Tuesday, February 28, 2012

James Bond and Batman help rescue London developers (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - Hollywood is helping London developers weather the financial crisis by turning empty offices into film sets, providing cash and publicity for landlords struggling to fill buildings with tenants because of the uncertain economic outlook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120228/media_nm/us_emptyoffices_london

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Mitt Romney Can???t Duplicate Obama???s Crowds (ContributorNetwork)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]ContributorNetwork - ABC News reports Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney spoke to a crowd at the Detroit Economic Club. The venue was Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions that has hosted a Super Bowl. The cavernous stadium was where Romney unveiled his economic plan.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120226/pl_ac/11009288_mitt_romney_cant_duplicate_obamas_crowds

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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Early European explorers and botanists imagined that Ethiopians ...

Ideas - Herbs - Deserts

Coffee ? From Food to Drink.The historical past of the discovery of coffee is rife with speculation.

Its transition from food to beverage is equally open to interpretation and historical distinctions.

Early European explorers and botanists considered that Ethiopians chewed raw coffee beans for energy just after finding their grazing goats consuming the coffee berry. They would pound the ripened coffee berries and blend them with animal body fat so they became pasty spherical pellets.

The concentration of coffee, weight, and protein became a very important resource of electrical power and sustenance, in particular in the course of lean occasions or during war. The coffee cherries had been also likely eaten raw mainly because the pulp is sweet and has the extra gain of caffeine.

Early records even indicate that coffee cherries have been Hyperlink applied to make wine.Many other content pieces provided by the copy writer : Resource

,Reference

{February 18, 2012}

Source: http://www.finest-foods.info/general/early-european-explorers-and-botanists-imagined-that-ethiopians-chewed-raw-coffee-beans-for-vitality-once-locating-their-grazing-goats-consuming-the-coffee-berry/

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Saturday, February 18, 2012

Remote-controlled chip implant delivers bone drug (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

This undated handout photo provided by MicroCHIPS, Inc., Massachusetts, show the drug delivery device, right, next to an everyday computer memory stick. Medication via remote-control instead of a shot? Scientists implanted a microchip in seven women that did just that, oozing out the right dose of a bone-strengthening drug once a day without them even noticing. Implanted medicine is a hot field, aiming to help patients better stick to their meds and to deliver those drugs straight to the body part that needs them. (AP Photo/MicroCHIPS, Inc., Massachusetts)AP - Medication via remote-control instead of a shot? Scientists implanted microchips in seven women that did just that, oozing out the right dose of a bone-strengthening drug once a day without them even noticing.


Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120216/ap_on_he_me/us_med_remote_control_medicine

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Travel photo: South African elephant up close

Gary Arndt / everything-everywhere.com

Hartbeespoort Dam Elephant Sanctuary, South Africa

By Gary Arndt, everything-everywhere.com

In 2010 I had the pleasure of traveling to South Africa. During that trip I visited the Hartbeespoort Dam Elephant Sanctuary which serves as a halfway house for adolescent African elephants. Here orphaned elephants are raised until they can be more independent later in life.?

I felt this photo captured the size and temperament of the elephants I met at the sanctuary.?

The sanctuary is located about an hour north of Johannesburg. They are open to tourists and visiting can be a powerful experience.

Gary Arndt is a travel blogger who has been traveling the world since 2007.

More from Everything-Everywhere:

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Source: http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10435325-travel-photo-of-the-day-south-african-elephant-up-close

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

We Work Together For Non Profit Debt Consolidation Credit Friendly ...

Extreme household debt is a giant issue. We comprehend that it?s truthful. Though that ultimately comes about for numerous families. Debts have to be handled and sometimes it could be particularly difficult. Families endeavor to lessen fees however housing proves to be costly. Your career upholds a monthly provision therefore you struggle to trim expenses with any circumstance. Although tragedies come up and other charges grow. Those debts arrive much faster than the wages.

You might truly demand Debt Consolidation Services repair. Do you get depressed all weekend and you actually do not be happy? Decreasing expenses is often the hardest obstacle. We see the situation plus we hope to aid you.

Your introductory move is for you to ascertain the sum of your unsecured debt. Doing it may be troublesome calculating all of your collections, but you will complete this. If we don?t have your sum we can?t locate our right plan for you. Keep tranquil, gather your paperwork and present us the sum we want to start calculating. Our consultants can help you recognize processes to condense the debts.

Our analysts speak to your account managers and amend any details. The goal is to establish the Student Debt preparation that can help all parties. Bankers expect to be paid nevertheless you want any lenders to be reasonable. Our planners can help you deal with this accounts to become normal. You can be unbound by worry and our planners fix problems!

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Source: http://www.creditfriendlyfinance.com/work-profit-debt-consolidation/

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Country singer Travis charged with being drunk in public (Reuters)

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) ? Grammy award-winning country singer Randy Travis was arrested and charged with public drunkenness on Monday in Sanger, Texas after police found him sitting in his truck, apparently intoxicated, in front of the First Baptist Church.

"An officer detected an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the person, and he noticed an open bottle of wine in the passenger side of the vehicle," said Sanger Police Chief Curtis Amyx. "His speech was slurred and the officer had a hard time understanding what he was trying to stay."

Amyx said Travis was charged with public intoxication and was released after a couple of hours in the local jail.

He said Travis was parked when the officer spotted him, and he is not charged with drunken driving. Sanger is about an hour north of Dallas.

Travis, 52, is a six-time Grammy Award winner, and is one of the leading stars of country music. He has also been focusing on gospel music, and has won several Dove Awards. As an actor, Travis has appeared in a number of movies, and played a recurring character in the 1990s TV show "Touched by an Angel."

Travis is a North Carolina native, but he owns a ranch in Grayson County, Texas which is west of Sanger. Amyx said he didn't know why Travis -- who he described as cooperative -- was in Sanger.

Public intoxication is a misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

(Editing by Paul Thomasch and Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120206/people_nm/us_travis_arrest

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Wind Power Kits in New York - Society - EzineMark

Wind Power Kits in New York

Wind is a powerful and hugely effective renewable energy source that you can harness for use in your own home. By installing wind power kits in your home, you can use the power of the wind and preserve our natural resources!

The first step in using wind energy is to calculate whether your property has ample space for a wind turbine. Most homes require at least an acre of land or more to install wind power kits that are able to provide enough energy to power an average home. Roughly 21 million homes in the U.S. meet this criterion.

Next, you must ensure that your home?s yard is sufficiently windy. If your property is surrounded by tall buildings or very tall trees, your wind power kit may be rendered ineffective by the blocked wind current.

Finally, ensure that it will provide the amount of energy necessary to power your home.

There are many wind power kits out there, so find the right size and type for you. Wind power kits of one to 500 kilowatts are categorized as small or micro-kits. Theses are often used for small water pumps or small appliances like chargers. If you?re going to really use wind power, though, you?ll need a larger kit to power your entire home.

Calculate your energy budget for a month and a year. On average, a home uses roughly 9,400 kilowatts-hours per year. This energy expense would necessitate a wind turbine of five to 15 kilowatts. This is all dependent, however, on wind speed. Manufacturers and installers of wind power kits can help you calculate just how much wind you receive that will produce how much energy you need (in kilowatt-hours) to determine what kind of wind turbine you need (in kilowatts).

According to the American Wind Energy Association, wind power kits for the home cost on average $32,000.

Though that is dependent on size, application and service, the Association recommends that the cost per kilowatt should be between $1,000 and $3,000.

With cost in mind, make sure you find a wind power kit provider and installer that gives you the best product and service for your money. While buying a wind power kit sounds like a lot of work, it can be a hugely beneficial financial and environmental decision in the long run. If you?re lucky enough to have enough land and wind for a wind power kit, make the most of it!

Source: http://society.ezinemark.com/wind-power-kits-in-new-york-7d3369e95646.html

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Raise Your Standard Of Living With Home Improvement | Lygaria.com

The place that you live has an effect on your everyday cheerfulness. You spend a good portion of your day in your home, especially if you work out of a home office. You may not realize it, but the comfort and serenity of your home has a huge impact on your life. Make it someplace that you always want to be, and the other things in your life will be easier. Here are some smart tips for making your house feel like home.

You need to feel comfortable in your home. Of course, getting your home to this point will take work, but by fixing issues within your home that are keeping it from being comfortable, you can experience an improved quality of life. Comfort is important, no matter what you think. It should be attended rather than dismissed. If you really hate some aspects of your home such as furniture, take steps to change it. If you have to struggle to put things on a top shelf, lower it ? or at least get a step stool! Likewise, if there is a table or counter corner that you constantly clip, move that table or replace that counter with a rounded edge. Little things like this can make you feel happier in your home.

Enlarge your living area. You should expand if you feel that you do not have adequate space. If you can add even a couple of inches of space in a frequently used area, you will have extra room to breathe, and you can more easily reduce clutter and feel less stressed as a result.

When you are looking to increase the fun factor of your home, consider recreational home improvements like a swimming pool or a hot tub. Although these features are not for everyone, lots of potential home buyers like these things. You could also consider creating a fitness room or making a minor addition, such as a basketball hoop. It is possible that some of these improvements will even increase the value of your home!

If you constantly find yourself feeling down, take some time to assess the lighting in your home. It can give you a feeling of tiredness. Replacing lights are quick ways of improving your home, and it can help give you a better mood.

Make an organic garden. If you turn part of your yard into a garden, it can give you an incentive to stay at home. You can find a professional to reduce stress on yourself. A pleasant garden can make you feel better while giving you a healthier environment. If you have the right ingredients, you can grow amazing food.

The outside of your house is equally important when thinking about improvements. Replacing windows, painting the exterior and replacing the roof can make your house look great while also increasing its value. Your home will look better, creating a welcoming environment for guests and loved ones.

You must love where you live. This is the reason why home improvement promotes your contentment, while adding to the value of your home.

If you need more facts in regard to bosch cordless drill 24v, stop by Ivory Q Kicker?s website this minute.

Source: http://lygaria.com/2012/02/01/raise-your-standard-of-living-with-home-improvement/

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Here is what real commitment to your marriage means | ScienceBlog ...

What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage.

?When people say, ?I?m committed to my relationship,? they can mean two things,? said study co-author Benjamin Karney, a professor of psychology and co-director of the Relationship Institute at UCLA. ?One thing they can mean is, ?I really like this relationship and want it to continue.? However, commitment is more than just that.?

A deeper level of commitment, the psychologists report, is a much better predictor of lower divorce rates and fewer problems in marriage.

?It?s easy to be committed to your relationship when it?s going well,? said senior study author Thomas Bradbury, a psychology professor who co-directs the Relationship Institute. ?As a relationship changes, however, shouldn?t you say at some point something like, ?I?m committed to this relationship, but it?s not going very well ? I need to have some resolve, make some sacrifices and take the steps I need to take to keep this relationship moving forward. It?s not just that I like the relationship, which is true, but that I?m going to step up and take active steps to maintain this relationship, even if it means I?m not going to get my way in certain areas??

?This,? Bradbury said, ?is the other kind of commitment: the difference between ?I like this relationship and I?m committed to it? and ?I?m committed to doing what it takes to make this relationship work.? When you and your partner are struggling a bit, are you going to do what?s difficult when you don?t want to? At 2 a.m., are you going to feed the baby??

The couples that were willing to make sacrifices within their relationships were more effective in solving their problems, the psychologists found. ?It?s a robust finding,? Bradbury said. ?The second kind of commitment predicted lower divorce rates and slower rates of deterioration in the relationship.?

Of the 172 married couples in the study, 78.5 percent were still married after 11 years, and 21.5 percent were divorced. The couples in which both people were willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the marriage were significantly more likely to have lasting and happy marriages, according to Bradbury, Karney and lead study author Dominik Schoebi, a former UCLA postdoctoral scholar who is currently at Switzerland?s University of Fribourg.

For the study, the couples ? all first-time newlyweds ? were given statements that gauged their level of commitment. They were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with statements like ?I want my marriage to stay strong no matter what rough times we may encounter,? ?My marriage is more important to me than almost anything else in my life,? ?Giving up something for my partner is frequently not worth the trouble? and ?It makes me feel good to sacrifice for my partner.? The psychologists videotaped the couples? interactions and measured how they behaved toward each other.

The psychologists also conducted follow-ups with the couples every six months for the first four years (and again later in their marriages), The couples were asked about their relationship history, their feelings toward each other, the stress in their lives, their level of social support, and their childhood and family, among other subjects.

The research is published online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the premier journal in social psychology, and will be published in an upcoming print edition.

?We?re not saying it?s easy?

So what does it mean to be committed to your marriage?

?It means do what it takes to make the relationship successful. That?s what this research is saying. That?s what commitment really means,? Karney said. ?In a long-term relationship, both parties cannot always get their way.?

When a couple has a dispute, they have many choices of how to respond, the psychologists said.

?One choice,? Karney said, ?is if you dig your heels in, then I can dig my heels in too. I can say, ?You?re wrong. Listen to me!? But if this relationship is really important to me, I?m willing to say, ?I will compromise.? What is my goal? Is it to win this battle? Is it to preserve the relationship? The behaviors I might engage in to win this conflict are different from those that are best for the relationship. The people who think more about protecting the relationship over the long term are more likely to think this is not that big a problem.?

?When the stakes are high, our relationships are vulnerable,? Bradbury said. ?When we?re under a great deal of stress or when there is a high-stakes decision on which you disagree, those are defining moments in a relationship. What our data indicate is that committing to the relationship rather than committing to your own agenda and your own immediate needs is a far better strategy. We?re not saying it?s easy.?

How do you do this when it?s difficult?

?Find ways to compromise, or at least have the conversation that allows you and your partner to see things eye to eye,? Bradbury said. ?Often, we don?t have the big conversations that we need in our relationship. The very act of communicating in difficult times can be as important as the outcome of the conversation. Everybody has the opportunity to engage in a conflict, or not, to say, ?You?re wrong, I?m right.? When people are in it for the long term, they are often willing to make sacrifices and view themselves as a team. They both are.?

The couples whose marriages lasted were better at this than the couples who divorced, Bradbury and Karney said.

?The people who ended their marriages would have said they were very committed to the marriage,? Bradbury said. ?But they did not have the resolve to say, ?Honey, we need to work on this; it?s going to be hard, but it?s important.? The successful couples were able to shift their focus away from whether ?I win? or ?you win? to ?Are we going to keep this relationship afloat?? That is the ideal.?

In a marriage, disagreement is inevitable, but conflict is optional ? a choice we make, Bradbury and Karney said. When the psychologists give workshops for couples, they encourage them to discuss a source of disagreement. Finding such a topic is rarely, if ever, a problem.

The psychologists recommend against ?bank-account relationships,? in which you keep score of how often you get your way and how often you compromise.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (both part of the National Institutes of Health) and the UCLA Academic Senate.

The ?invisible forces? in your marriage

Have you ever noticed that some couples seem to be in sync with each other while other couples are much less so, and wondered why?

In another new study that used data on the couples who were still married after 11 years, Karney, Bradbury, Schoebi and Baldwin Way, an assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University and former UCLA psychology postdoctoral scholar, suggest that some people, on the basis of their genetic makeup, appear to be more responsive to their spouse?s emotional states.

Their study appears in the online edition of the journal Emotion, published by the American Psychological Association. It will also be published in an upcoming print edition of the journal.

Building on prior research, the psychologists hypothesize that a gene ? the serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR ? might play a role in making us more, or less, responsive to our spouse?s emotions. Some people have one variant of the gene, and some have a second variant.

The two variants of the gene strengthen or weaken the link between your emotions and your spouse?s emotions, the psychologists report. People with one variant (called the ?short form?) tend to stay angry, sad or happy longer than people with the other variant.

?The extent to which we are connected, to which my emotions become your emotions, is stronger or weaker as a function of the serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR,? Bradbury said.

?In the face of a negative event, your genes control how long your reaction lasts,? Karney said. ?What we are showing in this paper is that if I have one form of this gene, I?m more responsive to my partner?s emotional states, and if I have the other form, I?m less responsive.?

?I think this creaks open a door,? Bradbury said, ?to a field of psychology that helps people to realize that who they are and who their partner is, is actually in their biology. Who you are and how you respond to me has a lot to do with things that are totally outside your control. My partner?s biology is invisible to me; I have no clue about it. The more I can appreciate that the connection between who I am and who my partner is may be biologically mediated leads me to be much more appreciative of invisible forces that constrain our behavior.?

While the researchers suspect the role of 5-HTTLPR is important, they say there is probably a ?constellation of important genes? that plays a role in how responsive we are to emotions.

?It?s much more complex than a single gene,? Bradbury said.

This research may imply that we should be forgiving of the behavior of a loved one and not demand that a spouse change her or his behavior, the psychologists said.

?If it?s so easy for you to tell your partner to change, perhaps you should just change yourself,? Bradbury said. ?Go ahead and take that on, see how that goes.?

Bradbury and Karney are writing a book tentatively titled ?Love Me Slender,? scheduled for publication next year, which connects one?s relationship with one?s physical health. Decisions we make about our health when we?re in a relationship are closely connected with our partner and his or her health, they argue.

Perhaps all this research is a reminder than when choosing a relationship, choose carefully and wisely ? and even then, don?t expect it to be easy.

Source: http://scienceblog.com/51904/here-is-what-real-commitment-to-your-marriage-means/

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Smart Grid: Smart grid communications: TV white space may be an ...


Page 2 >>

By Jesse Berst

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The smart grid communications space is already noisy and contentious. Technologies such as RF mesh, point-to-point, powerline, 3G, 4G/LTE, WiMax, WiFi and ZigBee are already competing.

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Now a UK company says TV white space could be a superior solution. TV white space is the "buffer zone" that separates over-the-air TV broadcasts. As television goes digital, many people argue that space should be released for other uses.

?

UK-based TTP argues that it would be ideal for the smart grid, with potential to deliver information at high data rates over long distances, with low latency and at low cost.

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We'll let you read the release (on page 2) to see what you think, and to leave your comments at the bottom.

?

A?warning: The TV white space situation is in great flux. We don't think serious adoption will begin until there is regulatory clarity. In the meantime it is an intriguing but inherently risky proposition.

?

You might want to read ?

FCC vote on broadcast ?white spaces? opens door to smart grid technologies

Rural cooperative's trial uses TV white spaces for smart grid technologies

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.

Next page: Read the release >>


Got something to say about this article? Be the first to leave a comment!
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Source: http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Technologies_Communications/Smart-grid-communications-TV-white-space-may-be-an-option-soon-like-we-need-another-one-4431.html

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

EU blocks $10 billion Deutsche Boerse, NYSE merger (AP)

BRUSSELS ? The European Union on Wednesday blocked the Deutsche Boerse's planned merger with NYSE Euronext, a $10 billion deal that would have created the world's largest financial exchange operator.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, said it was ruling against the merger because the combined exchange would have controlled more than 90 percent of the trading in European derivatives ? complex but highly profitable financial products that allow investors to bet on changes in interest rates or the price of oil.

It said that the combined company's dominance of that market would have made it almost impossible for competitors to offer rival trading systems.

"The merger between Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext would have led to a near-monopoly in European financial derivatives worldwide," the EU's Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement. "These markets are at the heart of the financial system and it is crucial for the whole European economy that they remain competitive."

The Commission's decision deals a blow to Deutsche Boerse AG and NYSE Euronext, which hoped combining their businesses would have allowed them to compete better with other large exchanges in the U.S. and Asia.

But it also underlines the profound transformation their businesses ? and financial markets as a whole ? have undergone over the past decade. Today, the value of outstanding derivatives contracts has surpassed by many times the value of traditional financial products like stocks and bonds.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext both managed to build highly profitable businesses out of this trend and today own Europe's biggest derivatives exchanges. A push from regulators across the globe to push more derivative trades onto exchanges to make the market more transparent has opened even bigger opportunities for established players.

To make the merger acceptable, the Commission wanted the companies to sell either Deutsche Boerse's Eurex or NYSE Euronext's Liffe ? something they refused.

"This is a black day for Europe and its global competitiveness on financial markets," Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Reto Francioni said in a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany.

Francioni added that the decision will prevent the creation of a "globally competitive" European exchange group that would have helped strengthen the Commission's push for transparent and stable financial markets.

NYSE said in a statement that the two companies are now discussing terminating the merger agreement.

"While we are disappointed and strongly disagree with the EU decision, which is based on a fundamentally different understanding of the derivatives market, it is now time to move on," NYSE Euronext Chairman Jan-Michiel Hessels said.

The Commission's decision did not come as a surprise as last month a competition case team recommended the merger should be blocked, based on the combined company's dominance in the trading of some of the most popular and liquid European derivatives.

But the two exchanges argued that the vast majority of derivatives are traded directly between banks and other investors, or over-the-counter (OTC), rather than on exchanges, providing healthy competition in the overall market.

They also pointed to Chicago-based CME Group, which has a similar dominance over trading in key American derivatives.

But Almunia argued that neither the over-the-counter derivatives market nor CME Group could have been true competitors to a company owning both Eurex and Liffe.

He said derivatives based on U.S. indexes or interest rates traded on the CME were useless for investors trying to hedge against changes in their European equivalents. Over-the-counter trades, he argued, were riskier than exchange-based trades, eliminating then as an alternative to many companies.

Deutsche Boerse announced nearly a year ago that it was looking to buy NYSE Euronext for $10 billion. NYSE Euronext owns bourses in Paris, Lisbon, Brussels and Amsterdam, in addition to New York.

__

Juergen Baetz in Berlin and David McHugh in Fankfurt, Germany, contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120201/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_deutsche_boerse_nyse

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Word-of-Mind: Researchers Decode Words from the Brain's Auditory Activity

News | Mind & Brain

Interpreting signals from the brain's language-processing center may improve speech-recognition technology or provide a means for the severely disabled to communicate


Image: Skip the Budgie, courtesy Flickr

Oh, to be a fly on the auditory cortex!

That, in a manner of speaking, is exactly what a group of researchers working in Berkeley and San Francisco have done. Measurements of electrical signals in the region of the brain that processes speech enabled the group to decode the words a subject was hearing?in essence, a form of neural eavesdropping.

The goal was far nobler than finding out what your boss really thinks of you or what is going on in the neighboring cubicle. The research sheds light on how the brain sorts out sounds and turns it into language. "The hope," says Brian Pasley, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author on the study, "is that this knowledge can be utilized to help restore communication in the severely disabled." The work could complement other efforts to reconstruct speech using muscle movements in the vocal tract, lips and tongue.

The researchers?who also hailed from the University of Maryland, College Park, Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Francisco?published their work today in PLoS Biology (pdf).

During the experiment, subjects listened to words on a loudspeaker or piped through earbuds: sometimes just isolated words like "jazz" or "property"; pseudo-words like "fook" and "nim"; and in a few cases full sentences. Later, the research team studied a record of this activity as it appeared in the brain's auditory cortex, the region that processes what is heard, allowing the comprehension of language, along with other sounds.

The subjects, 15 volunteers with normal language skills, also happened to be undergoing neurosurgical treatments for epilepsy or brain tumors. Because their brain activity was already being monitored at the cortex's surface for seizures, the researchers could examine these direct cortical measurements for their auditory study. Pasley explains that it would have been impossible to have access to such brain scans without these volunteers.

Pasley and colleagues crafted an algorithm?a computational model?to map the sound a listener was hearing to the electrode's measurements. The model could then "learn" how to match sound to the brain's electrical signals.

Next, researchers tested their model by turning the tables: Starting with a listener's brain activity, they used the model to reconstruct the word that a listener had heard. Specifically, the model reconstructed a sound, resembling but not immediately recognizable as a word. To close the loop, the researchers then looked through a set of 47 words to find one that most closely matched the model?s sound.

Not only could they successfully "eavesdrop" via cortical activity, the researchers created two versions of their model to account for different features of sound. One version of their computational model made use of a linear representation of sound, called a spectrogram, which plots frequency over time. The other version used a nonlinear representation of sound called a modulation model. Pasley explains that in the linear version, sound rhythms are coded by the brain?s oscillations whereas in the nonlinear version, rhythms are conveyed by the overall level of brain activity. At a slow speech rhythm, both models work well, but at faster rhythms the nonlinear sound representation creates a more accurate model.

This technique could improve speech-recognition technology. Although smart phones do a decent job, anyone who's received a cryptic Google voice transcription knows that speech recognition still is not perfect.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=daf033dfe2c91da053c75e34c2ba5727

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