Thursday, March 21, 2013

Mosaic Makes Investing in Solar Energy Possible for Anyone With ...

Oakland-based Mosaic, which provides an online platform for investing in solar energy projects, allows anyone with as little as $25 to become an investor.

This unprecedented democratization of clean energy development is currently encountering some delays as regulators try to catch up with its highly promising and disruptive investment model.

The Mosaic team is led by people long active in clean energy issues, who have chosen to try a private sector model after years of frustrations at the non-profit, government and international levels in achieving meaningful climate change agreements.

If their initial successes with Mosaic are indicative, there is a large untapped demand among members of the public to vote with their dollars for solar power in California and beyond.

Last September, Mosaic announced with little fanfare an investment opportunity worth $40,000 to install solar panels at the Youth Employment Partnership, an Oakland non-profit, at an expected rate of return of 6.38 percent.

The response was immediate and overwhelming ? within a week the project was fully funded.

Starting in January, the company launched several more investment opportunities focused on affordable housing around the Bay Area, all of which were fully funded within the first 24 hours that they were available.

To date, Mosaic has successfully funded eleven solar investments with over $1.1 million invested at expected rates of return clustering around 4.5 percent.

Although there are no projects currently available to invest in, Mosaic?s Lisa Curtis says, ?We have more in the pipeline. We?re waiting on regulatory approval. We expect to have more up and available over the coming weeks.?

Investors have to be at least 18 years old, and can sign up online.? The company will inform them by email when new investment opportunities become available.

?The majority of our investors so far have been in San Francisco,? says Curtis. ?The average age is 31 but they range in age from 18 to 95. Lots of them are younger, and active in the sharing economy lifestyle. They do not want a big house in suburbs and lots of stuff, they like to buy locally and they want to put their money where their values are?into things they care about.?

She adds, ?People tell us that they like that it is a direct investment?they can see what their money is doing and where it is going. It has a tangible result.?

Each investment on Mosaic comes with a prospectus, making the risks and potential rewards transparent to people who may not under other circumstances qualify as investors in the classical sense. The estimated yields reflect the net after the company takes a 1 percent platform fee.

The company of 20 is headquartered at Jack London Square. Curtis says all 20 employees also are investors in Mosaic?s current solar projects.

Mosaic notes on its website that it does not fit the definition of crowd funding, which may be one of the concerns of regulators as they confront this new investment model.

?When you're doing something new, it's hard for regulatory agencies to grasp how to deal with you,? notes Curtis. ?They are also wary of crowd funding ? but we don't fit that definition exactly because platforms like Kickstarter are funding new projects and companies with a high rate of failure. Solar projects traditionally have a very low default rate.?

Mosaic?s approach to tapping into new pools of investment capital is just one of the forces propelling solar power to the forefront in California and beyond these days. Other factors include the falling costs of solar panels and the emergence of leasing options like those provided by another Bay Area company, Sunrun, which we will look at this Thursday.

Source: http://www.7x7.com/tech-gadgets/mosaic-makes-investing-solar-energy-possible-anyone-25

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Face of the future rears its head: Digital talking head expresses human emotions on demand

Mar. 19, 2013 ? Meet Zoe: a digital talking head which can express human emotions on demand with "unprecedented realism" and could herald a new era of human-computer interaction.

A virtual "talking head" which can express a full range of human emotions and could be used as a digital personal assistant, or to replace texting with "face messaging," has been developed by researchers.

The lifelike face can display emotions such as happiness, anger, and fear, and changes its voice to suit any feeling the user wants it to simulate. Users can type in any message, specifying the requisite emotion as well, and the face recites the text. According to its designers, it is the most expressive controllable avatar ever created, replicating human emotions with unprecedented realism.

The system, called "Zoe," is the result of a collaboration between researchers at Toshiba's Cambridge Research Lab and the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering. Students have already spotted a striking resemblance between the disembodied head and Holly, the ship's computer in the British sci-fi comedy, Red Dwarf.

Appropriately enough, the face is actually that of Zoe Lister, an actress perhaps best-known as Zoe Carpenter in the Channel 4 series, Hollyoaks. To recreate her face and voice, researchers spent several days recording Zoe's speech and facial expressions. The result is a system that is light enough to work in mobile technology, and could be used as a personal assistant in smartphones, or to "face message" friends.

The framework behind "Zoe" is also a template that, before long, could enable people to upload their own faces and voices -- but in a matter of seconds, rather than days. That means that in the future, users will be able to customise and personalise their own, emotionally realistic, digital assistants.

If this can be developed, then a user could, for example, text the message "I'm going to be late" and ask it to set the emotion to "frustrated." Their friend would then receive a "face message" that looked like the sender, repeating the message in a frustrated way.

The team who created Zoe are currently looking for applications, and are also working with a school for autistic and deaf children, where the technology could be used to help pupils to "read" emotions and lip-read. Ultimately, the system could have multiple uses -- including in gaming, in audio-visual books, as a means of delivering online lectures, and in other user interfaces.

"This technology could be the start of a whole new generation of interfaces which make interacting with a computer much more like talking to another human being," Professor Roberto Cipolla, from the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, said.

"It took us days to create Zoe, because we had to start from scratch and teach the system to understand language and expression. Now that it already understands those things, it shouldn't be too hard to transfer the same blueprint to a different voice and face."

As well as being more expressive than any previous system, Zoe is also remarkably data-light. The program used to run her is just tens of megabytes in size, which means that it can be easily incorporated into even the smallest computer devices, including tablets and smartphones.

It works by using a set of fundamental, "primary colour" emotions. Zoe's voice, for example, has six basic settings -- Happy, Sad, Tender, Angry, Afraid and Neutral. The user can adjust these settings to different levels, as well as altering the pitch, speed and depth of the voice itself.

By combining these levels, it becomes possible to pre-set or create almost infinite emotional combinations. For instance, combining happiness with tenderness and slightly increasing the speed and depth of the voice makes it sound friendly and welcoming. A combination of speed, anger and fear makes Zoe sound as if she is panicking. This allows for a level of emotional subtlety which, the designers say, has not been possible in other avatars like Zoe until now.

To make the system as realistic as possible, the research team collected a dataset of thousands of sentences, which they used to train the speech model with the help of real-life actress, Zoe Lister. They also tracked Lister's face while she was speaking using computer vision software. This was converted into voice and face-modelling, mathematical algorithms which gave them the voice and image data they needed to recreate expressions on a digital face, directly from the text alone.

The effectiveness of the system was tested with volunteers via a crowd-sourcing website. The participants were each given either a video, or audio clip of a single sentence from the test set and asked to identify which of the six basic emotions it was replicating. Ten sentences were evaluated, each by 20 different people.

Volunteers who only had video and no sound only successfully recognised the emotion in 52% of cases. When they only had audio, the success rate was 68%. The two together, however, produced a successful recognition rate of 77% -- slightly higher than the recognition rate for the real-life Zoe, which was 73%! This higher rate of success compared with real life is probably because the synthetic talking head is deliberately more stylised in its manner.

As well as finding applications for their new creation, the research team will now work on creating a version of the system which can be personalised by users themselves.

"Present day human-computer interaction still revolves around typing at a keyboard or moving and pointing with a mouse." Cipolla added. "For a lot of people, that makes computers difficult and frustrating to use. In the future, we will be able to open up computing to far more people if they can speak and gesture to machines in a more natural way. That is why we created Zoe -- a more expressive, emotionally responsive face that human beings can actually have a conversation with."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cambridge. The original story is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/TFyqWt_1dPI/130319160046.htm

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Jays v-Jays


Jays, the Swedish purveyor of affordable, stylish and simple headphones, has a wide array of options to choose from. The Jays v-Jays are an supra-aural (on-ear) pair that costs and look like a more stylish version of what used to come with a portable cassette player. Thankfully, affordable headphone audio has improved drastically since the days of the Walkman on-ear options. The v-Jays ($59.99 direct) are extremely lightweight and comfortable, and offer solid audio performance for this price range. Some very minor distortion on deep bass tracks occurs at top volumes, but at safe listening levels, the v-Jays offer crisp audio with surprisingly robust bass response for their size and price.

Design
Spare, nearly all-back design is the name of the game for Jays, and the v-Jays are a fine example of this no-frills aesthetic. At only 2.1 ounces, the v-Jays are quite light, and they can be adjusted to provide a secure fit without pushing hard on your ears or scalp. The foam covers for the rounded-corner square earpieces are comfortable, and a thin felt band along the underside of the headband keeps the fit secure. The v-Jays fold down at hinges just above each ear, and both the hinges and the sliding headband move gracefully. It may be affordable and lightweight, but the pair feels well constructed. The Jays logo?the only marking on the headphones?appears in white on each earpiece.Jays v-Jays inline

A black cable extends from each ear, until the two join together around mid-torso. The 23.5-inch cable doesn't extend too much further, and this makes a clutter-free, tangle-free experience more possible, especially if you're using the headphones with a player in an coat pocket or on an armband. If you want a longer cable length, never fear: There's a cable extender that adds another 27.5-inches of cable length in the box.?There's no inline remote or microphone for mobile devices, however.

Other than an extra pair of foam ear cushions, there are no other accessories. A carrying pouch or case would've been nice, especially since the v-Jays fold down to a compact-enough size to fit in one easily, but it's tough to get too picky for $60.

Performance
On tracks with serious sub-bass content, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the v-Jays begin to distort ever-so-slightly at top volumes. At roughly 75-80 percent volume on an iPhone 5, there was no distortion, and at 100 percent?an unsafe listening level?the distortion was only minimal. Since plenty of more expensive headphones have distorted far worse than the v-Jays do on this track, it's hard to consider this a real issue?especially since the affordable headphones deliver a rich bass response when the volume isn't cranked. It's not intense bass like, say, the Denon Urban Raver AH-D320 offers, but a more refined, articulate low-end.

Tracks like Bill Callahan's "Drover" benefit from the v-Jays crisp hi-mid response, helping his deep vocals maintain a treble edge and stand out in the forefront of the mix. The low-end response lends itself nicely to the drumming on this track?on pairs with overly boosted bass, these drums can sound too powerful, overtaking the mix and competing with the vocals for your attention. Here, the constant thumping of the drums has a nice heft to it without going overboard.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the response is a little less ideal. The kick drum loop's attack gets a nice crisp edge, but the sub-bass synth hits underneath the loop don't have the depth they would on a more powerful headphone pair that has a bit more deep low-end presence. Things never sound weak or tinny, but the bass thump on this track sounds a bit toned down.

On classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the v-Jays sound more solid?the crisp highs help the higher register strings and brass take the spotlight, but the lower register instruments have a nice richness to them, as do the big drum hits at the end of the track. What this tells us is the bass response of the v-Jays, unsurprisingly, focuses more on standard low frequencies and low-mids than it does the sub-bass range?thus, a classical track can sound like it has a nice low-end presence to it, but the Jay-Z/Kanye track, which relies more on sub-bass hits for its depth, sounds less full-bodied.

If deep sub-bass response is what you're after, you may have to spend a bit more. The aforementioned Denon Urban Raver AH-D320 definitely serves up a hefty potion of bass, but it's far more expensive. The Skullcandy Hesh 2 is a more affordable bass-lover option, though it's still a bit more expensive than the v-Jays.

The RHA SA950i has a very sculpted audio response?less balanced than the v-Jays, but it comes with an inline mic and remote, as well as a fully detachable cable. And if you can spend a little more, our Editors' Choice for budget headphones, the $100 Logitech UE 4000 is comfortable, delivers deep bass without too much boosting, and with no distortion, even at top volumes. At $60, however, the v-Jays represent a solid, no-frills option for music lovers craving a crisp and clear audio performance without giving up on bass response.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/DcYhK1yBuRM/0,2817,2416491,00.asp

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

ScienceDaily: Child Development News

ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ Read the latest research in child development including how newborns learn to think, how sleep patterns emerge, problems with toddlers and more.en-usTue, 19 Mar 2013 13:30:38 EDTTue, 19 Mar 2013 13:30:38 EDT60ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Sleep study reveals how the adolescent brain makes the transition to mature thinkinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130319102757.htm A new study conducted by monitoring the brain waves of sleeping adolescents has found that remarkable changes occur in the brain as it prunes away neuronal connections and makes the major transition from childhood to adulthood.Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:27:27 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130319102757.htmSimilar neuro outcomes in preterm infants with low-grade brain bleeding as infants with no bleedinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318133018.htm A new study suggests that preterm infants with a low-grade bleeding in the brain may have similar neurodevelopmental outcomes as infants with no bleeding.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:30:30 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318133018.htmUplifting music can boost mental capacityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318104950.htm Uplifting concertos from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons can boost mental alertness, according to new research.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:49:49 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318104950.htmDepression in kids linked to cardiac risks in teenshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315202640.htm Teens who were depressed as children are far more likely than their peers to be obese, smoke cigarettes and lead sedentary lives, even if they no longer suffer from depression. The research suggests that depression, even in children, can increase the risk of heart problems later in life.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:26:26 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315202640.htmRapid rise in antipsychotic treatment of medicaid-insured childrenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315150855.htm More benefit/risk information is needed in community care efforts, says a researcher.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:08:08 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315150855.htmNo sons linked to lower contraception use in Nepalhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314175704.htm While poverty and under-education continue to dampen contraception use in Nepal, exacerbating the country?s efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality rates, researchers say another, more surprising factor may be more intractable: Deeply held cultural preferences for sons over daughters.Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:57:57 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314175704.htmPostpartum depression: Surprising rate of women depressed after babyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314124618.htm A surprisingly high number of women have postpartum depression, reports a new, large-scale study of 10,000 women. A high rate of women had considered harming themselves. The study's screening likely saved several lives. Most postpartum women with depression are not identified or treated even though they are at a higher risk for psychiatric disorders. It's a major public health problem because a woman's mental health affects her child's physical and emotional development.Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:46:46 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314124618.htmNew early warning system for the brain development of babieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314110249.htm Researchers have developed a non-invasive optical measurement system to monitor neonatal brain activity via cerebral metabolism and blood flow.Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:02:02 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314110249.htmNew research discovers the emergence of Twitter 'tribes'http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314085059.htm Linguists have found evidence of how people form into tribe-like communities on social network sites such as Twitter.Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:50:50 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314085059.htmNo attention-boosting drugs for healthy kids, doctors urgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182022.htm The practice of prescribing drugs to boost cognitive function, or memory and thinking abilities, in healthy children and teens is misguided, according to a new statement by the American Academy of Neurology.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182022.htmDrug treatment corrects autism symptoms in mouse modelhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182019.htm Autism results from abnormal cell communication. Testing a new theory, researchers have used a newly discovered function of an old drug to restore cell communications in a mouse model of autism, reversing symptoms of the devastating disorder.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182019.htmScientists find age-related changes in how autism affects the brainhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313123540.htm Autism spectrum disorders affect the brain activity of children and adults differently, according to new research.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:35:35 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313123540.htmPunishment can enhance performance, academics findhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313123313.htm The stick can work just as well as the carrot in improving our performance, a team of academics has found.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:33:33 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313123313.htmNeuron loss in schizophrenia and depression could be prevented, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313095533.htm Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) deficits have been implicated in schizophrenia and depression. In schizophrenia, deficits have been particularly well-described for a subtype of GABA neuron, the parvalbumin fast-spiking interneurons. The activity of these neurons is critical for proper cognitive and emotional functioning. It now appears that parvalbumin neurons are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress, a factor that may emerge commonly in development, particularly in the context of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, where compromised mitochondrial function plays a role.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:55:55 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313095533.htmAutistic children may be at greater risk of suicide ideation and attemptshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152049.htm Children with an autism spectrum disorder may be at greater risk for contemplating suicide or attempting suicide than children without autism, according to researchers.Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152049.htm'I don't want to pick!' Preschoolers know when they aren't surehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152002.htm Children as young as 3 years old know when they are not sure about a decision, and can use that uncertainty to guide decision making, according to new research.Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:20:20 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312152002.htmKids exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time UK TVhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201142.htm UK children are being exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time television, indicates new research.Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:11:11 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201142.htmChildren who avoid scary situations likelier to have anxietyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201019.htm Children who avoid situations they find scary are likely to have anxiety a study of more than 800 children ages 7 to 18 found.Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:10:10 EDThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311201019.htmMom's sensitivity helps language development in children with hearing losshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htm Psychologists demonstrate the impact sensitive parenting has on language growth for children who receive cochlear implants.Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htmUsing human brain cells to make mice smarterhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htm What happens when human brain cells that surround and support neurons are implanted into the brains of newborn mice? Researchers recently found that such mice had enhanced learning and memory when compared with normal mice that hadn't received the transplanted human cells. The findings indicate that these supportive cells, called glia, play an important role in human cognition.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htmWhen food is scarce, a smaller brain will dohttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htm A new study explains how young brains are protected when nutrition is poor. The findings reveal a coping strategy for producing a fully functional, if smaller, brain. The discovery, which was made in larval flies, shows the brain as an incredibly adaptable organ and may have implications for understanding the developing human brain as well, the researchers say.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htmExercise shields children from stress, research indicateshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htm Exercise may play a key role in helping children cope with stressful situations, according to a recent study.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htmFlip of a single molecular switch makes an old mouse brain younghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htm The flip of a single molecular switch helps create the mature neuronal connections that allow the brain to bridge the gap between adolescent impressionability and adult stability. Now researchers have reversed the process, recreating a youthful brain that facilitated both learning and healing in the adult mouse.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htmSolving the 'Cocktail Party Problem': How we can focus on one speaker in noisy crowdshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htm In the din of a crowded room, paying attention to just one speaker's voice can be challenging. Research demonstrates how the brain homes in on one speaker to solve this "Cocktail Party Problem." Researchers discovered that brain waves are shaped so the brain can selectively track the sound patterns from the speaker of interest while excluding competing sounds from other speakers. The findings could have important implications for helping individuals with a range of deficits.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htmFamily intervention improves mood symptoms in children and adolescents at risk for bipolar disorderhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htm Psychologists have found that children and adolescents with major depression or subthreshold forms of bipolar disorder - and who had at least one first-degree relative with bipolar disorder - responded better to a 12-session family-focused treatment than to a briefer educational treatment.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htmHelp in reading foreign languageshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htm Recent research into how we learn is set to help people in their efforts to read a second or foreign language (SFL) more effectively. This will be good news for those struggling to develop linguistic skills in preparation for a move abroad, or to help in understanding foreign language forms, reports, contracts and instructions.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htmPotential target to better treat, cure anxiety disordershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htm Researchers have, for the first time, identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement sleep is critical for the regulation of emotional memory processing.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htmMental picture of others can be seen using fMRI, finds new studyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htm It is possible to tell who a person is thinking about by analyzing images of his or her brain. Our mental models of people produce unique patterns of brain activation, which can be detected using advanced imaging techniques according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htmChildren of divorced parents more likely to switch, pull away from religionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htm Adults whose parents were divorced are more likely to switch religions or disassociate themselves from institutional religions altogether -- but growing up in a single-parent family does not have any effect on private religious life, including praying, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htmStress hormone foreshadows postpartum depression in new mothershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htm Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to develop postpartum depression, according to a new study.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htmMom's placenta reflects her exposure to stress and impacts offsprings' brainshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htm The mammalian placenta is more than just a filter through which nutrition and oxygen are passed from a mother to her unborn child. According to a new study, if a mother is exposed to stress during pregnancy, her placenta translates that experience to her fetus by altering levels of a protein that affects the developing brains of male and female offspring differently.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htmIs baby still breathing? Is mom's obsession normal?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htm A new mother may constantly worry and check to see if her baby is breathing. Or she may obsess about germs. A new study found postpartum moms have a much higher rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than the general population. This is the first large-scale study of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in new moms. The symptoms could result from hormonal changes or be adaptive, but may indicate a psychological disorder if they interfere with a mother's functioning.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htmSpeech emerges in children on the autism spectrum with severe language delay at greater rate than previously thoughthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htm Study could reveals key predictors of speech gains. New findings reveal that 70 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who have a history of severe language delay, achieved phrase or fluent speech by age eight.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htmADHD takes a toll well into adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htm The first large, population-based study to follow children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into adulthood shows that ADHD often doesn?t go away and that children with ADHD are more likely to have other psychiatric disorders as adults. They also appear more likely to commit suicide and to be incarcerated as adults.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:47:47 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htmInfection during pregnancy and stress in puberty play key role in development of schizophreniahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htm The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviorists demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htmBritish children more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults, experts warnhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htm Children in Britain are more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults and need much stronger protection, warn experts.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmCloser personal relationships could help teens overcome learning disabilitieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htm A new study from Israel says that children with learning disabilities develop less secure attachments with mothers and teachers, and that closer and more secure relationships with parents and adults may help them overcome these disabilities.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htmEating junk food while pregnant may make your child a junk food addicthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htm A healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children. New research suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food cause developmental changes of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children. Consequently, these children are less sensitive to opioids released upon consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, and need to eat more to achieve a "feel good" response.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htmChildren with autism show increased positive social behaviors when animals are presenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htm The presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htmHomeric epics were written in 762 BCE, give or take, new study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htm One of literature's oldest mysteries is a step closer to being solved. A new study dates Homer's The Iliad to 762 BCE and adds a quantitative means of testing ideas about history by analyzing the evolution of language.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htmPraising children for their personal qualities may backfirehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htm Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htmFirst grade math skills set foundation for later math abilityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htm Children who failed to acquire a basic math skill in first grade scored far behind their peers by seventh grade on a test of the mathematical abilities needed to function in adult life, according to researchers.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htmResearch explores factors that impact adolescent mental healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htm Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htmAuthors: Develop digital games to improve brain function and well-beinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htm Neuroscientists should help to develop compelling digital games that boost brain function and improve well-being, say two professors specializing in the field.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htmStudy connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htm New research examines how childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and maternal depression increase the risk of major depression and chronic pain when they become adults.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htmNew studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmHigher levels of several toxic metals found in children with autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htmGiving a voice to kids with Down syndromehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htm A new case study shows children with Down syndrome can benefit from conventional stuttering treatment.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htmUltrasound reveals autism risk at birth, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htm Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htmParents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimentalhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htm Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htmScientists make older adults less forgetful in memory testshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htm Scientists have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests. The cognitive boost comes from a surprising source -- a distraction learning strategy.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htmHow human language could have evolved from birdsong: Researchers propose new theory on deep roots of human speechhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htm The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which "might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions." Linguistics and biology now researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htmEarly life stress may take early toll on heart functionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htm Early life stress like that experienced by ill newborns appears to take an early toll of the heart, affecting its ability to relax and refill with oxygen-rich blood, researchers report.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htmSignaling pathway linked to fetal alcohol risk: Molecular switch promises new targets for diagnosis and therapyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htm Scientists have identified a molecular signaling pathway that plays an important role in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htmBullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adultshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htm Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htm

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/mind_brain/child_development.xml

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Friday, March 8, 2013

Morgan Stanley says it would fare better under own stress test

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley's own internal stress test left the bank with higher capital and leverage ratios than a test conducted by the Federal Reserve, according to a document posted on its website on Thursday evening.

Under severe economic stress over a nine-month period, Morgan Stanley's Tier 1 common capital ratio would drop to 7.5 percent from 13.9 percent, the bank said. Its minimum Tier 1 common ratio under the stress scenario outlined by the Federal Reserve would be 6.7 percent, compared with a 5.7 percent minimum projected by the regulator.

Morgan Stanley also said its Tier 1 capital ratio, total risk-based capital ratio and Tier 1 leverage ratio would all be higher under its own stress test than under the test conducted by the Fed.

(Reporting By Lauren Tara LaCapra; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/morgan-stanley-says-fare-better-under-own-stress-231031199--sector.html

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Romney: Heart told him he'd win, until he saw Fla.

(AP) ? Mitt Romney says his heart said he was going to win the presidency, but when early results came in on election night, he knew it was not to be.

The GOP nominee tells "Fox News Sunday" that he knew his campaign was in trouble when exit polls suggested a close race in Florida. Romney thought he'd win the state solidly.

Obama ended up taking Florida and won the election by a wide margin in the electoral vote.

Romney says there was "a slow recognition" at that time that President Barack Obama would win ? and the race soon was over when Obama carried Ohio.

Romney says the loss hit hard and was emotional. Ann Romney says she cried.

The former Massachusetts governor acknowledges mistakes in the campaign and flaws in his candidacy.

But he jokes that he did better in his second run for the White House than he did the first time around ? when he lost the 2008 nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain.

He says he won't get a third crack at it.

Romney says his campaign didn't do a good job connecting with minority voters, and that Republicans must do a better job in appealing to African-Americans and Hispanics.

He says his campaign underestimated the appeal of Obama's new health care law to low-income voters.

But he knows that because he lost the race, it's hard to tell the GOP to listen now to what he has to say about how to improve the party's message.

The Romneys are living in Southern California now and he's kept a low profile since the election. He says "you move on" from the disappointment and that "I don't spend my life looking back."

Ann Romney says that after the election she was approached by TV's "Dancing with the Stars," but declined to join the cast.

She says she'll be turning 64 soon and "I'm not really as flexible as I should be."

The interview was taped Thursday and aired Sunday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-03-Romney/id-2d6edf57f23b414c9e925172382ed1b8

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