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Small but perfectly formed. That is what Israeli sports fans are hoping following the announcement of the country's Olympic squad.
Although numbers are down from Beijing, quality rather than quantity is the name of the game this time. When I met IOC Secretary General Efraim Zinger last year, he told me of the top targets for the London Games. "Two win two medals and for a female athlete to stand on the podium," he said.
The 36 sportsmen and women have worked hard to cement their seat on the plane, and although many will arrive in the capital unknown, they are on a mission to impress and there will be no better feeling than if they can return through customs at Ben Gurion Airport with medals to declare.
* Football pundits up and down the land have been reflecting on England's Euro 2012 campaign, which ended with a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat against Italy in the quarter-finals. Many have touched on technical deficiencies and the youngsters out there must take note. I'm constantly trying to drum into my son the importance of using with both feet.
It is hard to believe that even our finest footballers struggle to string two passes together and show good touch and close control and that is why I'm delighted about the plans to push small-sided youth football matches. It's crucial to get the basics right or else we will always be playing catch-up with Europe's finest.
* Faithfold A have moved quickly to re-sign midfield general Paul Babai and Jonny Haik from North West Neasden. The dynamic duo left the Superhoops 12 months ago and will help soften the blow of losing top-scorer Mike Pearson to Lions. A midfield trio of Alex Levack, Alex Kaye and Babai is a simply mouth-watering prospect.
* I was disappointed to hear Giuliano Grazioli is no longer required by the new set-up at Barnet. A friend of our youth football, the great and good in Jewish sport hold Graz and his coaching techniques in high regard and I can't imagine he will be a jobseeker for long.
I'd also like to wish Michael Stone, the former first-team coach at Underhill, and Anthony Bloch, secretary of Blackburn Rovers, all the best after they parted company with their respective clubs.
* Jewish football recently lost a dear friend when David Price, the founder of Kinnor Football Club, passed away. I heard only good things about David, a man who built one of the finest Jewish youth football sections. It was great to see a commemorative Fair Play trophy, donated by Jason Webber, named in his honour at the Hong Kong Maccabi football awards. David Efron was the recipient.
New claims for unemployment benefits dropped in the latest week, although they remain stuck at levels that show the job market remains soft.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that seasonally adjusted jobless claims slid?6,000 to 386,000. The four-week moving average, which smooths out wrinkles in the data, dropped 750 to 386,750.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims easing to 385,000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends, slipped 750 to 386,750.
The labor market has lost a step in recent months as uncertainty spawned by the debt crisis in Europe and an unclear fiscal policy path at home has made businesses reluctant to hire. However, there are no signs in the claims data that companies are responding to that uncertainty by laying off workers.
Jobless claims have barely moved since April and the lack of improvement suggests a fundamental weakness in the labor market.
Concerns about the jobs market prompted the Federal Reserve last week to ease monetary policy further by extending a program to re-weight bonds it already holds toward longer maturities to hold down borrowing costs.
A Labor Department official said there was nothing unusual in the state-level data and no state had been estimated.
The number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid fell 15,000 to 3.3 million in the week ended June 16.
That covered the survey period for June's unemployment rate. The jobless rate rose in May for the first time since last August and could remain elevated as most states stop offering extended benefits to the long-term unemployed.
Only six states and the District of Columbia were offering extended benefits in the week ended June 9. A total of 5.9 million people were claiming unemployment benefits under all programs during that period, up 71,724 from the previous week.
WE?RE bidding for glory at the London Olympics. That?s the target for two former Lynn News Sports Awards winners, Barbara Parker and Jody Cundy.
And they will have a lot of local following during this summer?s Games as both still have strong West Norfolk connections.
Parker, who has been relaxing with her family at Pott Row this week, is lined up for an athletics double having gained automatic selection for the 5,000m and also having achieved the qualifying standard for the 3,000m steeplechase. The official confirmation of the Team GB athletics team is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
As a 15-year-old, Parker was our Sportswoman of the Year in 1998 when she also picked up a Lynn News Superkids award for her athletics achievements with Springwood High School, Norfolk and England. She went on to claim the sports award two years later, again in 2002 and also in 2004.
Meanwhile, in the Paralympics, Cundy has already been named in the 18-strong Para-cycling team ? to the delight of his family and friends at Walpole St Andrew. Cundy, who won two golds at the Beijing Games, picked up our Lynn News Courage in Sport award in 1989 and again in 1994.
Parker, now 29, is based in the USA at Atlanta, with her husband and coach Sean Burris. They met at Florida State University where Barbara completed a degree in sports exercise and sociology in 2007.
A year later she was jetting round the world for the Beijing Games where she finished 12th in the heats of the 3,000m steeplechase.
But even then she was thinking ahead to 2012 and told the Lynn News she expected to be at her peak for the London Olympics.
And at the beginning of June she had the run of her life with a new British record of 9mins 24.24 to finish fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic, a Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon. Parker eclipsed Helen Clitheroe?s four-year-old mark of 9mins 29.14, set at the Beijing Olympics.
She is now ranked seventh in the world and having already set an Olympic qualifying standard in the event, decided to run in only the 5,000m at the UK Athletics Trials in Birmingham at the weekend. It paid off as Parker finished second to Jo Pavey in a close race - and she just needed to finish in the top two for automatic selection.
Now she can only wait for the announcement of the GB team, with fingers crossed for selection in both the steeplechase and the 5,000m.
Her main target will be the steeplechase where she is looking not just to reach the final but to get on the rostrum.
Before then, Parker is keeping fit locally and she intends to run in the Diamond League meeting in Paris next Friday - and hopefully also to find time and watch the Olympic Torch relay pass through West Norfolk on Wednesday.
She is back home at Pott Row with mum Carol until the London Games and Tweeted on her website this week: ?Note to self: Running on farm tracks is not like running on the flat fast river trail back in Atlanta. Hit the road and I was rolling.?
At this week?s Paralympics press conference, Cundy said: ?I feel honoured to be selected for my fifth Paralympics which ultimately is going to be the most important and special as it is on home soil.
?I can?t wait to defend my Paralympic titles and race in front of a partisan crowd as part of the strongest team that Paralympics GB has ever sent to a Paralympic Games.
?I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me along the way and I look forward to your continued support. Bring on London!?
The Para-Cycling team brought home 20 medals from Beijing to finish top of their sport?s medal table, and the sport has brought home multiple international medals from road and track since 2008, so Paralympic selectors are confident that the team will perform once again when they take to the boards at the Olympic Park is just over 60 days? time.
Cundy, who was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List in 2009, won gold medals for swimming at the paralympics in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. He switched to cycling in 2007 and scooped those two golds at the Beijing games.
Roll Up Your Sleeves, America; Let?s Get Back To Work
What happened to us, America? We built the strongest, most prosperous nation in the history of the world by being home to the hardest-working people in history. You used to hear so much about the American Work Ethic, about how people came to the United States, worked crazy-hard, built businesses and created opportunities for entire families and generations of new Americans. That work ethic now seems to be more a part of America?s history than a key feature of the nation today.
Today, labor unions have run amok, ?bargaining? for sweet-but-unsustainable deals for their memberships and driving otherwise-healthy enterprises into the ground. The very definition of ?hard work? has changed; many (not all) young people today think they?ve worked hard if they?ve been on the premises of their workplace for longer than six hours. They?ve slaved especially hard if they?ve been too busy to finish personal calls or get in all the smoke-breaks to which they feel entitled. A job is more like a possession today than a calling; it?s something you have, not something you do. A paycheck is an entitlement. And now, if your employer can no longer afford you, you get years of unemployment compensation from the big-government nanny state that?s more out-of-control than the unions.
When I was in my twenties, I expected to pay my dues (and I don?t mean union dues). If I wanted to have kids, I knew I?d better be prepared to work my tail off ? and I did. Hume?s Rule of Economics back then was that, since Mom stayed at home with the kids, Dad must work ?one job per kid.? For me, that meant four jobs ? two ?full time? (around forty hours a week) and two part-time jobs. Sleep was optional. Recreation was unheard-of.
These days, I?m proud to say that my kids are probably the hardest-working twenty-somethings around ? they all have jobs, and they all work harder than do their friends. And I wouldn?t wish the life I had in my twenties on them, or on anyone? but even the hardest-working among them don?t have the grindstone-marks on their noses that I bore for decades.
The nanny-state is the enabler of the general lazing of America? but a societal trend is the enabler of the state. That is the trend toward greater ?victimhood? than this country?s ever seen. There are two types of person out there, and in each of us: our self-entitled inner ?Victim,? and our self-reliant inner ?Entrepreneur.? Over the years, more people have been more dominated by their inner Victim than was ever the case before in America ? and the resulting societal sense of entitlement has grown so big as to threaten the fabric of our society and the foundation of our nation.
The ?progressive? movement by statists in America has helped feed this victimization trend. Statists have slowly taken over every major institution of influence in America, from the labor union to the news media and from the classroom to the movie theater. Taken together, these institutions form a powerful sort of ?brain ray? for the statists, and they use it to imprint their far-Left messages on people from an early age. Young people today feel entitled to a job, a good paycheck, and a pretty easy life. You?d expect the same things if you had been raised to believe you should.
The statists have vandalized the American Constitutional republic almost beyond recognition. America needs restoration, and that?s going to be a daunting project indeed. But the good news is that none of us has to restore America alone ? and, if each of us takes on our own little restoration project, we can still do it. The Entrepreneurs still outnumber the Victims in America, and it?s still a land of opportunity. We just have to roll up our sleeves and get to work ? real, hard work ? on our restoration projects.
What can you do? Can you start a business? Run for office? Support a campaign or petition drive? Donate to restorationist causes? Be a citizen journalist? Whatever you choose, start by choosing and nourishing your own better self ? your inner Entrepreneur ? and start by simply working harder. Life doesn?t have to be a drudgery ? but in America, we?ve partied for a while now, and it?s time to get back to work. The restoration of our country ? and of the engine for most of the world?s strength and prosperity ? depends on it.
Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.
Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael?s web site at http://michaelhume.net
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert
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On stage at Google I/O, engineering director Chris Yerga announced a ton of new content coming to Google Play (formerly known as the Android Market). More »
An artificial brain that Googlers built with 16,000 computer processors and a nifty algorithm has taught itself to recognize images of cats posted on the Internet.
While cats provide web surfers endless hours of giggles, the feat of the so-called neural network is a serious step forward in the realm of machine learning, the New York Times reports.?
The network is among the largest of its type ever built, thanks in part to falling costs and abundance of computers available for research.?
The Googlers fed their artificial brain 10 million images that were randomly selected from YouTube videos. Given a chance to see a random slice of what we put on the Internet, the machine followed our lead and learned to find cats.
?We never told it during the training, ?This is a cat,?? Google fellow Jeff Dean told the New York Times. ?It basically invented the concept of cat.?
The results show that ?it is possible to train a face detector without having to label images as containing a face or not,? the team notes?in a paper on the research posted on arXiv.org and presented this week at a conference in Scotland.
As we build ever bigger and more sophisticated artificial brains, they could help improve image search, speech recognition and machine language translation ??services that Google provides.
--Via New York Times and CNET?
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website and follow him on Twitter. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.
Payroll tax processing can be the nightmare for many daycare owners. Halfpricesoft.com, the small business payroll software provider, released the new edition of ezPaycheck software which will help small business process payroll taxes, print paychecks and file tax forms easily and smoothly.
?Many of our users are daycare providers that have fewer than 30 people on staff and don?t have an accountant,? said Halfpricesoft.com founder Dr. Ge. ?We intentionally engineered ezPaycheck payroll tax software for those end-users who are not professional accountants and payroll tax expert, so small businesses can set up ezPaycheck quickly and easily.?
The new features in the latest version include:
New enhanced graphic user interface - is engineered for ease-of-use by those who have only basic computer skills and little accounting know-how
Faster, easier Year-to-Date key function - increases the payroll software?s ease of use when starting use of the software in the middle of a fiscal year.
Improved data back-up and restore features - makes it faster and easier to back up payroll data for security
EzPaycheck payroll tax software is designed to be extremely easy to use. The graphical interface and payroll features are so intuitive that users can start automating payroll processes within minutes of installation, even if they don?t have computer or accounting experience. New customers considering ezPaycheck 2012 can download and sample the payroll software without charge or obligation for up to 30 days at http://www.halfpricesoft.com/payroll_software_download.asp.
EzPayCheck?s many time- and money-saving features include:
- Updated tax tables and tax rates for all 50 states, Washington D.C., and federal taxes
- Print paychecks in choice of check formats: check-in-middle, check-on-bottom or check-on-top
- Print Forms W2, W3, 940 and 941
- Mask employee Social Security Numbers on check stubs
- Customizable deductions and withholding for unique needs -- ideal for churches and non-profits
- Robust reporting features
- Data export for use with Halfpricesoft.com?s ezW2 or other compatible software
- Auto-fill for check data that speeds up payroll
- Support multiple accounts with no extra charge
Priced at just $89 per installation, ezPaycheck payroll software is affordable for any size business. To start the free test drive, visit the site at: http://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp
About Halfpricesoft.com
Halfpricesoft.com is a leading provider of small business software, including payroll software, employee attendance tracking software, check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software, and barcode generating software. Today Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of users and help small business owners simplify their payroll processing and business management.
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Remember that dream version of the Galaxy S III that melded the Exynos 4 Quad, LTE-based 4G and 2GB of RAM all in one ultimate device? It now looks much closer to reality. Just as the 3G version is landing on the country's shores through SK Telecom, Samsung is sending word that the Korean LTE version is due in early July -- and Chosun claims it should have the best of all worlds in terms of performance. There should even be DMB TV tuning and a 500-title Video Hub for local movie lovers. We're anxious about just what that combination could do to battery life and the price, neither of which were mentioned up front. There may be good reasons why the US versions run on the dual-core Snapdragon S4, after all. Still, if the Korean LTE version doesn't have to make any sacrifices and is just a few weeks away from stores, it'll be hard not to turn a deep shade of green watching our friends in Seoul get what could easily be the better deal.
www.thenaturalguide.com ? Psoriasis and Eczema are skin conditions that can be effectively treated with Naturopathic Medicine (a type of alternative medicine or natural medicine). In this interview, Naturopathic Doctor Shannon Sinsheimer discusses Conventional drug-based medical treatments?
Eczema on the scalp is a condition in which the skin has a red, irritated and itchy rash that can cause dandruff. Learn about preventing and treating eczema of the scalp with help from a dermatologist in this free video on skin care and eczema. Expert: Dr. Raphael Darvish, MD, MBA Contact: www.skinpeccable.com Bio: Dr. Raphael Darvish is a graduate of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and completed his post-graduate residency training at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center. Filmmaker: Geffner Productions Series Description: Common dermatology and skin care problems involve stretch marks, eczema, rashes, acne, scars and excessive sweating. Find out how to treat these conditions and more with help from this free video series on skin health.
Former Obama administration official Anne-Marie Slaughter talks to TODAY's Natalie Morales about her controversial article in The Atlantic, which debates whether women can juggle high-powered careers and be good mothers at the same time.
By Eve Tahmincioglu
Women can have it all if they fight for what they need.
That was the message that came from a powerful woman who sparked a national debate last week about women and their success in the workplace and as mothers.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former U.S. State Department official and now a Princeton professor, spoke about her The Atlantic article, ?Why Women Still Can?t Have It All?, Monday on TODAY, and wanted to make it clear that her piece was not negative but more of a call to action to women struggling with balancing work and life.
?Women have come leaps and bounds,? she said about the advancements women have made in the workplace, ?but we need another round of change.?
Working mothers, she continued, make it to a point in their career where they?re beginning to climb the ladder of succes, but then they end up feeling ?unbelievably torn? when family and work responsibilities clash.
Indeed, many women are questioning whether they can really have it all. An informal poll taken last week in an article about Slaughter?s story and the controversy that ensured, asked ?Do you think women can have it all?? found only 11 percent of the nearly 4,000 respondents felt it was possible, compared to 48 percent that offered a resounding ?no? to the question.
But in a sign of hope, 41 percent voted: ?Maybe, when the workplace changes.?
And it?s change Slaughter wants to see.
?We need to be honest about how hard it is,? she said about the first step women need to take. And secondly, she stressed, ?you have to ask for what you need. If you need to work from home, ask for it.?
In the end, she added, it?s all about a serious ?desire for change.?
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Treed crown land sits behind the Royal Oak Wal Mart near the corner of 85 St. and Country Hills Blvd. N.W., roughly the location of a sweet-oil exploratory well slated to be drilled by Kaiser Exploration later this year. (SUN FILE PHOTO)
Report an error
Dale Hodges would rather not see a day when residents have to walk around an oil or gas well in the middle of Olympic Plaza.
?
It may sound like a long shot, but the Calgary alderman believes it could happen without an urban drilling policy in place.
?We?re trying to get the province?s attention on actually having some policies ? which they don?t ? on urban areas,? Hodges said.
?I?m not holding my breath, but hopefully the province will decide there should be some rules.?
City council will discuss how it can best accomplish that Monday, but on Sunday there will be a rally for what Lowe called the start to the conversation.
The Rocky Ridge Royal Oak Community Association (RRROCA) is hosting the rally to stop drilling that is being proposed north of Royal Oak, west of 85 St. N.W.
Lowe said the pitch to drill is going to happen again and again.
?The entire City of Calgary sits on a huge methane bed, which means that sooner or later somebody will want to extract that,? he said.
?The issue and dealing with the issue really falls in the hands of the province ? it?s their legislation and their boards that are regulating this at the moment.?
Ward Sutherland, an RRROCA spokesman, called the prospect of a drill site 400 metres from homes and a major watershed ?alarming,? one his group has been opposed to since the beginning.
The Energy Resources Conservation Board approved the application despite an official letter of objection provided by the city. The association and some aldermen share concerns of transportation of raw crude along city roads.
But after recent conversations and a tour of the area with Alberta Energy Minister Ken Hughes and Calgary-West MLA Sandra Jansen, Sutherland is optimistic the ball will get rolling in their favour.
?It was a complete (180 degrees) from the previous minister,? Sutherland said of his discussions with Hughes.
?He was very open.
?He said he would get back and guarantee some commitments and I?m confident that Sandra will be making an announcement (Sunday).?
Neither Hughes nor Jansen could be reached for comment. Sunday?s rally runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the Royal Oak Centre.
A hit and run last night in Largo, reminds us why it so important to carry uninsured motorist coverage (?UM?); when someone harms you in a car accident and flees the scene? who?s going to cover your medical treatment and lost wages?
Last night in Largo, a pickup truck ran into a 14-year-old at a crosswalk, and then fled the scene, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The 14-year-old was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The teen was on his bicycle just before 10pm last night, crossing the intersection at Ulmerton Road and Seminole Boulevard, inside a designated crosswalk, when the pick-up truck crashed into him and sped off. The vehicle was described as a dark-colored, older-model, full-sized pickup truck with a roll bar and yellow lights on its roof; unfortunately, however, the driver is still at large.
It is important to check your individual policies to see if you carry this vital type of coverage for instances like these, when you obey the law and someone else does not! Most UM policies will cover incidents like these where the at-fault driver is unidentifiable because he or she fled the scene.
If you, a family member, or a friend is injured in a car accident because of the negligence of another driver who has fled the scene, ALWAYS speak with an attorney about your legal rights! The personal injury attorneys at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes have been caring for clients in the Tampa Bay area for over 55 years. Click here for a free case consultation or contact us today!
????-
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes has been caring for clients after car accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, boating accidents, and other personal injury matters since 1955. Don?t try to handle your case on your own. Benefit from the experience of the attorneys at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes. Contact us Today!
With the burden of expensive college bills weighing on many middle-class families, student debt is a natural issue for politicians to seize. After all, how many times have we heard lately that student debt now exceeds $1 trillion and tops credit card debt?
It?s in the spotlight now because on July 1, the interest rate on some federal student loans is set to double, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, if Congress and President Obama don?t agree on a fix. With 10 days to go before the deadline, Mr. Obama called on Congress, again, to "do the right thing" and keep the lower rate.
Yet the rate change applies only to a portion of new loans to be issued for the coming academic year. How much of an effect would it really have ? and how did we get here in the first place??Here?s some basic context.
- Stacy Teicher Khadaroo,?Staff writer
President Obama greets students after he called on Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling next month during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 21, 2012. (Susan Walsh/AP)
1. Which loans are we talking about?
Federal subsidized Stafford loans. During this past school year, undergraduates who qualified based on a test of financial need were able to take out a maximum of $3,500 to $5,500, depending on their year in college. The loans carry a fixed interest rate of 3.4 percent.
(By contrast, all students are eligible for regular Stafford loans, up to $31,000 total during college and graduate school. These bear a fixed rate of 6.8 percent. Many students take out both types of loans.)
Sign-up to receive a weekly selection of top political stories every Friday.
The facts of these types of cases are never easy to hear. In this case, a 34-year-old Maryland man was arrested and has been charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl. The incident allegedly occurred at the girl's home. The man is said to be a family acquaintance, as is often the case in sex crimes involving rape.
The accused man is apparently behind bars now with bail set at $2 million. He faces charges that include rape and sexual assault - and undoubtedly faces significant jail time if convicted.
The man is 34. The girl is 13. That's a 21-year age difference. And the girl is a young teen, a minor. A person's instinct is to recoil at these facts, to assume the 34-year-old's guilt.
That would be a mistake.
Even though society condemns sex crime of all types, it's easy to forget that somebody accused of a sex crime still has legal rights, including the right to a fair trial, and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorderPublic release date: 22-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Andy Hoang ahoang@salk.edu 619-861-5811 Salk Institute
Study finds that hormonal response is stronger in people with Williams syndrome, shedding light on the biological underpinnings of social disorders
LA JOLLA, CA----The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.
The study, a collaboration between scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of Utah, found that people with WS flushed with the hormones oxytocin and arginine vasopressin (AVP) when exposed to emotional triggers.
The findings may help in understanding human emotional and behavioral systems and lead to new treatments for devastating illnesses such as WS, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and possibly even autism.
"Williams syndrome results from a very clear genetic deletion, allowing us to explore the genetic and neuronal basis of social behavior," says Ursula Bellugi, the director of Salk's Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and a co-author on the paper. "This study provides us with crucial information about genes and brain regions involved in the control of oxytocin and vasopressin, hormones that may play important roles in other disorders."
WS arises from a faulty recombination event during the development of sperm or egg cells. As a result, virtually everyone with WS has exactly the same set of genes missing (25 to 28 genes are missing from one of two copies of chromosome 7). There also are rare cases of individuals who retain one or more genes that most people with the disorder have lost.
To children with WS, people are much more comprehensible than inanimate objects. Despite myriad health problems they are extremely gregarious, irresistibly drawn to strangers, and insist on making eye contact. They have an affinity for music. But they also experience heightened anxiety, have an average IQ of 60, experience severe spatial-visual problems, and suffer from cardiovascular and other health issues. Despite their desire to befriend people, they have difficulty creating and maintaining social relationships, something that is not at all understood but can afflict many people without WS.
In the new study, led by Dr. Julie R. Korenberg, a University of Utah professor and Salk adjunct professor, the scientists conducted a trial with 21 participants, 13 who have WS and a control group of eight people without the disorder. The participants were evaluated at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Because music is a known strong emotional stimulus, the researchers asked participants to listen to music.
Before the music was played, the participants' blood was drawn to determine a baseline level for oxytocin, and those with WS had three times as much of the hormone as those without the syndrome. Blood also was drawn at regular intervals while the music played and was analyzed afterward to check for real-time, rapid changes in the levels of oxytocin and AVP. Other studies have examined how oxytocin affects emotion when artificially introduced into people, such as through nasal sprays, but this is one of the first significant studies to measure naturally occurring changes in oxytocin levels in rapid, real time as people undergo an emotional response.
There was little outward response to the music, but when the blood samples were analyzed, the researchers were happily surprised. The analyses showed that the oxytocin levels, and to a lesser degree AVP, had not only increased but begun to bounce among WS participants while among those without WS, both the oxytocin and AVP levels remained largely unchanged as they listened to music.
Korenberg believes the blood analyses strongly indicate that oxytocin and AVP are not regulated correctly in people with WS, and that the behavioral characteristics unique to people with WS are related to this problem.
"This shows that oxytocin quite likely is very involved in emotional response," Korenberg says.
To ensure accuracy of results, those taking the test also were asked to place their hands in 60-degree Fahrenheit water to test for negative stress, and the same results were produced as when they listened to music. Those with WS experienced an increase in oxytocin and AVP, while those without the syndrome did not.
In addition to listening to music, study participants already had taken three social behavior tests that evaluate willingness to approach and speak to strangers, emotional states, and various areas of adaptive and problem behavior. Those test results suggest that increased levels of oxytocin are linked to both increased desire to seek social interaction and decreased ability to process social cues, a double-edged message that may be very useful at times, for example, during courtship, but damaging at others, as in WS.
"The association between abnormal levels of oxytocin and AVP and altered social behaviors found in people with Williams Syndrome points to surprising, entirely unsuspected deleted genes involved in regulation of these hormones and human sociability," Korenberg said. "It also suggests that the simple characterization of oxytocin as 'the love hormone' may be an overreach. The data paint a far more complicated picture."
In particular, the study results indicate that the missing genes affect the release of oxytocin and AVP through the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. About the size of a pearl, the hypothalamus is located just above the brain stem and produces hormones that control body temperature, hunger, mood, sex drive, sleep, hunger and thirst, and the release of hormones from many glands, including the pituitary. The pituitary gland, about the size of a pea, controls many other glands responsible for hormone secretion.
Overall, the researchers say, their findings paint a very hopeful picture, and the study holds promise for speeding progress in treating WS, and perhaps Autism and anxiety through regulation of these key players in human brain and emotion, oxytocin and vasopressin.
###
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the McDonnell Foundation.
About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.
Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.
[ | 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.
'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorderPublic release date: 22-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Andy Hoang ahoang@salk.edu 619-861-5811 Salk Institute
Study finds that hormonal response is stronger in people with Williams syndrome, shedding light on the biological underpinnings of social disorders
LA JOLLA, CA----The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.
The study, a collaboration between scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of Utah, found that people with WS flushed with the hormones oxytocin and arginine vasopressin (AVP) when exposed to emotional triggers.
The findings may help in understanding human emotional and behavioral systems and lead to new treatments for devastating illnesses such as WS, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and possibly even autism.
"Williams syndrome results from a very clear genetic deletion, allowing us to explore the genetic and neuronal basis of social behavior," says Ursula Bellugi, the director of Salk's Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience and a co-author on the paper. "This study provides us with crucial information about genes and brain regions involved in the control of oxytocin and vasopressin, hormones that may play important roles in other disorders."
WS arises from a faulty recombination event during the development of sperm or egg cells. As a result, virtually everyone with WS has exactly the same set of genes missing (25 to 28 genes are missing from one of two copies of chromosome 7). There also are rare cases of individuals who retain one or more genes that most people with the disorder have lost.
To children with WS, people are much more comprehensible than inanimate objects. Despite myriad health problems they are extremely gregarious, irresistibly drawn to strangers, and insist on making eye contact. They have an affinity for music. But they also experience heightened anxiety, have an average IQ of 60, experience severe spatial-visual problems, and suffer from cardiovascular and other health issues. Despite their desire to befriend people, they have difficulty creating and maintaining social relationships, something that is not at all understood but can afflict many people without WS.
In the new study, led by Dr. Julie R. Korenberg, a University of Utah professor and Salk adjunct professor, the scientists conducted a trial with 21 participants, 13 who have WS and a control group of eight people without the disorder. The participants were evaluated at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Because music is a known strong emotional stimulus, the researchers asked participants to listen to music.
Before the music was played, the participants' blood was drawn to determine a baseline level for oxytocin, and those with WS had three times as much of the hormone as those without the syndrome. Blood also was drawn at regular intervals while the music played and was analyzed afterward to check for real-time, rapid changes in the levels of oxytocin and AVP. Other studies have examined how oxytocin affects emotion when artificially introduced into people, such as through nasal sprays, but this is one of the first significant studies to measure naturally occurring changes in oxytocin levels in rapid, real time as people undergo an emotional response.
There was little outward response to the music, but when the blood samples were analyzed, the researchers were happily surprised. The analyses showed that the oxytocin levels, and to a lesser degree AVP, had not only increased but begun to bounce among WS participants while among those without WS, both the oxytocin and AVP levels remained largely unchanged as they listened to music.
Korenberg believes the blood analyses strongly indicate that oxytocin and AVP are not regulated correctly in people with WS, and that the behavioral characteristics unique to people with WS are related to this problem.
"This shows that oxytocin quite likely is very involved in emotional response," Korenberg says.
To ensure accuracy of results, those taking the test also were asked to place their hands in 60-degree Fahrenheit water to test for negative stress, and the same results were produced as when they listened to music. Those with WS experienced an increase in oxytocin and AVP, while those without the syndrome did not.
In addition to listening to music, study participants already had taken three social behavior tests that evaluate willingness to approach and speak to strangers, emotional states, and various areas of adaptive and problem behavior. Those test results suggest that increased levels of oxytocin are linked to both increased desire to seek social interaction and decreased ability to process social cues, a double-edged message that may be very useful at times, for example, during courtship, but damaging at others, as in WS.
"The association between abnormal levels of oxytocin and AVP and altered social behaviors found in people with Williams Syndrome points to surprising, entirely unsuspected deleted genes involved in regulation of these hormones and human sociability," Korenberg said. "It also suggests that the simple characterization of oxytocin as 'the love hormone' may be an overreach. The data paint a far more complicated picture."
In particular, the study results indicate that the missing genes affect the release of oxytocin and AVP through the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. About the size of a pearl, the hypothalamus is located just above the brain stem and produces hormones that control body temperature, hunger, mood, sex drive, sleep, hunger and thirst, and the release of hormones from many glands, including the pituitary. The pituitary gland, about the size of a pea, controls many other glands responsible for hormone secretion.
Overall, the researchers say, their findings paint a very hopeful picture, and the study holds promise for speeding progress in treating WS, and perhaps Autism and anxiety through regulation of these key players in human brain and emotion, oxytocin and vasopressin.
###
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the McDonnell Foundation.
About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.
Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.
[ | 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.
A hit and run last night in Largo, reminds us why it so important to carry uninsured motorist coverage (?UM?); when someone harms you in a car accident and flees the scene? who?s going to cover your medical treatment and lost wages?
motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, boating accidents, and other personal injury matters since 1955. Don?t try to handle your case on your own. Benefit from the experience of the attorneys at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes. Contact us Today!![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-Jun-2012
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