of bioengineering and internal medicine, the Institute for Genomic Biology, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I. "We can use different antibiotics and see how the biofilm responds."
Next, the researchers plan to investigate different ear pathology, particularly comparing acute and chronic infections, and will examine the relationship between biofilms and hearing loss. They hope that improved diagnostics will lead to better treatment and referral practices.
The researchers hope to make their device currently a hand-held
prototype even more compact, easy to use, and low-cost. The device company Welch Allyn, based in Skaneateles Falls, N.Y., is a collaborator on the project, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Boppart's group and its collaborators also will work to apply OCT imaging to other areas commonly examined by primary-care physicians. The ear-imaging device is the first in a suite of OCT-based imaging tools that the group plans to develop. Doctors could change the tip of the new OCT device, for example, to look at the eyes, mouth, nose, or skin.
"All the sites that a primary-care physician would look at, we can now look at with this more advanced imaging, " Boppart said. "With OCT, we are bringing to the primary-care clinic high-resolution 3-D digital imaging and being able to look at many different tissue structures in real-time, non-invasively and in depth."
"As medicine gets more high-tech, we want to give the front-line doctor the best technology to detect disease early," Boppart said.
###
[ | 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.
Face.com's CEO has shrugged off?rumors?that it is being acquired by Facebook for up to $100 million when we asked. But the addition of its facial recognition tech to Facebook's mobile apps could make sure friend tagging continues as the social network's user base shifts away from desktops. In fact, about 45% of users of Face.com's app KLIK end up sharing their photos on Facebook, which shows how popular mobile facial recognition could be.
..I?expect to be smote down for saying it, but I think the two month old, mediocre, Case-Shiller number that came out today is consistent with the idea that the housing market will really come back big this year (I said so in the paper and on the radio today, so I might as well say it here).
Inventories in many hard hit markets are now low by historical standards. ?Time on market has fallen. ?HARP II can accelerate amortization (which is its most important feature). ?Prices are really cheap, both when the user cost they produce is compared with rent, and when compared with incomes (by World standards).
The asexual community is starting to gain visibility, but many people ? even some researchers and sex educators ? still consider them unicorns. One look at the well-frequented and educational website of AVEN, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, is enough to dispel that particular myth. Since having been founded by David Jay in 2001, AVEN has become the world?s largest asexual online community, with Salon.com having called it the ?unofficial online headquarters? of the asexual movement. A study by Anthony F. Bogaert, published in the Journal of Sex Research in 2004, estimated the number of people who have never experienced sexual attraction at about 1%.
A person who is asexual doesn?t experience sexual attraction to other people, regardless of sex or gender. Obviously, that doesn?t make them emotionless clay tiles though. Asexuals still have emotional needs and, like sexual people, fulfill them in a variety of ways. Some, though not all, also experience romantic attraction and/or physical arousal, but not all experience them the same way. As sexual and romantic attraction work independently of each other, some asexuals can also identify as lesbian, bi, straight, or gay, depending on who they prefer having relationships with. Yes, some asexuals can have and desire having relationships, including with sexual people. Like all successful relationships, they require honesty and good communication, but are entirely possible.
Now, let?s tackle some of the most common misconceptions people who are unfamiliar with asexuality have.
Asexuality is not the same as celibacy. People can choose to be celibate for a variety of reasons; asexuals, however, choose their orientation as little as bisexual, lesbian, gay or straight people. It is not caused by abuse, sexual repression or mental illness. Most asexuals simply feel neutral about sex, though there are also some who would find participating in anything sexual with another person entirely repulsive. Asexuality can?t be cured, and trying to do so would be harmful to the asexual person.
Another challenge asexuals face in everyday life is living in a society that places such a high value on sex. We?re all surrounded by sexual images and messages, and it can be difficult for asexuals to deal with the expectations society places on them. In a world where most people expect everybody to be sexually interested in others, it?s easy to feel alienated. And then there?s also that question. How can you know you?re asexual when you?ve never had sex with somebody? Sounds familiar, if you?re anything other than traditionally straight, doesn?t it? Let me answer this with a counter question: How can you know you?re straight (or bisexual or gay) when you?ve never had sex with somebody?
With all that said, if you used to experience sexual attraction and a sex drive and they suddenly vanished, you should seek out a medical professional. It could be a sign of something more serious, a hormonal imbalance or a side effect of medication.
If you want to learn more about asexuality, I suggest you visit www.asexuality.org. AVEN has detailed answers in their FAQs, including for family members and partners of asexuals. There is also an extensive AVENwiki, which has a lot of in-depth information.
Everyone loves having a birthday party in their honor and the Bigfoot family is no exception. Due to how close knit the Bigfoots are, however, they continue to celebrate the birthdays of all adults involved in full party mode. In fact, in some Bigfoot clans, the adult parties rival the kids parties in fanfare and decorations.
Finding the ideal party supplies can sometimes be a challenge for Bigfoots, though. In spite of the challenges, over the years, the Bigfoots have evolved enough so they are usually able to find what they need in time to throw one of their infamous parties.
?My family and I are a quiet and peace loving folk so it was really upseting when people would run screaming from us when we came to town to get our party supplies,? opines Berta Bigfoot gently. ?Fortunately, after a few more visits to town, people began to let their curiosities get the best of them. Soon, we were able to locate a party store nearby.?
Says Pearl Tucker, ?I admit I was slightly taken aback by the sight of this quartet of giant fur covered beings that had to bend down to comfortably enter my party store.? The owner of the town?s only party store, Party Supplies Palace, continues,?It wasn?t long, however, before I was put at ease by the Bigfoot family and we got down to the business of discussing their party supply needs.?
Finding new and fresh themes for the parties for the members of the Bigfoot family has been proven to be a challenge for both the family itself and Ms Tucker.
?Since the Bigfoot family has a history of throwing big and elaborate parties for all of its members, they had pretty much exhausted their options for this year?s events. Fortunately, after a few meetings with the family, both here at my shop and at their own home, I was able to get a feel for what they like and want,? Ms Tucker shared. The results were a number of special orders that focused on the theme of this year?s parties: the goat.
Pin the tail on the goat, a goat pinata, and goat themed plates, napkins, table coverings and cups are just a few of the items visible to the party guests who have been fortunate enough to snap up an elusive invitation to one of the Bigfoot family?s parties.
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Public release date: 29-May-2012
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The asexual community is starting to gain visibility, but many people ? even some researchers and sex educators ? still consider them unicorns. One look at the well-frequented and educational website of AVEN, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, is enough to dispel that particular myth. Since having been founded by David Jay in 2001, AVEN has become the world?s largest asexual online community, with Salon.com having called it the ?unofficial online headquarters? of the asexual movement. A study by Anthony F. Bogaert, published in the Journal of Sex Research in 2004, estimated the number of people who have never experienced sexual attraction at about 1%.
