PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? A spokeswoman for the family of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who underwent a double-lung transplant after a national debate over the process of getting the organs says the girl has awakened from a coma and is communicating by nodding to questions.
Tracy Simon says Sarah Murnaghan was awake Friday and responding to simple questions by nodding to indicate yes or no. Two days earlier, she was moved from a heavy-duty breathing machine to a traditional ventilator.
Sarah, of Newtown Square, suffers from severe cystic fibrosis. She underwent a six-hour operation after a judge intervened and gave her a chance at the list of organs from adult donors, not just child donors.
Simon says Sarah's family is optimistic with the latest progress, but Sarah is frustrated because she can't talk yet.
Summer is rearing its sweaty head, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. We can fight back though, and our very own Giz readers have offered up some stellar ideas on how to beat the heat until it slinks off into a corner and leaves us all alone. Time to start building your arsenal.
DOHA (Reuters) - Western and Arab opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed on Saturday to give urgent military support to Western-backed rebels, aiming to stem a counter-offensive by Assad's forces and offset the growing power of jihadist fighters.
Assad's recapture of the strategic border town of Qusair, spearheaded by Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, and an expected assault on the divided northern city of Aleppo have alarmed supporters of the Syrian opposition.
The U.S. administration responded by saying, for the first time, it would arm rebels, while Gulf sources say Saudi Arabia has accelerated the delivery of advanced weapons to the rebels over the last week.
Ministers from the 11 core members of the Friends of Syria group agreed "to provide urgently all the necessary materiel and equipment to the opposition on the ground", according to a statement released at the end of their meeting in Qatar.
The statement did not commit all the countries to send weapons, but said each country could provide assistance "in its own way, in order to enable (the rebels) to counter brutal attacks by the regime and its allies".
The aid should be channeled through the Western-backed Supreme Military Council, a move that Washington and its European allies hope will prevent weapons falling into the hands of Islamist radicals including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
The ministers also condemned "the intervention of Hezbollah militias and fighters from Iran and Iraq", demanding that they withdraw immediately.
As well as fighting in Qusair, Hezbollah is deployed alongside Iraqi gunmen around the Shi'ite shrine of Sayyida Zainab, south of Damascus, while Iranian military commanders are believed to be advising Assad's officers on counter-insurgency.
SAUDI SPEEDS UP SUPPORT
Two Gulf sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia, which started supplying anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels on a small scale two months ago, had accelerated delivery of sophisticated weaponry.
"In the past week there have been more arrivals of these advanced weapons. They are getting them more frequently," one source said, without giving details. Another Gulf source described them as "potentially balance-tipping" supplies.
Rebel fighters say they need anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to stem the fightback by Assad's forces in a civil war that has killed 93,000 people, driven 1.6 million refugees abroad and cost tens of billions of dollars in destruction of property, businesses and infrastructure.
Rebel spokesman Louay Meqdad said the Supreme Military Council, led by former Syrian army general Salim Idriss, had received several batches of weapons.
"They are the first consignments from one of the countries that support the Syrian people and there are clear promises from Arab and foreign countries that there will be more during the coming days," he told Reuters Television in Istanbul.
The increasingly sectarian dynamic of the war pits mainly Sunni Muslim rebels against forces loyal to Assad - who is from the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam - and has split the Middle East along Sunni-Shi'ite lines.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar, which along with Saudi Arabia has been one of the most open Arab backers of the anti-Assad rebels, said that supplying them with weapons was the only way to resolve the conflict.
"Force is necessary to achieve justice. And the provision of weapons is the only way to achieve peace in Syria's case," Sheikh Hamad told ministers at the start of the talks.
"We cannot wait due to disagreement among (U.N.) Security Council members over finding a solution to the problem," he said.
The meeting in Qatar brought together ministers and senior officials of countries that support the anti-Assad rebels - France, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States - although the fractured Syrian opposition itself was notably absent.
Sheikh Hamad said all but two countries had agreed on the kind of support to provide to the rebels. He did not name the dissenters, but Germany and Italy have both said in the past they oppose arming the rebel brigades.
The final statement expressed concern at Syria's worsening humanitarian crisis, which prompted the United Nations to launch a $5 billion appeal earlier this month - its biggest ever.
It called on the world "to shoulder its responsibilities by taking urgent and tangible actions to alleviate the Syrian people's suffering". In a message that appeared aimed at Assad, it also called for "cross-border humanitarian access" in Syria.
CRISIS "SET TO WORSEN"
Speaking before the start of talks, British Foreign Secretary William Hague reiterated that London had yet to take a decision on arming the rebels, but said that only by strengthening the opposition could the West hope to bring about talks for a political settlement.
"At the moment, this crisis is on a worse trajectory. It is set to get worse," Hague said. "I don't want to understate the severity of it, and the bleakness of it."
"We won't get a political solution if Assad and his regime think they can eliminate all legitimate opposition by force, and so we do have to give assistance to that opposition," he said.
The United States and Russia, which back opposing sides in the conflict, hope to bring them together for negotiations in Geneva originally scheduled for this month. Hague said there was little prospect of that happening "in the next few weeks".
Moscow, which says it will not break military supply contracts with Damascus, opposes arming rebel forces that it says include terrorist groups, and has warned that a swift exit by Assad would risk a dangerous power vacuum.
In northern Syria, rebels announced an offensive on Saturday that they said aimed to capture the western districts of the city of Aleppo from government forces.
Assad's troops have been fighting rebels in rural areas around Syria's biggest city and are believed to be reinforcing in the region, ahead of their own expected assault on rebel-held parts of the contested northern hub.
In Damascus, the army sustained its bombardment of the eastern rebel-held district of Qaboun and soldiers clashed with rebels in the Barzeh district, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
(Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Doha and Ayhan Uyanik in Istanbul; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Alison Williams and Robin Pomeroy)
Her home life is the envy of millions, but Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't always the Vegenaise-obsessed super-mom we know today. Before settling down with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, her husband of nearly ten years, the Iron Man 3 star had a string of intense love affairs. She was engaged to Brad Pitt and frequently fell for her co-stars. Let's take a look back at the "most beautiful,""most hated" actress's impressive ex-boyfriends.
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Gun control advocates are taking their message to the states, through ads, town hall meetings, and shaming campaigns. They poked Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) of New Hampshire on Tuesday.
By Husna Haq,?Correspondent / May 1, 2013
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) of New Hampshire waves as she ends her speech at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., in March. Ayotte, who voted against the gun bill and, notably, was the only senator from the Northeast to vote no on the provision to extend background checks to more gun buyers, have emerged as ground zero in that battle.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
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If you thought the gun debate ended two weeks ago when the Senate voted against expanded background checks and a host of other gun-control measures, think again.
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Gun-control advocates are reviving the issue at the state level through ads, town hall meetings, and shaming campaigns in an effort to get lawmakers to change their vote and the Senate to reconsider new gun laws.
New Hampshire and its junior senator, Kelly Ayotte (R), who voted against the gun bill and, notably, was the only senator from the Northeast to vote no on the provision to extend background checks to more gun buyers, have emerged as ground zero in that battle.
Back home in New Hampshire, Senator Ayotte is feeling the heat at town hall meetings, where gun-control advocates are expressing anger. Erica Lafferty, whose mother, Dawn, was gunned down by Newtown, Conn., shooter Adam Lanza in December, confronted Ayotte at a town hall meeting in Warren, N.H., Tuesday.
?You had mentioned ... the burden on owners of gun stores that the expanded background checks would harm. I am just wondering why the burden of my mother being gunned down in the halls of her elementary school isn't more important than that,? Ms. Lafferty asked.
We can?t imagine a more uncomfortable moment.
After expressing condolence for her loss, Ayotte said her position on gun laws hadn?t changed.
?As you and I both know, the issue wasn?t a background check system issue in Sandy Hook,? she said. ?Mental health, I hope, is the one thing we can agree on going forward.?
With that, the encounter was done ? but it?s likely to be the first of many confrontations Ayotte, and other senators who voted against the gun bill, will face in coming weeks.
In fact, Ayotte is one of a handful of senators ? including Arizona?s Jeff Flake (R), Nevada?s Dean Heller (R), North Dakota?s Heidi Heitkamp (D), and Montana?s Max Baucus (D) ? who are drawing fire for their "no" votes on background checks.
(Senator Flake recently said his vote puts his popularity ?somewhere just below pond scum.??Indeed, a recent Public Policy Polling survey found him among the least popular senators in the country, with a 34 percent approval rating and a 51 percent disapproval rating, after the gun vote.)
For all of the devastation caused by the 2011 earthquake/tsunami in Japan, the former, a 9.0 magnitude beast called ?Tohoku,? could have claimed far more lives. The reason it didn?t? Since 2007, Japan has had an early warning system?conceived ten years ago at Caltech?which California still hasn?t managed to set up. And while it only gives about a minute notice, it's a minute Californians currently don't have.
Until 2003, when Japanese seismologist Hiroo Kanamori and UC Berkeley?s Richard Allen published a study proving that early detection was possible, warning systems for earthquakes have relied on a concept that?s been around since the 19th century: detect the ground shaking at the fault line and send advanced notice to cities miles away through telegraphs, telephones, or modern telecommunications (depending on which century you?re in).
This system relies on the fact that electronic signals move much faster than seismic waves; For example, if you were in New York and on Twitter on August 23, 2011, you might have seen tweets from Washington DC about their earthquake just before the ground started shaking under your feet. As neat as that might have been (yay, new media!) retweeting is not a very good system for warning a city of impending seismic doom.
The new system put into place in Japan in 2007 detects earthquakes before they start shaking the Earth?s surface. Allen and Kanamori found that when tectonic plates shift, they release two forms of energy simultaneously, called p-waves and s-waves. S-waves cause all the damage on the surface. P-waves are harmless, but travel through the ground about twice as fast. So when Japan?s more than 1,000 seismometers near their Pacific fault-line relayed p-wave data indicating a massive earthquake, the Japanese Meteorological Agency rang the alarm.
While this ?early detection? still only gives about 60 seconds of warning, Japan was able to safely stop eleven 320-km/h bullet trains, disable 16,000 elevators, warn students to get under their desks, and set off earthquake alarms across the country. Some 52 million Japanese received text alerts on their cellphones. But that?s because Japan has the advanced warning system and a cultural awareness of the threat of earthquakes (for example, new iPhones bought in Japan come with quake-warning features built in).
California, on the other hand? Azeen Ghorayshi, in a great feature for the East Bay Express about Japan and California?s preparedness, says that California still has ?next to nothing in terms of a public seismic warning system,? despite knowing how to build one for almost a decade and despite knowing the next ?big one? is only matter of time. But building a statewide system is only a matter of politics and money, so it?ll probably be ready in no time. Meanwhile, here?s a $1 iPhone Seismometer app that you can make into your own DIY not-so-advanced warning system. [East Bay Express]
Lenovo is giving fans of professional laptop chic a treat today: in addition to shipping the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 (pictured above), it's unveiling one more model, the ThinkPad S431. The new Ivy Bridge-powered system is closer to the Edge S430 in spirit, carrying a similar 0.8 inches thick chassis, an aluminum lid and a thin-bezel design that stuffs a 14-inch touchscreen into a small body. It does carry the newer Edge line's unifying OneLink connector and gesture-friendly touchpad, although the svelter profile also involves some sacrifices -- the S431 tops out at 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, or about half what its peers can manage. The slimmer, touch-enabled design will also boost the asking price to $699 when the S431 ships in June, although the cost conscious can spring for the E431 and E531 today for a distinctly cheaper $599.
To the surprise of few, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones held onto his championship belt with a first-round TKO of Chael Sonnen on Saturday night. Part of the reason it was no surprise is that finishing fights is what Jones does. He won four of his last five fights by stoppage. He improves with every fight. Against Sonnen, he used Sonnen's strength of wrestling to control him on the way to the TKO.
Can anyone beat this guy? Here are a few contenders.
Alexander Gustafsson: He's one of the few elite, light heavyweight fighters who hasn't faced Jones. Like Jones, he uses his height and length to keep opponents at bay. He's ready for a fight now because he was pulled from a bout with Gegard Mousasi earlier this month because of a cut. Gustafsson is also who Jones wants to face.
"A lot of people think I've been successful because I appear to be larger than my opponents, and with Alexander, that would be no more," Jones said at the post-UFC 159 news conference. "That's who I would like to fight next."
Gustafsson is in:
Congratz @jonnybones Champ! Heal up good now so we
Daniel Cormier: The Strikeforce grand prix heavyweight champ had a successful UFC debut against Frank Mir. As a two-time Olympic wrestler with knockout power, he has the skills to stop Jones. UFC president Dana White said Cormier would get an immediate title shot if he were to drop down. The weight drop is the biggest question. Cormier wrestled at 211 lbs., and suffered from kidney failure the last time he tried to get to that weight. It won't be an easy cut for him.
Anderson Silva: White said he received a call from the middleweight champ right after the Jones bout, asking for a superfight with either Jones or Georges St-Pierre. White wouldn't confirm who Silva was asking for, but why would he ask for a bout with GSP right after watching Jones fight? It's the superfight MMA fans want, but Silva has Chris Weidman in July first.
Time off: This is likely Jones' next contender. During Saturday night's fight, he broke his toe in an ugly fashion. Even with Gustafsson, Silva and Cormier waiting for a fight, Jones needs to heal.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? When the barriers carving Cyprus in half were finally breached 10 years ago this week, Turkish Cypriot Fethi Akinci forged what some might consider the unlikeliest of friendships with Yiannis Maratheftis ? the Greek Cypriot he almost killed in battle with a gunshot to the head.
The shooting took place on a July morning in 1974, as invading Turkish forces pushed forward in the wake a failed coup by supporters of uniting the island with Greece. The friendship took root once the two men, now in their 60s, met in 2009, an encounter made possible by the checkpoint openings. Akinci had discovered from a book Maratheftis wrote that the soldier he'd shot was alive ? and sought out his onetime enemy.
The story of Maratheftis and Akinci was one of the many signs of reconciliation that emerged after the barriers were opened, allowing crossings after three decades of complete separation. The number of crossings has now reached into the millions. But these flickers of hope for reunification are at risk of being snuffed out as the island confronts what could be its worst economic crisis, making prospects for reconciliation appear dimmer than ever.
With its once-robust banking sector decimated and unemployment soaring amid harsh EU-imposed austerity, Greek Cypriots seem to have little appetite for any radical and potentially expensive change that would add to their overwhelming sense of uncertainty about their future. The island joined the European Union in 2004, but membership benefits only extend to residents in the south. The Turkish Cypriots, on the other hand, have had a close-up look at the financial chaos that EU membership can bring, and may be in no hurry to join the club.
"It worsened the prospect for settlement," says Hubert Faustmann, political science professor at the University of Nicosia. "A solution is costly, and there is less money now or hardly any money if any money left to finance that."
There's been no 10th anniversary commemoration this week. That early euphoria amid scenes of a crush people eager to cross over and see homes and properties that belonged to families for generations ? then left hastily left behind ? is now a faded memory.
Turkish Cypriots were first to rebel in the early 2000s against their isolation, angry at seeing their future drying up amid a collapsing economy. That compelled Turkish Cypriot authorities to loosen restrictions on crossings and to open checkpoints, putting an end to the Turkish Cypriots' nearly complete isolation on a sliver of territory recognized by no other country than Turkey.
"The opening of the gates, had opened a big door for ... the Turkish Cypriots because we were in a sort of enclave" said Turkish Cypriot Hassan Cirakli, sitting with his former Greek Cypriot schoolmate and close friend, Andreas Paralikis, in the shadow of a 12th-century cathedral converted into a mosque in the northern part of Nicosia. "We didn't have any relations with the outside world."
But the lack of a deal after so many failed attempts has sapped all optimism that reunification is possible, says Ahmet Sozen, chair of the political science department at Eastern Mediterranean University in the north.
Sozen said without real political progress, all the crossing points appeared to do was to bestow a kind of strange "normality" to the status quo.
"Unfortunately the crossing openings failed to make a huge positive difference as to how people on both sides of the divided perceive each other," says Sozen. "People in their subconscious have been reconciled with the idea that this is perhaps the best arrangement."
That pessimism doesn't faze Maratheftis or Akinci.
"Now we're fighting for peace in the same trench," said Akinci.
Maratheftis still has the bullet fragments embedded in his skull but bears no grudges. These days, the two men recount their story to schoolchildren on both sides of the divide, part of a personal quest to erase the mistrust that the barriers sustained.
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels attacked a sprawling military air base in the country's northwest on Saturday, while opposition forces assaulted a string of army checkpoints and positions in the south, activists said.
The raids follow nearly two weeks of advances by Syrian troops, mostly in the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and in areas near the Lebanese border in the central province of Homs.
In Moscow, Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi denied recent U.S. charges that Syrian troops used chemical weapons against the rebels, saying Washington had leveled the accusation as a result of the latest victories by the army.
"The American hysteria about the use of chemical weapons was caused by the success of the Syrian Arab Army in striking terrorists," al-Zoubi was quoted by state TV as saying. The government refers to rebels as "terrorists."
The Obama administration said Thursday that intelligence indicates that government forces likely used the nerve gas sarin in two attacks.
Washington's declaration was its strongest on the topic so far, although the administration said it was still working to pin down definitive proof of the use of chemical weapons. It held back from saying Damascus had crossed what President Barack Obama has said would be a "red line" prompting tougher action in Syria.
The rebels accuse regime forces of firing chemical agents on at least four occasions since December, killing 31 people in the worst of the attacks. They say world inaction would only encourage Assad to use the weapons on a larger scale.
The regime countered that it was the rebels who fired chemical weapons ? pointing to their capture of a chemical factory last year as proof of their ability to do so.
In Saturday's fighting at the Abu Zuhour air base in northwestern Idlib province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties on both sides. The base has been under siege from the rebels for months.
The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees said the Syrian air force conducted several air raids during the fighting to ease pressure on government troops inside the air base.
The state-run news agency SANA quoted a military official as saying the troops repelled the attack and inflicted "great losses" on the attackers.
Rebels control much of Idlib province, which borders Turkey, although government forces still hold some areas, including the provincial capital of the same name.
Elsewhere, the Aleppo Media Center said rebels had entered the Kweiras military air base in Aleppo province and destroyed its operations room. The base has been under siege for months.
The media center said battles inside the air base continued Saturday afternoon and that the Syrian air force had bombarded the facility.
The Observatory said a rebel commander, who headed the Two Shrines Brigade, was killed in the fighting around the base. It added that six government troops were also killed in the clashes.
In the southern province of Daraa, also known as the Houran plains, the Observatory and the LCC said rebels had launched a new offensive called "the Houran Volcano" in which they are targeting army checkpoints and positions.
The Observatory said there were an unknown number of casualties on both sides.
An amateur video posted online showed rebel artillery fire hitting al-Khudr military base, located on a hill near the town of Dael, also in the province. The crackle of gunfire could be heard in the distance.
The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.
The Observatory reported shelling and clashes in other areas, including Damascus and its suburbs as well as the central province of Homs and Deir el-Zour to the east that borders Iraq.
Syria's conflict started with largely peaceful anti-government protests in March 2011 but eventually turned into a civil war. More than 70,000 people have been killed, according to the United Nations.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Saturday that recent Syrian government air and missile strikes have caused civilian casualties in opposition-held areas in Aleppo province "in violation of the laws of war." It said the attacks left at least 84 people dead.
The rights group said its team in the province, which investigated recent attacks, said dozens of civilian homes also had been destroyed "without damaging any apparent opposition military targets."
During a recent seven-day mission to Aleppo, Human Rights Watch researchers documented five attacks between March 18 and April 7. It said that of the 84 killed in these attacks, 36 were children.
"In all the new cases, witnesses told Human Rights Watch that the only people killed or injured by the strikes had been civilians, and that only civilian buildings had been hit," the group said.
"In attack after attack in Aleppo, it is only civilians and civilian homes that are hit by government airstrikes," said Anna Neistat, associate program and emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "The Syrian Air Force knows very well that using cluster bombs and raining down missiles and bombs indiscriminately on urban areas violates the laws of war."
The Steelers added a young outside linebacker to bolster their pass rush and help replace the departed James Harrison, selecting Georgia?s Jarvis Jones No. 17 overall on Thursday night.
Jones (6-2, 245) notched 14.5 sacks in 2012 for the Bulldogs. If Jones is to push for a starting role as a rookie, it would likely be at the expense of veteran Jason Worilds.
That said, the Steelers generally don?t rush their rookies into the lineup. They have to earn their way onto the field. Maurkice Pouncey played in his rookie season of 2010 because he was too good to sit, and guard David DeCastro looked poised to be a Week One starter before a knee injury last summer.
?Quite honestly, I don?t envision anyone coming in and being an impact in Year One,? Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said this week, according to the club. ?I never do because I think there is always a growing process that has to occur.?
It can take time for Steelers? outside linebackers to master Dick LeBeau?s defense. LaMarr Woodley, it should be noted, did not start as a rookie in 2007. If Jones can at least be a solid situational rusher (a la Woodley as a rookie) and pick up the defense, he will have done well, considering how other rookies have fared with this veteran-laden club.
After a long decade of media destruction, no one in the industry was surprised to see “Reporter (Newspaper)” ranked as the worst job of 2013. But life is starting to look better for some online publications — like at Vox Media. Its SB Nation network of local sports sites has become a foundation for a national edition, tech-oriented news site The Verge, and most recently video gaming site Polygon. On the business side, it has begun cracking the display advertising market. The CEO who is behind its ongoing growth is Jim Bankoff, who you may also know as the guy who previously led Aol’s content businesses for many years.?He’s going to have a couple of newsy things to say about Vox and the business of high-quality media today when I interview him Monday at Disrupt NY. If you’re interested in media, advertising, and startups trying to get into these industries, you’ll want to see this. Tickets are available here. He joins our list of Disrupt NY speakers that currently includes Nasty Gal’s Deborah Benton, investor Chamath Palihapitiya, and hardware creator Limor Fried, with more still to be announced. Our sponsors help make Disrupt happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our sponsorship team here?sponsors@techcrunch.com. Jim Bankoff Chairman & CEO, Vox Media Jim runs all aspects of Vox Media, one of the fastest growing online publishers, focused on the sports, personal technology and gaming categories. Vox is solving the problem of developing high-value digital journalism, storytelling and brand advertising at scale. Its audiences are among the most engaged and affluent on the web. SB Nation, its sports brand, boasts over 30 million users per month across 300 individually branded, fan-centric sports communities, each covering a specific professional or college team, league or sport. In November 2011, Vox Media launched The Verge, which has quickly established itself as a category leader and the fastest growing site that covers technology. In October, Vox launched Polygon, a site dedicated to news and community for fans of gaming, anchored by an all-star roster of writers. All Vox Media sites are built upon, Chorus, its world-class proprietary publishing platform. The company enjoys support from leading investors including Accel Partners, Comcast Interactive Capital, Khosla Ventures and Allen & Company. A veteran of the online industry, Jim developed and led dozens of the most popular websites on the Internet including Aol, Mapquest,
Those interested in starting an internet business may want to check into the sales of businesses online and consider buying an internet business for sale. Many people have started businesses online and after a few years, are either starting a new venture or looking to take their business offline. With the right approach, you may be able to get a good deal on a profitable internet business for sale. Some folks work hard to get their business up and running and may be looking to make a profit on their efforts of creating a successful internet business.
They may have even created the business for the sole purpose of selling it and turning their work into huge profits. When considering buying an existing internet venture, however, there are many important aspects to consider. The first obvious consideration is determining the value of the business.
You may want to call in an expert on internet businesses to verify the value claimed by the person wanting to sell. How long the business has been operating, when it started making a profit and its growth chart will all be needed to determine the valid market value.
You will also want to consider the future prospects for the business and whether or not it can hold its growth curve. It could be the owner wants to get out before the business growth realizes a slowdown in growth or if it can sustain the current growth pattern.
Continued growth and expectations of the future can improve the value of an online business. However, the products and services being offered can also help determine the companys value. You also need to consider who will run the business for you.
If you have the expertise and the knowledge to keep everything running smooth you may be able to buy the online business and seamlessly take it over. The customers may never even realize that a change in ownership took place and if that is the case, your growth should continue without any detrimental effects.
Be cautious of making major changes in the business structure or architecture that could affect how the customers perceive the business. If you are considering the purchase of a healthy internet business, there should be no need for changes. As the old saying goes if it is not broke do not fix it, if the business is operating evenly and making a profit, leave it alone and continue its positive trend.
There may be opportunities to buy an internet business that is slowly dying and you can turn it around after buying it on the cheap. Any established internet business that is beginning to show a drop in revenue may be open for purchase at a reduced price. If you believe you can turn it around and resume making a profit, it may be worth going after.
About the Author Obinna Heche. Los Angeles ? California Delivering the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home successfully.. http://www.homeincomeportal.com/obhmy365
Panasonic has announced a brand-new mid-range Micro Four Thirds camera, the Lumix G6. It offers up a solid list of specs—and should appeal to fans of shooting video in particular. More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Security officers shot dead two suspected militants in Russia's volatile North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the epicenter of an Islamist insurgency, the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said on Wednesday.
Moscow is struggling to quell the persistent attacks by Islamist militants more than a decade after it fought two separatist wars in the adjacent republic of Chechnya.
Security officers surrounded a house in the village of Sogratl, some 100 km (60 miles) southwest of the regional capital Makhachkala, where the two suspected insurgents were hiding, the statement said.
Two unidentified women with a baby left the house after law enforcement officers demanded that the militants surrender. The two rebels then opened fire and were shot dead, the statement said.
Rights groups say the revolt is driven by a volatile mix of religion, corruption and grievances against the strongarm tactics of some local leaders against suspected militants and their families.
Russia has tightened security in the surrounding region less than a year ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which it is planning to host on the western side of the Caucasus mountains, 1,000 km (620 miles) from Dagestan.
(Reporting By Alexei Anishchuk; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Marvin Tolkin was 83 when he decided that the unexamined life wasn?t worth living. Until then, it had never occurred to him that there might be emotional ?issues? he wanted to explore with a counselor.
?I don?t think I ever needed therapy,? said Mr. Tolkin, a retired manufacturer of women?s undergarments who lives in Manhattan and Hewlett Harbor, N.Y.
Though he wasn?t clinically depressed, Mr. Tolkin did suffer from migraines and ?struggled through a lot of things in my life? ? the demise of a long-term business partnership, the sudden death of his first wife 18 years ago. He worried about his children and grandchildren, and his relationship with his current wife, Carole.
?When I hit my 80s I thought, ?The hell with this.? I don?t know how long I?m going to live, I want to make it easier,? said Mr. Tolkin, now 86. ?Everybody needs help, and everybody makes mistakes. I needed to reach outside my own capabilities.?
So Mr. Tolkin began seeing Dr. Robert C. Abrams, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan. They meet once a month for 45 minutes, exploring the problems that were weighing on Mr. Tolkin. ?Dr. Abrams is giving me a perspective that I didn?t think about,? he said. ?It?s been making the transition of living at this age in relation to my family very doable and very livable.?
Mr. Tolkin is one of many seniors who are seeking psychological help late in life. Most never set foot near an analyst?s couch in their younger years. But now, as people are living longer, and the stigma of psychological counseling has diminished, they are recognizing that their golden years might be easier if they alleviate the problems they have been carrying around for decades. It also helps that Medicare pays for psychiatric assessments and therapy.
?We?ve been seeing more people in their 80s and older over the past five years, many who have never done therapy before,? said Dolores Gallagher-Thompson, a professor of research in the department of psychiatry at Stanford. ?Usually, they?ve tried other resources like their church, or talked to family. They?re realizing that they?re living longer, and if you?ve got another 10 or 15 years, why be miserable if there?s something that can help you??
Some of these older patients are clinically depressed. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that more than 6.5 million Americans over age 65 suffer from depression. But many are grappling with mental health issues unaddressed for decades, as well as contemporary concerns about new living arrangements, finances, chronic health problems, the loss of loved ones and their own mortality.
?It?s never too late, if someone has never dealt with issues,? said Judith Repetur, a clinical social worker in New York who works almost exclusively with older patients, many of whom are seeking help for the first time. ?A combination of stresses late in life can bring up problems that weren?t resolved.?
That members of the Greatest Generation would feel comfortable talking to a therapist, or acknowledging psychological distress, is a significant change. Many grew up in an era when only ?crazy? people sought psychiatric help. They would never admit to themselves ? and certainly not others ? that anything might be wrong.
?For people in their 80s and 90s now, depression was considered almost a moral weakness,? said Dr. Gallagher-Thompson. ?Fifty years ago, when they were in their 20s and 30s, people were locked up and someone threw away the key. They had a terrible fear that if they said they were depressed, they were going to end up in an institution. So they learned to look good and cover their problems as best they could.?
But those attitudes have shifted over time, along with the medical community?s understanding of mental illness among seniors. In the past, the assumption was that if older people were acting strangely or having problems, it was probably dementia. But now, ?the awareness of depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse as possible problems has grown,? said Bob G. Knight, a professor of gerontology and psychology at the University of Southern California, and the author of ?Psychotherapy With Older Adults.?
A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that about half of all Americans ages 50 to 70 will be at high risk for alcohol and marijuana abuse by 2020, compared with less than 9 percent in 1999.
In years past, too, there was a sense among medical professionals that a patient often could not be helped after a certain age unless he had received treatment earlier in life. Freud noted that around age 50, ?the elasticity of the mental process on which treatment depends is, as a rule, lacking,? adding, ?Old people are no longer educable.? (Never mind that he continued working until he died at 83.)
?That?s been totally turned around by what we?ve learned about cognitive psychology and cognitive approach ? changing the way you think about things, redirecting your emotions in more positive ways,? said Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist and professor of human development at Cornell, and author of ?30 Lessons for Living.?
Treatment regimens can be difficult in this population. Antidepressants, for instance, can have unpleasant side effects and only add to the pile of pills many elderly patients take daily. Older patients may feel that they don?t have the time necessary to explore psychotherapy, or that it?s too late to change.
But many eagerly embrace talk therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral techniques that focus on altering thought patterns and behaviors affecting their quality of life now. Experts say that seniors generally have a higher satisfaction rate in therapy than younger people because they are usually more serious about it. Time is critical, and their goals usually are well defined.
?Older patients realize that time is limited and precious and not to be wasted,? said Dr. Abrams. ?They tend to be serious about the discussion and less tolerant of wasted time. They make great patients.?
After her husband died two years ago, Miriam Zatinsky, a retired social worker who is now 87, moved into an independent living facility at Miami Jewish Health Systems. It was a difficult transition to make late in life.
?It was really strange to me, and I couldn?t seem to make any friends here,? Ms. Zatinsky said. ?I really couldn?t find my way. I was having a terrible time.?
The medical director for mental health at the facility, Dr. Marc E. Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist and the author of ?How We Age,? told her that her problems were not unusual for someone in her situation, and encouraged her to make some friends. He prescribed Xanax to help with anxiety, which she said she rarely takes, and he put her in touch with a social worker, Shyla Ford, whom Ms. Zatinsky saw once a week until Ms. Ford moved (Ms. Zatinsky now has a new social worker she talks to). They strategized on how she could reach out. And slowly, she did.
?Sitting at the table for dinner, you talk to people,? said Ms. Zatinsky, who has become president of her building.
Typically, 15 to 20 sessions of talk therapy are enough to help an older patient, unless he or she is struggling with a lifetime?s worth of significant problems. Still, even long-term issues can be overcome.
After a debilitating depression in which she spent three months unable to get out of bed, Judita Grosz, 69, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., decided to see Dr. Agronin, who prescribed medication. (She also tried group therapy but didn?t like it.) He also practiced some cognitive behavioral techniques with her ? for instance, requiring her to get dressed every day for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Eventually, she began to feel better. ?I learned to adjust my thinking, and I don?t get as anxious as I used to,? said Ms. Grosz, who has since begun making and selling jewelry. ?I found out at this age that I am artistic and creative and innovative and smart. I just woke up to the fact that I have a mind of my own. Talk about a late bloomer.?
Dr. Agronin, who still meets with Ms. Grosz monthly, said, ?You might not be able to gain a magical insight and wrap up theirentire life in therapy, but you might be able to accomplish one or two small but meaningful goals.?
Sometimes, what older patients really need is help putting a lifetime in perspective.
?Things can be seen differently from the perspective of old age that relieve some guilt and challenge assumptions that you?ve had for decades,? Dr. Abrams said. ???Maybe it wasn?t too terrible after all; maybe I shouldn?t blame myself.? Maybe some of your worst mistakes weren?t so egregious, and maybe there were unavoidable circumstances you couldn?t control.?
Mr. Tolkin still stops by Dr. Abrams?s office for a monthly checkup.
?Everybody has a certain amount of heartache in life ? it?s how you handle the heartache that is the essential core of your life,? Mr. Tolkin said. ?I found that my attitude was important, and I had to reinforce positive things all the time.?
He said he wishes he had tried therapy years ago. But he adds: ?I can?t go back. I can only go forward.?
To hear more from these three seniors who have started therapy later in life, view our gallery.
The FIA's upcoming Formula E series has revealed two US dates on its début 2014 calendar (Los Angeles, Miami) and yesterday it took to LA's streets to promote the partnership. For Earth Day, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa welcomed Formula E Holdings CEO Alejandro Agag downtown along with a Formula E racecar for the exhibition. The race will run on downtown streets next year, although the exact route the 140mph-capable EVs will take has yet to be locked down. Unfortunately there's no video of the event so while you can't not-hear its electric engine humming along as it burned rubber in the streets, the pictures in this gallery and video from its Moscow and Rome exhibitions will have to do.
Apr. 16, 2013 ? Male circumcision reduces the abundance of bacteria living on the penis and might help explain why circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Removing the foreskin caused a significant shift in the bacterial community or microbiome of the penis, according to a study published by the online journal mBio.
This international collaboration focused on 156 men in Rakai, Uganda -- part of the world's largest randomized-controlled trial on male circumcision. Researchers showed that men who were circumcised as part of the study had 33.3 percent less bacteria on their penis than those who remained uncircumcised one year after the study began.
Researchers further showed that the decrease was primarily found in 12 types of bacteria, most of which were intolerant to oxygen.
Past studies have shown that circumcision reduces female-to-male HIV transmission, among other benefits. This study suggests a possible mechanism for HIV protection -- the shift in the number and type of bacteria living on the penis. Further studies will have to be done to demonstrate that a change in the penis microbiome can help reduce the risk of HIV transmission, according to the authors.
At the same time, understanding the mechanisms that underlie the benefits of male circumcision could help to identify new intervention strategies for decreasing HIV transmission, especially for populations with high HIV prevalence and in places where male circumcision is culturally less acceptable, the study says.
"We know that male circumcision can prevent HIV and other diseases in heterosexual men, but it is important to know why," said Dr. Lance Price, the Director of TGen Center for Microbiomics and Human Health and the study's senior author.
"We think that these dramatic changes in the penis microbiome may explain, at least in part, why male circumcision is protective, " said Dr. Price, who is also a Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health in the School of Public Health and Health Services at the George Washington University.
In heterosexual transmission of HIV, the virus on the foreskin needs to reach its target cells, the CD4+ T-cells, which reside primarily in blood or the lymph nodes.
Researchers hypothesize that penis bacteria may facilitate this process in two ways: by both recruiting more HIV target cells to the foreskin and by triggering another set of immune cells, the Langerhans cells, to deliver the virus to susceptible T-cells. Without this trigger, the Langerhans cells will simply destroy the virus.
"Our findings are interesting from two perspectives. From a public health standpoint, we were finally able to detail the bacterial changes associated with male circumcision," said Dr. Cindy Liu, Adjunct Professor at the Pathogen Genomics Division at TGen, and the study's lead author.
"From an ecological perspective, our study shows how phenomena from the macro-world actually scale to the micro level. When you change a macro environment, such as clear cutting a forest, you affect the animals that live there. That's intuitive. Here we show that changing the penis environment affects the microbes that live there as well." said Dr. Liu, who also is a member of the Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
"Even though disturbances of the microbiome are usually portrayed as negative, such as in colitis and yeast infection after antibiotic use," said Dr. Price, "this may be one place where dramatic changes can be protective."
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Discount the Giants? chances in a big game and risk feeling foolish. However, assuming they are postseason locks has been similarly dangerous in recent seasons. In the last four campaigns, the Giants have one Super Bowl title and three playoff misses. Here?s our look as the draft needs of a talented but sometimes inconsistent group.
Defensive end: In recent years, the Giants have been most formidable when their defensive line is in top form. Their front four is still a real strength, even after Osi Umenyiora departed for Atlanta in free agency. However, adding a young rush end to bolster the depth now and to potentially take a bigger role later would be prudent. After all,?Justin Tuck is a free agent at season?s end. He turned 30 in March, as did Mathias Kiwanuka. Jason Pierre-Paul is signed for two more seasons but is slated to hit free agency at 26 and is not going to be inexpensive to re-sign.
Cornerback: There?s a little too much uncertainty at this position. Corey Webster, 31, is in the final year of his contract. Terrell Thomas has a history of knee injuries and is unsigned beyond this season. To their credit, the Giants have added youth to this position in recent years, drafting Prince Amukamara in 2011 and Jayron Hosley last April. Also, they brought back veteran Aaron Ross to bolster their depth. Nevertheless, the Giants could still stand to fortify their corner ranks for the present and future.
Linebacker: The Giants lack standouts at linebacker and could use more playmaking ability both inside and outside. The greater overall value of cornerbacks and edge rushers puts linebacker as the third priority on this list, but make no mistake ? the LB corps are a need.?The club hasn?t had a Pro Bowl linebacker since Antonio Pierce in 2006.
Offensive line: Right tackle David Diehl, an 11-season veteran, is on a one-year contract. Diehl, guards Kevin Boothe and Chris Snee and center David Baas will all be 30 or older at the start of the season. Boothe is on a one-year deal, and Snee is coming off hip surgery. The Giants signed left tackle William Beatty to an extension earlier this year, securing that all-important position. However, there?s work left to do upfront.
Running back:?With the Giants parting ways with Ahmad Bradshaw, the club?s RB depth behind David Wilson and Andre Brown could use improvement. Bradshaw was capable of carrying a starter?s workload for sustained stretches, and given the physicality of the position, the Giants might be wise to bring in one more rusher capable of carrying 8-10 times a game.
Improving a defense that finished 31st in yards per game and per play allowed in 2012 is a must for the Giants, who have eight draft picks ? their assigned selection in each round and a compensatory seventh-rounder. On offense, the line is the biggest need, with the skill-position spots other than quarterback next on the priority list.
System allows multitasking runners to read on a treadmillPublic release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emil Venere venere@purdue.edu 765-494-4709 Purdue University
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new innovation allows treadmill users to work their bodies and brains at the same time.
The system, called ReadingMate, adjusts text on a monitor to counteract the bobbing motion of a runner's head so that the text appears still, said Ji Soo Yi, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Purdue University.
"Not many people can run and read at the same time," said Yi, working with doctoral candidate Bum chul Kwon. "This is because the relative location of the eyes to the text is vigorously changing, and our eyes try to constantly adjust to such changes, which is burdensome."
The small font size in text adds to the difficulty.
"You could increase the font size and have a large-screen monitor on the wall, but that's impractical because you cannot have numerous big screen displays in an exercise room," Yi said.
The researchers developed ReadingMate on the hypothesis that the primary impediment to reading while running is the head's vertical movement. The new system allows a treadmill user to read normal-size text on a small monitor mounted in front of the machine.
Findings appear online this month in Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The paper was authored by Kwon, Yi and Yu Zhu, an associate professor of statistics.
The study included 15 students, who carried out a "letter-counting" task while running on a treadmill and using ReadingMate. The test requires participants to count how many times the letter F occurs in two lines of text situated among 10 lines displayed on a computer monitor.
The user wears goggles equipped with infrared LEDs, and an infrared camera captures the LEDs, tracking the runner's bobbing head. Then the text is moved in unison with the head movement, taking into consideration the human reflex to compensate for motion.
"Our eyes can accommodate vibration to a certain degree," said Yi, director of Purdue's Healthcare and Information Visualization Engineering Lab, or HIVE. "There are compensatory reflex mechanisms that tend to stabilize the head and eyes to maintain gaze and head position."
Kwon led work to create an algorithm to correctly move the text, accounting for this reflex.
"You can't just move the text exactly in synch with the head because the eye is already doing what it can to compensate," he said. "So you have to account for that compensation by moving the text slightly out of synch with the head motion."
The research showed a higher accuracy for people who used ReadingMate compared to those in a control group.
"We also measured whether participants gave up on counting the letters because the task was too difficult," Kwon said. "We often saw people giving up without ReadingMate, especially with certain font sizes and smaller spaces between lines."
The system also might be used by heavy equipment operators and aircraft pilots.
"Both may experience heavy shaking and turbulence while reading information from a display," he said. "ReadingMate could stabilize the content in such cases."
Zygmunt Pizlo, a professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, provided critical advice during preliminary investigations, and industrial engineering student Yuming Zhang assisted post-experiment data analysis. Doctoral Student Han Wu in the Department of Statistics also was involved in the research.
###
Writers: Emil Venere, (765) 494-4709, venere@purdue.edu
Sources: Ji Soo Yi, 765-496-7213, yij@purdue.edu
Bum chul Kwon, kwonb@purdue.edu
Related Web site:
Ji Soo Yi: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~yij/
PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue industrial engineering doctoral candidate Bum chul Kwon demonstrates a new system that allows treadmill users to read while they run. The system, called ReadingMate, adjusts text on a monitor to counteract the bobbing motion of a runner's head so that the text appears still. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2013/yi-treadmill.jpg
ABSTRACT
READINGMATE: THE EFFECT OF THE CONTENT STABILIZING TECHNIQUE, FONT SIZE, AND INTERLINE SPACING ON THE LETTER-COUNTING TASK PERFORMANCE OF TREADMILL RUNNERS
Bum chul Kwon (kwonb@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Ji Soo Yi (yij@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Yu Zhu (yuzhu@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Contact information for the author to whom requests for reprints should be sent: Ji Soo Yi
Objective: Investigate the effects of font size, interline spacing, and a technology called ReadingMate on the letter-counting task performance of users running on a treadmill. Background: Few studies have investigated how runners read text while running on a treadmill. Our previous studies showed that ReadingMate had positive effects on the reading while running experience (Kwon & Yi, 2009, 2010); however, the effect of other text conditions (i.e., font size and interline spacing) and the interplay between ReadingMate and such text conditions on the letter-counting task performance are not clearly understood. Methods: Fifteen participants were recruited for the experiment. There were three main factors: display types (Normal and ReadingMate), font sizes (8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-point), and interline spacing (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5). The researchers employed a letter-counting task. The performance was measured regarding task performance time, success rate of counting the target letter f, and number of give-ups. Results: Overall, the letter-counting task performance while running on a treadmill improved as font size and interline spacing increased, as expected. ReadingMate was more effective than normal display, particularly when text was displayed in a small font size and with dense interline spacing. Conclusion: When text must be displayed in a small font size and with dense interline spacing, ReadingMate can be used to improve the users' task performance. Application: Practical applications of ReadingMate include improving the text reading experience in shaky environments, such as in aviation, construction, and transportation.
[ | 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.
System allows multitasking runners to read on a treadmillPublic release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emil Venere venere@purdue.edu 765-494-4709 Purdue University
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new innovation allows treadmill users to work their bodies and brains at the same time.
The system, called ReadingMate, adjusts text on a monitor to counteract the bobbing motion of a runner's head so that the text appears still, said Ji Soo Yi, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Purdue University.
"Not many people can run and read at the same time," said Yi, working with doctoral candidate Bum chul Kwon. "This is because the relative location of the eyes to the text is vigorously changing, and our eyes try to constantly adjust to such changes, which is burdensome."
The small font size in text adds to the difficulty.
"You could increase the font size and have a large-screen monitor on the wall, but that's impractical because you cannot have numerous big screen displays in an exercise room," Yi said.
The researchers developed ReadingMate on the hypothesis that the primary impediment to reading while running is the head's vertical movement. The new system allows a treadmill user to read normal-size text on a small monitor mounted in front of the machine.
Findings appear online this month in Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The paper was authored by Kwon, Yi and Yu Zhu, an associate professor of statistics.
The study included 15 students, who carried out a "letter-counting" task while running on a treadmill and using ReadingMate. The test requires participants to count how many times the letter F occurs in two lines of text situated among 10 lines displayed on a computer monitor.
The user wears goggles equipped with infrared LEDs, and an infrared camera captures the LEDs, tracking the runner's bobbing head. Then the text is moved in unison with the head movement, taking into consideration the human reflex to compensate for motion.
"Our eyes can accommodate vibration to a certain degree," said Yi, director of Purdue's Healthcare and Information Visualization Engineering Lab, or HIVE. "There are compensatory reflex mechanisms that tend to stabilize the head and eyes to maintain gaze and head position."
Kwon led work to create an algorithm to correctly move the text, accounting for this reflex.
"You can't just move the text exactly in synch with the head because the eye is already doing what it can to compensate," he said. "So you have to account for that compensation by moving the text slightly out of synch with the head motion."
The research showed a higher accuracy for people who used ReadingMate compared to those in a control group.
"We also measured whether participants gave up on counting the letters because the task was too difficult," Kwon said. "We often saw people giving up without ReadingMate, especially with certain font sizes and smaller spaces between lines."
The system also might be used by heavy equipment operators and aircraft pilots.
"Both may experience heavy shaking and turbulence while reading information from a display," he said. "ReadingMate could stabilize the content in such cases."
Zygmunt Pizlo, a professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, provided critical advice during preliminary investigations, and industrial engineering student Yuming Zhang assisted post-experiment data analysis. Doctoral Student Han Wu in the Department of Statistics also was involved in the research.
###
Writers: Emil Venere, (765) 494-4709, venere@purdue.edu
Sources: Ji Soo Yi, 765-496-7213, yij@purdue.edu
Bum chul Kwon, kwonb@purdue.edu
Related Web site:
Ji Soo Yi: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~yij/
PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue industrial engineering doctoral candidate Bum chul Kwon demonstrates a new system that allows treadmill users to read while they run. The system, called ReadingMate, adjusts text on a monitor to counteract the bobbing motion of a runner's head so that the text appears still. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2013/yi-treadmill.jpg
ABSTRACT
READINGMATE: THE EFFECT OF THE CONTENT STABILIZING TECHNIQUE, FONT SIZE, AND INTERLINE SPACING ON THE LETTER-COUNTING TASK PERFORMANCE OF TREADMILL RUNNERS
Bum chul Kwon (kwonb@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Ji Soo Yi (yij@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Yu Zhu (yuzhu@purdue.edu): Purdue University
Contact information for the author to whom requests for reprints should be sent: Ji Soo Yi
Objective: Investigate the effects of font size, interline spacing, and a technology called ReadingMate on the letter-counting task performance of users running on a treadmill. Background: Few studies have investigated how runners read text while running on a treadmill. Our previous studies showed that ReadingMate had positive effects on the reading while running experience (Kwon & Yi, 2009, 2010); however, the effect of other text conditions (i.e., font size and interline spacing) and the interplay between ReadingMate and such text conditions on the letter-counting task performance are not clearly understood. Methods: Fifteen participants were recruited for the experiment. There were three main factors: display types (Normal and ReadingMate), font sizes (8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-point), and interline spacing (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5). The researchers employed a letter-counting task. The performance was measured regarding task performance time, success rate of counting the target letter f, and number of give-ups. Results: Overall, the letter-counting task performance while running on a treadmill improved as font size and interline spacing increased, as expected. ReadingMate was more effective than normal display, particularly when text was displayed in a small font size and with dense interline spacing. Conclusion: When text must be displayed in a small font size and with dense interline spacing, ReadingMate can be used to improve the users' task performance. Application: Practical applications of ReadingMate include improving the text reading experience in shaky environments, such as in aviation, construction, and transportation.
[ | 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.
To the surprise of few, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones held onto his championship belt with a first-round TKO of Chael Sonnen on Saturday night. Part of the reason it was no surprise is that finishing fights is what Jones does. He won four of his last five fights by stoppage. He improves with every fight. Against Sonnen, he used Sonnen's strength of wrestling to control him on the way to the TKO.
After a long decade of media destruction, no one in the industry was surprised to see “Reporter (Newspaper)” ranked as the worst job of 2013. But life is starting to look better for some online publications — like at Vox Media. Its SB Nation network of local sports sites has become a foundation for a national edition, tech-oriented news site The Verge, and most recently video gaming site Polygon. On the business side, it has begun cracking the display advertising market. The CEO who is behind its ongoing growth is Jim Bankoff, who you may also know as the guy who previously led Aol’s content businesses for many years.?He’s going to have a couple of newsy things to say about Vox and the business of high-quality media today when I interview him Monday at Disrupt NY. If you’re interested in media, advertising, and startups trying to get into these industries, you’ll want to see this. Tickets are available here. He joins our list of Disrupt NY speakers that currently includes Nasty Gal’s Deborah Benton, investor Chamath Palihapitiya, and hardware creator Limor Fried, with more still to be announced. Our sponsors help make Disrupt happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our sponsorship team here?sponsors@techcrunch.com. Jim Bankoff Chairman & CEO, Vox Media Jim runs all aspects of Vox Media, one of the fastest growing online publishers, focused on the sports, personal technology and gaming categories. Vox is solving the problem of developing high-value digital journalism, storytelling and brand advertising at scale. Its audiences are among the most engaged and affluent on the web. SB Nation, its sports brand, boasts over 30 million users per month across 300 individually branded, fan-centric sports communities, each covering a specific professional or college team, league or sport. In November 2011, Vox Media launched The Verge, which has quickly established itself as a category leader and the fastest growing site that covers technology. In October, Vox launched Polygon, a site dedicated to news and community for fans of gaming, anchored by an all-star roster of writers. All Vox Media sites are built upon, Chorus, its world-class proprietary publishing platform. The company enjoys support from leading investors including Accel Partners, Comcast Interactive Capital, Khosla Ventures and Allen & Company. A veteran of the online industry, Jim developed and led dozens of the most popular websites on the Internet including Aol, Mapquest,
Those interested in starting an internet business may want to check into the sales of businesses online and consider buying an internet business for sale. Many people have started businesses online and after a few years, are either starting a new venture or looking to take their business offline. With the right approach, you may be able to get a good deal on a profitable internet business for sale. Some folks work hard to get their business up and running and may be looking to make a profit on their efforts of creating a successful internet business. 
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Public release date: 15-Apr-2013
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