Novel studies of gene regulation in brain development may mean new treatment of mental disorders

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2012) ? A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego and the Institut Pasteur, Paris has come up with a novel way to describe a time-dependent brain development based on coherent-gene-groups (CGGs) and transcription-factors (TFs) hierarchy. The findings could lead to new drug designs for mental disorders such as autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia.

In the paper, published November 22 as an online-first publication in the journal Genes, Brain and Behavior, the researchers identified the hierarchical tree of CGG-TF networks that determine the patterns of genes expressed during brain development and found that some "master transcription factors" at the top level of the hierarchy regulated the expression of a significant number of gene groups.

Instead of a taking the approach that a single gene creates a single response, researchers used contemporary methods of data analysis, along with the Gordon supercomputer at the university's San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), to identify CGGs responsible for brain development which can be affected for treatment of mental disorders. The team found that these groups of genes act in concert to send signals at various levels of the hierarchy to other groups of genes, which control the general and more specific (depending of the level) events in brain structure development.

"We have proposed a novel, though still hypothetical, strategy of drug design based on this hierarchical network of TFs that could pave the way for a new category of pharmacological agents that could be used to block a pathway at a critical time during brain development as an effective way to treat and even prevent mental disorders such as ASD and schizophrenia," said lead author Igor Tsigelny, a research scientist with SDSC, as well as the university's Moores Cancer Center and Department of Neurosciences. "On a broader scale, these findings have the potential to change the paradigm of drug design."

Using samples taken from three different regions of the brains of rats, the researchers used Gordon and SDSC's BiologicalNetworks server to conduct numerous levels of analysis, starting with processing of microarray data and SOM (self-organizing maps) clustering, before determining which gene zones were associated with significant developmental changes and brain disorders.

Researchers then conducted analyses of stages of development and quick comparisons between rat and human brain development, in addition to pathway analyses and functional and hierarchical network analyses. The team then analyzed specific gene-TF interactions, with a focus on neurological disorders, before investigating further directions for drug design based on analysis of the hierarchical networks.

Tsigelny's collaborators included Valentina L. Kouzentsova (SDSC and Moores), Michael Baitaluk (SDSC); and Jean-Pierre Changeux, with the Institut Pasteur, in Paris, France. Changeux also is a Skaggs distinguished visiting professor in pharmacology at UC San Diego (2008) and a member of the foreign faculty at UC San Diego's Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind. In addition to SDSC and its computational resources, support for the research paper, called A Hierarchical Coherent-Gene-Group Model for Brain Development, was provided by National Institutes of Health grant # GM084881 for Baitaluk.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, San Diego, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Igor F. Tsigelny, Valentina L. Kouznetsova, Michael Baitaluk, Jean-Pierre Changeux. A hierarchical coherent-gene-group model for brain development. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 2012; DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12005

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/2X_nTUcu3Eg/121130151612.htm

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Patch's Poll: Should the Federal Government Continue its Flood ...

?

In 1968, Congress created a National Flood Insurance Program when homeowners found that they could no longer buy private flood insurance.

The federal government now partners with private insurers to offer flood insurance, but according to an op-ed piece in Thursday's New York Times, the federal government bears the risk to the tune of "$527 billion of vulnerable assets in the nation?s coastal flood plains."

The Times piece says the program has paid out more than $24 billion in coastal flood plain claims between 1978 and 2011, with Hurricane Katrina alone counting for $16 million. Early estimates for Hurricane Sandy payouts are about $7 billion, and the program is already $18 billion in debt, the Times said.

Some say it's time for the federal government to stop backing up flood insurance, which essentially subsidizes homeowners who choose to live in risky coastal flood-prone areas.

Do you agree?

Take our poll and tell us in the comments.

Source: http://waterford.patch.com/articles/patchs-poll-should-the-federal-government-continue-its-flood-insurance-program

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Did dinosaurs roam Grand Canyon?

LOS ANGELES?? The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon was probably carved about 70 million years ago, much earlier than thought, a provocative new study suggests ? so early that dinosaurs might have roamed near this natural wonder.

Using a new dating tool, a team of scientists came up with a different age for the gorge's western section, challenging conventional wisdom that much of the canyon was scoured by the mighty Colorado River in the last 5 million to 6 million years.

Not everyone is convinced with the latest viewpoint published online Thursday in the journal Science. Critics contend the study ignores a mountain of evidence pointing to a geologically young landscape and they have doubts about the technique used to date it.

The notion that the Grand Canyon existed during the dinosaur era is "ludicrous," said geologist Karl Karlstrom of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

How the Grand Canyon became grand ? with its vertical cliffs and flat plateaus ? has been debated since John Wesley Powell navigated the whitewater rapids and scouted the sheer walls during his famous 1869 expedition.

Some 5 million tourists flock to Arizona each year to marvel at the 277-mile-long chasm, which plunges a mile deep in some places. It's a geologic layer cake with the most recent rock formations near the rim stacked on top of older rocks that date back 2 billion years.

Though the exposed rocks are ancient, most scientists believe the Grand Canyon itself was forged in the recent geologic past, created when tectonic forces uplifted the land that the Colorado River later carved through.

The new work by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and California Institute of Technology argued that canyon-cutting occurred long before that. They focused on the western end of the Grand Canyon occupied today by the Hualapai Reservation, which owns the Skywalk attraction, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends from the canyon's edge.

To come up with the age, the team crushed rocks collected from the bottom of the canyon to analyze a rare type of mineral called apatite. The mineral contains traces of radioactive elements that release helium during decay, allowing researchers to calculate the passage of time since the canyon eroded.

Their interpretation: The western Grand Canyon is 70 million years old and was likely shaped by an ancient river that coursed in the opposite direction of the west-flowing Colorado.

Lead researcher Rebecca Flowers of the University of Colorado Boulder realizes not everyone will accept this alternative view, which minimizes the role of the Colorado River.

"Arguments will continue over the age of Grand Canyon, and I hope our study will stimulate more work to decipher the mysteries," Flowers said in an email.

It's not the first time that Flowers has dug up evidence for an older Grand Canyon. In 2008, she authored a study that suggested part of the eastern Grand Canyon, where most tourists go, formed 55 million years ago. Another study published that same year by a different group of researchers put the age of the western section at 17 million years old.

If the Grand Canyon truly existed before dinosaurs became extinct, it would have looked vastly different because the climate back then was more tropical. Dinosaurs that patrolled the American West then included smaller tyrannosaurs, horned and dome-headed dinosaurs and duckbills.

If they peered over the rim, it would not look like "the starkly beautiful desert of today, but an environment with more lush vegetation," said University of Maryland paleontologist Thomas Holtz.

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Many scientists find it hard to imagine an ancient Grand Canyon since the oldest gravel and sediment that washed downstream date to about 6 million years ago and there are no signs of older deposits. And while they welcome advanced dating methods to decipher the canyon's age, Karlstrom of the University of New Mexico does not think the latest effort is very accurate.

Karlstrom said it also defies logic that a fully formed canyon would sit unchanged for tens of millions of years without undergoing further erosion.

Geologist Richard Young of the State University of New York at Geneseo said his own work suggests there was a cliff in the place of the ancient Grand Canyon.

Flowers "wants to have a canyon there. I want to have a cliff there. Obviously, one of us can't be right," he said.

Whatever the age, there may be a middle ground, said Utah State University geologist Joel Pederson.

Researchers have long known about older canyons in the region cut by rivers that flow in a different direction than the Colorado River. It's possible that a good portion of the Grand Canyon was chiseled long ago by these smaller rivers and then the Colorado came along and finished the job, he said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50014196/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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The Voice Results: The Top 6 Are ?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/the-voice-results-the-top-six-are-dot-dot-dot/

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Groupon CEO Decision - Business Insider

Michael Seto for Business Insider

On Tuesday, three news stories appeared that reported essentially the same thing:

Board members at Groupon were discussing firing the company's CEO, Andrew Mason.

These news stories did not cite each other. Rather, they cited "sources" close to the situation. (Kara Swisher at AllThingsD broke the story.* Then Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal followed. Kara Swisher is a great reporter and may have flushed out the information, but sources confirmed it?not just to her but to the WSJ and Bloomberg*).

Often, when separate news stories contain essentially the same information and don't cite each other, it means that a person or company wants the information out there.

In the case of the Groupon, it was not immediately obvious who stood to gain from the Andrew Mason information.

It didn't help Andrew Mason, certainly.

And it didn't help the company, whose leadership was suddenly thrown into limbo.

And it didn't help the board as a whole, which looked like it was stabbing its CEO in the back.

It seemed unlikely that high-quality publications like AllThingsD, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal would run with secondhand information. So it seemed the information had come directly from (or at the behest of) one or more of the board members who are discussing firing Mason.

Judging from the Wall Street Journal's story, which cited "fractures" and "clashes" between Andrew Mason and board members Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, it's not hard to guess who those board members might be.

In any event, leaking information like that was a cutthroat thing to do.

And it put Andrew Mason in an incredibly awkward position.

For one thing, it forced him to address in public the question of whether the board might fire him, which he did at our conference Wednesday in New York. Mason had a good answer for that question: With the stock getting clobbered, of course the board was discussing whether he is the right guy for the job. But boards generally have those discussions in private, not in newspapers.

Importantly, if everyone on the board wanted to fire Mason, there would have been no need to leak the story. The board could just have canned Mason at the upcoming meeting and announced the news when it was a fait accompli. So it seems likely that a board member or two want to oust Mason and other board members don't?and that the ones who do want to oust him blindsided him.

(That was the impression I got in our interview Wednesday, by the way?that Mason had been blindsided. He was articulate and composed, but he also seemed almost resigned to the fact that he was going to get canned).

It will be interesting to one day get the full story.

It will also be interesting to see how the situation plays out.

And inasmuch as someone on the Groupon board apparently wants us to have a public discussion about whether Andrew Mason should be canned, let's go ahead and have one.

The fire-Mason case is clear:

• Groupon's stock has had an abysmal year since its IPO a year ago.
• Groupon's international business is imploding.
• The growth of Groupon's core daily deal business has slowed to a crawl, and the product still clearly needs tuning (there are too many anecdotal stories of merchants not liking the product)
• There has been some senior management turnover
• A big part of the problem at the company is external perception (which starts at the top)
• Andrew Mason has only a few years of business experience and is now responsible for turning around and managing a massive global corporation, winning over Wall Street and the media, instilling passion and confidence in tens of thousands of rattled customers and employees

The give-Mason-more-time case, however, is also compelling:

• Groupon has likely grown faster than any company in history?from zero to $2.5 billion in revenue, 12,000 employees, and profitability in less than four years
• Groupon is still growing
• Groupon is making money
• Groupon has crushed almost all of its competitors
• Groupon has successfully launched a new business?merchandise?that is already doing more than $1.5 billion of annualized revenue
• Groupon's North American business is still doing well?it's the acquired companies in Europe that are the problem
• Mason has a lot left to learn, but he is learning quickly
• All companies go through rough periods.?

What decision will the board make? What's the right decision?

That's a tough one.

In my opinion, it depends a lot on Andrew Mason.

Andrew Mason has led Groupon this far (and very few observers appreciate how spectacularly hard that has been to do). If Andrew Mason wants to fight to keep his job, commits to learning more about how to run a multi-national corporation and communicate better with Wall Street and the media, and remains excited and passionate about his job, then he should be given more time. Not an indefinite amount of time, but more time.

If, on the other hand, Andrew Mason has learned that managing a huge global corporation, dealing with the media and investors, and continuing to build and manage a top-notch senior executive team is just not as much fun or as rewarding as leading Groupon in the early years, then he should step aside (or get canned).

This, by the way, is not a new situation for a founder-CEO to find himself in.

The skills and leadership ability required to grow a startup are different than those required to turn around and manage a vast global corporation. And many talented entrepreneurs and executives decide that they prefer one to the other.

I have huge respect for Andrew Mason for doing the interview. Most CEOs would have cancelled the conference appearance. I also have huge respect for what Mason and his team have accomplished at Groupon over the past three years.

If Mason wants some more time to prove himself and fix Groupon, the board should give him more time.

If he doesn't, I hope he resigns quickly, helps hire a great new CEO, and then eventually gets more credit for building the company than he has to date.

The reason that leak was so ruthless, though, is that it will be hard to recover from.

Groupon's CEO has been placed in limbo.

At a board meeting scheduled for Thursday, the board will have to do and then say something. And even if the board decides to give Mason more time, everyone at the company (and in the world) will know that that's what they're doing. And they will also know that Mason's grace period will be short. That will hurt Mason's authority, both internally and externally, which will make it even more difficult for him to succeed.

(Yes, the board could put out a statement saying that it has "complete confidence" in Mason or something, but under the circumstance, this would be laughable.)

To resolve the situation in Mason's favor would require the resignation of the board members who want him gone. But even this wouldn't fix it. Everyone would know why these board members were quitting?because they had lost confidence in the CEO?and that wouldn't help Mason's authority, either.

Even if Andrew Mason wants to fight for his job, in other words, it will be a tough fight to win.

Whoever stabbed him in the back knew what they were doing.

SEE ALSO: Groupon Stock Soars After CEO Andrew Mason's Conference Appearance

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* To be clear: I'm not suggesting that this story was actively "placed" with Kara Swisher. Swisher is an aggressive and experienced reporter, she is deeply sourced at Groupon, and this was a great scoop. Andrew Mason was originally scheduled to appear at our conference on Tuesday. On Monday evening, Groupon canceled his Tuesday appearance and did not immediately confirm a Wednesday appearance. Normally, late cancellations like this mean something. Swisher likely assumed that this one meant that Mason was in trouble and called Groupon sources to confirm that. The point I am making is that at least two of Swisher's Groupon sources elected to say that the Groupon board was "seriously discussing" firing Andrew Mason. The sources did not have to say that. And they then did not have to say the same thing to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. The sources could have said nothing. Given the sophistication of some of the people involved, I believe the sources knew full well what would happen if they confirmed Swisher's perfectly reasonable questions. They don't call it "boardroom intrigue" for nothing...

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/groupon-ceo-decision-2012-11

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Past hosts teaming for Spike Video Game Awards

FILEv - Samuel L. Jackson arrives at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spike Video Game Awards announced Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 that the gaming extravaganza's previous emcees would join ?The Avengers? star and four-time VGAs host Samuel L. Jackson at the Dec. 7 show.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

FILEv - Samuel L. Jackson arrives at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Spike Video Game Awards announced Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 that the gaming extravaganza's previous emcees would join ?The Avengers? star and four-time VGAs host Samuel L. Jackson at the Dec. 7 show.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Spike Video Game Awards are assembling past hosts.

The cable network announced Thursday that the gaming extravaganza's previous emcees would join "The Avengers" star and four-time VGAs host Samuel L. Jackson at next week's show.

Previous hosts Zachary Levi, Snoop Lion, Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris are set to appear at the 10th annual ceremony.

The show will also feature debut footage from upcoming games "BioShock Infinite," ''Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2" and "Tomb Raider," and from downloadable content "Spartan Ops" for "Halo 4" and "The Tyranny of King Washington" for "Assassin's Creed III."

"Assassin's Creed III," ''Dishonored," ''Journey," ''Mass Effect 3" and "The Walking Dead: The Game" are vying for the best game trophy.

The VGAs will air live on Spike on Dec. 7 from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, Calif.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-29-Spike%20Video%20Game%20Awards-Host/id-d5ab6373197243ff83580d285a76ffc3

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Van Gogh, John Lennon letters coming to NY auction

NEW YORK (AP) ? An upcoming auction of over 300 historical documents includes rare letters written by Vincent van Gogh, George Washington, John Lennon and other iconic figures.

The property of an anonymous American collector is being offered by Profiles in History in an online and phone auction on Dec. 18.

Among the highlights is a two-page letter from Washington to an Anglican clergyman.

Another top item is a signed van Gogh letter, written in 1890, to Joseph and Marie Ginoux, who were proprietors of the Cafe de la Gare in Arles, France, where the Dutch post-impressionist artist lived for a time.

Each of those letters is estimated to bring $200,000 to $300,000.

A handwritten letter from John Lennon to Eric Clapton has a pre-sale estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.

The collection will be exhibited Dec. 3-9 at Douglas Elliman's Madison Avenue art gallery.

Washington's letter was written on Aug. 15, 1798, to the Rev. Jonathan Boucher, amid an undeclared naval war with France. Washington thanks Boucher for sending him his "View of the Causes and Consequences of the American Revolution," a book of 13 discourses Boucher preached.

"Peace, with all the world is my sincere wish, I am sure it is our true policy ? and am persuaded it is the ardent desire of the Government," the former president and Founding Father wrote.

In a Jan. 20, 1890, four-page letter, handwritten in French to his friends Monsieur and Madame Ginoux, van Gogh wishes the ailing proprietress a speedy recovery.

"Illnesses are there to make us remember again that we are not made of wood," the artist wrote. "That's what seems the good side of all this to me. Then afterwards one goes back to one's everyday work less fearful of the annoyances, with a new store of serenity." Van Gogh died less than seven months later.

He suffered from acute anxiety and bouts of depression throughout his life. Madame Ginoux and the cafe were frequent subjects of his work.

The eight-page letter from Lennon is a draft he wrote to Clapton on Sept. 29, 1971, and signed "John and Yoko." The whereabouts of the final version is unknown.

Lennon writes candidly about his admiration for the great British guitarist and suggests forming a "'nucleus' group (Plastic Ono Band) . ? and of course had YOU!!! In mind as soon as we decided." He writes that drummer Jim Kelnter, artist Klaus Voormann, pianist Nicky Hopkins and producer Phil Spector "all agreed so far" to join.

"Anyway, the point is, after missing the Bangla-Desh concert, we began to feel more and more like going on the road, but not the way I used with the Beatles ? night after night of torture. We mean to enjoy ourselves, take it easy, and maybe even see some of the places we go to! We have many 'revolutionary' ideas for presenting shows that completely involve the audience ."

Other luminaries whose papers will be sold include Lou Gehrig, Louis Pasteur, Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Giuseppe Verdi, Peter Tchaikovsky, Cole Porter, King Henry II and Napoleon I.

The December auction is the first of several sales that will be held over two years. The entire collection contains 3,000 items.

__

Online:

Information on how to bid is available on www.profilesinhistory.com.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/van-gogh-john-lennon-letters-coming-ny-auction-112315549.html

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Another Simpson Split: Ashlee Simpson & Vincent Piazza, Done-zo

Source:

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Canada Frets U.S. Oil Surge, But So Far Still Sending More Crude South

By Carolyn King?

Thanks to booming domestic shale-oil production, the U.S. is relying less on foreign oil imports. But there?s one notable exception: Canada.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report Wednesday?that, even as the U.S. bought less oil from foreign suppliers overall, it imported nearly 2.5 million barrels a day from its northern neighbor during the first eight months of this year, up from 2.2 million Canadian barrels for all of last year.

The new data release?part of ?Canada Week? at the American energy-statistics agency?shows Canada, already the largest supplier of foreign oil to the U.S., grabbed a 28% share of U.S. foreign-oil imports in the January-August period. That compares with a 25% share for all of last year.

That?s good news for Canadian producers, who rely overwhelmingly on the U.S. market, sending almost 99% of their oil exports south. It also comes amid recent hand-wringing in Alberta, the source of most of Canada?s oil. Amid surging U.S. production, many Canadian executives and officials are fretting that the new output could displace Canadian crude.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency said recently here?that it expects overall U.S. oil imports to continue to fall, as surging oil and gas production lessens the country?s need for foreign supplies. The new EIA data suggest Canada, at least for now, isn?t suffering.

Still, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is hedging its bets. Ottawa has been pushing aggressively to diversify Canada?s energy markets, especially in the wake of the White House?s surprise rejection earlier this year of the Keystone XL pipeline expansion project. That project would see even more Canadian crude flow to the U.S. The Obama administration has promised to review the project again.

Right now, the two countries share the world?s most significant energy-trade relationship, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Trade in energy products topped $100 billion last year and involved not just crude oil but natural gas, electricity, hydro power, coal and other products. For more details on that relationship read here.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/canadarealtime/2012/11/28/canada-frets-u-s-oil-surge-but-so-far-still-sending-more-crude-south/?mod=WSJBlog

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It's time to fix the charitable deduction - Fortune Finance: Hedge ...

By Mina Kimes

FORTUNE -- As elected officials in Washington struggle to find common ground on the deficit, it seems inevitable that tax breaks -- which, unlike tax rates, have been targeted by both parties -- will be on the chopping block. That includes the charitable deduction, which taxpayers can claim for donations to hospitals, colleges, churches, and other nonprofits. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the tax break will cost the government $246 billion between 2010 and 2014.

The threat that lawmakers might eliminate -- or even curtail -- the charitable deduction has sent non-profits into a panic. The Charitable Giving Coalition, whose members include the United Way and the American Red Cross, recently announced plans to gather in the nation's capital on December 4th for a campaign called "Protect Giving - DC Days." The Independent Sector, a trade group for nonprofits, set up a website asking people to entreat their representatives to leave the deduction alone.

"We're seeing talk that we've never seen before, which suggests that we have a real issue here," says Diana Aviv, the head of the Independent Sector. Aviv says the tax break for donors should be protected because of its unique attributes. "The charitable deduction is not the same as other deductions," she says. "It doesn't benefit the individual."

Aviv is partially correct: the charitable tax break is different from many other tax breaks in so far as it clearly contributes to the public good. But the deduction does benefit individuals -- especially those in the upper class. According to a report by the Congressional Budget Office, taxpayers who make more than $100,000 a year took in 76% of the total charitable tax subsidy in 2006, despite contributing 57% of all donations. When wealthy people give money to charity, they reap outsized rewards.

Why the current deduction is unfair

There are several reasons the charitable deduction is unfair. First, the tax break is a deduction, which means it can only be claimed by people who itemize their tax returns. That rules out the 70% of taxpayers who don't itemize. Second, because the expenditure is structured as a deduction, people in higher tax brackets can use it to net greater savings. Say a person in the 35% tax bracket donates $1000. If he or she deducts the contribution, his or her tax bill is reduced by 35% of $1000, or $350. Meanwhile, someone with a tax rate of 20% who donates the same amount of money will only save $200. As a result, it's cheaper for wealthy people to donate money.

MORE: Wall Street isn't backing Jack Lew for Treasury

By giving the rich a bigger incentive to donate, the government is effectively granting them greater control over the country's charitable giving. The subsidy is funded by all taxpayers, but the causes favored by the wealthy do not necessarily benefit everyone. PIMCO chief Bill Gross, himself a prominent philanthropist, told the New York Timesin 2007 that he thought wealthy donors were?over-compensated for giving money to "football stadiums and concert halls."?Gross added: "I don't think the public would vote for spending tax dollars on those things."

While lower-income taxpayers give 10% of their total donations to "basic needs organizations," according to the CBO, millionaires divert just 4% to such groups, preferring to donate to the arts and education sectors.?Some of those donations are used to pay for scholarships and charitable causes that benefit society at large, but other funds go to wealthy schools in high-income areas??In those cases, the government is essentially paying the rich to donate to their own communities.

Of course, many donations do go to worthy causes, none of which deserve to be starved of funding. But there's reason to believe that the charitable sector may be overstating the threat of a reduced tax break. Take, for example, the Charitable Giving Coalition's recent letter to President Obama, who proposed a couple of years ago that taxpayer deductions be limited to a rate of 28%. The Coalition argued that "any cap or limitation on charitable deductions" would undermine giving, with "long-lasting negative consequences." The Tax Policy Center has estimated that Obama's proposal would reduce private giving by about 2%.

That figure looks even smaller when you put it in the broader context of charities' revenue. In 2010, the nonprofit sector derived just 13% of its intake from private contributions. If you exclude hospitals and higher education organizations, which make most of their money from private payments and government sources, then the proportion of funding from private contributions increases to 24%.

Because the deduction has experienced little disruption since it was created in 1917, we cannot be absolutely sure what would happen if it were eliminated or cut. But there's reason to believe the effects would be smaller than previously thought. In recent years, several economists who have studied the price elasticity of giving, which is the percentage by which donations would decrease if the cost of giving were to go up, have found that the ratio is less than -1 -- meaning that, if the price went up by 1%, the level of giving would decline by less than 1%. A 2010 report by the Congressional Research Service points out that, historically, giving has not changed very much in response to changes in tax rates.

Many wealthy taxpayers say they would continue to donate if the deduction was reduced. In response to a recent survey conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, 50% of high-net-worth households said that they would give the same amount of money if the tax break were completely eliminated. "People tend to forget that some of the most significant giving in the U.S. dates back hundreds of years," says Rob Reich, an associate professor of political science at Stanford. "The Rockefellers and the Carnegies created foundations in the absence of any incentive whatsoever."

How to fix it: A floor and a credit

The charitable deduction is inequitable, costly, and inefficient. And yet, it should not be abolished altogether. For one, although economists have attempted to gauge the impact that eliminating the tax break would have on giving, the outcome is still uncertain; no one really knows what would happen (and which charities would suffer the most). Meanwhile, it's possible to reform the tax break and cut the subsidy while minimizing the impact on charitable giving.

Several politicians and think tanks have suggested that the tax break could be limited through the addition of a cap. An absolute dollar cap on deductions -- an idea promoted by Mitt Romney during his presidential campaign -- has been gaining steam. Such a proposal would effectively wipe out the charitable deduction, though,?because most people who itemize would first claim a deduction for their mortgage, which would consume most, if not all, of the allotted tax break.?President Obama's proposal for a 28% deduction cap -- described earlier -- would improve the structure of the tax break without hurting giving too badly, but it wouldn't raise very much money for the government.

MORE: Fiscal cliff: A modest proposal

A floor, which would force people to donate a certain amount of money to claim a tax break (and would exempt the money below the floor from the break, lowering the subsidy), offers a more elegant solution. The only people who would?who would donate less as a result of a floor would be those who contribute small amounts;?for others, there would be no reason to reduce giving at the margin. According to the Tax Policy Center, instituting a floor of 1.7% of adjusted gross income would raise $10-11 billion in annual revenue without affecting contributions at all. The CBO estimates that a floor of 2% of income would raise $15.7 billion while cutting donations by $3 billion.

The government could save even more money by converting the deduction into a tax credit, which would allow donors to claim a flat percentage of their donations. The CBO found that, if the charitable deduction were changed into a 25% credit with a floor of 2% of income, the government would cut the total subsidy by $11.9 billion a year, while donations would shrink by a mere $1 billion. A 15% credit would raise $24.6 billion, with donations falling by an estimated $10 billion, according to the CBO.

In the long-term, the savings would be significant. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated that changing the deduction to a 15% credit with a 2% floor would save the government $340 billion over the next decade, reducing the subsidy by 60%. Donations, meanwhile, would only decline by 4.9%. (The Bowles-Simpson commission proposed a similar, if slightly more draconian, 12% credit with a 2% floor.)

In addition to saving the government money, replacing the deduction with a credit would also make the system more equitable. All people would be equally compensated for giving to charity, regardless of their tax bracket. A credit would also reward the 70% of Americans who don't itemize their taxes, which might spur additional donations.

MORE: Wells Fargo CEO: Why Americans are saving so much

Such changes would inevitably change the profile of giving in this country, or at least the composition of donations that are subsidized by the government. People who make under $100,000 a year currently allot 67% of their donations to religious organizations, according to the CBO. Expanding the tax break to lower-income citizens would inevitably skew the subsidy toward churches.

This is a bad result. Not because it would compel taxpayers to fund widespread religious donations -- though many people would surely oppose such a large subsidy -- but because it would be wasteful. Studies have shown that the price elasticity of giving for religious donations is relatively low, which means that people would be unlikely to cut their gifts in response to a lowered tax break. Indeed, many religious donors do not currently claim a deduction.

If the government is serious about saving money, then it should consider exempting religious donations from the charitable tax break. Most people give to churches because they want to, not because they get a tax break for their generosity.

A massive subsidy would be not only controversial, but uneconomical.

Source: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/27/charitable-deduction-reform/

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A new prenatal test for spotting genetic issues is less invasive, but it?s pricey

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125496/A_new_prenatal_test_for_spotting_genetic_issues_is_less_invasive__but_it___s_pricey

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Asia stocks post slight gains after Black Friday

BANGKOK (AP) ? Asian stock markets posted slight gains Monday after the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season in the U.S. topped expectations, offsetting concerns about Greece's financial crisis.

Americans visited stores and websites in record numbers last Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday that is dubbed "Black Friday" because U.S. retailers traditionally turn a profit as millions of Americans rush out to stores in search of gifts for Christmas and other celebrations.

Surveys showed a record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites between Thursday and Sunday, up 9.2 percent from the year before. Those numbers bode well for retailers and the still-fragile U.S. economy as a whole.

Japan's soft yen continued to boost its critical export sector. The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.8 percent to 9,444.19. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.2 percent to 4,422.10 and South Korea's Kospi ticked up marginally to 1,912.29.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was sapped of momentum by lethargic mainland Chinese markets. The index was nearly unchanged at 21,915.07. The Shanghai Composite Index was slightly down, to 2,026.57. The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index lost 0.4 percent to 797.72.

Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong, said traders were shying away from mainland stock markets due to the failure of Chinese authorities to remove companies that fail to earn profits after three years.

A regulation exists to allow for a delisting after three years, but it is not enforced, Lun said.

"If you cannot weed out the losers, the stock market will be inundated with companies not doing anything," he said. "The listed companies are out to grab money instead of earning a profit for shareholders."

Meanwhile, finance ministers from the countries that use the euro currency will meet later Monday to try to reach an agreement for Greece to receive the next installment of its emergency bailout loan. Athens needs the money to avoid bankruptcy.

Investors have also been focused on whether the White House can come to a deal with Congress to avoid automatic tax increases and spending cuts at the start of next year. Investors remain confident that their worst fears ? a U.S. recession and a Greek exit from the euro ? will be averted.

"Should both events be concluded successfully, one can only assume we will be in for a good run into the end of the year, and possibly get back to the levels we were trading in the lead up to the US presidential election," said Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne in an email commentary.

Among individual stocks, Japanese vehicle makers posted solid gains. Toyota Motor Corp. rose 2.1 percent. Nissan Motor Co. added 2.9 percent. Yamaha Motor Co. gained 2 percent.

Australia's Sydney Airport rose 1.8 percent after announcing it has secured about $1.1 billion in new funds to repay existing debts and fund future spending.

Stocks rose on Friday on Wall Street, which was opened for a half-day. The Dow Jones industrial average shot up 1.4 percent to 13,009. That's the first close above 13,000 for the Dow since election day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.3 percent, to 1,409. The Nasdaq composite index climbed 1.4 percent to 2,966.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was down 44 cents to $87.84 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 90 cents to finish at $88.28 per barrel on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.2959 from $1.2971 late Friday in New York. The dollar fell to 82.32 yen at midmorning from 82.40 yen. Earlier Monday, the dollar rose to 82.59 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stocks-post-slight-gains-black-friday-030846600--finance.html

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White House: Tax hike threat could hurt retailers

WASHINGTON (AP) ? White House economists warned Monday that the uncertainty of a potential hike in taxes next year for middle class taxpayers under the looming fiscal cliff could hurt consumer confidence during the crucial holiday shopping season.

In a new report that coincides with Congress' return after the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House says that if lawmakers don't halt the automatic increase in taxes for households earning less than $250,000, consumers might even curtail their shopping during the current holiday season.

"As we approach the holiday season, which accounts for close to one-fifth of industry sales, retailers can't afford the threat of tax increases on middle-class families," the report says.

The study by President Barack Obama's National Economic Council and his Council of Economic Advisers also says a sudden increase in taxes for middle-income taxpayers would reduce consumer spending in 2013 by nearly $200 billion, significantly slowing the economic recovery.

The figures echo estimates by private forecasters and by the Congressional Budget Office.

Congress and Obama have until the end of the year to avoid across the board tax increases that would do away with rates set during the administration of President George W. Bush and restore higher tax rates in place during President Bill Clinton's administration when the economy was robust and the federal government had a budget surplus.

Many middle income taxpayers also would be exposed to automatic tax increases under the Alternative Minimum Tax, which is designed to guarantee a certain level of tax payment by wealthier taxpayers.

According to the report, a married couple earning between $50,000 and $85,000 with two children would see a $2,200 increase in their taxes.

Obama wants the Bush-era tax rates to remain at their current level for households earning less than $250,000. He is calling on Congress to increase taxes for families earning more than that threshold.

Obama's plan is part of an overall deficit reduction package that would increase tax revenue by about $1.5 trillion and reduce spending by a similar amount over 10 years.

Congressional Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, have said they are open to including discussions about additional revenue but have balked at any plan that raises tax rates on the wealthy. They argue that the higher rates would also hit some small businesses, stifling economic growth.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Monday the urgency of finding solutions intensifies as the end of the year approaches.

"If we don't do anything, on Jan. 1, 2013, there's a lot more people paying a lot more," the Virginia Republican said on MSNBC.

Cantor said the rapidly approaching deadline accounts for the more serious tone to the debate, but also reaffirmed the GOP's opposition to raising tax rates for the wealthy. "We've got to have the president step up and say, here's my position on how we reform these entitlements and start managing down the deficits," he said.

"What should be on the table is a recipe to fix the problem and not give away growth," Cantor said, when asked whether Republicans would agree to have increases in tax rates considered.

"We were re-elected to fix the problems, get the economy going again," he said. "Well, the president got re-elected and we know at the end of the year taxes are going to go up on everybody, rich and poor alike," if no action is taken to avert the hikes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-tax-hike-threat-could-hurt-retailers-110143340--politics.html

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Matinee-Priced Gifts for Home Theater Lovers

You don'e need to spend a ton of money to enjoy the hell out of movies at home. That's a myth. So if you want to give your special person's TV a boost, you can do it on a budget. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ymvxpFQ8gaA/matinee+priced-gifts-for-home-theater-lovers

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Manning sharp as Broncos beat Chiefs 17-9

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? You won't get much argument from Broncos coach John Fox about the value of a solid starting quarterback. You probably won't get much from Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, either.

Not after they stood on opposing sidelines and watched Peyton Manning go to work.

The four-time MVP was wooed by both franchises when he was cut loose by Indianapolis, but he never gave Kansas City much thought. Instead, he signed with its AFC West rival, and is now putting together one of the best seasons of his career for Denver, all while Kansas City flounders behind the revolving door of Brady Quinn and Matt Cassel.

The difference on Sunday was striking: Manning threw for 285 yards with touchdowns to Jacob Tamme and Demaryius Thomas in a 17-9 victory, the Broncos' sixth straight. Quinn threw for just 126 yards with an interception as Kansas City lost its eighth straight game.

"Peyton Manning is a Hall of Famer," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "We played pretty good as a defense most of the game, but he made a few plays, one or two more plays than we'd like him to make, and he came up with a victory."

It allowed Manning to break a tie with his boss and Broncos vice president John Elway with his 149th win as a starting quarterback, trailing only Brett Favre (186) for most in NFL history.

Naturally, Manning was quick to pass the praise to someone else.

In this case, it was Knowshon Moreno, who ran for 85 yards after stepping into the starting lineup this week after Willis McGahee landed on injured reserve.

"I've got to tip my hat to Knowshon Moreno," Manning said. "He stepped up today and did a heck of a job. Really an impressive effort by him."

Not so much by the Chiefs offense.

Jamaal Charles ran for 107 yards, but the Chiefs (1-10) were done in by penalties, missed opportunities and a conservative approach that has not yielded a touchdown since the first quarter against Pittsburgh on Nov. 12, a span of more than 11 quarters and 173 minutes.

They could only manage field goals by Ryan Succop for the second straight game.

"We struggled a bit against the run, but they're a very good run team," Fox said. "Something we work very hard on is the red area, and holding them to three field goals was a key in the game."

Kansas City actually established an early lead for the third straight game on Succop's first-quarter field goal, and seemed to be outplaying Denver (8-3) the entire first half.

They had a chance to go ahead 10-0 when they faced fourth-and-2 at the Denver 4, but Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel elected to kick another field goal against a team that had scored at least 30 points in five straight games, drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd.

"I thought points on the board were important," Crennel said.

Problem was that touchdowns trump field goals.

On the Broncos' final drive of the half, Manning completed five straight passes before finding Tamme on third-and-goal from the Kansas City 7 with 18 seconds left. The touchdown catch, on which the tight end dragged safety Eric Berry into the end zone, gave the Broncos a 7-6 lead and wiped out all the hard work that Kansas City had put in over the first 25 minutes.

"It was huge to get a touchdown there," Manning said.

Denver's Matt Prater missed his second field goal try of the game early in the third quarter, and Succop's 49-yarder gave Kansas City its first second-half lead of the season.

But once again, a failure to get into the end zone proved fatal.

Manning, who surpassed 3,000 yards passing earlier in the day, rode the legs of Moreno into Chiefs territory, and that's when he lobbed a pass over nickelback Jalil Brown and into the hands of Thomas for the go-ahead, 30-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter.

"That was a great catch down the sideline against tight coverage," Manning said.

The Chiefs twice had chances to overcome the 14-9 deficit late in the fourth, but they failed to move the ball after taking over at their own 37. After getting it back, Crennel chose to punt on fourth-and-6 at the Broncos 47 after a series of penalties ruined the drive.

It was their last chance to retake the lead.

Denver tacked on a field goal by Prater in the closing seconds, and after Jacksonville held on to beat Tennessee, the Chiefs were left as the league's only one-win team.

"We're frustrated every week. Every time we get a loss, it's frustrating," Charles said. "I don't know when it's going to stop, but hopefully we can did deep down in our souls and find a way to get out of this."

NOTES: Chiefs WR Dexter McCluster (head/neck) and S Kendrick Lewis (shoulder) left the game with injuries. ... Kansas City was 3 for 14 on third downs. ... Chiefs LB Justin Houston had two sacks. ... Broncos LB Von Miller had his 14th sack of the season.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.porg/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/manning-sharp-broncos-beat-chiefs-17-9-102430375--spt.html

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Active lifestyle boosts brain structure and slows Alzheimer?s disease

Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America

CHICAGO An active lifestyle helps preserve gray matter in the brains of older adults and could reduce the burden of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Dementia exacts a staggering toll on society. More than 35 million people worldwide are living with the disease, according to the World Health Organization, and the prevalence is expected to double by 2030. AD is the most common cause of dementia and currently has no cure.

Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., radiology resident at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues recently examined how an active lifestyle can influence brain structure in 876 adults, average age 78 years, drawn from the multisite Cardiovascular Health Study. The patients' condition ranged from normal cognition to Alzheimer's dementia.

"We had 20 years of clinical data on this group, including body mass index and lifestyle habits," Dr. Raji said. "We drew our patients from four sites across the country, and we were able to assess energy output in the form of kilocalories per week."

The lifestyle factors examined included recreational sports, gardening and yard work, bicycling, dancing and riding an exercise cycle.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a technique called voxel-based morphometry to model the relationships between energy output and gray matter volume.

"Voxel-based morphometry is an advanced method that allows a computer to analyze an MR image and build a mathematical model that helps us to understand the relationship between active lifestyle and gray matter volume," Dr. Raji said. "Gray matter volume is a key marker of brain health. Larger gray matter volume means a healthier brain. Shrinking volume is seen in Alzheimer's disease."

After controlling for age, head size, cognitive impairment, gender, body mass index, education, study site location and white matter disease, the researchers found a strong association between energy output and gray matter volumes in areas of the brain crucial for cognitive function. Greater caloric expenditure was related to larger gray matter volumes in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, including the hippocampus, posterior cingulate and basal ganglia. There was a strong association between high energy output and greater gray matter volume in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD.

"Gray matter includes neurons that function in cognition and higher order cognitive processes," Dr. Raji said. "The areas of the brain that benefited from an active lifestyle are the ones that consume the most energy and are very sensitive to damage."

A key aspect of the study was its focus on having variety in lifestyle choices, Dr. Raji noted.

"What struck me most about the study results is that it is not one but a combination of lifestyle choices and activities that benefit the brain," he said.

Dr. Raji said the positive influence of an active lifestyle on the brain was likely due to improved vascular health.

"Virtually all of the physical activities examined in this study are some variation of aerobic physical activity, which we know from other work can improve cerebral blood flow and strengthen neuronal connections," he said.

"Additional work needs to be done," Dr. Raji added. "However, our initial results show that brain aging can be alleviated through an active lifestyle."

###

Coauthors are H. Michael Gach, Ph.D., Owen Carmichael, Ph.D., James T. Becker, Ph.D., Oscar Lopez, M.D., Paul Thompson, Ph.D., William Longstreth, M.D., Lewis Kuller, M.D., and Kirk Ericson, Ph.D.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.

RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.

Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.

For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Linda Brooks
lbrooks@rsna.org
630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America

CHICAGO An active lifestyle helps preserve gray matter in the brains of older adults and could reduce the burden of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Dementia exacts a staggering toll on society. More than 35 million people worldwide are living with the disease, according to the World Health Organization, and the prevalence is expected to double by 2030. AD is the most common cause of dementia and currently has no cure.

Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., radiology resident at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues recently examined how an active lifestyle can influence brain structure in 876 adults, average age 78 years, drawn from the multisite Cardiovascular Health Study. The patients' condition ranged from normal cognition to Alzheimer's dementia.

"We had 20 years of clinical data on this group, including body mass index and lifestyle habits," Dr. Raji said. "We drew our patients from four sites across the country, and we were able to assess energy output in the form of kilocalories per week."

The lifestyle factors examined included recreational sports, gardening and yard work, bicycling, dancing and riding an exercise cycle.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a technique called voxel-based morphometry to model the relationships between energy output and gray matter volume.

"Voxel-based morphometry is an advanced method that allows a computer to analyze an MR image and build a mathematical model that helps us to understand the relationship between active lifestyle and gray matter volume," Dr. Raji said. "Gray matter volume is a key marker of brain health. Larger gray matter volume means a healthier brain. Shrinking volume is seen in Alzheimer's disease."

After controlling for age, head size, cognitive impairment, gender, body mass index, education, study site location and white matter disease, the researchers found a strong association between energy output and gray matter volumes in areas of the brain crucial for cognitive function. Greater caloric expenditure was related to larger gray matter volumes in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, including the hippocampus, posterior cingulate and basal ganglia. There was a strong association between high energy output and greater gray matter volume in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD.

"Gray matter includes neurons that function in cognition and higher order cognitive processes," Dr. Raji said. "The areas of the brain that benefited from an active lifestyle are the ones that consume the most energy and are very sensitive to damage."

A key aspect of the study was its focus on having variety in lifestyle choices, Dr. Raji noted.

"What struck me most about the study results is that it is not one but a combination of lifestyle choices and activities that benefit the brain," he said.

Dr. Raji said the positive influence of an active lifestyle on the brain was likely due to improved vascular health.

"Virtually all of the physical activities examined in this study are some variation of aerobic physical activity, which we know from other work can improve cerebral blood flow and strengthen neuronal connections," he said.

"Additional work needs to be done," Dr. Raji added. "However, our initial results show that brain aging can be alleviated through an active lifestyle."

###

Coauthors are H. Michael Gach, Ph.D., Owen Carmichael, Ph.D., James T. Becker, Ph.D., Oscar Lopez, M.D., Paul Thompson, Ph.D., William Longstreth, M.D., Lewis Kuller, M.D., and Kirk Ericson, Ph.D.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.

RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.

Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.

For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/rson-alb111612.php

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How would you change the Huawei Ascend P1?

2012 was the year Huawei stepped out of the OEM shadows and make a "name" for itself. That hasn't been the smoothest process, but political wrangling aside, what about the phones themselves? Huawei's Ascend P1 has a slender body (and a chubby camera module), marred by a flimsy plastic shell and 4GB of on-board storage. However, it more than made up for its failings in the performance stakes, but what did you think about it? Did you buy one, and if so, what would you change?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/25/hwyc-ascend-p1/

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94% The Sessions

All Critics (144) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (136) | Rotten (8)

A funny, tender and mostly unsentimentalized movie about physical and emotional triumph.

Forced to do all his acting with his face, Hawkes displays the kind of camera-arresting capability that has earned others Oscar nominations.

This is a crowd-pleaser of the finest sort.

Using only his tilted head, his eyes, nose, and mouth and that quizzical voice, Hawkes brings O'Brien to life.

It's funny and well-meaning, with great performances, but the story plays out more like an Afterschool Special with full-frontal nudity.

Raw, unrestrained and sympathetic without giving in to melodrama, 'The Sessions' is about a man facing a physical challenge who decides he wants to become intimate with a woman.

An intelligent, funny, insightful film that offers a frank examination of sex. It's not prurient or titillating, just truthful.

A remarkable actor, John Hawkes, gives a remarkable performance as a remarkable character.

Surprisingly funny and touching.

Presents the sensitive O'Brien as a brave, funny, unselfish and unlikely romantic-fantasy dream hero for disappointed, weary or jaded older female moviegoers.

The uplifting struggle for living a life of dignity for paralyzed from the neck down polio victim Mark O'Brien.

The sex scenes are frank and explicit, but never cheap and exploitative. (Yes, they get naked. Grow up.) The nudity isn't airbrushed pin-up perfection, but raw and real - and all the more lovely and moving because of it.

Taking the good with the bad, this isn't a terrible movie, though it is being rather overhyped. I found myself laughing a lot and enjoying the transformations the actors go through, but an unengaging story only serves to drag it down.

A film, inspired by the life of the late poet-journalist Mark O'Brien, that celebrates the relationship between physical and emotional intimacy.

Not just another weepy drama of overcoming odds, a My Left Foot with a different appendage. The Sessions is often brazenly funny, not from shocking dialogue but characters reacting the way people do, especially with such a flustering subject as sex.

an unusually frank and frequently humorous meditation on the transformative power of connection

Take away the nudity and the frank sex talk and you'd pretty much be left with a high-minded TV movie -- with unusually good actors.

Hunt's tangible disregard for false modesty does justice to the misunderstood surrogacy profession, while Hawkes' committed yet matter-of-fact portrayal of O'Brien masterfully avoids theatricality or sappy heartstring tugging.

Lewin has never had talent like Hawkes, Hunt, and Macy as his instruments before, and he makes the best of them.

Popular sex therapist Dr. Ruth once said that sexual surrogates are "illegal." The Sessions makes them mainstream.

An adult film that approaches the serious subject of sex with refreshingly explicit honesty.

The honest performances and assured direction makes The Sessions an extremely accomplished film that celebrates sexuality.

John Hawkes and Helen Hunt generate an endearing chemistry, here, turning in a couple of virtuoso performances deserving of serious consideration come Oscar season.

Writer-director Ben Lewin has made the decision to position the film somewhere between the comedic and dramatic genres.... and it works.

Australian veteran writer/director Ben Lewin (The Dunera Boys) delivers a heartfelt gem that is as moving as it is unassuming. It easily chimes in as one of the films of the year.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sessions/

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Wall Street to open modestly higher in shorter session

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street was set to start an abbreviated session modestly higher on Friday on signs of progress in talks about releasing aid to Greece, and with the U.S. retail sector in focus as the holiday shopping season begins.

The U.S. equity market was closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday, and trading Friday will end early at 1:00 pm ET (1800 GMT). With many investors on holiday, volume was expected to be thin.

Greece said the International Monetary Fund had relaxed its debt-cutting target for the country, suggesting lenders were closer to a deal for a vital aid tranche to be paid. But other sources involved in the talks cautioned the funding gap was far bigger than Greece has suggested.

Euro zone finance ministers, the IMF and European Central Bank (ECB) failed earlier this week to agree on how to get the country's debt down to a sustainable level and will have a third attempt at resolving the issue on Monday.

Separately, ECB President Mario Draghi said confidence was returning to the euro zone, and governments must implement reforms to secure the bloc's future.

"We're looking at a higher opening, there is some good news coming out of Europe," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.

"The fact that we're very close to sealing a deal for Greece certainly (helps) the risk-trade."

Shares of Research in Motion surged in premarket trading on optimism about its soon-to-be-launched BlackBerry 10 devices that will vie against Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones. RIM was up 11.8 percent at $11.47, after earlier climbing more than 14 percent.

S&P 500 futures rose 5 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 38 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 14 points.

The S&P 500 was poised to break a two-week losing streak, having gained more than 2 percent this week so far. Stocks had tumbled earlier in the month on worries about the impact of tax and spending changes to take effect from January, but hopes that politicians will reach a deal to avert the so-called fiscal cliff helped the market recoup some of those declines this week.

Investors will likely focus on the retail sector as the holiday shopping season begins, looking for signs of how much consumers are spending as stores offer Black Friday deals and discounts.

Shares of electronics retailer Best Buy Co were up 1.6 percent at $11.75, while J C Penney gained 2.4 percent to $17.67.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, kicks off the U.S. Christmas shopping season for retailers and is often the busiest shopping day of the year.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's securities portfolio has not reached a level where it would hold back the central bank from its bond-buying programs, John Williams, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

The Fed launched its latest stimulus program in September, saying it would buy $40 billion a month in mortgage-backed securities until the labor market significantly improved.

Overseas, German business morale surprised with its first rise in seven months in November, offering hope that Europe's largest economy could regain some momentum.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-flat-higher-open-093430195--finance.html

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