KABUL, Afghanistan ? An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday.
It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months ? including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery.
The episodes have raised the question of what will happen to the push for women's rights in Afghanistan as the international presence here shrinks along with the military drawdown. NATO forces are scheduled to pull out by the end of 2014.
In the 10 years since the ouster of the Taliban, great strides have been made for women in Afghanistan, with many attending school, working in offices and even sometimes marching in protests. But abuse and repression of women are still common, particularly in rural areas where women are still unlikely to set foot outside of the house without a burqa robe that covers them from head to toe.
The man in the latest case, Sher Mohammad, fled the Khanabad district in Kunduz province last week, about the time a neighbor found his 22-year-old wife dead in their house, said District Police Chief Sufi Habibullah. Medical examiners whom police brought to check the body said she had been strangled, Habibullah said.
The woman, named Estorai, had warned family members that her husband had repeatedly reproached her for giving birth to a daughter rather than a son and had threatened to kill her if it happened again, said Provincial women's affairs chief Nadira Ghya, who traveled to Khanabad to deal with the case. Estorai gave birth to her second daughter between two and three months ago, Ghya said. Officials did not have a family name for either Sher Mohammad or Estorai.
Police took the man's mother into custody because she appears to have collaborated in a plot to kill her daughter-in-law, Habibullah said. Ghya, who visited the man's mother in jail, said that she swears that Estorai committed suicide by hanging. Police said they found no rope and no evidence of hanging from the woman's wounds.
Boy babies are traditionally prized much more highly than girls in Afghanistan, where a son means a breadwinner and a daughter is seen as a drain on the family until she is married off. Even so, a murder over the gender of a baby would be rare and shocking if proved true.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement Monday praising the Afghan government for recent declarations supporting women's rights in the wake of the latest abuse cases that have garnered media attention.
"The rights of women cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs, as this issue is at the core of our national security and the security of people everywhere," the statement said. It did not address the killing of the young woman in Kunduz.
KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii ? A Hawaii-based Marine accused of hazing a fellow Marine who later committed suicide in Afghanistan was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail and a reduction in rank.
Navy Capt. Carrie Stephens, the judge in Lance Cpl. Jacob Jacoby's special court-martial, handed down the sentence after Jacoby pleaded guilty to assault.
Jacoby's rank will be reduced by one grade to private first class.
Two other Marines have also been accused of hazing Lew and face courts-martial.
Jacoby admitted he punched and kicked Lance Cpl. Harry Lew. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors withdrew charges that Jacoby humiliated and threatened Lew.
Jacoby said he acted out of anger and frustration that his fellow Marine had repeatedly fallen asleep while on watch for Taliban fighters.
He told the court he wanted to talk to Lew, to find out why he kept falling asleep, and to help him stay awake. But Jacoby said he got angry when Lew spoke to him in a disrespectful manner, even though Lew was putting the lives of the Marines at their patrol base in danger by dozing off.
Marine Capt. Jesse Schweig said the government was confident Jacoby is capable of rehabilitating himself.
But Schweig asked the judge to sentence Jacoby with an eye on deterring similar behavior. He said Jacoby should be given a bad conduct discharge.
"If this is how you're going to approach and motivate your peers, then you do not need to be a part of the service," Schweig said in closing remarks at the sentencing hearing.
Navy Lt. John Battisi, Jacoby's attorney, said Jacoby lost his temper and struck Lew ? but argued Jacoby made sure to hit Lew on his body armor where he was best protected.
He also asked the judge to keep in mind the circumstances the Marines were in, and that the chain of command hadn't addressed Lew's sleeping problem and instead had left the issue in Jacoby's hands that night.
"We're asking him to control his emotions and gain emotional maturity in the heat of battle," Battisi said in his closing remarks.
Lew committed suicide April 3 at a patrol base in Helmand province, shortly after the abuse. The 21-year-old was a nephew of U.S. Rep. Judy Chu.
Two other Marines also are accused of hazing Lew before he shot himself with his machine gun in his foxhole. Sgt. Benjamin Johns, the leader of the squad the Marines belonged to, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III will have their own separate courts-martial later.
Both Marines watched the court proceedings Monday.
Lew's father, Allen Lew, said his family wants to see what sentence is given to Jacoby.
"We just couldn't believe (his) own peers would do something like that to their own people. Very sad," he told reporters. "It's a tragedy for us. Never able to repair our broken heart."
Chu, D-Calif., attended the hearing. "I want to make sure that there is justice for Harry. And I want to support these brave persons, his parents," she said.
The attorney representing Johns said he was concerned the presence of a politician will taint the process and interfere with justice.
"How do I get a fair jury? What implicit message is she trying to send to those panel members?" said Tim Bilecki, a defense attorney who specializes in military clients.
Chu said that wouldn't be the case. "I'm not going to be saying anything in the trial. All I'm doing is being here. I'm here for the family to support them," she said.
The case involves the actions of Marines at an isolated patrol base the U.S. was establishing to disrupt Taliban drug and weapons trafficking in Helmand province.
At an Article 32 hearing ? the equivalent of a grand jury hearing for civilians ? Marines testified in September that Lew repeatedly fell asleep while he was on watch duty and patrol looking for attacking insurgents. Squad members and officers had tried different methods to get him to stay awake, including referring him up the chain of command for discipline and taking him off patrols so he could get more rest.
But on Lew's last night, when he fell asleep again, those efforts escalated into alleged acts of violence and humiliation, according to charges outlined at the hearing. The Marines were accused of punching and kicking him, making him do pushups and pouring sand in his face.
A significant share of the questions raised at the Article 32 hearing focused on whether the accused intended to humiliate and harm Lew or discipline him so he would stop falling asleep while on watch duty.
Before Lew put the muzzle of his machine gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, he scrawled a note on his arm: "May hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice I'm sorry my mom deserves the truth."
A Marine commander in retrospect speculated Lew may have been nodding off because he suffered from depression or some other medical condition.
Chu discussed her nephew's death during a House Armed Services hearing on suicide prevention in September, held at the same time as the Article 32 hearing. She told military witnesses that Lew was "a very popular and outgoing young man known for joking and smiling and break dancing."
Chu also issued a statement saying no one deserves being "hazed and tortured" like her nephew was, and that the military justice system must hold "any wrongdoers accountable."
DUBLIN (Reuters) ? It would be difficult for Ireland to remain in the euro zone if its voters rejected a proposed new fiscal treaty, its European Affairs minister said on Monday, raising the stakes in a political battle over whether to put the plan to a referendum.
European leaders are expected to agree to tighten budget rules on Monday, seeking to regain market confidence in the public finances of the 17 countries sharing the euro after three, including Ireland, had to seek international bailouts in a crisis that now threatens major economies such as Italy.
Irish citizens have twice rejected changes to EU treaties before voting through amended versions.
"It would be a very sad day if we somehow decided to opt out of that (new treaty) and allowed the other 16 members of the euro zone to progress and try to find a solution without us," junior minister Lucinda Creighton told state broadcaster RTE.
"I think it would make it almost impossible for us to continue as part of the currency union because being part of a currency union means you have to abide by the rules," Creighton said.
The government has rubbished opposition suggestions that Ireland should leave the euro zone rather than continue to endure savage spending cuts, saying an exit would have catastrophic consequences for the economy.
Ministers have indicated they would prefer to avoid a referendum on the treaty fearing it would be rejected in a backlash against austerity.
Creighton said the government was happy with the treaty in its current draft.
"If we were to open it up substantially today, it could cause problems ... we are pretty satisfied with the text as it stands," she said.
The government will take legal advice on whether to hold a referendum on the treaty once it is finalized, a process that is likely to take weeks.
Opposition parties say they would demand a referendum either way.
A poll last week showed that 72 percent of voters wanted a referendum to be held and indicated voters would narrowly back the treaty, but a quarter of those questioned said they were still undecided.
(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. ? Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and front-runner Mitt Romney are trading barbs over who's the toughest on canceling voting rights for convicted felons.
Santorum says Romney is promoting lies when he stands by attack ads run by Romney's supporters in South Carolina.
One pro-Romney ad shows a prison inmate and says Santorum supported allowing felons to vote. Santorum said Tuesday in Charleston, S.C., that such tactics "lead to real serious questions about whether that man can be trusted to tell the truth on a variety of things."
Romney shrugged off the criticism. He says Santorum is in favor of allowing felons to vote again once they've served their sentences ? while Romney would still ban them from voting.
Their remarks continued a dispute that began in Monday night's GOP debate.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Mitt Romney's four remaining challengers are keeping the spotlight on the Republican front-runner's wealth and business dealings by pressing him to release his income tax returns. Romney says he might make them public in April. By then, he hopes to have the presidential nomination in the bag.
His rivals did their best to knock the former Massachusetts governor off stride in a contentious debate Monday night, going after him on several fronts. Romney didn't bend under heavy pressure on the issue of his job-creation record at his former private equity firm Bain Capital, nor did he apologize for his evolving views on abortion. Blamed for negative commercials flooding South Carolina's airwaves, he stressed the independence of the super PACs that have been running ads in his behalf against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other rivals, including former Sen. Rick Santorum.
Romney said that while he might be willing to release his tax returns, he wouldn't do so until tax filing time. The multimillionaire former businessman didn't get much gratitude from his rivals, who want him to release the information in time to influence South Carolina voters going to the polls on Saturday.
Gingrich was quick to suggest Romney wouldn't delay for months if he had nothing to hide and that his hesitation wouldn't sit well with voters. "Last night weakened him," Gingrich told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday.
Romney seemed hesitant when confronted with the tax issue on stage. He at first sidestepped calls from his rivals to release his returns, then said later that he'd follow the lead of previous presidential candidates.
"I have nothing in them that suggests there's any problem and I'm happy to do so," he said. "I sort of feel like we're showing a lot of exposure at this point," he added.
Monday's night's debate was as fiery as any of the more than dozen that preceded it. Romney, the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination after back-to-back wins in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, was under fire not only from Gingrich and Santorum, but also from Rick Perry and Ron Paul.
The five will meet again in debate in Charleston Thursday night, the last time they will share a stage before the primary two days later.
The first Southern primary could prove decisive in the volatile contest. Gingrich has virtually conceded that a victory for Romney in South Carolina would assure his nomination as Democratic President Barack Obama's Republican rival in the fall, and none of the other remaining contenders has challenged that conclusion.
That only elevated the stakes for Monday night's debate, where the attacks on Romney often were couched in anti-Obama rhetoric.
"We need to satisfy the country that whoever we nominate has a record that can stand up to Barack Obama in a very effective way," said Gingrich.
The five men on stage also sought to outdo one another in calling for lower taxes. Texas Rep. Ron Paul won that competition handily, saying he thought the top personal tax rate should be zero.
In South Carolina, a state with a heavy military presence, the tone turned muscular at times.
Gingrich drew strong applause when he said: "Andrew Jackson had a pretty clear idea about America's enemies. Kill them."
Perry also won favor from the crowd when he said the Obama administration had overreacted in its criticism of the Marines who were videotaped urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Gingrich and Perry led the assault against Romney's record at Bain Capital, a private equity firm that bought companies and sought to remake them into more competitive enterprises, with uneven results.
"There was a pattern in some companies ... of leaving them with enormous debt and then within a year or two or three having them go broke," Gingrich said. "I think that's something he ought to answer."
Perry referred to a steel mill in Georgetown, S.C. where, he said, "Bain swept in, they picked that company over and a lot of people lost jobs there."
Romney said the steel industry was battered by unfair competition from China. As for other firms, he said, "Four of the companies that we invested in ... ended up today having some 120,000 jobs." And he acknowledged, "Some of the businesses we invested in were not successful and lost jobs."
It was Perry who challenged Romney to release his income tax returns. The Texas governor said he has already done so, and Gingrich has said he will do likewise later in the week.
"Mitt, we need for you to release your income tax so the people of this country can see how you made your money. ... We cannot fire our nominee in September. We need to know now," Perry said.
Later, a debate moderator pressed Romney on releasing his tax returns. His response meandered.
"If that's been the tradition I'm not opposed to doing that," Romney said. "Time will tell. But I anticipate that most likely I'm going to get asked to do that in the April time period and I'll keep that open."
Prodded again, he said, "If I become our nominee ... what's happened in history is people have released them in about April of the coming year, and that's probably what I'd do."
April is long after the South Carolina primary and the Republican nomination could easily be all but decided by then, following Super Tuesday contests around the country in March.
Santorum stayed away from the clash over taxes, instead launching a dispute of his own. He said a campaign group supporting Romney has been attacking him for supporting voter rights for convicted felons, and asked Romney what his position was on the issue.
Romney initially ducked a direct answer, preferring to ask Santorum if the ad was accurate.
He then said he doesn't believe convicted violent felons should have the right to vote, even after serving their terms. Santorum instantly said that as governor of Massachusetts, Romney hadn't made any attempt to change a law that permitted convicted felons to vote while still on parole, a law the former Pennsylvania senator said was more liberal than the one he has been assailed for supporting.
Romney replied that as a Republican governor, he was confronted with a legislature that was heavily Democratic and held a different position.
He also reminded Santorum that candidates have no control over the campaign groups that have played a pivotal role in the race to date.
"It is inaccurate," Santorum said of the ad assailing him. "I would go out and say: `Stop it. That you're representing me and you're representing my campaign. Stop it.'"
That issue returned more than an hour later, when Gingrich said he too has faced false attacks from the same group that is criticizing Santorum. He noted that Romney says he lacks sway over the group, "which makes you wonder how much influence he would have if he were president."
Romney said he hoped no group would run inaccurate ads, and he said the organization backing Gingrich was airing a commercial that is so false that "it's probably the biggest hoax since Bigfoot."
He called for scuttling the current system of campaign finance laws to permit individuals to donate as much money as they want to the candidates of their choice.
Noting that the debate was occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, one moderator asked Gingrich if his previous statements about poor children lacking a work ethic were "insulting to all Americans, but particularly to black Americans."
"No," Gingrich said emphatically, adding his aim was to break dependence on government programs. "I'm going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn to get a better job and learn someday to own the job," he said.
Romney is the leader in the public opinion polls in South Carolina, although his rivals hope the state's 9.9 percent unemployment rate and the presence of large numbers of socially conservative evangelical voters will allow one of them to slip by him.
___
Associated Press writer Dave Espo contributed to this report.
___
Follow Shannon McCaffrey at http://www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13
CSHL team introduces automated imaging to greatly speed whole-brain mapping effortsPublic release date: 15-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter Tarr tarr@cshl.edu 516-367-8455 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Facilitates systematic comparison of mouse models of disorders including schizophrenia, autism
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. A new technology developed by neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) transforms the way highly detailed anatomical images can be made of whole brains. Until now, means of obtaining such images used in cutting-edge projects to map the mammalian brain -- have been painstakingly slow and available only to a handful of highly specialized research teams.
By automating and standardizing the process in which brain samples are divided into sections and then imaged sequentially at precise spatial orientations in two-photon microscopes, the team, led by Assoc. Prof. Pavel Osten and consisting of scientists from his CSHL lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has opened the door to making whole-brain mapping routine.
Specifically, says Osten, "the new technology should greatly facilitate the systematic study of neuroanatomy in mouse models of human brain disorders such as schizophrenia and autism."
The new technology, developed in concert with TissueVision of Cambridge, Mass. and reported on in a paper appearing online Jan. 15 in Nature Methods, is called Serial Two-Photon Tomography, or STP tomography. Tomography refers to any process (including the familiar CAT and PET scans used in medical diagnostics) that images an object section by section, by shooting penetrating waves through it. Computers powered by mathematical formulae reassemble the results to produce a three-dimensional rendering. Two-photon imaging is a type used in biology laboratories, particularly in conjunction with fluorescent biomarkers, which can be mobilized to illuminate specific cell types or other anatomical features. The two-photon method allows deeper optical penetration into the tissue being sampled than conventional confocal microscopy.
As Osten explains, STP tomography achieves high-throughput fluorescence imaging of whole mouse brains via robotic integration of the two fundamental steps -- tissue sectioning and fluorescence imaging. In their paper, his team reports on the results of several mouse-brain imaging experiments, which indicate the uses and sensitivity of the new tool. They conclude that it is sufficiently mature to be used in whole-brain mapping efforts such as the ongoing Allen Mouse Brain Atlas project.
One set of experiments tested the technology at different levels of resolution. At 10x magnification of brain tissue samples, they performed fast imaging "at a resolution sufficient to visualize the distribution and morphology of green-fluorescent protein-labeled neurons, including their dendrites and axons," Osten reports.
A full set of data, including final images, could be obtained by the team in 6.5 to 8.5 hours per brain, depending on the resolution. These sets each were comprised of 260 top-to-bottom, or coronal, slices of mouse brain tissue, which were assembled by computer into three-dimensional renderings themselves capable of a wide range of "warping," i.e., artificial manipulation, to reveal hidden structures and features.
"The technology is a practical one that can be used for scanning at various levels of resolution, ranging from 1 to 2 microns to less than a micron," Osten says. Scans at the highest resolution level take about 24 hours to collect. This makes possible an impressive saving of time, Osten says, compared to methods that are now in use. Using these, it would take an experienced technician about a week to collect a set of whole-brain images at high resolution, he noted.
"What is most exciting about this tool is its application in the study of mouse models of human illness, which we are already doing in my lab," Osten says. "We are focusing on making comparisons between different mouse models of schizophrenia and autism. Many susceptibility genes have been identified in both disorders one recent estimate by Dr. Mike Wigler's team here at CSHL put the figure at over 250 for autism spectrum disorders, for instance. Dr. Alea Mills at CSHL has published a mouse model of one genetic aberration in autism a region on chromosome 16 and soon we will have tens of models, each showing a different aberration.
"We will want to compare these mice, and that is essentially why we designed STP tomography to automate and standardize the process of collecting whole-brain images in which different cell-types or circuit tracings have been performed. This makes possible comparisons across different mouse models in an unbiased fashion."
###
"Serial two-photon tomography: an automated method for mouse brain imaging" appears online in Nature Methods on January 15, 2012. The authors are: Timothy Ragan, Lolahon R Kadiri, Kannan Umadevi Venkataraju, Karsten Bahlmann, Jason Sutin, Julian Taranda, Ignacio Arganda-Carreras, Yongsoo Kim, H Sebastian Seung and Pavel Osten. the paper can be obtained online at http://www.nature.com/nmeth/index.html
This research was supported by grants from: The Simons Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the National Institutes of Health.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 350 scientists strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 11,000 scientists from around the world each year. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for undergraduates as well as middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.
[ | 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.
CSHL team introduces automated imaging to greatly speed whole-brain mapping effortsPublic release date: 15-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter Tarr tarr@cshl.edu 516-367-8455 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Facilitates systematic comparison of mouse models of disorders including schizophrenia, autism
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. A new technology developed by neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) transforms the way highly detailed anatomical images can be made of whole brains. Until now, means of obtaining such images used in cutting-edge projects to map the mammalian brain -- have been painstakingly slow and available only to a handful of highly specialized research teams.
By automating and standardizing the process in which brain samples are divided into sections and then imaged sequentially at precise spatial orientations in two-photon microscopes, the team, led by Assoc. Prof. Pavel Osten and consisting of scientists from his CSHL lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has opened the door to making whole-brain mapping routine.
Specifically, says Osten, "the new technology should greatly facilitate the systematic study of neuroanatomy in mouse models of human brain disorders such as schizophrenia and autism."
The new technology, developed in concert with TissueVision of Cambridge, Mass. and reported on in a paper appearing online Jan. 15 in Nature Methods, is called Serial Two-Photon Tomography, or STP tomography. Tomography refers to any process (including the familiar CAT and PET scans used in medical diagnostics) that images an object section by section, by shooting penetrating waves through it. Computers powered by mathematical formulae reassemble the results to produce a three-dimensional rendering. Two-photon imaging is a type used in biology laboratories, particularly in conjunction with fluorescent biomarkers, which can be mobilized to illuminate specific cell types or other anatomical features. The two-photon method allows deeper optical penetration into the tissue being sampled than conventional confocal microscopy.
As Osten explains, STP tomography achieves high-throughput fluorescence imaging of whole mouse brains via robotic integration of the two fundamental steps -- tissue sectioning and fluorescence imaging. In their paper, his team reports on the results of several mouse-brain imaging experiments, which indicate the uses and sensitivity of the new tool. They conclude that it is sufficiently mature to be used in whole-brain mapping efforts such as the ongoing Allen Mouse Brain Atlas project.
One set of experiments tested the technology at different levels of resolution. At 10x magnification of brain tissue samples, they performed fast imaging "at a resolution sufficient to visualize the distribution and morphology of green-fluorescent protein-labeled neurons, including their dendrites and axons," Osten reports.
A full set of data, including final images, could be obtained by the team in 6.5 to 8.5 hours per brain, depending on the resolution. These sets each were comprised of 260 top-to-bottom, or coronal, slices of mouse brain tissue, which were assembled by computer into three-dimensional renderings themselves capable of a wide range of "warping," i.e., artificial manipulation, to reveal hidden structures and features.
"The technology is a practical one that can be used for scanning at various levels of resolution, ranging from 1 to 2 microns to less than a micron," Osten says. Scans at the highest resolution level take about 24 hours to collect. This makes possible an impressive saving of time, Osten says, compared to methods that are now in use. Using these, it would take an experienced technician about a week to collect a set of whole-brain images at high resolution, he noted.
"What is most exciting about this tool is its application in the study of mouse models of human illness, which we are already doing in my lab," Osten says. "We are focusing on making comparisons between different mouse models of schizophrenia and autism. Many susceptibility genes have been identified in both disorders one recent estimate by Dr. Mike Wigler's team here at CSHL put the figure at over 250 for autism spectrum disorders, for instance. Dr. Alea Mills at CSHL has published a mouse model of one genetic aberration in autism a region on chromosome 16 and soon we will have tens of models, each showing a different aberration.
"We will want to compare these mice, and that is essentially why we designed STP tomography to automate and standardize the process of collecting whole-brain images in which different cell-types or circuit tracings have been performed. This makes possible comparisons across different mouse models in an unbiased fashion."
###
"Serial two-photon tomography: an automated method for mouse brain imaging" appears online in Nature Methods on January 15, 2012. The authors are: Timothy Ragan, Lolahon R Kadiri, Kannan Umadevi Venkataraju, Karsten Bahlmann, Jason Sutin, Julian Taranda, Ignacio Arganda-Carreras, Yongsoo Kim, H Sebastian Seung and Pavel Osten. the paper can be obtained online at http://www.nature.com/nmeth/index.html
This research was supported by grants from: The Simons Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the National Institutes of Health.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 350 scientists strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 11,000 scientists from around the world each year. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for undergraduates as well as middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.
[ | 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.
VIENNA (Reuters) ? Senior U.N. nuclear officials are set to travel to Tehran later this month for a rare visit to discuss their growing concerns that Iran may be seeking to develop atomic arms capability, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
A high-level team from the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to visit Iran around January 28, even though the exact timing has not yet been finalized, two sources said, one of them suggesting it could also happen a day later.
Such a trip would come at a time of escalating tension over Iran's nuclear ambitions with European nations preparing for an embargo on Iranian oil and Tehran threatening to retaliate by blocking Gulf oil shipping lanes vital to the global economy.
Iran, which has stoked Western suspicions by starting to enrich uranium inside a mountain bunker, last month said it had renewed an invitation for a special IAEA team to visit the country.
Earlier this week, an IAEA official told Reuters that the team, to include Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts and other senior officials, would travel to Tehran "quite soon."
Iran's envoy to the Vienna-based U.N. agency has said the talks would be aimed at "resolving the issue" - a reference to the long-running nuclear dispute - and suggested Iranian officials would be ready to address the IAEA's concerns.
But some Western diplomats expressed skepticism. "I doubt very seriously it will lead to anything," one diplomat said.
The IAEA has often complained that Tehran has failed to engage in substance regarding suspicions that it may be working to develop the means needed to make nuclear bombs.
The Islamic Republic has also signalled readiness to resume talks with major powers that have been frozen for a year.
Western diplomats tend to see such initiatives as attempts by Iran, a major oil producer, to buy time for its nuclear program, without heeding U.N. demands to curb activity that could be put to making atomic bombs.
Iran has come under increased pressure since the IAEA reported in November that Tehran appeared to have worked on designing a nuclear weapon and that secret research to that end may be continuing, charges the country denies.
Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, aimed at generating electricity and producing medical isotopes to treat cancer patients.
The Taliban, US, and Afghan officials have agreed to the let the Taliban set up an office in Qatar, providing a historic avenue for direct talks.
In what could be one of the most significant steps toward a peace deal with the Taliban yet, the insurgent group announced on Tuesday that it had reached a preliminary agreement with the Qatari government to open a political office there.
Skip to next paragraph
Agreeing to let the Taliban have an overseas office is meant to be an act of good faith by the United States, NATO, and the Afghan government to show the Taliban that they?re serious about talks.
As the Monitor reported last week, Western and Afghan officials agreed to support such an office in Qatar. Talks have been a primary focus for the past year, but a physical address for the Taliban would mean an unprecedented, clear channel of communication that could facilitate substantive negotiations.
?We are now ready to have an office abroad for the talks with the internationals,? wrote the Taliban in an official statement released on Tuesday. ?The stance of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [the Taliban] from the beginning has been that there should be an end to this occupation and Afghans should be left to make an Islamic government in the country which should not be harmful for anyone.??
The Taliban also requested the release of several of its members currently detained at Guantanamo Bay and denied media reports indicating an imminent breakthrough on negotiations.
With much of the Taliban?s leadership believed to be in Pakistan, NATO and Afghan officials had hoped Afghanistan?s neighbor would assist with peace negotiations. But such hopes have been increasingly dashed by a deterioration of US-Pakistani relations, which culminated last month in Pakistan?s boycott of the much anticipated Bonn Conference.
Without the support of Pakistan, it was virtually impossible to access the Taliban's senior leadership. Thomas Ruttig, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network writes:?
Software giant Microsoft announced today that it has executed a deal with South Korea?s LG Electronics that has LG paying royalties to Microsoft for it?s use of Google?s Android mobile operating system and Chrome OS, in exchange for immunity from litigation in the event Microsoft ever decides to sue Google for patent infringement. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed, but Microsoft proudly trumpets that the deal now means that Microsoft is now being paid a royalty on 70 percent of Android smartphones on sale in the United States.
?We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,? said Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez, in a statement. ?We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.?
Microsoft has steadily maintained that Android and Chrome OS infringe on Microsoft patents, but has so far declined to go to court with Google over the claims. Instead, Microsoft has targeted Android device makers, offering licenses that would grant them immunity from any future prosecution against Google. The upshot is that Microsoft now passively collects royalties on the majority of Android devices available in the United States?casting doubt on Google?s assertion Android is a ?free? and ?open? operating system.
Previously, Microsoft has made similar royalty agreements with Samsung, HTC, Acer, ViewSonic, Quanta, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, General Dynamics Itronix, and Wistrom. In at least the case of Samsung, Microsoft is receiving a per-device royalty on every Android devices Samsung sells. Microsoft has not disclosed how much revenue its licensing program generates, but some estimates have put Microsoft?s earnings from Android licensing deals at $5 per device.
Microsoft has taken a similar ?fear, uncertainty, and doubt? tack with Linux?alleging for years without filing a case that the operating system infringes on Microsoft technologies. Microsoft also offers corporate and enterprise Linux users an immunity deal through it?s partnership with Attachmate/Novell regarding SUSE Linux.
Not all Android device makers have toed Microsoft?s line: Microsoft is currently engaged in litigation with Inventec, Foxconn, Motorola Mobility (which is being acquired by Google to shore up Android?s patent portfolio), as well as Nook maker Barnes & Noble.
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
More from Digital Trends
Does the US patent system work? Microsoft points at Android for proof it does
Microsoft announces tenth Android patent deal
Google CEO says Microsoft can ?hassle? partners with patent threats, but won?t stop Android
Microsoft continues fight against Motorola, seeks to block imports of Android phones
(Reuters) ? As tax season begins, a decision by Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) to offer some free and discounted tax preparation in conjunction with its check-cashing services at more than 3,000 U.S. stores is less about giving back and more about bringing in, experts cautioned.
"No company does anything altruistically," Morningstar analyst Michael Keara said.
Now that the holiday shopping season is over, the retailer is looking for new revenue sources, he said. The company's latest offer allows consumers to have their tax refunds deposited for "free" onto a Walmart cash card. In addition, the company is working with major tax preparation firms to provide free "assisted" form 1040EZ filings.
It will take a while to see how lucrative the new service will be, given that some people will choose to pay down debt from their previous round of spending with their tax refunds, Keara said. Either way, it's going to put more money into Walmart stores and is another play to reach millions of Americans who don't use traditional banking services.
"It just locks in that they'll spend their rebate checks at Walmart," Keara said. "It's pretty smart."
Walmart already is a big player in the marketplace to cash checks for those who don't use traditional banking services and who often face steep check cashing fees. Walmart charges a flatrate price of $3 or $6 (depending on the size of the check) rather the 3 percent to 5 percent fees at check cashing services. For a $500 check, that means paying $3 at Walmart or $15 to $25 at a check cashing service.
The new program, which kicked off on Monday, come as Walmart tries to reach "unbanked" consumers, who typically don't have credit cards, either. About 85 percent of transactions at Walmart stores are paid with cash.
Some 2,800 Walmart U.S. stores have a Jackson Hewitt (JTX.F) location, and another 250 or so stores feature H&R Block Inc (HRB.N).
Those providers will offer free 1040 EZ filings with tax preparation consultants in Walmart stores, said Daniel Eckert, head of Walmart financial services. Prices for other tax preparation services will be about 7 percent to 10 percent lower than at both companies' other locations, he added.
Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block already offer free basic tax return preparation through their offices and websites. It also is free to file the simplified 1040EZ on your own, or even through one of the online services, such as Intuit's TurboTax.
More than 60 million Americans do not use traditional financial services such as credit cards and checking accounts, Eckert said. Last year, these consumers paid billion of dollars in fees and interest to financial services providers. Within the next few months, they will be looking to cash more than $31 billion in tax refund checks and many could pay up to $90 for such check cashing services, he said.
"It's money that we want to make sure ends up in the right place, which is back in their pocketbooks," Eckert said.
Walmart, whose core customer has a household income of $30,000 to $60,000, has been trying to stand out to those with limited financial means. The world's largest retailer brought back holiday-season layaway on toys and electronics, letting shoppers pay in installments for a modest fee, a move that appears to have been a success.
Tax preparation is just one offering in Walmart's "MoneyCenter." The retailer also offers Walmart credit cards and money cards, money transfers, money orders along with $3 check cashing.
Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for U.S. PIRG, cautioned consumers to look at skeptically at Walmart's proposition.
"Consumers who are considering the Walmart offer should understand that Walmart is not your friend," he said.
One area of concern is the company's offer to allow consumers to have their tax refunds deposited for "free" onto a Walmart cash card, which Mierzwinski pointed out comes with a lot of fees. Some of the fees include $3 if $1,000 isn't added to a card in a given month, $2 to withdraw cash from an ATM, $1 to check your balance and $3 to replace a lost or stolen card.
"You put your refund on their card, so you're more likely to spend your refund at their store than save your refund," he said. "And you're more likely to be an impulse shopper." (Editing by Lauren Young and Beth Pinsker Gladstone)
Driving past Kershaw Park I noticed hundreds of Canada Geese near the shore with another large v-formation flock on the way in for a landing. This is a great time to spend a few minutes observing these very large geese. When we have open water at this time of year flocks of Canada Geese will land here at the North end of the lake for rest, food and sometimes a nice bath.
Although their loud honking call can be annoying and they make a mess if they come up on the shore, they are still amazing to watch. They glide across the water seemingly effortlessly and are almost comical when they turn upside down to reach for food. Sometimes they reach their necks up to the sky and flap their wings?that?s when you see how great their wingspan is. It?s also fun to watch them use the lake as their own ?little? bird bath.
Basic information:
The Canada Goose has a black head and neck, a white ?chin strap? and a brown back. They have a 4-5? wingspan and can weigh up to 20 pounds. They are primarily herbivores but also eat small fish and insects.
TomTom has unveiled its latest update for the popular iPhone and iPad navigation app. Version 1.10 will include a couple of new features like Twitter and Facebook integration. The integration
'I'm excited for 'The Hunger Games' to come out and see how that does and hopefully get started on the second one,' up-and-comer tells us. By Kara Warner
Josh Hutcherson in "The Hunger Games" Photo: Lionsgate
It's no secret that we've been keeping close tabs on soon-to-be superstar Josh Hutcherson. After his noteworthy performance in critical darling "The Kids Are All Right" last year, followed by his casting in the coveted role of Peeta Mellark in "The Hunger Games," we are very interested in what Hutcherson is up to these days.
2012 is poised to be Hutcherson's biggest year yet, beginning with "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," co-starring Vanessa Hudgens and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "Journey 2" opens in theaters February 10, and less than a month later we'll welcome the release of "The Hunger Games."
We're not the only ones excited for the big-screen version of Suzanne Collins' best-seller. "The Hunger Games" is holding steady as one of the most anticipated movies of the year as voted by you, the fans over at our Movie Brawl.
So it's easy to see why Hutcherson is "One to Watch" this year. MTV News recently caught up with the 18-year-old to talk about his big year.
"2012 is going to be a really big year, I'm looking forward to it," Hutcherson said. "[There's going to be] a lot of press, a lot of traveling with that. I'm excited for 'The Hunger Games' to come out and see how that does and hopefully get started on the second one." In addition to acting, Hutcherson also revealed that he hopes to one day work behind the camera in addition to in front of it.
"I want to get into directing and producing and writing my own stuff at some point. I'm kind of just tiptoeing into that as well," he said. Our "One to Watch" has mentioned actors such as Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Gosling as career role models with regard to the careful choices they've made in choosing films.
"It's all about balance; everything in life is about balance, in my opinion," Hutcherson said. "You have to do the big studio movies to keep people caring about you in a way, and also for me, I've been really fortunate. I haven't done any big studio movies that suck. They've all been good material and that's the most important thing for my career, to choose the right material and to choose the characters that I care about and stories I want to tell. So that's kind of how I've gone about my career since I was 9, more or less."
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 15-Jan-2012
Share ] 
