LIVESTRONG(R) Highlights Global Cancer Burden and the 28 Million Cancer Survivors Around the World

July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

PARIS, Jul 25 (MARKET WIRE) —
Throughout the 2010 cycling season, LIVESTRONG and its partners have
raised awareness of the world’s cancer burden and the people fighting
against the disease. In a show of solidarity with the unified global
movement against cancer and LIVESTRONG, today Team RadioShack dedicated
Stage 20 of the Tour de France to the 28 million people around the world
living with cancer. Team RadioShack’s Tour de France grand finale marks
the culmination of a season dedicated to the global cancer community with
the goal of inspiring more people to take action in the fight against
cancer.

During the 2010 cycling season, Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONG founder and
chairman, cancer survivor and champion cyclist, and the members of Team
RadioShack honored everyday heroes in the fight against cancer through “I
RIDE FOR LIVESTRONG,” an initiative of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer
Campaign. For 12 days in May and during the Amgen Tour of California,
LIVESTRONG played host to “I RIDE FOR LIVESTRONG,” an interactive online
game that allowed participants to ride for a loved one affected by
cancer. Supporters created their own bike and encouraged their friends to
“cheer” them on by joining the cause and ordering stickers and water
bottles benefitting LIVESTRONG from Trek. The top racers with the most
“cheers” won spots for their “I RIDE FOR” dedication stickers on Team
RadioShack bikes during the world’s premier cycling event. Team
RadioShack has collectively pedaled 20,367 miles over the past three
weeks to tell these stories of hope, courage and determination.

“Throughout the Tour de France, Team RadioShack’s bikes have carried the
names of people touched by cancer in order to honor them and the people
who love them,” said Armstrong. “Today, we’re riding for every one of the
28 million people all over the world whose lives and families are
affected by this disease.”

“Cancer will become the world’s leading cause of death this year and we
must do more to turn that tide and support people fighting for their
lives,” said LIVESTRONG president and CEO Doug Ulman. “Team RadioShack
has drawn worldwide attention to a disease too often dismissed as
unbeatable and we are grateful for their unified demonstration of
heroism.”

On behalf of LIVESTRONG, Team RadioShack collaborated with partners
RadioShack, Giro, Nike and Trek to compete against the worldwide cancer
burden, a disease that claims eight million lives around the world
annually.

“The Shack’s partnership with Lance Armstrong has always been about more
than cycling. It’s about engaging our customers and more than 35,000
associates in the global fight against cancer,” said Lee Applbaum,
RadioShack’s chief marketing officer. “We understand that for 28 million
people around the world, the race is not over.”

“Lance has dominated the Tour so completely over the past 12 years and he
has done so much to help those battling cancer around the world, that
doing a totally unique helmet for him and the RadioShack team to honor
work and his last day in the Tour de France was both a pleasure and an
honor,” said Chuck Plat, Giro Senior Sports Marketing Manager. “We can’t
say thanks enough to Lance and hope to continue to back him in his
efforts to battle cancer.”

“Creating the UNITY bikes to help Lance and the team raise awareness of
the global cancer epidemic has been a process that has touched a lot of
people here at Trek,” said Dean Gore, Trek’s Director of Marketing.
“We’re proud to continue to help LIVESTRONG fight cancer by offering this
same paint scheme to riders the world over through our Project One
program with proceeds benefiting this amazing organization.”

“As Lance completes his final Tour de France, we celebrate his amazing
record of seven wins and the determination he’s displayed throughout this
year’s race,” said Simon Nicholls, Nike Brand Manager for LIVESTRONG. “We
are proud his commitment to the global cancer fight will continue well
beyond competition to help inspire and improve the lives of the millions
of people affected by this terrible disease.”

The support of these partners has made it possible for LIVESTRONG’s
footprint at the Tour to have maximum impact. In particular, Nike’s
“Chalkbot” and international expansion of the LIVESTRONG collection
beyond the United States to Canada, France and the United Kingdom served
as key drivers in helping LIVESTRONG further its mission and spread
awareness about the global cancer burden. Since 2004, Nike has helped
LIVESTRONG raise more than $80 million. Throughout the Tour de France,
proceeds of Nike’s sale of 130,000 LIVESTRONG wristbands will benefit
France’s La League contre le cancer and their work on behalf of cancer
survivors.

About the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign
In September 2008,
LIVESTRONG announced its commitment to making cancer a global priority at
the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. LIVESTRONG made
this commitment after its worldwide research, conducted over 18 months,
revealed widespread misconceptions, stigma and lack of awareness
associated with cancer and recognized an immediate need to address this
global epidemic. In response, the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign was
established.

In 2009, LIVESTRONG launched the first-ever unified global movement
against cancer by urging world leaders, leading cancer organizations and
cancer survivors to join its effort. After traveling to Australia,
Mexico, Italy, Monaco, France and Ireland in its inaugural year, the
LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign achieved significant results generating
more than 300 commitments to the fight against cancer. These commitments
represent work in more than 60 countries around the world and an
investment in cancer control of more than $200 million in year one alone.

In 2010, LIVESTRONG is continuing its trail-blazing efforts to reduce the
burden of cancer by tackling the stigma that the surrounds the disease.
The Global Campaign launched in South Africa in March with a visit from
Armstrong to fellow cancer survivors at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape
Town and activities began in earnest in May with anti-stigma efforts and
the Survivorship Empowerment Initiative.

About LIVESTRONG
Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist
Lance Armstrong and based in Austin, Texas, LIVESTRONG fights for the 28
million people around the world living with cancer today. LIVESTRONG
connects individuals to the support they need, leverages funding and
resources to spur innovation and engages communities and leaders to drive
social change. Known for the iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG’s
mission is to inspire and empower anyone affected by cancer. For more
information, visit www.LIVESTRONG.org.

About Giro Sport Design
Giro(R), based in Scotts Valley, CA, is a
worldwide leader in the design, development and marketing of premium,
high-performance protective gear and accessories for action sports and
active lifestyles. We are an innovative and consumer-focused brand, with
a mission to create products on the leading edge of inspired design that
help you to look and feel your best.

About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the
world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic
footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports
and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan,
which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags,
accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and
distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley
International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports
and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a
leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more
information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

About RadioShack Corporation
RadioShack is a leading national retailer
of innovative mobile technology products and services, as well as
products related to personal and home technology and power supply needs.
The Shack(R) offers consumers a targeted assortment of wireless phones
and other electronic products and services from leading national brands,
exclusive private brands and major wireless carriers, all within a
comfortable and convenient shopping environment. RadioShack employs
approximately 35,000 people globally, including a team of friendly and
helpful sales experts who are recognized for delivering the best customer
service in the wireless industry. RadioShack’s retail network includes
4,680 company-operated stores in the United States and Mexico, more than
550 wireless phone kiosks in the United States, and approximately 1,300
dealer outlets worldwide. For more information on RadioShack Corporation,
please visit www.radioshackcorporation.com; to purchase items online,
please visit www.radioshack.com. The Shack is a registered trademark of
RadioShack Corporation.

About Trek
Trek Bicycle is a global leader in the design and manufacture
of bicycles and bicycling related products and accessories. From Tour de
France-winning road bikes to tricycles designed to introduce the next
generation of riders to the possibilities of pedal-power, Trek has a bike
for nearly every rider. Trek believes the bicycle can be a simple
solution to many of the world’s most complex problems, including obesity,
traffic congestion, and climate change, and is committed to breaking down
the barriers that prevent people from using bicycles more often for daily
transportation, recreation, and inspiration. For more information about
Trek, visit www.trekbikes.com.
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Contact:
Rae Bazzarre
(512) 279-8367
press@livestrong.org

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

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Quieroz returns for unfinished World Cup business

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Born in Mozambique and a former coach of the South African soccer side, Portugal’s Carlos Queiroz has flown to the Rainbow Nation countless times but said Sunday’s flight to the World Cup finals was a unique moment and the culmination of an old dream.

“I have no idea how many times I’ve made this trip to South Africa or Mozambique but this is the trip,” Queiroz, 57, told reporters on the flight between Lisbon and Johannesburg on Sunday.

“It’s the trip that has a unique meaning for it represents the start of an adventure which results from a career project, a life project, many years dreaming of taking the Portugal national side to the World Cup,” he added.

The coach won two World Youth Championships early in his career, leading future stars like Luis Figo and Rui Costa to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1991.

But he then tasted disappointment when he failed to qualify that group of players known as Portugal’s Golden Generation to the 1994 World Cup as the senior team manager.

The finals will also offer Queiroz the chance to make amends for a later World Cup disappointment.

He led the South African national team to qualify for the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea but was sacked just months before the finals.

“It was sad because the reasons for which I was pushed away from the team had nothing to do with football, they had to do with things of life, which can happen in South Africa or any other country,” Queiroz said.

“It had to do with people and sometimes we meet the wrong people at the wrong time and things don’t go well. But I kept much warmth for the people in this land in which we are going to play,” he added.

(Editing by Jon Bramley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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David Cameron takes over as Britain’s Prime Minister, Clegg to be Deputy

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): David Cameron has taken over from Gordon Brown as Britain’s new Prime Minister, ending a thirteen-year dry spell for the Tories at 10 Downing Street.

In a culmination to the fervent negotiations that followed the hung parliament, the Tories have tied-up with the Lib-Dems to usher in a new Government. It is the first coalition to rule the Parliament since Winston Churchill’s coalition seventy years ago during World War II.

Cameron also has the distinction of being the second youngest British Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool headed the government almost 200 years ago.

The Lib-Dems did not relent over the Tories’ rigid stance on Parliamentary Reforms, with Clegg’s party making sure they didn’t get a raw deal. They have extracted a commitment from the Conservatives for a referendum on voting reforms.

Moreover, up to six Lib-Dems will hold office in the Cabinet, while party chief Clegg is expected to serve as Deputy Prime Minister.

“I came into politics because I love this country, I think its best days still lie ahead and I believe deeply in public service, and I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions so that together we can reach better times ahead,” the Telegraph quoted Cameron as saying, outside his new residence, 10 Downing Street.

Noting that his primary responsibility is to serve the people, and regain their confidence, Cameron said, “One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes, that’s about cleaning up expenses, yes, that’s about reforming Parliament and, yes, it’s about making sure people are in control and that the politicians are always their servants and never their masters.”

He also admitted that running a coalition government was going to be hard work.

“This is going to be hard and difficult work. The coalition will throw up all sorts of challenges, but I believe together we can provide the strong and stable government that our country needs, based on those values, rebuilding family, rebuilding community, above all, rebuilding responsibility in our country,” he said.

The return of an administration to the parliament has already impacted the UK markets positively, with the pound strengthening to 84.85p per euro, from 86.11p on Monday. (ANI)

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Waiting to win title is like sitting on a lottery ticket: Lampard

May 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 8 (ANI): Chelsea’s ace midfielder Frank Lampard has said that waiting to win the Premier League title is like sitting on a winning lottery ticket.

Table toppers Chelsea can clinch their third Premier League championship with a win over Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling right now but I guess it might be a bit like having a winning lottery ticket and waiting for someone to tell you you”ve won to make it real,” he said.

Lampard said that everyone must stay focused on the job or risk losing the crown. “This is the league but, in effect, we are playing a cup final.”

“We have played 37 games this season and now it all comes down to one match. Everything that has gone before almost counts for nothing. To put in a sloppy performance is unthinkable,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

Lampard has not allowed himself to dream about what winning a third title might be like, as there is work still to be done. \

“I’m superstitious and I don’t let myself visualise situations. But I remember what it was like to celebrate when we won the league before. I know how good that felt.

“It has been a nervous few weeks. You go into every game knowing any little slip will give heart to Manchester United. When I think about it, this has been a nerve-wracking month. Sunday is the culmination of it,” he added. (ANI)

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Racist mafia ran African ””slave”” gangs in southern Italy

April 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Rome, Apr.27 (ANI): Mafia handlers in southern Italy treated their African farm workers a little better than slaves, sparking off widespread riots, a police investigation into the violence four months ago has found.

According to The Telegraph, the clashes that took place between black agricultural labourers and groups of white Italians in the town of Rosarno over a period of four months, were fuelled by years of exploitation of the immigrants, rather than racial tensions.

Police arrested more than 30 people and seized farms and other property worth nine million pounds at the culmination of an investigation into the violence in the southern region of Calabria in January, in which 53 people were injured.

Most of those arrested, on charges of mafia association and labour law violations, were Italians suspected of having links to organized crime.

The farm workers, who were mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, received no more than 25 euros (22 pounds) for working up to 14 hour days in the orchards and market gardens that surround the town, located on the toe of Italy””s boot-shaped peninsula.

After arriving in Italy from Africa, often without the proper papers, the immigrants were exploited by local mafia gangs, who hired them out to farmers.

The labourers had to pay between six and 10 euros of their daily wages to their “agents”.

If they tried to go to the authorities, they were threatened with violence, police said.

In the wake of the violence, hundreds of African men were evacuated from the area under police escort and taken to migrant centers, but many have since drifted back to their old jobs. (ANI)

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Seers protest against hydropower projects in Haridwar

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Haridwar, Mar 23 (ANI): Hindu seers and sadhus under the banner of All India Akhara Parishad, an apex body of monks, staged protest against all the hydropower projects on River Bhagirathi in Uttarakashi.

The Parishad started its indefinite demonstration at Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar to press for its demand for the closure of all the major projects.

In the ultimatum issued to the government, the All India Akhara Parishad has proposed that its associates will boycott the ongoing ”Maha Kumbh Mela” if the construction of the projects is not stalled by April 28.

“The government has asked us to postpone our protest till April 10 as it needs some time to solve the issue but we give the government a deadline till the evening of April 27…if we will not receive any call from the government on the morning of April 28 then we will boycott the ”Shahi Snana” during the ongoing Kumbh Mela,” said Mahant Gyan Das, President, All India Akhara Parishad.

The projects include 600-MW project by the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) at Lahori Nagpala and others belonging to the state-run Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL).

The Central government is expected to take a decision on three hydropower projects on Bhagirathi, which are put on hold, in April after the culmination of Maha Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. (ANI)

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Now, You Tube videos to come with captions for deaf people

March 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Mar 5 (ANI): YouTube videos can now be more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing thanks to new automatic captions technology.

The feature will initially apply to English language videos, but other languages will be added in future.

The Google-owned company has claimed the use of speech recognition technology is probably the biggest experiment of its kind online.

“A core part of YouTube”s DNA is access to content,” the BBC News quoted the firm”s product manager, Hunter Walk, as saying.

The company hopes to democratise information and “help foster greater collaboration and understanding” by opening all this content to people who have been unable to access it in the past.

Google engineer Mike Cohen, revealed that the technology behind speech recognition has been around for some time, though it has now become possible to apply it on a large scale.

Cohen said: “I have been working on speech technology for 25 years. There have been steady improvements and this is the culmination of lots of work over years and years.

“We have had to work on a wide variety of problems like accent variation, background noise, the variation in language, in pronunciation.”

Students at the California School for the Deaf, in Freemont, are overjoyed with the advent of the new technology.

They have even made a video to show the tool”s advantage.

Angel Harrington, a student, said: “We felt like we weren”t part of the world. We felt excluded. Now we really can completely understand what is going on and we feel like we are on an equal playing field.”

However, engineers have warned the product is not perfect.

Software engineer Ken Harrenstien pointed out an error that occurred in the system, while Google executive Vic Gundotra addressed a developers meeting.

The tool had mistook the words “sim card” for “salmon”.

Harrenstien said: “It is not a complete solution but it is a step on the way to the real solution.

“It”s difficult to get every word exactly right but sometimes that doesn”t matter and other times it”s amusing.”

The technology is important to Harrenstien, who has spent last five years on the project, because he has been deaf as a child.

He ended: “This is huge. It is what I have dreamt about for so many years. The fact that you can now go on to any video online and expect to see captions is unbelievable and the fact I had a part in this is great.” (ANI)

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India Air Force activates Nyoma airfield close to China border

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 18 (ANI): The Indian Air Force in a significant move today activated its Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) to support the Army in carrying out operations in the inhospitable terrain.

An IAF AN-32 aircraft landed at Nyoma ALG, which is located at an altitude of 13,300 feet in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, at 6:25 a.m. today. It is located 23 kms from the Line of Actual Control. (LAC).

The successful landing of a fixed wing aircraft at Nyoma marks the culmination of joint effort by the IAF and Indian Army to enable the IAF to operate in the inhospitable terrain of Leh-Ladakh region in support of the Army.

The landing comes just fifteen months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet.

Group Captain SC Chafekar touched down on the Nyoma airstrip. Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Lieutenant General PC Bharadwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command on board.

Though helicopters have been landing at this ALG, this is for the first time that a fixed wing aircraft has landed at the compact airstrip of Nyoma.

After deliberating on all aspects and carrying out aerial and ground inspection, it was concluded that Nyoma could be developed for fixed wing operations as well.

The Engineer Regiments of 14 Corps undertook the herculean task of developing the ALG to the standards required for fixed wing operations.

Joint development of Nyoma braving the extremely difficult working conditions and hostile weather is yet another step towards enhanced joint partnership between the two services.

Nyoma has been developed with an aim to connect the remote areas of Ladakh region to the mainland. This would also ensure movements in the area when the road traffic gets affected, during the harsh winters besides enabling improved communication network in the region. (ANI)

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Missing protein in rare genetic brain disorder restored

September 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 7 (ANI): By using protease inhibitors, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) have restored to normal levels a key protein that is involved in early brain development, and causes the rare brain disorder lissencephaly.

Reduced levels of the protein called LIS1 have been shown to cause lissencephaly, which is characterized by brain malformations, seizures, severe mental retardation and very early death in human infants.

The findings in mice offer a proof-of-principle that the genetic equivalent to human lissencephaly, also known as “smooth brain” disease, can be treated during pregnancy and effectively reversed to produce more normal offspring.

The researchers are hoping that this approach could also be used to treat other defects in utero, or even those manifesting after birth, when caused by a partial deficiency in one gene, according to Dr. Anthony Wynshaw-Boris.

“Researchers have not considered it possible to treat such a pervasive, early developmental brain disorder as lissencephaly. Not only were we able to show a clear cellular effect from using these protease inhibitors, but also were able to treat the disorder in utero,” Nature quoted Wynshaw-Boris as saying.

The work is the culmination of 15 years of collaborative research into the cause and mechanisms of lissencephaly, which is caused by a deletion or loss of one copy of the LIS1 gene, and affects an estimated one in 50,000-100,000 infants.

In 1998, the researchers reported of producing a mouse with the same mutation that displayed defective brain development.

The current research used these mice, and found that the protein calpain degrades the LIS1 protein to less than half its normal levels near the surface of the cells.

The team then used a specific small-molecule protease inhibitor of calpain in these mice.

At a cellular level, the protease inhibitors enabled LIS1 protein to be expressed at near-normal levels.

The team then gave daily injections of a calpain inhibitor to pregnant mice whose foetuses had the mouse-model of this defect.

They observed that the resulting offspring had more normal brains and showed no sign of mental retardation.

“This study is really a proof-of-principle not only for treating complex developmental brain disorders, but also for any disorder with reduced protein levels where proteases normally play some role in breaking down that protein. This will be much more difficult to apply to humans, because of the safety issues involved, but it could lead to new therapies that might be effective for a wide range of developmental disorders,” said the researchers.

The findings have been published in the journal Nature Medicine. (ANI)

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NASA’s Orion spacecraft passes significant design milestone

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): NASA’s Orion spacecraft has passed a significant design milestone by completing the Orion Project’s preliminary design review (PDR), and thus taking a major step toward building the next crew exploration vehicle.

Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations.

The preliminary design review is one of a series of checkpoints that occurs in the design life cycle of a complex engineering project before hardware manufacturing can begin.

As the review process progresses, details of the vehicle’s design are assessed to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets all NASA mission requirements.

The Orion features a capsule-shaped crew module designed for maximum crew operability and safety, a service module housing utility systems and propulsion components and a launch abort system for improved astronaut safety.

The preliminary design review evaluated the vehicle’s capability, as currently designed, to support three types of missions: flights to the International Space Station (ISS), weeklong missions to the moon and missions to the moon for up to 210 days.

“This is the successful culmination of all of the design trade studies and activities to date,” said Mark Geyer, manager of the Orion Project Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“As a project, a program and an agency, we are reviewing the design maturity, strategy and plans for NASA’s next human spacecraft and agreeing that this is the architecture we are going to build,” he added.

Teams representing each subsystem of Orion conducted focused reviews from February to July before proceeding to the overall vehicle-level review.

The preliminary design review lasted about two months and included reviewers from all 10 NASA field centers to evaluate the hundreds of design products delivered by the Lockheed Martin-led industry partnership.

According to Cleon Lacefield, vice president and Orion project manager at Lockheed Martin in Denver, “To date, we have completed more than 300 technical reviews, 100 peer reviews and 18 subsystem design reviews.”

The PDR process culminated with a review board that concluded on August 31 and established the basis for proceeding to the critical design phase of Orion.

NASA will continue the review process with an independent agency-level evaluation to validate the PDR results and gain formal approval to transition the project into the next life cycle phase. (ANI)

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100,000 Pakistani labourers expected to work in Malaysia by end 2010

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Aug.27 (ANI): With an estimated three-fold increase in workers, Pakistan is set to join Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar as the largest primary source of foreign labour for Malaysia.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Liutenant General (retired) Tahir Mahmud Qazi said the expected surge in number of labourers would help Malaysia cope up with the increasing demand due to the boom in the construction industry.

“By December next year, I expect the number of Pakistani workers in the country to increase to 100,000. This will be the culmination of joint efforts to bring them here to assist in the development of Malaysia,” Qazi said.

He said the massive influx was made possible due to the memorandum of understanding inked between the two countries in 2005.

Qazi said Pakistanis over the years, have proved that they are hard working and sincere.

“We want more of them to come here to work. They have a proven track record of being hardworking and dependable,” The Newstraits Times quoted Qazi, as saying.

He said senior Pakistani officials would be visiting Malaysia next month to search for investment opportunities in the country and introduce investment opportunities to the Malaysian business community.

“There are huge opportunities awaiting Malaysian businessmen in Pakistan. We need a variety of goods and services, including hypermarkets, communication, information technology facilities and low-cost housing,” Qazi added. (ANI)

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3-D mapping breakthrough helps docs remove fist-sized tumour from a woman’s brain

July 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 15 (ANI): Experts at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have successfully removed a fist-sized tumour from the brain of an Indiana woman, using a technology that involves the fusion of four different types of images into a 3-D map of a patient’s brain.

An eight-member team from the Brain Tumor Center at the UC Neuroscience Institute carried out the operation at University Hospital.

“This marks the culmination of one of the most important developments in brain tumor surgery in the last 100 years,” says Dr. John Tew, a neurosurgeon with the Mayfield Clinic, professor of neurosurgery and clinical director of the UC Neuroscience Institute.

For the surgery, Tew and his team fused and installed the multiple brain scans into a surgical guidance computer, whose function is similar to a global positioning system.

They say that the technology revealed the tumour’s relationship to all of the functional centres, electrical pathways and arteries and veins in the patient’s brain, which is why they were able to map out a safe pathway to the tumour.

“This fusion of images is exciting in that it allows us to maximize resection (removal) of the tumour while preserving function for the patient,” says Dr. James Leach, an associate professor of neuroradiology at UC who performed the processing and fusion of images.

Since early 2007, specialists have used the fusion of three types of imaging as a guide to stereotactic surgery-Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that creates detailed pictures of the body by detecting differences in magnetic signals between different types of tissues; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that creates a series of images that capture blood oxygen levels in parts of the brain that are responsible for movement, perception and cognition; and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) that provides a map of critical white-matter tracts, which facilitate electrical connections between different parts of the brain.

Leach revealed that the latest work added the fusion of computed tomography angiography (CTA), which provides a map of blood vessels-arteries and veins.

“The 3T system allows us to image the functional areas of the brain using various language, motor and vision tasks with the patient in the MRI scanner. The addition of the DTI sequence allows the connections between these areas and other parts of the nervous system to be identified at the same time,” Leach says.

Tew said that the three-dimensional brain-mapping enabled his team to navigate a trajectory through the patient’s brain, and to remove 90 percent of the malignant tumour, an anaplastic astrocytoma, without harming the healthy brain tissue-including the deep nerve-fibre tracts-that surrounded it.

According to the researcher, the patient was talking normally right after surgery, and she was walking the halls and able to take a shower without assistance one day after surgery. he team sought to eradicate the remaining tumour by applying a course of 33 computer-guided, fractionated radiotherapy treatments as a first approach. (ANI)

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Barbra Streisand to release architecture book

May 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 29 (ANI): Barbra Streisand is all geared up to share her thoughts about architecture in a new book.

The tome, which will showcase her homes, chronicles the design and building of her new pad in California.

A Passion For Design also looks back at her other dream residences, reports Contactmusic.

The book, which will hit stores in time for Christmas next year will be “the culmination and reflection of Barbra’s love of American architecture”, according to a press release from the publisher, Viking.

She says, “Designing and building for me is about the creative process and transformation.

“One of the reasons I haven’t made a movie since 2004 is because this last house was a five year, full-time job. Now that it’s done, I’m thrilled to share it.” (ANI)

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Jordan bans Peter Andre from meeting son Harvey

May 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, May 23 (ANI): Peter Andre is heartbroken after wife Katie Price banned him from seeing their disabled son Harvey.

The 31-year-old glamour model banned Andre from meeting Harvey in revenge for snubbing her on her birthday.

While Price a.k.a Jordan consulted celebrity lawyer Fiona Shackleton, Andre 36, had an emotional reunion with the kids Princess Tiaami and Junior.

However he was devastated at being refused access to Harvey, Katie’s disabled son from her romance with footballer Dwight Yorke.

He was very close to Harvey and had even called him his “first” son.

Andre also made official moves to adopt him legally.

“Kate is still in love with Pete and wants to persuade him to give their marriage another shot,” the Mirror quoted a source as saying.

“She was desperate to be present at the handover so that she and the kids could spend time with their dad and remind him how great family life is – and, hopefully, can once again be.

“But he saw through her ploy and has reached the end of his tether following a series of increasingly hostile rows, the culmination being one at the beginning of this week.

“He wants nothing more to do with her. As far as Pete is concerned, the marriage is over.

“Now it’s all about the kids. Happily, Kate agreed Pete could see them over the bank holiday weekend, which meant the world to him.

“The only sour point was little Harvey. Pete’s been itching to see the little one ever since the couple announced their split. But Kate dug her heels in when he refused to meet her face-to-face.

“Pete had high hopes he would see Harvey on Friday and over the weekend, but now it’s looking unlikely. He is so sad.

“Katie hasn’t seen Harvey for a week though either, so she feels she has to make up for lost time – plus it’s her birthday so she wants her son with her.

It’s been an explosive cause of tension and things have never been so bad between the pair,” the source added. (ANI)

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Bangalore hosts fashion show by fresh graduates

May 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Bangalore, May 16 (ANI): The graduation of the creative designer students of the Army Institute of Fashion Designing (AIFD) in Bangalore was marked by a gala fashion show.

Several models sashayed down the ramp at this colourful fashion-cum-passing out parade that was aptly titled Design Dapple-2009 and provided an insight of the students’ creative traits.

The models displayed various designs and cuts created by the budding designers on Friday.

One of the graduate-designers Sandhya said that her collection consisted of the garments made out of net so as to give the nursing mothers more freedom to feed her child.

“Basically the garment which I have done is of net. Their function is to make nursing better and discrete for that I have used some slits in the apex and bit of opening to make it loose on the neckline so that they can feed it better,” said Sandhya.

The event highlighted the culmination of design and functionality. (ANI)

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Would-be-mothers walk down the ramp in Delhi

May 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 3 (ANI): Would-be-mothers sashayed down the ramp in New Delhi on Saturday to showcase fancy clothes for women, specially designed for those nine months of pregnancy.

This event, which is into its fourth year, was organized by a leading publications group.ollywood actor Payal Rohatgi was the highlight of the evening. After the show, Rohatgi crowned the winners and gave them her best wishes.

The winner of the show, Gunjan was thrilled after walking down the ramp.

“This programme was very good and the pregnant women got a chance to walk down the ramp for the first time. It was a great feeling for me walking down the ramp,” said Gunjan.

The contest was the culmination of a fashion show and party bash for expectant mothers. (ANI)

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Ludhiana’s Paramjot creates Table playing record

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Ludhiana, April 30 (ANI): Ludhiana’s Paramjot Singh, a teacher by profession, recently earned wide public admiration when he broke a record held by Kerala’s G. Ramakrishnana for playing Mridang, a long traditional Indian musical instrument, for 301 hours.

Paramjot played non-stop on the Tabla for 310 hours to set the new record.

Paramjot says that in childhood he used to watch the Guinness Book of World Records serial on television.

“I must have been in standard 3rd then. And I used to think that when other people could break the Guinness record why couldn’t I. It was then that I made up my mind that I would break the Guinness record one day. When I reached standard 5, I started learning Tabla after I learnt that someone was holding the world record of playing non-stop Tabla. I was so passionate that I would continue to play the instrument till someone stopped me,” said Paramjot Singh, the Tabla player. ince beginning, Paramjot always visualized himself as a record holder and carried on that personal image in mind. It was only later that he displayed his talent to the world around him that he is a person to look at.

“After this attempt, people are considering me the record holder, but I have considered myself the record holder since my childhood. This is just a culmination of what I thought about many years ago. Whatever task I undertake, I consider it as being accomplished, and then make an attempt to carry out it,” Paramjot says.

“To break this record, I first made an attempt at home for 12 non-stop days so as to take the family members and friends in confidence. It was performed as per the rules and regulations of Guinness Book of Records,” said Paramjot.

“My family allowed me to go ahead after they were confident that I would be in good health while performing non-stop for so many days. I even took the permission of the management of Gurdwara Sri Dukh Niwaran Sahib. I have achieved this after 6 months of hard work,” Paramjot told. You can take a five-minute break after each hour. You can even make it a 10 minutes break after every 2 hours of performance. After performing non-stop throughout the day, you can rest for 2 hours. It all depends on you as if you want to take a rest after hours or the day,” Paramjot explained.

“I continuously performed for 68 hours, and took rest for long hours. I got the benefit of that throughout my performance. I used to eat food either with the help of family members or I ate it with one hand and continued playing tabla with the other hand. The only important thing is that your performance should not be disturbed and tabla rhythm should not go wrong,” said Paramjot Singh, the Tabla player. By Karan Kapoor (ANI)

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Ian Bell may not be in England squad against Windies

April 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr. 23 (ANI): England ‘s cricket selectors are likely to show the door to Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, though as of now, there is nothing official about it.

Apart from Bell, three contenders are in the running for the number three spot in the England squad – Michael Vaughan of Yorkshire, Ravi Bopara of Essex and Owais Shah of Middlesex, The Independent reports.

Until a matter of weeks ago, Bell was in pole position to play in the blue-riband batting position in the Ashes series this summer. But he stumbled badly on the recent tour of the Caribbean when an abject dismissal in the second innings of the first Test provoked England’s collapse and subsequent defeat.

It was the culmination of a lean run for the batsman who is England’s most gifted craftsman and he was dropped.

The feeling was that he had sold his wicket too cheaply too often and needed to refresh his mental approach. By picking him in the Lions squad yesterday, England have virtually excluded him from consideration for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s which begins on May 6.

Of course, if Bell’s rich vein of early season form continues and his replacements fail he could still receive the call.

While Shah has taken over from Bell in the Caribbean, he rapidly lost ground after a half-century in his first innings and by the end looked not only out of form but out of his class.

According to the paper, it would be a risk to retain faith in Shah now.

As far as Bopara is concerned, he made a hundred batting at six in his only Test in the West Indies, and has no experience of batting at three in Test matches.

That England are so close to playing Australia without being sure of the identity of the man who may very well dictate the course of many innings is extremely worrying, the paper opines. (ANI)

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UK plans to back supply chain insurance-FT

April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) – A state guarantee scheme to underpin vital supply-chain insurance is set to be announced by Alistair Darling, Britain’s finance minister, the Financial Times newspaper reported citing government insiders.

Credit insurers have this year been looking closely at bank support when covering company risk. If and when they decide to pull back, suppliers start demanding cash on delivery, a development that can make like tougher for companies that are already struggling. [ID:nLK621558]

The newspaper said the scheme would form a centrepiece of budget initiatives to help small to medium-sized businesses cope with the recession and mark the culmination of months of negotiations with insurers spearheaded by Lord Mandelson, the business secretary.

The FT said the initiative responds to concerns that hundreds of supply chains are threatened by the recession-fuelled reduction in credit insurance, which protects companies that supply goods on credit against the risk that they will not get paid.

It said the government would target medium-risk businesses and was expected to offer guarantees for companies that have seen cover reduced but not withdrawn.

The scale of the scheme is still to be finalised by the Treasury, but according to the newspaper, government insiders suggested it may fall short of the 5 billion cap the industry hopes for.

Treasury officials did not immediately respond to a telephone call from Reuters.

(reporting by Andrew Callus)

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Robot to dig for historic treasures in China

April 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, April 9 (ANI): Archaeologists in China are taking the help of a robot specially designed for underground exploration, which is opening up a lost world of historic treasures.

The robot completed a successful trial probe in July last year, when it revealed hidden fresco paintings in a narrow shaft inside a 1,300-year old tomb in Xi’an, China’s ancient capital in the northwestern Shaanxi Province.

The cylinder-shaped robot, 27 centimeters long and 9 centimeters in diameter, is the first robot ever used by Chinese archaeologists to explore ancient tombs, according to Tie Fude, a researcher at the National Museum.

It was the culmination of a two-year project jointly run by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the National Museum, the Science and Technology University of Hong Kong, and the Harbin Institute of Technology, Tie added.

“The project runs the gamut from tomb excavation, culture relics preservation, to intelligent control,” said Tie.

Equipped with infrared lights and a digital camera, the robot could “see” clearly underground, and with help of a sensor, it could identify gases in the environment, and send back data, including temperature and humidity readings, according to the project’s chief designer of intelligent control systems, Zhu Xiaorui, of the Harbin Institute of Technology.

“Archaeologists can then plan excavations on this data,” said Zhu.

She said that the challenge was not the robotics technology, but its adaptation to archeology.

“We only need to input the approximate size of the tomb entrance, the gradient, and the categories of the gases there, so the robot can work,” said Zhu.

“With the robot, we can get some basic data and thus give out amore tailor-made digging plan,” she added. (ANI)

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