TechStars London, the UK outpost of uber-accelerator TechStars has announced that its found a permanent home at newly-established Warner Yard, a co-working space owned by early-stage fund Playfair Capital. It follows the recent news that TechStars London has been approved as a Recognised Seed Competition, smoothing the way for participants to qualify for a UK Entrepreneur Visa.
REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland's centre-right parties took a commanding early lead in elections on Saturday, staying on course to return to power with promises of tax cuts and debt relief just five years after presiding over the country's spectacular economic collapse.
The Independence and Progressive Parties, which ruled the nation, often in coalition, for nearly 30 years before the 2008 collapse, had collected close to half the votes counted so far, putting them solidly ahead of the ruling Social Democrats and on track to form Iceland's next government.
"People seem to have a very short memory," Halldor Gudmundsson, 44, said after casting his ballot. "These are the parties that got us into the mess in the first place."
With nearly 20 percent of overall votes counted, the Independence Party, which was part of every government between 1980 and 2009, led with 24.9 percent, and the Progressive Party was close behind with 22.7 percent, while the Social Democrats were a distant third with 13.9 percent.
"We've seen what cutbacks have done for our healthcare system and social benefits ... now it's time to make new investments, create jobs and start growth," said Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson, the favorite to become Iceland's next prime minister.
With a population of just 320,000, Iceland became a European financial hub 10 years ago when its banks borrowed money cheaply and lured British and Dutch savers with high returns.
Growing unchecked under a relaxed regulatory regime, the banks expanded to 10 times Iceland's GDP by 2008, then crashed in a matter of days, leaving behind a long trail of debt and bankruptcy and foreshadowing the trouble many other European nations would face.
The Social Democrats stabilized the economy with a package hailed as exemplary by the International Monetary Fund, but a series of policy blunders, tax hikes, leniency towards foreign creditors and inability to deal with soaring household debt cost them their popularity.
"This government has done very little to get things going and have moved us backwards in many ways, so it's about time it steps down," Reykjavik voter Gudrun Gunnarsdottir, 36, said.
"I think we will see more investment and lower taxes, which is what people, families and also companies in this country need," she said after voting.
Both the Progressives and Independence centered their campaign on household debt relief, arguing that households, which suffered a 20 percent fall in both real wages and property prices in 2009, could no longer shoulder the cost of recovery.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nearly 50 people were killed in clashes on Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, sources said, on the third day of the most widespread violence in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011.
More than 100 people have been killed in fighting since Tuesday, when troops stormed a Sunni protest camp, triggering clashes that quickly spread to other Sunni areas in western and northern provinces.
Thousands of Sunni Muslims have taken to the streets since December in protest at the perceived marginalization of their sect since the U.S.-led invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein and empowered majority Shi'ites through the ballot box.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition took the lead in eight of the 12 provinces that held provincial elections at the weekend, including the capital Baghdad, preliminary results showed on Thursday.
The strong showing by Maliki's State of Law alliance - based on 87 percent of the results - consolidates his position ahead of parliamentary elections due in 2014, when he has hinted it will be time to form a majority government.
Iraqi politics are deeply split along sectarian lines, with Maliki's government deadlocked over how to share power among Shi'ites, Sunni Muslims and ethnic Kurds, who run their own autonomous region in the north.
SYRIAN FALLOUT
The delicate ethno-sectarian balance has come under growing strain from the civil war in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni Muslim rebels are fighting to overthrow a leader backed by Shi'ite Iran.
Violence, including bomb attacks that have killed dozens of people at a time, has increased across Iraq this year. Provisional figures from rights group Iraq Body Count indicate about 1,365 people have been killed so far in 2013.
Gunmen attacked Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Wednesday night and took control of western parts of the city after using a mosque loudspeaker to rally Sunnis to join the battle.
Military sources said federal police and the army regained control after surrounding a police headquarters occupied by militants, who were holding 17 hostages. The federal police chief said 31 militants had been killed in the fighting.
A source at a local morgue said it had received the bodies of nine militants and 15 policemen but others had yet to be recovered.
Insurgents also seized the town of Sulaiman Pek, 160 km (100 miles) north of Baghdad, overnight on Wednesday. Troops and tanks surrounded the town and gave the militants 48 hours to lay down their arms and leave, threatening to attack them otherwise.
The highway between Kirkuk and Baghdad was closed.
In a televised speech, Maliki warned Iraq was in great danger, calling on clerics and tribal leaders to rein in those who sought to plunge the country back into strife.
Clashes erupted in Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, after militants attacked a federal police headquarters. The number of casualties was not known.
A bomb exploded in a parked car in central Najaf, killing three people, police said.
Sectarian bloodshed reached its height in Iraq in 2006-2007, three years into the U.S. occupation, after al Qaeda bombed the Shi'ite Askari shrine in Samarra, triggering a cycle of retaliation.
(Additional reporting by Sufyan al-Mashhadani in Mosul and Raheem Salman in Baghdad; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Singer/songwriter to perform several USO shows and let troops in the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii know he?s always by their side.
Arlington, VA (PRWEB) April 25, 2013
Twitter Pitch: @TobyKeithMusic to let troops know he?s always by their side during @the_USO tour to the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii.
What: USO tour featuring singer/songwriter Toby Keith
When: April 27 ? May 7, 2013
Where: The Philippines, Guam and Hawaii
Note: No backpacks, totes or large bags will be permitted and all are subject to search.
Why: Award-winning singer/songwriter and entertainer Toby Keith will visit and perform for troops and their families stationed in the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii as part of his 11th USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour April 27 ? May 7. As part of his three-country USO trip, Keith will perform hits from his upcoming ?Toby Keith Hammer Down Tour Presented by Ford F-Series? ? which kicks off June 8 in Ozark, AR. Additionally, he?ll perform several USO shows for sailors, airmen, soldiers and Marines. The shows are private and open only to military ID holders.
Last year, Keith celebrated a decade of touring the globe with the USO and capped off the year with a return USO visit to the Middle East. Since his first USO tour in ?02, Keith has traveled to 15 countries as well as visited troops aboard the USS Enterprise, USS Leyte Gulf, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Cape Saint George. Among the countries he has visited are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Cuba, Djibouti, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, South Korea and the United States. In total, the star has lifted the spirits of 225,984 servicemen and women.
Adding to his ever increasing list of charitable deeds, in 2007, Keith inspired the creation of USO2GO ? a USO program designed to deliver much needed electronic gaming, sports/musical equipment, and personal care items to troops in remote locations. To date, USO2GO deployed bundles, which weigh nearly one ton each, have been delivered to more than 600 forward operating bases in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Egypt, Djibouti and Kuwait. The program celebrated its 1,000th USO2GO bundle in 2012.
Quotes:
Attributed to Toby Keith:
?I can?t say enough about the USO and the importance of these tours. The USO has proven continuously that they are always by the side of our troops and military families. They are on the frontlines, serving troops in harm's way. They are with their loved ones, helping to keep them connected through phone calls and tours like this. They are involved in the recovery process, supporting our wounded, ill and injured. And they are also there for our fallen families providing comfort and support. I am honored to volunteer with the USO again and I look forward to heading over to the Pacific to entertain them there.?
Note: The USO strives to deliver life-changing experiences for troops and their families around the world, like this Toby Keith USO tour to the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii. Visit uso.org and learn how the USO is always by the side of those who need us most: our nation?s deployed troops, military families, wounded, ill and injured troops and their caregivers as well as families of the fallen.
About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top-quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by the President?s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, jcpenney, Jeep, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe?s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
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Oname Thompson USO (703) 908-6471 Email Information
Apr. 24, 2013 ? Streetlights illuminate the night, shining upon roadways and sidewalks across the world, but these ubiquitous elements of the urban environment are notoriously inefficient and major contributors to light pollution that washes out the night sky. Recent innovations in light emitting diodes (LEDs) have improved the energy efficiency of streetlights, but, until now, their glow still wastefully radiated beyond the intended area. A team of researchers from Taiwan and Mexico has developed a new lighting system design that harnesses high-efficiency LEDs and ensures they shine only where they're needed, sparing surrounding homes and the evening sky from unwanted illumination.
The team reported their findings today in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.
A unique feature of the new LED system is its adaptability to different street lamp layouts, "to all kinds of streets and roads, providing a uniform illumination with high energy efficiency," says co-author Ching-Cherng Sun of National Central University in Taiwan. For example, some modern lamps that line a thoroughfare or suburban sidewalk lean into the middle of the road, lighting the street from above. But more often, lamps are posted to one side of a street, or alternating in a "zig-zag" pattern from one side to the other -- a layout that may be more efficient for roads with high traffic flow. The new design provides flexibility to be used for different illumination requests while maintaining a high efficiency, Sun says.
The proposed lamp is based on a novel three-part lighting fixture. The first part contains a cluster of LEDs, each of which is fitted with a special lens, called a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lens, that focuses the light so the rays are parallel to one another instead of intersecting -- a process called collimation. These lens-covered LEDs are mounted inside a reflecting cavity, which "recycles" the light and ensures that as much of it as possible is used to illuminate the target. Finally, as the light leaves the lamp it passes through a diffuser or filter that cuts down on unwanted glare. The combination of collimation and filtering also allows researchers to control the beam's shape: the present design yields a rectangular light pattern ideally suited for street lighting, the researchers say.
The team tested their design's performance by analyzing how little the beam would spread as it hit its target -- a road or sidewalk 10 meters or more away from the source of the light. They quantified the lamp's performance using something called optical utilization factor (OUF), a number that describes the relationship between the flow rate of light at the target and the flow rate of light coming directly out of the LEDs. Higher OUF indicates better performance. Simulations show that the new design achieves an OUF of 51 to 81 percent, greatly outperforming a recent "excellent" design that reached 45 percent. Furthermore, the proposed streetlamp meets high expectations for power and brightness. And light pollution is also significantly reduced: for conventional street lamps, up to a fifth of their total energy is directed horizontally or upward into the sky. The best LED streetlamps reduce this to a tenth of their total energy. In the new model, just 2 percent of the lamp's total energy would contribute to light pollution.
In addition to cutting light pollution and glare, the new model could also save energy. "A general LED street light could reduce power consumption by 40 to 60 percent," Sun says; the increased efficiency of the proposed design would likely save an additional 10 to 50 percent. Furthermore, he adds, the module would be simple to fabricate, since it comprises just four parts, including a type of LED bulb commonly used in the lighting industry.
Sun's team expects to finish a prototype of their design in the next 3 to 6 months, and to begin practical installations of the new street lamp as early as next year.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Optical Society.
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Journal Reference:
Xuan-Hao Lee, Ivan Moreno, Ching-Cherng Sun. High-performance LED street lighting using microlens arrays. Optics Express, 2013; 21 (9): 10612 DOI: 10.1364/OE.21.010612
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Could a ruggedized version of the Galaxy S4 be in the works at Samsung?
Speaking at the launch of the Galaxy S4 today in Dubai, Samsung Gulf Electronics president Young Soo Kim said that a rugged version of the phone was expected in the coming months. Specifically, he was said to say the phone would be water and dust "proof", which would make it much like the Sony Xperia Z that Alex should have thrown in the Thames reviewed last month.
This is the first we've heard mention of such a thing, and we're remaining a bit skeptical. We just wanted to pass it along for discussion, so discuss away!
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration on Wednesday notified Congress it will start free-trade talks with Japan, bringing the world's third-largest economy into U.S.-led negotiations on a regional free-trade pact.
"The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increases the economic significance of a TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Agreement," acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a letter to congressional leaders.
The 90-day notification was expected after U.S. and Japanese negotiators reached a deal on April 12 on the terms of Japan's entry into the TPP talks, which are now in their fourth year. It could clear the way for Japan to participate in the July round of TPP talks.
The United States and the 10 other countries already involved in the TPP talks on Saturday formally approved Japan's entry into the negotiations at a meeting of regional trade ministers in Indonesia.
Marantis sought to reassure lawmakers that Japan's participation would not slow down the TPP negotiations, which are slated for conclusion by the end of the year, and that Japan would not refuse to negotiate in sensitive agricultural and manufacturing sectors of interest to U.S. exporters.
"Japan has confirmed it will participate positively and constructively in the negotiations. Japan also confirmed that it will subject all goods to negotiations - both agricultural and manufactured goods - and will join with the other TPP countries to achieve a high-standard and comprehensive agreement this year," Marantis said.
The White House sees the TPP pact as part of its economic rebalancing toward Asia. It also plans to launch free-trade talks with the 27-nation European Union in coming months.
Countries around the world are moving increasingly toward regional free-trade agreements in the absence of any progress toward a comprehensive world trade deal.
Detroit-based auto makers, particularly Ford Motor Co, have lobbied against Japan joining the TPP talks.
They say the agreement will open the door for more imports from Japan, without tearing down barriers that they say keep U.S. autos out of Japan's market.
In addition to the United States and Japan, TPP countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The 17th round of TPP talks is scheduled for May 15-24 in Lima, Peru. It is expected to be followed by an 18th round sometime in July that could be the first time that Japan participates in the negotiations.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Sandra Maler and Mohammad Zargham)
Two men were charged with plotting a terrorist attack against a Canadian passenger train with support from al Qaeda elements in Iran, police said Monday. The men are not Canadian citizens, but they had been in Canada a "significant amount of time," said police.
By Charmaine Noronha,?Associated Press / April 22, 2013
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Laporte walks with Mohammad Shaied, sheikh of the Masjid el Noor Mosque, en route to a news conference where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the arrest of two men accused of plotting a terror attack on a passenger train, in Toronto, April 22.
Chris Young / The Canadian Press / AP
Enlarge
?Two men were arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist attack against a Canadian passenger train with support from al Qaeda elements in Iran, police said Monday. The case bolstered allegations by some governments and experts of a relationship of convenience between Shiite-led Iran and the predominantly Sunni Arab terrorist network.
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Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, had "direction and guidance" from al Qaeda members in Iran, though there was no reason to think the planned attacks were state-sponsored, RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia said. Police said the men did not get financial support from al Qaeda, but declined to provide more details.
"This is the first known al Qaeda planned attack that we've experienced in Canada," Superintendent Doug Best told a news conference. Officials in Washington and Toronto said it had no connections to last week's bombings at the marathon in Boston.
The arrests in Montreal and Toronto raised questions about Iran's murky relationship with the terrorist network. Bruce Riedel, a CIA veteran who is now a Brookings Institution senior fellow, said al Qaeda has had a clandestine presence in Iran since at least 2001 and that neither the terror group nor Tehran speak openly about it.
"The Iranian regime kept some of these elements under house arrest," he said in an email to The Associated Press. "Some probably operate covertly. AQ members often transit Iran traveling between hideouts in Pakistan and Iraq."
U.S. intelligence officials have long tracked limited al Qaeda activity inside Iran. Remnants of al Qaeda's so-called management council are still there, though they are usually kept under virtual house arrest by an Iranian regime suspicious of the Sunni-/Salafi-based militant movement. There are also a small number of financiers and facilitators who help move money, and sometimes weapons and people throughout the region from their base in Iran.
Last fall, the Obama administration offered up to $12 million in rewards for information leading to the capture of two al Qaeda leaders based in Iran. The U.S. State Department described them as key facilitators in sending extremists to Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Treasury Department also announced financial penalties against one of the men.
Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations, said the terrorist network was not operating in Iran.
"Iran's position against this group is very clear and well known. [Al Qaeda] has no possibility to do any activity inside Iran or conduct any operation abroad from Iran's territory," Miryousefi said in a statement emailed to the AP late Monday. "We reject strongly and categorically any connection to this story."
The investigation surrounding the planned attack was part of a cross-border operation involving Canadian law enforcement agencies, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This wedding has a much more special meaning than most weddings, my industry colleague and good friend Luke was married yesterday to his love, Jen and I was there to stand by his side and witness it. Yea-up, no shooting for me on this day, I was a groomsmen and it was fun! The wedding took place at the Newport Hyatt Regancy in Newport, RI. The weather was a concern in the morning, but the skies cleared and the plan for an outdoor ceremony in front of the Lighthouse was a go! So many of the industries' best played a part in making this wedding special, memorable and fun filled!
I am very lucky and so is Luke & Jen, because I have a fabulous and talented team! ?Crystal lead the team to capture a perfect film and she was helped by Chris, Neal and Myles. ?Besides turning on the Time-lapse GoPro and charging a few batteries, I was there to enjoy and I was in full trust of this great team! ?Not only did they do an amazing job of shooting the day, they allowed Crystal to produce another amazing Same Day Edit for the bride and groom and their family and friends to enjoy! ?As always, the SDE was a success and a great hit! ?See it for yourself and you be the judge! - F. Mike
Cinematography: Artistic Wedding Films Event Filmmakers: Crystal, Chris, Neal & Myles SDE Editor: C. Burns
Venue: Newport Hyatt Planning: Details with Love, Kristin Love Entertainment: DJ & MC: Luke Renchan Entertainment, Tony Live Band: Felix Brown Band Cake: Creative Cake Co, Karen Benjamin Decor / Shears: Exquisite Events Floral Designs: Golden Gate Studios Lighting: Luke Renchan Entertainment Photography: Sara Zarella Photography Popcorn / Candy Girls: Infinite Events Expresso Bar / Italian Cookies: Only the Finest Italian Cookies Rentals: Rentals Unlimited
Tuxedos: Anthony's House of Formals Dress: Helene's Bridal
Here was Crystal working on the Same Day Edit, the pressure was on!
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran on Tuesday denied any links with an alleged terrorist plot that Canadian authorities claim was directed by al-Qaida operatives in Iran and sought to derail a passenger train.
Canadian authorities allege the suspects Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, had "direction and guidance" from al-Qaida members in Iran, though there were no claims the planned attacks were state-sponsored by Tehran. Esseghaier is believed to be Tunisian and Jaser from the United Arab Emirates.
Some al-Qaida members had been allowed to stay in Iran after fleeing Afghanistan, but were under tight Iranian controls. Relations have been rocky between mainly Shiite Iran and the Sunni-led al-Qaida on many fronts for years.
Iran was a strong opponent of the Taliban, which sheltered Osama bin Laden and others before the U.S.-led invasion after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Many al-Qaida leaders also view Shiite Muslims with suspicion and hostility.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters that there is "no firm evidence" of any Iranian involvement and groups such as al-Qaida have "no compatibility with Iran in both political and ideological fields."
"We oppose any terrorist and violent action that would jeopardize lives of innocent people," said Mehmanparast.
He called the Canadian claims part of hostile policies against Tehran, and accused Canada of indirectly aiding al-Qaida by joining Western support for Syrian rebels. Some Islamic militant factions, claiming allegiance to al-Qaida, have joined forces seeking to topple the regime of Bashar Assad, one of Iran's main allies in the region.
"The same (al-Qaida) current is killing people in Syria while enjoying Canada's support," said Mehmanparast.
In a separate comment, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi called the claim by Canadian authorities "the most ridiculous fake words."
"I hope Canadian officials resort to more wisdom," he said.
The two countries have no diplomatic relations after Canada unilaterally closed its embassy in Tehran in 2012 and expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa.
On Monday, Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations, said the terrorist network was not operating in Iran.
"Iran's position against this group is very clear and well known. (Al-Qaida) has no possibility to do any activity inside Iran or conduct any operation abroad from Iran's territory," Miryousefi said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "We reject strongly and categorically any connection to this story."
SYDNEY, April 24 (Reuters) - Australia named the following squad for the Ashes test series against England in July and August. Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Brad Haddin (vice captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Chris Rogers, Matthew Wade, Nathan Lyon, James Faulkner, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird (Compiled by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) ? Authorities say the brother of pop star Madonna needed nine stiches to his forehead after he resisted arrest in a public bathroom in northern Michigan.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/10v57vC ) that police were called Sunday night when 56-year-old Anthony Ciccone refused to leave the bathroom at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center.
Police say an officer tried to arrest Ciccone on an outstanding warrant for trespass. He confronted the officer, who brought him to the ground. Ciccone's face hit the floor and he required stitches.
Police say Ciccone's blood-alcohol level was 0.40. The legal limit for driving is 0.08.
No attorney is listed for Ciccone, who was arraigned on the warrant and jailed.
Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, declined to comment. Madonna is a Michigan native.
Whether you're looking to instill fear in the hearts of enemies at LAN, or just want to edit spreadsheets in style, this Iron Man mouse will do everything a normal mouse can... just cooler. To capitalize on hype for the third installment of the superhero film franchise, Japanese company e-blue (aka E-3LUE) has released this gold and hot-rod red peripheral with Tony Stark's blessing (read: under official Marvel license). Two AAA batteries power the wireless mouse (some say an Arc reactor was too expensive, and fictional), which has a resolution of 1000 dpi and, most importantly, light-up eyes. For 699 Chinese yuan (roughly $113), you also get a "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart" presentation case to show it off in. We're not sure whether e-blue's mouse with make it over to the States, but instead of worrying about that, check out the Iron Man 3 trailer below to inject some excitement into Monday morning. Can we have a War Machine version now, please?
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? If at first you don't succeed, wipe the slobber off and try again.
Just ask 4-year-old pup Huckleberry, who was crowned Monday as this year's "Beautiful Bulldog."
Huckleberry competed for the title in 2010, only to walk away empty-pawed. That changed this year, when he strutted down a blue runway at Drake University in Des Moines dressed in a beige suit as the main character from the movie "Forrest Gump."
"He's just a lover," said his owner, Stephanie Hein, as Huckleberry sat next to his miniature basketball toy and a suitcase similar to one owned by Forrest Gump.
The contest is now in its 34th year and is held ahead of the annual Drake Relays track and field meet. The university's mascot is a bulldog, and each year's winner becomes the mascot for the relays event.
Huckleberry beat 46 other bulldogs to don the crown and cape, and competition was stiff. There was a bulldog dressed as a "Thing" character by Dr. Seuss, another wore an eye patch and fake hoop earring to match his pirate-dressed owner. Diva, donning a tutu, took home the prize for best dressed.
Huckleberry seemed unfazed by all the attention, more interested in a dog-friendly cake that's served annually from the gold-painted throne. He threw in a few slobbered kisses to his owners.
When not competing, Huckleberry likes to cuddle and hang out with a girlfriend bulldog who lives nearby, according to Hein and her husband, Steven.
Huckleberry wore a Mohawk when he initially competed in 2010. But Stephanie Hein spent weeks shrinking and sowing together this year's outfit, which included a blue-checkered T-Shirt similar to the one worn by Forrest Gump.
"He was just a puppy then," she said of his first attempt. "But he's certainly grown into himself now."
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Method makes it easier to separate useful stem cells from 'problem' ones for therapiesPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shaun Mason smason@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles
UCLA study IDs small molecule that destroys potentially dangerous cells
Pluripotent stem cells can turn, or differentiate, into any cell type in the body, such as nerve, muscle or bone, but inevitably some of these stem cells fail to differentiate and end up mixed in with their newly differentiated daughter cells.
Because these remaining pluripotent stem cells can subsequently develop into unintended cell types bone cells among blood, for instance or form tumors known as teratomas, identifying and separating them from their differentiated progeny is of utmost importance in keeping stem cellbased therapeutics safe.
Now, UCLA scientists have discovered a new agent that may be useful in strategies to remove these cells. Their research was published online April 15 in the journal Developmental Cell and will appear in an upcoming print edition of the journal.
The study was led by Carla Koehler, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA, and Dr. Michael Teitell, a UCLA professor of pathology and pediatrics. Both are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In work using the single-celled microorganism known as baker's yeast, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a model system, Koehler, Teitell and their colleagues had discovered a molecule called MitoBloCK-6, which inhibits the assembly of cells' mitochondria the energy-producing "power plants" that drive most cell functions. The research team then tested the molecule in a more complex model organism, the zebrafish, and demonstrated that MitoBloCK-6 blocked cardiac development.
However, when the scientists introduced MitoBloCK-6 to differentiated cell lines, which are typically cultured in the lab, they found that the molecule had no effect at all. UCLA postdoctoral fellow Deepa Dabir tested the compound on many differentiated lines, but the results were always the same: The cells remained healthy.
"I was puzzled by this result, because we thought this pathway was essential for all cells, regardless of differentiation state," Koehler said.
The team then decided to test MitoBloCK-6 on human pluripotent stem cells. Postdoctoral fellow Kiyoko Setoguchi showed that MitoBloCK-6 caused the pluripotent stem cells to die by triggering apoptosis, a process of programmed cell suicide.
Because the tissue-specific daughter cells became resistant to death shortly after their differentiation, the destruction of the pluripotent stem cells left a population of only the differentiated cells. Why this happens is still unclear, but the researchers said that this ability to separate the two cell populations could potentially reduce the risk of teratomas and other problems in regenerative medicine treatment strategies.
"We discovered that pluripotent stem cell mitochondria undergo a change during differentiation into tissue-specific daughter cells, which could be the key to the survival of the differentiated cells when the samples are exposed to MitoBloCK-6," Teitell said. "We are still investigating this process in mitochondria, but we now know that mitochondria have an important role in controlling pluripotent stem cell survival."
MitoBloCK-6 is what is known as a "small molecule," which can easily cross cell membranes to reach mitochondria. This quality makes MitoBloCK-6 or a derivative compound with similar properties ideal for potential use as a drug, because it can function in many cell types and species and can alter the function of mitochondria in the body for therapeutic effects.
"It is exciting that our research in the one-cell model baker's yeast yielded an agent for investigating and controlling mitochondrial function in human pluripotent stem cells," Koehler said. "This illustrates that mitochondrial function is highly conserved across organisms and confirms that focused studies in model systems provide insight into human stem-cell biology. When we started these experiments, we did not predict that we would be investigating and controlling mitochondrial function in pluripotent stem cells."
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The research was supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, and the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project of the Royal Thai Government.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research: UCLA's stem cell center was launched in 2005 with a UCLA commitment of $20 million over five years. A $20 million gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in 2007 resulted in the renaming of the center. With more than 200 members, the Broad Stem Cell Research Center is committed to a multidisciplinary, integrated collaboration among scientific, academic and medical disciplines for the purpose of understanding adult and human embryonic stem cells. The center supports innovation, excellence and the highest ethical standards focused on stem cell research with the intent of facilitating basic scientific inquiry directed toward future clinical applications to treat disease. The center is a collaboration of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the UCLA College of Letters and Science.
UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation's largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating basic science into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2012, the Jonsson Cancer Center was once again named among the nation's top 10 cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for 12 of the past 13 years.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
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Method makes it easier to separate useful stem cells from 'problem' ones for therapiesPublic release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shaun Mason smason@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles
UCLA study IDs small molecule that destroys potentially dangerous cells
Pluripotent stem cells can turn, or differentiate, into any cell type in the body, such as nerve, muscle or bone, but inevitably some of these stem cells fail to differentiate and end up mixed in with their newly differentiated daughter cells.
Because these remaining pluripotent stem cells can subsequently develop into unintended cell types bone cells among blood, for instance or form tumors known as teratomas, identifying and separating them from their differentiated progeny is of utmost importance in keeping stem cellbased therapeutics safe.
Now, UCLA scientists have discovered a new agent that may be useful in strategies to remove these cells. Their research was published online April 15 in the journal Developmental Cell and will appear in an upcoming print edition of the journal.
The study was led by Carla Koehler, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA, and Dr. Michael Teitell, a UCLA professor of pathology and pediatrics. Both are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In work using the single-celled microorganism known as baker's yeast, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a model system, Koehler, Teitell and their colleagues had discovered a molecule called MitoBloCK-6, which inhibits the assembly of cells' mitochondria the energy-producing "power plants" that drive most cell functions. The research team then tested the molecule in a more complex model organism, the zebrafish, and demonstrated that MitoBloCK-6 blocked cardiac development.
However, when the scientists introduced MitoBloCK-6 to differentiated cell lines, which are typically cultured in the lab, they found that the molecule had no effect at all. UCLA postdoctoral fellow Deepa Dabir tested the compound on many differentiated lines, but the results were always the same: The cells remained healthy.
"I was puzzled by this result, because we thought this pathway was essential for all cells, regardless of differentiation state," Koehler said.
The team then decided to test MitoBloCK-6 on human pluripotent stem cells. Postdoctoral fellow Kiyoko Setoguchi showed that MitoBloCK-6 caused the pluripotent stem cells to die by triggering apoptosis, a process of programmed cell suicide.
Because the tissue-specific daughter cells became resistant to death shortly after their differentiation, the destruction of the pluripotent stem cells left a population of only the differentiated cells. Why this happens is still unclear, but the researchers said that this ability to separate the two cell populations could potentially reduce the risk of teratomas and other problems in regenerative medicine treatment strategies.
"We discovered that pluripotent stem cell mitochondria undergo a change during differentiation into tissue-specific daughter cells, which could be the key to the survival of the differentiated cells when the samples are exposed to MitoBloCK-6," Teitell said. "We are still investigating this process in mitochondria, but we now know that mitochondria have an important role in controlling pluripotent stem cell survival."
MitoBloCK-6 is what is known as a "small molecule," which can easily cross cell membranes to reach mitochondria. This quality makes MitoBloCK-6 or a derivative compound with similar properties ideal for potential use as a drug, because it can function in many cell types and species and can alter the function of mitochondria in the body for therapeutic effects.
"It is exciting that our research in the one-cell model baker's yeast yielded an agent for investigating and controlling mitochondrial function in human pluripotent stem cells," Koehler said. "This illustrates that mitochondrial function is highly conserved across organisms and confirms that focused studies in model systems provide insight into human stem-cell biology. When we started these experiments, we did not predict that we would be investigating and controlling mitochondrial function in pluripotent stem cells."
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The research was supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, and the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project of the Royal Thai Government.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research: UCLA's stem cell center was launched in 2005 with a UCLA commitment of $20 million over five years. A $20 million gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in 2007 resulted in the renaming of the center. With more than 200 members, the Broad Stem Cell Research Center is committed to a multidisciplinary, integrated collaboration among scientific, academic and medical disciplines for the purpose of understanding adult and human embryonic stem cells. The center supports innovation, excellence and the highest ethical standards focused on stem cell research with the intent of facilitating basic scientific inquiry directed toward future clinical applications to treat disease. The center is a collaboration of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the UCLA College of Letters and Science.
UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation's largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating basic science into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2012, the Jonsson Cancer Center was once again named among the nation's top 10 cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for 12 of the past 13 years.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
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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.
TechStars London, the UK outpost of uber-accelerator TechStars has announced that its found a permanent home at newly-established Warner Yard, a co-working space owned by early-stage fund Playfair Capital. It follows the recent news that TechStars London has been approved as a Recognised Seed Competition, smoothing the way for participants to qualify for a UK Entrepreneur Visa.
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Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
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