Brain pathway triggering impulsive eating identified

Feb. 28, 2013 ? New research from the University of Georgia has identified the neural pathways in an insect brain tied to eating for pleasure, a discovery that sheds light on mirror impulsive eating pathways in the human brain.

"We know when insects are hungry, they eat more, become aggressive and are willing to do more work to get the food," said Ping Shen, a UGA associate professor of cellular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "Little is known about the other half-the reward-driven feeding behavior-when the animal is not so hungry but they still get excited about food when they smell something great.

The fact that a relatively lower animal, a fly larva, actually does this impulsive feeding based on a rewarding cue was a surprise."

The research team led by Shen, who also is a member of the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, found that presenting fed fruit fly larvae with appetizing odors caused impulsive feeding of sugar-rich foods. The findings, published Feb. 28 in Cell Press, suggest eating for pleasure is an ancient behavior and that fly larvae can be used in studying neurobiology and the evolution of olfactory reward-driven impulses.

To test reward-driven behaviors in flies, Shen introduced appetizing odors to groups of well-fed larvae. In every case, the fed larvae consumed about 30 percent more food when surrounded by the attractive odors.

But when the insects were offered a substandard meal, they refused to eat it.

"They have expectations," he said. "If we reduce the concentration of sugar below a threshold, they do not respond anymore. Similar to what you see in humans, if you approach a beautiful piece of cake and you taste it and determine it is old and horrible, you are no longer interested."

Shen's team also tried to further define this phenomenon-the connection between excitement and expectation. He found when the larvae were presented with a brief odor, the amount of time they were willing to act on the impulse was about 15 minutes.

"After 15 minutes, they revert back to normal. You get excited, but you can't stay excited forever, so there is a mechanism to shut it down," he said.

His work also suggests the neuropeptides, or brain chemicals acting as signaling molecules triggering impulsive eating, are consistent between flies and humans. Neurons receive and convert stimuli into thoughts that are then relayed to the downstream mechanism telling the animals to act. These signaling molecules are required for this impulse, suggesting the molecular details of these functions are evolutionarily tied between flies and humans.

"There are hyper-rewarding cues that humans and flies have evolved to perceive, and they connect this perception with behavior performance," Shen said. "As long as this is activated, the animal will eat food. In this way, the brain is stupid: It does not know how it gets activated. In this case, the fly says 'I smell something, I want to do this.' This kind of connection has been established very early on, probably before the divergence of fly and human. That is why we both have it."

Impulsive and reward-driven behaviors are largely misunderstood, partially due to the complex systems at work in human brains. Fly larvae nervous systems, in terms of scheme and organization, are very similar to adult flies and to mammals, but with fewer neurons and less complex wirings.

"A particular function in the brain of mammals may require a large cluster of neurons," he said. "In flies, it may be only one or four. They are simpler in number but not principle."

In the fly model, four neurons are responsible for relaying signals from the olfactory center to the brain to stimulate action. Each odor and receptor translates the response slightly differently. Human triggers are obviously more diverse, but Shen thinks the mechanism to appreciate the combination is likely the same. He is now working with Tianming Liu, assistant professor of computer science at UGA and member of the Bioimaging Research Center and Institute of Bioinformatics, on a computer model to determine how these odors are interpreted as stimuli.

"Dieting is difficult, especially in the environment of these beautiful foods," Shen said. "It is very hard to control this impulsive urge. So, if we understand how this compulsive eating behavior comes about, we maybe can devise a way, at least for the behavioral aspect, to prevent it. We can modulate our behaviors better or use chemical interventions to calm down these cues."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by April Reese Sorrow.

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. Yonghua Wang, Yuhan Pu, Ping Shen. Neuropeptide-Gated Perception of Appetitive Olfactory Inputs in Drosophila Larvae. Cell Reports, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.02.003

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/w47egAsfD9E/130228124644.htm

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Retirees turn to communal living in NY

Jim Fitzgerald , The Associated Press ? ? ? 3 hrs.

CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y. - At the Fellowship Community's adult home, workers are paid not according to what they do, but what they need; aging residents are encouraged to lend a hand at the farm, the candle shop or the pottery studio; and boisterous children are welcome around the old folks.

It's a home for the elderly in a commune-like setting ? 30 miles from Manhattan ? that takes an unusual approach, integrating seniors into the broader community and encouraging them to contribute to its welfare.

"It's a great place to live, and I think there's probably no better place in the world to die," says Joanne Karp, an 81-year-old resident who was supposed to be in her room recovering from eye surgery but instead was down the hall at the piano, accompanying three kids learning to play the recorder.

The 33-bed adult home is at the center of Fellowship Community, a collection of about 130 men, women and children founded in 1966 that offers seniors ? including the aging baby boom generation ? an alternative to living out their final years in traditional assisted-living homes or with their grown sons and daughters.

At most adult homes, a resident in decline would eventually have to go to a hospital or nursing home. But Fellowship has an exemption from state law that allows dying residents to stay there because "people have wanted to stay, and we have wanted to keep them," said administrator Ann Scharff, who helped found the community.

"We provide a space in which people can prepare to die in a way that is accepted and nourishing to them and fraught with meaning," Scharff said. "It's not something you run away from, but it's part of the whole spectrum of life, just as birth is part of life and is prepared for."

Like living in a village
Situated on a hilltop in suburban Rockland County, Fellowship looks a bit like a village out of the past. Besides the farm and the pottery and candle shops, there are a dairy barn with 10 cows, a print shop, a metal shop, a "weavery" and a wood shop.

The 33-acre farm goes beyond organic, running on "biodynamic," or self-sustaining, principles, as much as a small farm can, said Jairo Gonzalez, the head gardener. Solar panels sparkle on the barn roof, and cow manure becomes compost.

Most of the adult home workers live in buildings surrounding it, as do about 35 independent seniors who don't yet need the services but plan to live out their days in the community. At meals, elders, workers and children dine together.

"We don't subscribe to 'Children should be seen and not heard,'" Scharff said.

Caring for the elderly is the main activity, but all the workers also have other responsibilities.

"In a typical work week, someone will be inside helping the elderly, meaning bringing meals, bathing, meds," said Will Bosch, head of the community's board of trustees. "But they'll also be doing building and grounds maintenance, planting, harvesting, milking."

Organizers decline to call it a commune but concede the spirit is similar. The philosophy behind it is called anthroposophy, "a source of spiritual knowledge and a practice of inner development," according to The Anthroposophical Society in America.

Elder care is practiced in somewhat similar fashion in at least two other anthroposophy-inspired communities: Camphill Ghent in Chatham, N.Y., and Hesperus Village in Vaughan, Ontario, near Toronto.

The area around Fellowship has several other organizations with ties to anthroposophy, including a private school, a bookstore and a co-op grocery that sells some of the community's crops. Fewer than half the adult home residents at Fellowship Community have any connection to anthroposophy, at least when they enter, Scharff said.

"We're an age-integrated community built around the central mission of care of the elderly," Bosch said. "The members want to be of service. They come because they know this is a place where they can contribute."

So Karp, the 81-year-old, teaches music and entertains the community at the piano.

"I think the reason people really appreciate this place is because they can be active and they can contribute and there's always something that needs doing," Karp said. "And it's nice when kids are glad to see you."

Importance of community
Other residents, or members, as they're called, have found similar niches.

Gwen Eisenmann, 91, a retired poet, leads poetry discussions and also likes to set the table before meals. Larry Fox, 74, a psychologist, treats patients at the Fellowship's medical office and said, "Where could I be at my age and be so happy to get up in the morning and look forward to the day?"

It's difficult, Bosch said, to find people to sign up for the communal life and work. It appeals to "people who are dismayed with the materialism of the world and are trying to get above it," he said. "People who are interested in an alternative lifestyle , not based on pocketing the most money they can for the least amount of work."

When elders come in, they pay a "life lease" of $27,500 to $50,000, depending on the space they will occupy in the adult home or the "lodges" surrounding it. In addition, they pay $700-$1,500 per month in rent, and up to $3,000 a month for care, depending on what they need.

Revenue from the adult home provides 60 percent of the nonprofit Fellowship Community's $3 million operating budget, with the rest coming from donations and the sale of produce, milk and crafts, home officials said. Donations completely fund the capital budget, make up any annual shortfall and subsidize the adult home.

The adult home is licensed and inspected by the state and is in good standing. It doesn't accept federal or state aid. Workers are paid according to need, and their housing, food and transportation ? there are community cars ? are included.

"Two people doing the same job might get very different stipends," Bosch said. "One might have children, one might not."

Matt Uppenbrink, 44, a former businessman in the fashion world who now lives at Fellowship with his wife and two children, is on the community's "financial circle" but also does his bit in the adult home.

"When I got my MBA, I didn't think I'd be helping somebody to go to the toilet," he said. "But years ago, with Grandma and Grandpa in the house, that's how it was done. What we do here is like helping a friend or helping a loved one. My dad is in a nursing home, and I wish he had this instead."

Rachel Berman, a 47-year-old former New York City teacher, lives at the community with her 10-year-old daughter.

"We cook, we farm, we care for the elderly," Berman said. "I was in the Peace Corps, and I lived for a while on a kibbutz in Israel, so community life was important to me."

The workers "get to see the stages of an elder's journey, different approaches to the end of life," Uppenbrink said. "You get to see the process happen. It gives you something to work with in terms of your own future."

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/retirees-turn-communal-living-ny-1C8595106

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Crowd-sourced funding provides missing help for rare genetic diseases

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University researcher heads first international branch of the Rare Genomics Institute

Tel Aviv For the estimated 250 million people worldwide who suffer from rare diseases, there is little hope for diagnosis or treatment. Because each individual disease impacts so few people, hardly any funding is allocated to research, leaving many without medical options. The US-based non-profit organization Rare Genomics Institute (RGI) is working to address this problem by "crowd-funding" allowing people to donate on the Internet towards genetic testing for individual children who are struggling with a rare disease.

Now, thanks to Dr. Noam Shomron of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, RGI's vital mission has come to Israel the first international branch of the organization. Its online home is http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php, and it has launched its first appeal for two Israeli children at http://raregenomics.org/donors.php.

Based at the TAU-affiliated Sourasky Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center, RGI-Israel will help families with children impacted by rare genetic diseases find support and care through advanced genetic testing. The Israeli branch is run in collaboration with three of Israel's top geneticists, Drs. Lina Basel, Shay Ben-Shachar, and Hagit Baris.

The services that the organization provides are sorely needed in Israel, says Dr. Shomron, who is the director of Israel's RGI. Both Jewish and Arabic populations in Israel are plagued by a unique pool of genetic diseases. "There are decades of genetic puzzles in the Israeli population, and we are hoping to solve a few of them," he says, hoping that RGI-Israel will help provide the funding to support these families in need.

A community effort

A decade ago, the human genome was sequenced for the first time. The process cost over a billion dollars and took more than ten years to complete. But now a more advanced technology, deep sequencing, can sequence the entire human genome in a matter of days and at a less prohibitive cost. Dr. Shomron's TAU lab is a world leader in this field of research.

RGI's approach is straight-forward. It maintains online donation pages with pictures and personal stories of children in need of genetic testing for mutations as the first step toward treatment or a cure. Donors can then contribute to the cost of DNA testing for each individual child. "Deep sequencing costs around $1,500 per person now, and the fundraising goal for each child is less than $8,000, which is used for sequencing and confirmation of the genomes of the affected child and their relatives, depending on the family's genetic history and the genetics of the disease," says Dr. Shomron, who notes that Israeli families are already reaching out to RGI Israel for help. This allows families to avoid the difficult and expensive process of testing for mutations gene by gene.

One family, for example, has been plagued for generations by what appears to be mental retardation but the medical cause of this condition remains a mystery. "They have been living for many years without knowing what causes this problem in their family. They don't know whether their DNA is the cause and if it is, what mutation causes it," he says.

Once the genetic testing has been completed, RGI-Israel's doctors will meet with each family to discuss the results. And the support won't end there. The next phase is to link each family with researchers who study the genes in question, building a network of researchers and patients who work together to investigate these rare diseases. Ultimately, this process assures each patient that they are not facing their disease alone.

Family planning

For many families, simply knowing the cause of their child's disease gives a sense of relief and hope. It also helps doctors to develop better treatment plans, and in a few "miracle" cases, RGI's work has even led to a successful therapeutic management. With the very first child whose genome was sequenced, doctors discovered that he had a mutation in a haematological-related gene, says Dr. Shomron. With a stem cell related transplant, they were able to completely eradicate his disease.

Genetic knowledge can also be invaluable in terms of future family planning. Many affected parents want more children but are afraid of similar complications with subsequent births. Once the genetic mutation is identified, these couples can use IVF and advanced scanning methods such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to ensure that their future children are healthy.

###

For more information on RGI-Israel or to donate, please visit the website at:

http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israels leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

---

[ | 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: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University researcher heads first international branch of the Rare Genomics Institute

Tel Aviv For the estimated 250 million people worldwide who suffer from rare diseases, there is little hope for diagnosis or treatment. Because each individual disease impacts so few people, hardly any funding is allocated to research, leaving many without medical options. The US-based non-profit organization Rare Genomics Institute (RGI) is working to address this problem by "crowd-funding" allowing people to donate on the Internet towards genetic testing for individual children who are struggling with a rare disease.

Now, thanks to Dr. Noam Shomron of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, RGI's vital mission has come to Israel the first international branch of the organization. Its online home is http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php, and it has launched its first appeal for two Israeli children at http://raregenomics.org/donors.php.

Based at the TAU-affiliated Sourasky Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center, RGI-Israel will help families with children impacted by rare genetic diseases find support and care through advanced genetic testing. The Israeli branch is run in collaboration with three of Israel's top geneticists, Drs. Lina Basel, Shay Ben-Shachar, and Hagit Baris.

The services that the organization provides are sorely needed in Israel, says Dr. Shomron, who is the director of Israel's RGI. Both Jewish and Arabic populations in Israel are plagued by a unique pool of genetic diseases. "There are decades of genetic puzzles in the Israeli population, and we are hoping to solve a few of them," he says, hoping that RGI-Israel will help provide the funding to support these families in need.

A community effort

A decade ago, the human genome was sequenced for the first time. The process cost over a billion dollars and took more than ten years to complete. But now a more advanced technology, deep sequencing, can sequence the entire human genome in a matter of days and at a less prohibitive cost. Dr. Shomron's TAU lab is a world leader in this field of research.

RGI's approach is straight-forward. It maintains online donation pages with pictures and personal stories of children in need of genetic testing for mutations as the first step toward treatment or a cure. Donors can then contribute to the cost of DNA testing for each individual child. "Deep sequencing costs around $1,500 per person now, and the fundraising goal for each child is less than $8,000, which is used for sequencing and confirmation of the genomes of the affected child and their relatives, depending on the family's genetic history and the genetics of the disease," says Dr. Shomron, who notes that Israeli families are already reaching out to RGI Israel for help. This allows families to avoid the difficult and expensive process of testing for mutations gene by gene.

One family, for example, has been plagued for generations by what appears to be mental retardation but the medical cause of this condition remains a mystery. "They have been living for many years without knowing what causes this problem in their family. They don't know whether their DNA is the cause and if it is, what mutation causes it," he says.

Once the genetic testing has been completed, RGI-Israel's doctors will meet with each family to discuss the results. And the support won't end there. The next phase is to link each family with researchers who study the genes in question, building a network of researchers and patients who work together to investigate these rare diseases. Ultimately, this process assures each patient that they are not facing their disease alone.

Family planning

For many families, simply knowing the cause of their child's disease gives a sense of relief and hope. It also helps doctors to develop better treatment plans, and in a few "miracle" cases, RGI's work has even led to a successful therapeutic management. With the very first child whose genome was sequenced, doctors discovered that he had a mutation in a haematological-related gene, says Dr. Shomron. With a stem cell related transplant, they were able to completely eradicate his disease.

Genetic knowledge can also be invaluable in terms of future family planning. Many affected parents want more children but are afraid of similar complications with subsequent births. Once the genetic mutation is identified, these couples can use IVF and advanced scanning methods such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to ensure that their future children are healthy.

###

For more information on RGI-Israel or to donate, please visit the website at:

http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israels leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

---

[ | 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/2013-02/afot-cfp022713.php

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Boston Acoustics MC200 Air

Boston Acoustics has joined the AirPlay speaker parade with the MC200 Air, a $299.99 (direct) system that also features the ability to stream wireless audio from DLNA-compatible devices. From the visual design to the audio performance, there's nothing wrong here, but the MC200 just doesn't do enough to stand out from the pack. The setup process isn?t as streamlined as some of the competition, and low-end lovers will want to steer clear?this system doesn't offer much of a sub-bass presence, but it also doesn't distort on deep bass, even at high volumes. The overall sound here is crisp and bright, while the user experience is, after initial setup, friendly enough. The MC200 Air isn't especially compelling, however, when compared with competing AirPlay systems.

Design
The MC200 Air measures 6 by 15.8 by 5.3 inches and is available in glossy back or white plastic finishes. Its long front panel is dominated by a metallic speaker grille, with the Boston Acoustics logo below it. On the top panel, a series of buttons, backlit in various colors, control Power, Mute, Air, and Aux (choose either to switch your sound source), and Volume?seeing this many physical controls on an AirPlay system is a rarity.

A 3.5mm Aux input and a headphone jack are located on the left side panel. Along the rear panel are a power adapter connector, Ethernet port, USB port, Setup button, and a flip-up, rubberized plastic antenna. The speaker unit is also wall-mountable using the two keyhole mounts on the back panel.

Setting up the MC200 Air requires far more effort than most popular, competing AirPlay models. The process is pretty much a one-time thing, but because many AirPlay docks have free apps that do all the legwork for you, the MC200 Air starts to feel primitive. There are three different methods you can use to set up the system for wireless play. According to the manual, the "easiest" involves pressing the Setup button on the rear panel and then pressing the WPS button on your router, then waiting. That's fine, but you shouldn't have to even walk over to your router to set up an AirPlay system. The other methods involve doing all the work that more user-friendly speaker systems take care of for you: logging onto a Boston Acoustics network setup web page, clicking on "Profile Configuration," and selecting a few different options from pull-down menus. Again, the process is not confusing, and it's a one-time thing, but it is an annoyance, for sure.

You can also use the MC200 Air as a wired Ethernet speaker?you'll still stream via your iOS device or computer's AirPlay functionality, but connecting to your router via Ethernet means a more reliable signal. That said, AirPlay has improved since its debut roughly two years ago, and the wireless streaming quality is now pretty solid. You also have the option to connect your iOS device via the USB charging cable that came with it and get a digital-quality direct signal (or just charge the device). You can connect a 3.5mm stereo cable to the headphone jack as well, but no cable is included, unfortunately.

The included remote needs to be authorized in iTunes in order to control AirPlay audio?this option is under the Preferences menu. Again, no big deal, but this is not something you have to do on most other AirPlay systems we've tested. Thankfully, the entire point of an AirPlay system is to stream from computers or iOS devices, and generally, you tend to use these systems as their own remotes. (You'd just pause playback on your iPhone itself, for instance).

If you have a DLNA device, you can also stream shared content that way?most of the set up process will occur on your specific device, and not so much on the MC200 Air itself.

Performance
The MC200 Air does not distort on tracks with deep bass at high volumes, but it seems to be employing some digital signal processing (DSP) to limit the deep bass frequencies as things get louder. This prevents distortion, but the end result is a speaker system that, at top volumes, sounds as if it lacks sub-bass response on any level. The thunderous electronic drum hits on the Knife's "Silent Shout" sound like fingernails tapping on a tabletop. Lower the volume a bit, and things start to beef up in terms of bass response. This is because the distortion threat is more or less eliminated, so there's no need for heavy DSP. Even at modest volumes, the MC200 Air doesn't sound terribly powerful in the low frequency department, but it delivers a sound that's much closer to the ideal.

On certain genres that rely less on sub-bass elements, the MC200 Air sounds crisp and powerful, with a rich delivery of the lower frequencies that would be covered by a woofer, not a sub-woofer. Arcade Fire's "Rococo" offers a nice example of a song with rich low-end content that doesn't creep too far into the sub-bass realm, and at mid-to-high volumes, the MC200 Air delivers this track cleanly and crisply, with clear vocals and a nice edge to the strumming of the guitars.

Bill Callahan's unique baritone vocals on "Drover" sound excellent on the MC200 Air, nicely combining the richness of his voice with its treble edge, while the pounding drumbeat in the background never overtakes the mix. On some systems with seriously boosted bass, both his vocals and the drums can sound too rounded and dull-edged, and the mix gets muddy.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the vocals are once again crisp and prominently featured, but the kick drum loop and the sub-bass synth hits sound a little too thin, robbed of their low frequency power, and the net result is a less compelling overall mix. In other words, this is not a system for lovers of deep bass and the genres that employ it, like most hip hop and electronic music. The MC200 Air is a far more appropriate choice for genres like folk, jazz, and some less bass-heavy rock.

Classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," benefit from the clearly defined, crisp high-mid and high frequency sound signature of the system. The lower register strings and percussion, however, can sound slightly lacking. It's not nearly as thin-sounding as the Jay-Z and Kanye West track, but the resonant, rounded sound you might expect to hear from a large drum hit or the bowing of large stringed instruments is dialed back a bit here. On the upside, the wooden percussive content, in the high frequencies, sounds amazingly bright and clear, and helps to add a certain sense of spatial depth.

At $300, the MC200 Air is less expensive than some other systems, like the $400 Audyssey Audio Dock Air, but the best AirPlay systems are priced much higher. Why do such expensive systems seem to deliver such inexpensive-sounding audio? AirPlay, as a feature, is not inexpensive to employ, so much of the price you pay is just to have that built-in wireless functionality, making a speaker system that would normally be priced far lower suddenly ascend.

If you can spend more, you'll find better wireless audio options, like the $500 JBL OnBeat Xtreme, a Bluetooth speaker that outperforms most of the more-affordable AirPlay options and also has a physical dock for iOS devices.

But if AirPlay's wireless functionality is the main draw for you here, you can get some far more powerful, better-sounding systems?you just have to plunk down more cash. The Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air?offers a refined, near-audiophile Airplay experience, while, if we really climb the price ladder, it's hard to say anything bad about the intense Bowers & Wilkins A7, except that it costs $800. For the price, the MC200 Air isn't a bad deal, but make no mistake: You'll be paying a premium for the freedom of wireless audio, not for stellar audio performance.

More Speaker reviews:
??? Boston Acoustics MC200 Air
??? Yamaha YAS-101
??? Xmi X-Mini Max
??? Beats By Dre Pill
??? JBL OnBeat Micro
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/skSvUJWefJo/0,2817,2414701,00.asp

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SES New York Keynote Speaker Says Internet is TV's Best Friend ...

The Internet didn?t kill TV! According to Mike Proulx, the Internet has become TV?s best friend. Proulx will be the opening keynote speaker at SES New York 2013. The leading event for experienced marketing and advertising professionals will take place March 25-28, 2013, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Proulx is a Senior Vice President and the Director of Social Media at Hill Holliday, a renowned advertising agency based in Boston, where he leads a team with a focus on cross-channel integration, emerging and social media. He has spent the last 17 years working at various interactive, high-tech, and new media companies on the agency-side, client-side, and as an entrepreneur. He has spoken at dozens of events and has been widely featured in the press including The New York Times, Fast Company, TV Guide, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Mashable, BuzzFeed, and NPR.

Proulx conceived, produced, directed, and co-host the TVnext summit, which took place in early 2011 and 2012. He is the co-author of Social TV, a best-selling book from Wiley publishing that launched in February of 2012. He is also the host of the social TV web series, ?The Pulse on Lost Remote?. He holds a Master?s degree in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and in 2012 was named the Ad Club?s Media All Star.

His opening keynote is titled, ?Social TV: How Marketers Can Reach and Engage Audiences by Connecting Television to the Web, Social Media, and Mobile.?

Search Engine Watch (SEW) asked Mike Proulx (MP) five questions about his upcoming keynote. Here are his answers:

SEW: How does the convergence of television with the web, social media, and mobile change our behaviors and shake up our long standing beliefs about TV?

MP: There are those who believe that television is a traditional medium with an impending death. The web, social media, and mobile have evolved TV into a multi-screen experience that transcends devices. Not only are we watching more television than ever before, we?re interacting with programming on the ?second screen? in ways that enrich storylines and bring us together to virtually co-view. The modern era of television is a new media that?s more social, more connected, and more portable?and because of this TV is more alive than it?s ever been.

SEW: How has social media created a new and powerful "backchannel" and why does this fuel the renaissance of live broadcasts?

MP: There are a ton of posts happening in social media about any given TV show as it airs. Since Twitter is open and public, it acts as television?s backchannel filled with real-time commentary and conversation ? And it?s not just about TV series but also TV commercials giving producers and marketers instant feedback about their content. Live television events are seeing some of the highest ratings in years and social media brings a level of community and connection to TV watching the likes of which the medium has never before experienced.

SEW: Can you give us some examples of how mobile devices allow us to watch and interact with television whenever and wherever we want?

MP: Tablets, smartphones, and laptops enable television?s portability but it?s apps like HBO Go, ABC Player, Xfinity Remote, and CNN that deliver ?TV? content via those devices. And in the 4G world of mobile, we can watch TV in places once inconceivable. My favorite spot? Laying out on the roof deck on a warm summer night with my iPad in hand streaming HBO?s The Newsroom.

SEW: Why would ?connected TVs? blend web and television content into a unified big screen experience that will bring us back into our living rooms?

MP: Apple TV, Roku, Boxee TV, Google TV, Samsung Smart TVs, etc. stream online video (that was once relegated to our computer screens) onto the ?big screen? of our living rooms. HD YouTube clips suddenly come to life in ways that are far more impactful and dynamic than tiny smartphone screens further blurring the lines of what?s ?TV.? While the notion of TV everywhere lets us watch TV at will regardless of our physical location, the increasingly seamless ability to channel streaming video through the TV set makes the living room that much more compelling.

SEW: With the television landscape changing, why should brands approach the medium once labeled ?traditional? as new media?

MP: TV has become mashed up with the Web, social media, and mobile. Television networks, providers, brands, and agencies must continue to unshackle themselves from dated business and advertising models and rediscover television as a new medium. This means planning television and digital together to tell stories across devices and engage viewers with TV experiences not just TV shows. The speed, scale, and degree of change that has and is happening create enormous opportunity for those brands who have the courage to innovate.

SES New York 2013 offers a variety of conference passes and on-site training. If you register by Thursday, March 7, 2013, you can save up to $600 on Platinum or All Access passes.

For more information, click on Rates and Registration Details. Group discounts for 4 or more pass holders from the same company are also available by contacting [email?protected] and are the best value for the lowest price possible.

I should disclose that SES New York is a client of my agency. But, trust me, TV is not dead yet.

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Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2250850/SES-New-York-Keynote-Speaker-Says-Internet-is-TVs-Best-Friend

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Should IRS report tax deadbeats to credit bureaus?

By Herb Weisbaum, TODAY contributor

Here?s a scary thought, especially if you owe back taxes: What if the Internal Revenue Service reported your payment history to the big national credit bureaus?

Unlike many other debts owed to the federal government, unpaid taxes are not reported to credit bureaus. The IRS is not allowed to directly share this information because of federal privacy laws.

Of course, Congress could always change the law to allow the IRS to directly report all delinquencies to the credit bureaus. No one has proposed making this change, but last year the Senate Finance Committee did ask the General Accounting Office to look at the issue.

The GAO did not make any recommendations in its report released in October, but it did list arguments for and against the idea. It also provided some hard numbers about the staggering amount of money owed to the federal treasury in unpaid taxes.

As of October 2011, about $343 billion was owed in unpaid federal tax debts. That?s more than the federal deficit of $207 billion for the 2012 budget year. Most of the outstanding debts are relatively small ?less than $5,000.

Some tax information does make it to the credit bureaus. When the IRS files a tax lien to collect back taxes, that information is public record and can be picked up by credit reporting agencies. The GAO found that liens have been filed for more than half of all the dollars owed in tax debts.

Why change the current system?

Simply put: the possibility of more revenue.

If this information were reported to the credit bureaus it would have an effect on credit scores and that might change behavior. Some people might be encouraged to pay their taxes on time or pay off existing debts to improve their credit scores.

It might also provide another way to enforce the tax code. Anyone who owed more than a certain amount of back taxes could be barred from receiving certain benefits, such as government contracts, grants or loans.

Would this really make a difference? According to the GAO report there?s no way to be sure.

?Some taxpayers have agreed to installment agreements, so reporting their debts many not influence their willingness to pay because they are already making payments. IRS classifies other debts as uncollectible, and reporting those debts many not make the debts any more collectible.?

There?s also the belief that providing tax payment history to credit bureaus would give potential lenders a more complete ? and possibly more accurate ? picture of the person or business applying for credit.?

Under the current system, the credit reporting agencies know the dollar amount of a tax debt when a lien is filed. They don?t know if the debt grows because of penalties and interest. They don?t know when it?s reduced as the amount owed is paid down.

Direct reporting, supporters say, would provide more current information which would give the taxpayer an incentive to pay off the debt because the declining balance would improve their credit history.

The GAO did offer this caution: reporting tax payment information on an ongoing basis could increase the risk that negative information shows up in a person?s credit file twice.

Would it really make a difference?

The General Accounting Office did not come to a conclusion on that.

It noted that such a system could cost the IRS money because it would have to handle transmission of information to the credit bureaus and deal with taxpayer inquiries and disputes.

?Taxpayers would be forced to either dispute the inaccurate information to have it corrected or face possible serious consequences such as denial of credit, employment, or housing due to the inaccurate negative information on their credit histories. IRS would incur additional costs as it would have to respond to related inquiries and disputes.?

The GAO report also included a caution from the National Taxpayer Advocate that full reporting could result in some people choosing not to file tax returns ? or to file inaccurately ? if they know they owe money to the IRS.

The credit reporting industry hasn?t taken a position on this idea. And since nothing has been proposed, consumer groups haven?t really focused on the issue.

Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney for?the National Consumer Law Center said her main concern was the potential harm that could be caused by reporting errors.

?Would tax debts show up in the wrong credit reports?? she asked. ?I?d be concerned that adding a whole new batch of data would increase the number of errors credit bureaus make and how difficult it can be to get them fixed.?

Wu noted that American taxpayers share some very private and confidential information with the IRS and in return Congress prohibits the IRS from sharing that information.

?If that bargain is going to be changed,? Wu said, ?we want to think long and hard about why and how it would be changed.?

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Herb will be a guest on the Jim Bohannon Radio show Tuesday night (Feb. 26) talking about current consumer issues. Listen live at 11 pm Eastern. Here?s how to find a radio station in your area.

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/02/26/17102095-should-irs-report-tax-deadbeats-to-credit-bureaus?lite

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Paul Russell: Euthanasia's euphemisms

Here's a great summary of the changes in language employed by those who support changes to the law. This is a time-honoured campaigning tool for anyone who has ever tried to win an argument - but when dealing with life and death - it's just not appropriate.

When a social movement must rely on euphemisms to obfuscate its goals, it is a good bet that there is something wrong with its agenda. From the very beginning of the modern movement, euthanasia advocates have euphemistically bent language as a means of convincing society to endorse killing?an accurate and descriptive term that simply means to end life?as an acceptable method of ending human suffering.

Euthanasia, from the Greek, literally means ?good death.? As the historian Ian Dowbiggin has noted, the term once described ?a calm and easy? natural death at home, ?so family members and friends could say their farewells.?

That changed after an 1870 essay by a teacher named Samuel D. Williams was published arguing that the value of human life depends on whether it is ?worthwhile??an idea known today as the ?quality of life ethic??and moreover, that mercy killing and assisted suicide should be allowed for those who are ?hopelessly suffering.? The essay went viral?to use today?s terminology?and within a few years, the word euthanasia had taken on its modern meaning. The euthanasia movement has been coining new definitions and idioms ever since.

The movement?s latest euphemistic phrase is ?aid in dying,? promoted most prominently by the (euphemistically) named assisted suicide advocacy organization Compassion and Choices (which came into being after a merger with the more descriptively named Hemlock Society). According to C&C, when a terminally ill patient swallows an intentionally prescribed lethal overdose of barbiturates, it isn?t really suicide. Why? Because the word ?suicide? has negative connotations, and C&C wants people to feel positive about some self-killings.

Here?s the idea: A terminally ill patient doesn?t really want to die, but has no choice. Hence, taking an intentionally prescribed lethal overdose of ?medication??another euphemism, since the purpose is not to treat but to poison oneself?doesn?t constitute suicide. Thus, in a C&C press release from a few years ago boosting use of ?aid in dying,? the (late) Peter Goodwin, a prominent assisted suicide-participating doctor, said, ?As a physician, I resent the term ?physician-assisted suicide.? I never felt I was assisting a suicidal patient, but rather aiding a patient with his or her end of life choice.? Since then, ?aid in dying? has become ubiquitous in media stories and assisted suicide advocacy.

Note that Goodwin?s complaint had nothing to do with accuracy and everything to do with emotions. He ?feels? rather than ?thinks.? And that?s how C&C wants listeners and readers to react?emotionally rather than rationally?toward the end that people are more likely to approve of legalizing assisted suicide if it isn?t called what it actually is.

But surely, accurate language must still mean something in public policy debates. Suicide is defined as ?the act or an instance of taking one?s own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind.? Thus, under C&C?s reckoning, if the distraught owner of, say, a failed business intentionally takes an overdose of prescribed sleeping pills, it?s suicide. But if the same man takes the pills because he has cancer, and the doctor prescribed the pills for that purpose, it isn?t suicide. That?s nonsensical.

Assisted suicide proponents claim that changing the lexicon is necessary to avoid furthering a supposed stigma associated with suicide. I am not sure whether that stigma exists anymore. But if some suicidal people don?t kill themselves because they worry what others might think, why is that so bad? I mean, the outcome is a saved or extended life. Indeed, many once-suicidal terminally ill people later come to be glad that they didn?t do the deed. Aren?t their lives worth protecting?

I want to make it very clear that I don?t think we should judge or condemn anyone who is suicidal or commits suicide. None of us knows what our own emotional limits might be. Given sufficient despair, fear, or pain, any of us might be attracted to the siren song of self-destruction. The good news is that such causes of despair can often be treated and overcome?including in the dying.

The real issue, then, is how we react to our brothers and sisters who have fallen into a darkness sufficient to make them want to end it all. Should we engage in suicide prevention for all, or only for some? I believe that the dying deserve to have their suicidal desires treated just as seriously as the despairing widow or the troubled teen.

That?s certainly the hospice philosophy, the truly compassionate approach to terminal illness. In contrast to assisted suicide?which is about dying?hospice is about living. Hospice does not seek to simply ?extend life? but maintain its quality to the natural end, and that explicitly includes suicide prevention.

Assisted suicide is suicide.The term is descriptive and accurate. When legalized, it amounts to state-approved suicide, an issue too culturally consequential for us to allow gooey euphemisms to serve as the sugar that helps the bitter hemlock go down.

Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute?s Center on Human Exceptionalism. He also consults for the Patients Rights Council and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. His previous ?On the Square? articles can be found here.?

Source: http://blog.noeuthanasia.org.au/2013/02/euthanasias-euphemisms.html

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