Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction

Apr. 3, 2013 ? By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they can wipe away addictive behavior in rats -- or conversely turn non-addicted rats into compulsive cocaine seekers.

"When we turn on a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the compulsive cocaine seeking is gone," said Antonello Bonci, MD, scientific director of the intramural research program at the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), where the work was done. Bonci is also an adjunct professor of neurology at UCSF and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Described this week in the journal Nature, the new study demonstrates the central role the prefrontal cortex plays in compulsive cocaine addiction. It also suggests a new therapy that could be tested immediately in humans, said Billy Chen of NIDA, the lead author of the study.

Any new human therapy would not be based on using lasers, but would most likely rely on electromagnetic stimulation outside the scalp, in particular a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Clinical trials are now being designed to test whether this approach works, Chen added.

The High Cost of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse is a major public health problem in the United States today, and it places a heavy toll on society in terms of lost job productivity, lost earnings, cocaine-related crime, incarcerations, investigations, and treatment and prevention programs.

The human toll is even greater, with an estimated 1.4 million Americans addicted to the drug. It is frequently the cause of emergency room visits -- 482,188 in 2008 alone -- and it is a top cause of heart attacks and strokes for people under 35.

One of the hallmarks of cocaine addiction is compulsive drug taking -- the loss of ability to refrain from taking the drug even if it's destroying one's life.

What makes the new work so promising, said Bonci, is that Chen and his colleagues were working with an animal model that mimics this sort of compulsive cocaine addiction. The animals, like human addicts, are more likely to make bad decisions and take cocaine even when they are conditioned to expect self-harm associated with it.

Electrophysiological studies involving these rats have shown that they have extremely low activity in the prefrontal cortex -- a brain region fundamental for impulse control, decision making and behavioral flexibility. Similar studies that imaged the brains of humans have shown the same pattern of low activity in this region in people who are compulsively addicted to cocaine.

Altering Brain Activity with a Laser

To test whether altering the activity in this brain region could impact addiction, Chen and his colleagues employed a technique called optogenetics to shut the activity on and off using a laser.

First they took light-sensitive proteins called rhodopsins and used genetic engineering to insert them into neurons in the rat's prefrontal cortex. Activating this region with a laser tuned to the rhodopsins turned the nerve cells on and off.

Turning on these cells wiped out the compulsive behavior, while switching them off turned the non-addicted ones into addicted, researchers found.

What's exciting, said Bonci, is that there is a way to induce a similar activation of the prelimbic cortex in people through a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which applies an external electromagnetic field to the brain and has been used as a treatment for symptoms of depression.

Bonci and his colleagues plan to begin clinical trials at NIH in which they will use this technique a few sessions a week to stimulate the prefrontal cortex in people who are addicted to cocaine and see if they can restore activity to that part of the brain and help them avoid taking the drug.

The article, "Rescuing cocaine-induced prefrontal cortex hypoactivity prevents compulsive cocaine seeking" is authored by Billy T. Chen, Hau-Jie Yau, Christina Hatch, Ikue Kusumoto-Yoshida, Saemi L. Cho, F. Woodward Hopf and Antonello Bonci. It was published online by the journal Nature on April 3, 2013.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Francisco.

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Journal Reference:

1. Billy T. Chen, Hau-Jie Yau, Christina Hatch, Ikue Kusumoto-Yoshida, Saemi L. Cho, F. Woodward Hopf, Antonello Bonci. Rescuing cocaine-induced prefrontal cortex hypoactivity prevents compulsive cocaine seeking. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12024

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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/strange_science/~3/XqlqwcPXd-4/130403131348.htm

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Google TV Remote app for Android gets its first update, with voice search and design tweaks

The official Google TV Remote app for Android has been around since late 2010, but it only just received its first update since launch. So what's changed? Support for voice commands has been extended for compatibility with Voice Search on Google TV 3.0, the old swiping directional circle has been replaced with an easier to use tappable d-pad, the look has changed slightly (check after the break for a screen of the old UI) there's accessibility support, and now the icon is sporting a small microphone. They're all minor tweaks, but after a couple of years, it's nice to see any attention being paid. We'll see if bigger changes for the platform are in store at Google I/O in May.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Google

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Source: Google Play

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Obama raises California money for Democrats

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Making a down payment on his vow to go all in for Democrats in 2014, President Barack Obama is courting well-heeled donors in California on a two-day fundraising jaunt that requires the president to walk a fine line: Berate Republicans too much, and Obama could put fragile prospects for achieving his second-term goals in jeopardy.

Obama's California swing, which started Wednesday with two fundraisers for House Democrats, kicks off a concerted effort to help his party win back the House and keep its Senate majority next year. It's a mission that, if successful, would improve his playing field and help him secure his legacy during his final two years in office, a lame-duck period in which a president's influence quickly ebbs.

Making his pitch to donors Wednesday night in San Francisco, Obama said he's prepared this year to work with Republicans to pass legislation aimed at gun violence, an immigration overhaul and fiscal stability.

"But, realistically, I'd get a whole lot more done if Nancy Pelosi is speaker of the House," Obama said with the California congresswoman and House Democratic leader at his side.

The short-term pitfalls are clear. Obama has spent much of the past month pursuing warmer relations with Republicans in Congress whose votes he needs to enact his agenda. Republicans on the receiving end of Obama's ongoing "charm offensive" ? the president will dine with Senate Republicans next week for a second time ? say his partisan tone when he leaves Washington makes them question his sincerity when he says he's willing to meet Republicans halfway.

"He's doing a pretty lousy job of it," Reince Priebus, the chair of the Republican Party, said in an interview. "If he was someone who was as conciliatory as he proclaims to be, you would think he would have a few decent relationships with Republicans, but he doesn't. Instead, he spends most of his time campaigning."

White House officials are mindful of the balancing act Obama must carry out to avoid undermining relations with Republican lawmakers when he hits the campaign trail for Democrats. Aides say the president can carry out both goals at once by avoiding explicit attacks on Republicans, instead focusing on elements of his agenda that enjoy broad public support and urging voters to support candidates who will back that agenda.

"The president's appeal to his supporters won't interfere with his continued efforts to work with Republicans to move that agenda through the Congress," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Almost immediately after winning re-election in November, Obama made clear he would put his full weight behind efforts to elect Democrats in the 2014 midterms, upping his commitment from previous years. During Obama's first term, some Democrats complained he didn't do enough to help ? especially in 2010, when Democrats lost control of the House.

This time, Democratic officials say, Obama will headline at least 20 fundraisers: six for House Democrats, six for Senate Democrats and two joint House-Senate events, plus another half-dozen or so for the Democratic National Committee, which is still retiring the debt it racked up last year helping Obama win a second term.

Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager, personally delivered the commitment for the House fundraisers in February to Rep. Steve Israel, who chairs the House Democrats' campaign committee, said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations were private.

Obama launched his efforts Wednesday ? after a brief stop in Denver to rally support for gun control legislation ? with a cocktail reception at the home of former hedge fund manager and climate activist Tom Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor. About 100 donors paid a minimum of $5,000 to attend. The guest list was smaller for a dinner later Wednesday at another private home, but the price for attendance was higher, $32,400 ? the maximum individuals may give to a national party committee per year. Israel and Pelosi joined Obama for both events.

The president will continue the fundraising blitz Thursday in the ritzy town of Atherton, where he will attend a $32,400-a-person luncheon near Stanford University, according to an invitation obtained by The Associated Press. He'll also appear at a brunch at the home of philanthropists Marcia and John Goldman, where donors can pay $1,000 to attend or $5,000 for the chance to take a photo with the president. Both events benefit the national Democratic Party.

In his remarks to donors Wednesday, which were closed to cameras but open to a small group of reporters, Obama refrained from lobbing partisan barbs at Republicans, instead imploring donors to get behind candidates who see eye to eye with Obama on issues such as climate change, research spending, public works projects and early childhood education.

"I'm going to need some help," Obama said.

Democrats need to pick up 17 seats next year to regain control of the House ? no small feat, considering that a president's party tends to lose House seats in the midterms during a second term. In the Senate, Democrats are defending a daunting 21 seats, including seven in largely rural states where Republican Mitt Romney defeated Obama last year. Republicans must flip just six seats to claim the majority.

Vice President Joe Biden, too, is expected to play a major role in helping Democrats defeat their GOP challengers. Israel told supporters at an annual conference last month that Biden has been busy making calls to potential candidates to recruit them to run.

Republican skepticism that Obama is serious about wanting to mend fences with GOP lawmakers was bolstered earlier this year when the president, fresh off his high-intensity re-election, blasted Republicans in campaign-style events for blocking his preferred approach to averting the sequester, the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that kicked in on March 1. Republicans say it felt like the 2012 campaign never ended, making it harder to take Obama's recent outreach at face value.

"I'll admit, it's very difficult to do both. That's why he shouldn't do both," said Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., the vice chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "He needs to put the campaign rhetoric aside, roll up his sleeves and demonstrate a willingness to work with House Republicans on tax reform, entitlement reform and the problems driving our debt."

"I just don't get the sense that his little outreach was anything more than a charade," Griffin added.

Sara Taylor Fagen, the former political director for President George W. Bush, said there's no reason a president can't carry out his duties to his party and his country simultaneously. But she said an administration gets in trouble when the president doesn't strike the right balance or adopts too harsh a tone.

"You have an obligation to help your party win seats. You want to help them win," Fagen said. "You don't necessarily want to draw a lot of attention to the fact you're spending your evening talking about building the party."

___

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-raises-california-money-democrats-065416957--politics.html

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Forth Rode The King

Hey for anyone interested in medieval/political roleplay check it out. Story is slightly cliche i will have to be honest, i did not include very specific aspects of society letting other players to create the world as well.

The king is dead, bards and courtly minstrels sing of lands asunder. The Bastard Prince now sits on the throne favoured by the His Late Majesty. Again the Isles gradually descends into a violent loyalty and struggles for personal gain.

Choose one of the open characters. You will be playing one of the 'Wardens' equivalent to a Duke in real life. I've gotten questions about playing other roles, just need to fill up at least 3 of the Warden roles then other characters can be considered.

~www.roleplaygateway.com/roleplay/forth-rode-the-king~

(I cant post links yet)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/hWbCbNXKo1c/viewtopic.php

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'Buckwild' star Shain, 21, dies; production halted

By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Updated at 7:46 p.m. ET:?Shain Gandee, a star on the MTV reality program "Buckwild," has died, NBC affiliate WSAZ confirmed on Monday.

MTV

The 21-year-old and his uncle, David Gandee, were reported missing on Sunday, according to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. The two were said to have been last seen at a Sissonville, W.Va., bar around 3 a.m., and they then planned to go four-wheeling.

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According to Kanawha County Commission President Ken Carper, the bodies of Shain and two others were found in a truck in Sissonville on Monday.

The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office identified the second person as 48-year-old David, and the third as Donald Myers, 27. According to the sheriff's office release, Shain was in the driver's seat of the 1984 Ford Bronco.

Family members began to search for Shain and his uncle on Sunday before officially reporting them missing.

Shain, along with "Buckwild" co-star Shae Bradley, appeared on TODAY in January to defend their then-new show from critics who feared their on-screen antics would reinforce negative stereotypes about West Virginians.

Shain's defense of the show now strikes a sad tone. "You only live once, so live it up," he said.

Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, who in December called the show a "travesty," expressed his condolences over Shain's death Monday. In a statement to TODAY.com, he said, "My family and I join all West Virginians in praying for the Gandee family as they go through this difficult time."

Last month, MTV renewed the show for a second season. However, in the wake of Shain's death, production on the show has been suspended, a network spokesperson told TODAY.com.

In a statement to TODAY.com, MTV said, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly."

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/04/01/17554169-buckwild-star-shain-gandee-dead-at-21?lite

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Kate Gosselin: Stalked on Twitter By 62-Year-Old Woman!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/kate-gosselin-stalked-on-twitter-by-62-year-old-woman/

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Pedestrians at serious risk when drivers are 'permitted' to turn left

Apr. 2, 2013 ? A study to examine driver behavior in permitted left turns has identified what researchers call an "alarming" level of risk to pedestrians crossing the street -- about 4-9 percent of the time, drivers don't even bother to look and see if there are pedestrians in their way.

As opposed to a "protected" left turn, in which a solid green arrow gives a driver the complete right of way in a left-turn lane, a "permitted" left turn is often allowed by a confusing hodgepodge of signals, and drivers may have to pick their way through narrow windows of oncoming traffic.

This difficult driving maneuver, which is played out millions of times a day around the world, is fraught with risk for unwary pedestrians, who too often appear to be an afterthought.

The danger is much higher than had been realized, experts say.

"There are far more pedestrian crashes in marked crosswalks than anywhere else on roads, and pedestrians already have a false sense of security," said David Hurwitz, an assistant professor of transportation engineering at Oregon State University. "This study found that one key concern is permitted left turns."

As they wait to turn left, sometimes taking a narrow opportunity to lunge into a stream of oncoming traffic, drivers focus most of their attention on the vehicular traffic and the traffic signal, rather than any pedestrians crossing the street, the research showed. The heavier the traffic, the less attention paid to pedestrians.

In a controlled analysis in a full-scale driving simulator that monitored specific eye movements, the engineers found that about one time in 10 or 20, the driver didn't even look to see if a pedestrian was there before moving into the intersection. This suggests a major level of risk to pedestrians, researchers said, if they assume that drivers not only will look for them, but will allow them to cross the street.

The problem is aggravated by "permitted" left turn signals that vary widely, from state to state and sometimes even from one city to the next. Such turns might be allowed by a circular green light, a flashing circular yellow light, a flashing circular red light, or even a flashing yellow arrow. More consistent national standards regarding the flashing yellow arrow were recommended as recently as 2009, but the process of upgrading signals across the nation takes time.

The danger is sufficiently high, the researchers concluded, that more states and cities should consider prohibiting permitted left turns while pedestrians are allowed to be in the crosswalk. In Washington County, Ore., traffic managers recently did just that, after receiving a high number of complaints about pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.

"In traffic management you always have multiple goals, which sometimes conflict," Hurwitz said. "You want to move traffic as efficiently as possible, because there's a cost to making vehicles wait. You use more fuel, increase emissions and waste people's time. The permitted left turn can help with efficiency.

"But the safety of the traveling public is also critical," he said. "Sometimes the goal of safety has to override the goal of efficiency, and we think this is one of those times."

Also of some interest, the study found preliminary evidence to suggest that the currently-mandated type of signal, which uses four heads instead of three, offers no change in driver behavior. However, the cost to implement a four-head signal is about $800 more than retrofitting the three-head version, which is widely used around the nation. Many millions of dollars might be saved nationally by using the simpler signal.

The findings of these studies have been compiled in a report by OSU and Portland State University researchers to the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, which funded the research. They will also be presented this year at the Driving Assessment Conference in New York and the Western District ITE meeting in Arizona.

Report: http://otrec.us/project/484

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/J0kwXHaOWPM/130402182631.htm

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