As you talk to Aaron Levie, the co-founder of fast growing cloud storage company Box, it's hard not to notice his incredible energy when he talks about enterprise storage possibilities. Six years in, Levie is still as passionate about what he is trying to build as he was back in Mike Arrington's backyard pitching VCs on Box in 2006. Box has had a big year, and one that many could call a turning point for the company. After raising $125 million in new funding a reported $1.2 billion valuation in July, the company is finishing off 2012 by nearly tripling revenue from last year, and preparing the company to possibly enter the public markets in 2013 or 2014. We sat down with Levie to talk about Box's gameplan for 2013, his education in being a leader and CEO, and more.
A Restricted Liability Enterprise or far better identified as LLC is a sort of Business owned by a single or several folks. Those individuals own the membership of the Company and not the shares. LLC is 1 kind of legal entity. Not too long ago it has grow to be an excellent selection for numerous entrepreneurs. LLC has fantastic positive aspects on Restricted liability element of firms and also in Restricted partnership. The owners are governed by Membership Agreements. Right here all the owners have to vote for all concerns or the managers (like board of directors) appointed by them. Those managers make their owners free of charge from any votes and they manage all types of the Company. IPS does not recognize the LLC organizations.
There are several LLC Enterprise owners in Florida. They realize the necessity of possessing an LLC Enterprise. This is since the LLC Enterprise offers them several tax positive aspects and also Restricted liability protection. But regrettably LLC owners kind the Company but they neglect about the LLC Running Agreements. Forming the Business beneath the state law is the 1st stone in the direction of finishing the LLC organizations. Often make a LLC Running Agreement although forming the LLC Business.
Fundamentally there are 2 purposes for getting LLC Running Agreement.
This agreement establishes the LLC ownership. Any LLC in Florida or much better know as LLC Florida formed below the state laws need to have members who have listed in Articles of Business. So now a day 98% of the LLC donot have members correct right after formation. Hence this agreement establish the owners and they decide the rights and obligation the members will have amongst each and every other.LLC Running Agreement permits the members to make selection amongst themselves on how to run the Company. Therefore it generates the management structure of the LLC.
So we can see that those 2 purposes are very crucial for possessing a dispute significantly less LLC Company. Otherwise lot of prospective problems will arise following some time with this incomplete LLC Company. Bear in mind a single issue, in Company never rely on the oral words. So Usually have the LLC Running Agreement just before beginning LLC Company.
Now you will must know how to commence LLC in Florida?
one) Get a name that is obtainable in Florida. The name should finish up with the words ?Restricted Liability Enterprise? , abbreviated as ?Ltd. Liability Co? or ?LLC? or ?L.L.C?.
two) Complete the paperwork effectively. The type need to have Company name, registered agent in Florida, Company Place and the kind need to be duly signed by an organizer.
three) Government costs some dollars for possessing a LLC in Florida. So spend these sufficient costs for producing the LLC Business.
four) There some tax return annually for possessing a LLC in Florida. If you clear this tax often then their will be no problem in operating the LLC in Florida.
Beside getting a LLC corporation folks now a days is also leaning in the direction of S corporation. S corporation are identified by the IRS. S corporation in distinct states are governed by various guidelines. For instance S corporation in Florida or Florida S corporation is totally free from double taxation. This is the simple distinction in getting an ordinary Company and an S corporation.
(ATLANTA) ? Measures on gay rights and child safety are among the top state laws taking effect at the start of 2013, along with attempts to prevent identity theft and perennial efforts to restrict abortion and illegal immigration.
In many states, new laws take effect on Jan. 1, while in others they do so 90 days after a governor?s signature.
Voter-approved laws allowing same-sex couples to marry take effect in Maryland in January and in Maine on Saturday. California also approved a law exempting clergy members opposed to gay marriage from performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.
In California, a first-of-its-kind law bans a form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight but is on hold during a court challenge. The law would ban what is known as reparative or conversion therapy for minors; such therapies are widely discredited by medical professionals.
A number of laws seek to protect children from bullying and abuse. Pennsylvania school employees in contact with children, who already must report suspected abuse, must now be trained to recognize the warning signs, their legal obligations and what are considered appropriate relationships with children.
That law was being debated and voted on in June as a jury was finding former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky guilty of 45 counts for sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years.
California coaches and administrators in K-12 schools, as well as higher education employees who have regular contact with children, will be required to report suspected child sexual abuse. Oregon will require school employees to report acts of bullying, harassment and online bullying. Oregon schools must also adopt a policy on teen dating violence.
In Florida, the Safe Harbor Act includes provisions that require police to turn over to the Department of Children and Families any children who are alleged to be sexually exploited or dependent for assessment and possible shelter.
States continue to wrestle with illegal immigration. Pennsylvania will include a requirement that contractors on public works projects make sure through the federal E-Verify system that their employees are legal U.S. residents, while a Montana ballot measure taking effect denies illegal immigrants of state services.
Supporters say the Montana law will prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining services and prevent them from taking jobs at a time of high unemployment. Opponents argued there is no proof illegal immigrants are using state services in Montana.
Also in Montana, voters overwhelmingly passed a measure requiring parental notification for minors? abortions, while in Georgia a new law will prohibit doctors from performing an abortion 20 weeks after an egg is fertilized unless a pregnancy is determined to be medically futile, meaning it would result in the birth of a child unlikely to survive because of a serious defect.Georgia became the seventh state in the country to approve the so-called fetal pain act.
?Today, we are reaffirming Georgia?s commitment to preserving the sanctity of all human life,? Gov. Nathan Deal said in a statement released shortly after he signed the bill in May.
The measure passed over the objection of many female lawmakers, including Sen. Valencia Seay, who said the bill?s passage and signing was ?unconscionable, but not surprising? and typical of the male-dominated General Assembly.
New Hampshire enacts a ban on a type of late-term abortion procedure sometimes called ?partial birth abortion? after lawmakers overrode the veto of Gov. John Lynch, who said the measure was unnecessary because federal law already prohibits such procedures. Supporters of the ban say they don?t trust the government to prosecute the law.
In Maryland, parents will be able to freeze their child?s credit at any time if the child becomes a victim of identity theft. ?This just freezes the information to ensure that it?s not used for ill purposes,? said Delegate Craig Zucker, a Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Maryland House of Delegates.
In Delaware, state officials must request an annual credit report for every child in foster care.
Among other new laws:
? Alabama begins cracking down on the state?s 900,000 uninsured drivers with a new system that allows instant checks by police, license plate offices and the state Revenue Department.
? A pair of laws in Georgia and Pennsylvania address the shortfalls faced by some states from the cost of unemployment benefits by raising employers? contributions to unemployment compensation trust funds.
? In New Mexico, drivers registering their car or truck will be able to donate $1 or $5 to a state fund that supports programs and services to veterans, such as assistance in finding a job or treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. In Utah, U.S. military personnel will be exempted from having to pay a full year?s property taxes after their return from 200 days of active duty in any calendar year.
? In Florida, it will no longer be illegal to flash your headlights to warn oncoming drivers that police are lurking on the roadside ahead. The legislation was introduced after drivers were ticketed for warning other motorists that officers may be trying to catch speeders on the highway.
? A California law bans the use of dogs when hunting bobcats or bears, while Wisconsin?s expansion of its hunting seasons to a month in autumn and another in April was a scaled-back version of a proposal that would have allowed hunting across a seven-month period from mid-October to late May. Residents reacted to the longer proposal with thousands of angry letters and emails.
Most people who opposed the measure said they would stop bringing their families to state parks if there were a chance of being struck by a stray bullet or of a pet straying into an animal trap. Supporters countered that hunting has long been a Wisconsin tradition and that hunters were well-versed in practicing safe techniques.
(? Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) ? Zimbabwe state radio says 18 people headed home for the holidays died when their open truck veered off a mountain road and plunged into a ravine in northeastern Zimbabwe.
The radio said Tuesday another 46 passengers crowded on the back of the truck were injured in the crash in the remote Honde Valley region known for its steep and winding roads and tracks.
Bus and truck accidents, common in Zimbabwe, are mainly blamed on poor vehicle maintenance and speeding.
Zimbabweans traditionally travel to their rural villages for the holidays. Travelers this year complained that bus companies hiked fares, in one case from $4 to $10 for a 150 kilometer (90 mile) trip.
State radio said police Tuesday warned against boarding private vehicles unlicensed to carry passengers.
BAGHDAD (AP) ? An Iranian exile group representing residents of a refugee camp outside Baghdad alleged Monday that one of its members has died after Iraqi authorities prevented him from being hospitalized last month.
The allegation is the latest in a series of charges against the Iraqi government by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran over what it sees as poor treatment at two refugee camps in Iraq.
Members of the NCRI's Mujahedeen-e-Khalq militant wing, which until recently was labeled a foreign terror organization by Washington, began moving from their longtime home at Camp Ashraf in northeast Iraq to a new camp close to the Iraqi capital's airport earlier this year.
The Baghdad-area camp, a former American military base known as Camp Liberty, is meant to be a temporary way station while the United Nations works to resettle the residents abroad. They are unlikely to return to Iran because of their opposition to the regime.
Behrooz Rahimian, the 56-year-old resident who died, was staying at Camp Liberty when he began complaining of chest pains on Nov. 25, according to a statement by NCRI spokesman Shahin Gobadi. He was taken to a Baghdad hospital, but Iraqi authorities intimidated doctors there, and he was soon taken back to Camp Liberty after being given medicine, the group alleges.
Rahimian died of cardiac arrest on Sunday, the NCRI said. The group blames his death on Iraqi officials' refusal to keep him in the hospital, and it criticizes the United Nations mission to Iraq for not taking what it sees as sufficient steps to intervene.
Iraqi Human Rights Minister Mohammed Shiyaa al-Sudani told The Associated Press he would launch an investigation into the issue and "find out the problem if there is any." He noted that there are monitors on site to ensure residents are receiving adequate treatment.
"Their claims are endless. We have two teams at Camp Liberty ? one from the U.N. and another from my ministry ? to offer them all the services they need according to the U.N.'s standards," he said.
The U.N. is aware of Rahimian's death, and its human rights monitors are trying to establish the facts in the case, Baghdad-based spokeswoman Anne Czichos said.
Iraq's government is eager to have the MEK out of the country. The group, which is also called the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, opposes Iran's clerical regime and carried out assassinations and bombings in Iran until renouncing violence in 2001.
Labeled by some as a cult, it fought in the 1980s alongside Saddam Hussein's forces in the Iran-Iraq war. Several thousand of its members were given sanctuary in Iraq by Saddam.
Iraq's current Shiite-led government, which has close ties to Iran, considers the MEK a terrorist group and says its members are living in Iraq illegally. Iraqi security forces launched two deadly raids since 2009 on Camp Ashraf, a small city near the Iranian border that the exiles never wanted to leave.
The Obama administration took the MEK off the U.S. terrorism list in late September. Canada did the same last week.
'Twas the night before Christmas and all over Twitter, a bunch of stupid assholes are already pissed about the crap gadgets they got for Christmas. iPad? Dumb. iPhone? Lame. Anything and everything? Screw you mom. More »
Approximately eight percent of the population suffer from eczema. The skin condition is caused by a misfiring of one's immune system. The technical term for the disorder is is atopic dermatitis. It is characterized by a relentless inflammation of the skin's top layer, which ultimately leads to crusting, scaling, flaking and other unsightly side effects. The continuous itching and burning associated with its presence, along with its unattractive appearance, leads many people to begin searching for a home remedy for eczema.
Additional scars frequently form because of the continuous scratching many sufferers find hard to control. Numerous individuals search for homeopathic cures or natural remedies to find relief from such symptoms when traditional treatments have not been helpful. In most cases it is not difficult to discover an effective natural cure for eczema. However, a person may find that it is necessary to try different remedies before the most suitable one is found.
Red clover is an option that should be considered by those in search of an herbal supplement for the aforementioned condition. Red clover is popular among patients suffering from particularly severe cases of eczema. This is because it can be placed on blistering skin directly. Many people discover that it only takes one application to notice the difference. The herb is also available in capsule form; however, topical use provides quicker relief of symptoms.
Oils such as black currant and evening primrose are both rich in essential fatty acids. The latter are vital to the general health of most individuals, and are particularly beneficial to patients suffering from skin conditions. Evening primrose and blackcurrant oils are easily obtained in the form of capsules, and the appropriate dose will depend on the patient's weight. However, the recommended dose for the majority of adults is 8000 milligrams daily.
Green tea is another effective natural cure for this disorder. In addition to the numerous health benefits for which it is renowned, green tea is full of anti-inflammatory properties, making it an ideal option for those suffering from eczema. One should drink a minimum of three cups each day, and it makes no difference whether the tea is consumed cold or hot.
Gamma Linolenic Acid, frequently referred to as simply GLA, is in the omega six essential fatty acid category, and has recently gained significant attention from certain individuals in the medical community regarding its ability to lessen the symptoms of this irritating skin disorder. This is due to the fact that it is rich in dihomo-gammalinolenic, an immune system enhancer. The presence of dihomo-gammalinolenic in one's system often reduces the severity and duration of his or her flareups.
Patients should also remember that simple measures, such as avoiding excessive exposure to the sun and keeping their skin clean are also vital to general skin health. Using a multiple vitamin that is rich in antioxidants can also reduce the severity and frequency of an individuals outbreaks.
Additional research is currently being conducted concerning natural cures for this condition. One may need to try various remedies prior to discovering a home remedy for eczema that is helpful. As always, it is essential for all individuals to talk to a physician prior to beginning any new nutritional supplement.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will have little time to savor victory in pushing through a new constitution as it may have cost the Islamist leader broader support for urgent austerity measures needed to fix the creaking economy.
By fast-tracking the constitution through to a referendum that the opposition said was divisive, he may have squandered any chance of building a consensus on tax rises and spending cuts that are essential to rein in a crushing budget deficit.
Unofficial tallies from Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood showed the charter was approved by a 64 percent majority. But opponents said he lost the vote in much of the capital, while across the nation he alienated liberals, Christians and others worried by the text that was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly.
Opponents say such divisions will fuel more unrest in a nation whose economy has been pummeled by turbulence since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown almost two years ago, scaring off investors and tourists that are both vital sources of capital.
Without broad support, Mursi's government will find it harder to implement reforms needed to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. The Muslim Brotherhood's party, which propelled Mursi to office, may also face a tougher fight in a parliamentary election expected in about two months.
"For austerity measures to be made at a time when the political system is being opened and millions of people are being enfranchised, you need political consensus within the political class," said Amr Adly, an expert on the economy.
Yet, even though there is broad acceptance of the urgency of fixing the battered economy, Adly said Mursi's approach in pushing through a constitution that angered opponents would encourage his rivals to capitalize on any public backlash against austerity rather than help sell reforms to the nation.
"His political rivals are already dealing with these problems on a very opportunistic basis," said Adly, head of the social and economic justice unit at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. "There won't be any prospect of ending ... violence in the streets or very deep political divisions."
UNITED
Egypt's fractured opposition, defeated at the ballot box by Islamists in each poll since Mubarak was overthrown in February 2011, unified their ranks after Mursi expanded his powers in a decree on November 22 to push through the constitution.
"What Mursi did has united us," said Ahmed Said, head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party and a leading member of the National Salvation Front coalition, adding he expected a unified approach to the upcoming parliamentary election.
That would give the opposition a much better chance in parliamentary polls against disciplined Islamists, who have built a broad grass-roots network across the nation over decades that liberals and other non-Islamists cannot yet match.
Though Said agreed steps were needed to fix Egypt's economy, he said Mursi had made no effort to discuss it with his rivals although they were a national concern. The IMF has long said a broad political consensus to reforms was needed for a loan.
"Who wouldn't agree with economic reforms?" Said asked, but added: "We have not been consulted at all with regard to supporting such policies or not, we are not sure what is going on in the country."
Mursi now faces the prospect of having an opposition seeking to score political points from any tax rises and measures to reduce spending, particularly steps to rein in fuel subsidies in a nation where rich and poor have become used to cheap energy.
That could make it more of a challenge for Islamists to win votes in the parliamentary election.
Though the opposition have drawn tens of thousands of Egyptians to the streets on occasion, Islamists have done so with greater regularity and also have a strong record of getting out the vote in the more local politics of a parliamentary poll.
But nation's political divisions have already taken their toll on the president's initial economic reforms.
Shortly before the referendum, Mursi introduced increases on the sales tax on goods and services that ranged from alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and mobile phone calls to automobile licenses and quarrying permits. He withdrew them within hours under criticism from his opponents and the media.
An immediate result of Mursi's policy U-turn was a delay in approving the IMF loan. The IMF said it would postpone its meeting in mid-December to approve the loan. Egypt's government said it might now be approved in January.
Farid Ismail, a senior official in the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, said Egypt could not be described as divided when two-thirds of those who voted backed the constitution but said all sides needed to discuss the economic issues ahead.
"We have an economic and social challenge and this is the time for people to present initiatives and engage in a national dialogue," he said, adding that passing the constitution meant one major hurdle to stabilizing the nation had been overcome.
EXPECTATIONS
Yet expectations run high in a nation where demands for social justice and a better standard of living helped drive the 2011 uprising as much as calls for political freedoms.
"We had a revolution to make life easier and prices lower, not higher," said 19-year-old student Sally Ahmed Kotb referring to Mursi's tax plans as she went to the polls on Saturday to vote "no". "This will lead to a hunger revolution."
Once a darling of emerging market investors, Egypt's economy has taken a hammering. The budget deficit surged to a crippling 11 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year that ended in June 2012 and is forecast to exceed 10 percent this year.
Without swift action, it could hit 13 percent, said Adly.
Among belt-tightening measures in the pipeline are steps to reduce how much subsidized gasoline drivers can buy, which is bound to be unpopular.
In the meantime, Egypt has been bleeding foreign reserves at a rate of about $600 million a month, cutting them to about $15 billion, less than half their level before Mubarak's fall.
Some Egyptians are still ready to give Mursi a chance. Many of those who voted "yes" in the referendum backed the charter as a vote for "stability", even if they had some reservations. But, even from supporters, Mursi may have limited leeway.
"Just as people rose against Mubarak, they can rise against Mursi," said Mohamed Mohsen, a civil servant and Islamist backer who voted "yes" in the referendum. "Let's give him two, three, four or five months to solve our problems then we can see."
The government says it is already engaged in a "national dialogue" with political forces, unions and others to win public support for an economic plan it insists will not hurt the poor.
"Passage of the new constitution is unlikely to ease recent discord, but it nevertheless marks a significant step forward in Egypt's labored political transition," Simon Williams, HSBC economist in Dubai, wrote in a note after the constitution was approved in the first of the two-stage referendum.
He said progress on the IMF program could now resume swiftly, but added: "The temptation to avoid pressing ahead with unpopular policy measures may also prove ever harder to resist, particularly ahead of the parliamentary polls."
(Additional reporting by Shaimaa Fayed and Tamim Elyan; writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Giles Elgood)
A single genetic defect on the X chromosome that can result in a wide array of conditions ? from learning and emotional difficulties to primary ovarian insufficiency in women and tremors in middle-aged men ? occurs at a much greater frequency than previously thought, research led by the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
The research is based on the first large-scale, multi-center newborn screening effort for the defect in the United States, conducted in a group of more than 14,200 male and female infants at three research university medical centers piloting a new infant screening test developed at UC Davis.
The study, "FMR1 CGG Allele Size and Prevalence Ascertained Through Newborn Screening in the United States," was led by Flora Tassone, professor-in-residence in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and was conducted using blood spots obtained from infant heel pricks as part of the normal newborn genetic screening process. It is published online today in the journalGenome Medicine.
The investigators examined the prevalence of expanded alleles of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Defects in FMR1 cause conditions as diverse as fragile X syndrome ? the leading cause of intellectual disability and the leading known single-gene cause of autism ? and a Parkinson's disease-like condition called fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, or FXTAS. The term "fragile X" is used because of the altered appearance of the X chromosome among sufferers from the conditions.
"This study demonstrates that there is a higher frequency of mutations of the FMR1 gene across racial and ethnic groups than previously believed," said Randi Hagerman, medical director of the UC Davis MIND Institute and one of the world's leading experts on fragile X-related conditions. "It also demonstrates that newborn screening for fragile X mutations is technically feasible in a large-scale setting using the blood spot technique developed by Dr. Tassone."
The degree of disability from defects in FMR1 depends upon the number of repetitions of the sequence of the proteins cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) in the promoter region of the gene. The range of repeats in normal individuals is between six and 40. CGG repeats greater than 200 cause what is called the full mutation and fragile X syndrome. Fewer repeats ? in the range of 55 to 200 ? result in a variation called a premutation.
The current study found the estimated prevalence of the premutation to be 1 in 200 females, a finding somewhat greater than earlier estimates. However, it estimates the prevalence among males to be 1 in 400 ? double what had previously been reported. The researchers said that the sample size in the current study was not great enough to estimate the true prevalence of the full fragile X mutation, currently estimated at between 1 in 2,500 and 1 in 8,000 females and 1 in 5,000 males.
While most people with the premutation appear normal, some individuals can have mild difficulties in childhood, such as such as learning problems or emotional difficulties including social anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), said Hagerman, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics. Individuals with the premutation also can suffer from FXTAS, which causes debilitating tremors, balance problems and dementia primarily in older men, and premature ovarian insufficiency in women.
Tassone, a researcher affiliated with the MIND Institute, is one of the world's leading experts on screening and identification of the FMR1 mutation. Her polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test used in the current study was described in January 2008 in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
"This study shows that newborn screening for the FMR1 mutation is technically possible on a large scale," Tassone said. "However, the screening will identify far more carrier and gray-zone infants than those with a full fragile X mutation. As we now know that there may be clinical involvement with these individuals, such as FXTAS, we need to better understand the impact of identifying these mutations on families before widespread newborn screening can be instituted."
Hagerman said that the study is important because early intervention can be helpful for children with these mutations who experience developmental problems. In addition, a baby who is positive for the mutation will have other family members who also carry mutations. Genetic counseling is essential for the family members, in addition to treatment for the medical or psychiatric problems associated with the premutation or full mutation, she said.
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University of California - Davis Health System: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Thanks to University of California - Davis Health System for this article.
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Global travel and climate warming could be creating the right conditions for outbreaks of a new virus in this country, according to a new Cornell University computer model.
The model predicts that outbreaks of chikungunya, a painful virus transported by travelers and spread by the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, could occur in 2013 in New York City during August and September, in Atlanta from June through September, and year-round in Miami. The probability of a disease outbreak is correlated with temperature, as warmer weather allows the Asian tiger mosquito to breed faster and grow in numbers, according to the study published in the November issue of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
According to the simulation, there is a high probability of a chikungunya outbreak if a single infected person arrives in New York in July or August and is bitten by an Asian tiger mosquito. The risks are the same, but with wider time frames, for transmission in Atlanta and Miami, according to the paper.
Asian tiger mosquitoes were introduced to the United States in Texas in the 1980s; they are established up the East Coast into New Jersey and are rising in numbers in New York City. The aggressive mosquito outcompetes local varieties and transmits more than 20 pathogens, including chikungunya and dengue, said Laura Harrington, associate professor of entomology and the study's senior author.
"The virus is moving in people, and resident mosquito populations are picking it up," Harrington said.
The model estimates that with typical regional temperatures, a chikungunya outbreak in New York would infect about one in 5,000 people, said Diego Ruiz-Moreno, a postdoctoral associate and the paper's lead author
"However, this number would increase drastically as temperatures rise due to climate change," Ruiz-Moreno said.
Chikungunya symptoms include a fever, severe joint pain, achiness, headache, nausea and fatigue, as well as "debilitating and prolonged" pain in the small joints of the hands and feet, according to the paper. The virus originated in Central Africa and is endemic in Southeast Asia.
Since no chikungunya vaccine exists, U.S. residents can help prevent an outbreak by removing standing water, wearing long sleeves and repellent during the day when the mosquitoes feed, and knowing the risk and symptoms when traveling, Harrington said.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
Tubular just closed a $2.5 million round of funding from FirstMark Capital, High Line Venture Partners, SVAngel, Lerer Ventures, and Bedrocket Media Ventures. Tubular provides a dashboard for understanding audience demographics, based on information that viewers share publicly throughout YouTube.
Stocks rose Monday as signs of fiscal cliff progress in Washington made their way to Wall Street.?Stock traders paused for a minute of silence at 9:15 a.m. EST to remember those killed in a gunman's rampage through a Connecticut elementary school.
By Steve Rothwell,?AP Business Writer / December 17, 2012
Trader Richard Scardino, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in this December 2012 file photo. The fiscal cliff debate has weighed on Wall Street recently, but stocks rose Monday on signs of progress in Washington.
Richard Drew/AP/File
Enlarge
Stocks rose on Wall Street as investors were encouraged by signs of progress in budget talks in Washington. Just two weeks remain before tax increases and government spending cuts take effect if no deal is reached.
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On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, stock traders paused for a minute of silence at 9:15 a.m. EST to remember the 20 children and seven adults killed Friday in a gunman's rampage through a Connecticut elementary school.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 100.38 points to 13,235.39, its biggest gain this month. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 16.78 points to 1,430.36 and the Nasdaq composite index rose 39.27 points to 3,010.60.
Marc Chaikin, CEO of the Philadelphia-based market research firm Chaikin Analytics, said investors became more hopeful for a resolution in the budget talks after House Speaker John Boehner made an offer to increase tax rates on high-income Americans.
"The fiscal cliff is obviously foremost on everyone's mind," Chaikin said.
Banks were among the best-performing stocks. Citigroup gained $1.55, 4.1 percent, to $39.15 after Raymond James raised its target price on the stock to $52 from $44. In a note to clients, the brokerage reaffirmed its "Strong Buy" rating, citing the "improving fundamental outlook." Bank of America also gained 42 cents, or 4 percent, to $11.
Investors are currently favoring financial stocks over technology stocks, said Ben Schwarz, chief market strategist at Lightspeed Financial.
"The banks are ripping today," Schwarz said. "People are looking for stability and the tech sector hasn't given them any."
Financial companies make up the best performing industry group in the S&P 500 this year, according to FactSet data. The group, which includes banks such as Wells Fargo & Co. and insurers such as Travelers, has gained 25 percent this year.
Apple rose $9.04, or 1.8 percent, to $518.83 after the company said it sold more than 2 million iPhone 5s in China in their first three days of availability, setting a record for that market. The technology giant's stock has fallen 26 percent since it closed at a record $702.10 in September and is trading close to its lowest since February.
In Washington, there appeared to be movement in long-stalled budget talks aimed at avoiding tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, which are known as the "fiscal cliff." The combination could lead to a recession.
Indexes opened higher following the news that Boehner, a Republican, offered $1 trillion in higher tax revenue over 10 years and an increase on the top tax rate for people making $1 million per year, to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. The market moved higher still after news crossed shortly before noon that Boehner went to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama.
Wall Street has been relatively calm in recent weeks, but David Kelly, chief global strategist for J.P. Morgan Funds, said that by Friday the market will be "squarely focused on what is or is not happening in Washington."
He suggested in a note to clients that the markets will not have "priced in" any outcome, "setting the stage for a market rally with an agreement and a slump with stalemate."
Clearwire slid 46 cents, to $2.91, after Sprint announced terms of its buyout deal for the wireless Internet access company. Sprint's price of $2.97 per share was below Clearwire's closing stock price Friday.
Japanese stocks rose after the country's Liberal Democratic Party regained power following a landslide election victory.
Brian Singer, partner at William Blair, a Chicago-based asset management firm, said investors were encouraged by the outcome, which gave the conservative party overwhelming control of Parliament. The Liberal Democrats have promised greater economic stimulus spending and more action to end a destructive cycle of price declines, or deflation.
The note on the 10-year Treasury bond rose 7 basis points to 1.78 percent.
Other stocks making big moves:
?American International Group rose $1.01, or 3 percent, to $34.95 after the insurer said it was selling its remaining stake in the life insurer AIA Group. The Wall Street Journal said AIG may raise as much as $6.5 billion from the sale. AIG avoided collapse in 2008 with $182 billion in support from the U.S. government ? the biggest of the Wall Street bailout packages ? after suffering massive losses from investments in derivatives.
?Tenet Healthcare Co. gained 55 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $31.38 after Deutsche Bank raised its recommendation on the stock to "buy" from "hold." The bank cited Tenet's "compelling" business and financial outlook over the next 12 to 24 months.
Neither rain, sleet, snow, nor hail will stop Chinese Apple fans from getting their hands on the new iPhone 5.
Outside the company's biggest store in Asia, located in the popular shopping district of Wangfujing in the Chinese capital of Beijing, security was standing by as customers braved snow flurries and freezing temperatures to be one of the first in China to buy the latest version of the popular Apple handset. "I've always wanted to buy an iPhone 5," one early morning customer told reporters. "So I think it's worth it."
China is the largest market for Apple outside the U.S. In its last fiscal year, Apple generated about 23 billion dollars in revenues from the country and Apple products are seen as more than just gadgets in China ? they're status symbols. The country, which is the world's largest smartphone market, is also key to Apple's future growth.
"I feel happy and exhilarated to be one of the first to own the phone in China," new iPhone 5 owner Wang Zhiqiang said inside the store. Chinese people are willing to pay roughly $840 for a 16GB iPhone 5 ? 30 percent more than in the U.S. ? despite the average income in China being significantly lower than in America.
Those high prices, however, could also hurt Apple. According to IDC, Apple's ranking in the China market, where Samsung and Lenovo are top sellers, slipped to sixth in the July-September period. A crop of Chinese companies such as Yulong, which sells smartphones under the name of Coolpad, and Xiaomi are grabbing market share with their cheaper models. At a China Telecom shop, some home-grown branded handsets are on sale for $110.
Apple is fighting back to keep its strong position in this fast-growing smartphone market. The iPhone's voice activated assistant Siri now speaks Chinese. Apple also sells iPhones through two mobile carriers, China Telecom and China Unicom. Unicom started taking online reservations for the iPhone 5 and received 300,000 pre-orders for the gadget in the first week, according to its official microblog on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter. Analysts though are hoping Apple will work out an agreement to sell the iPhone through the country's biggest cellphone operator, China Mobile, to get access to the Chinese carrier's 700 million users.
Despite the increasing rivalry with local players, Wang thinks Apple will continue to win over Chinese with its American ingenuity. He already owns an iPad and an iTouch. "I've always liked this brand because it's from America," he said.
More from CNBC:
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Imagine you live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You know your neighborhood like the back of your hand. Including all of your favorite, top-secret restaurants and shops. On your home turf, you have things handled. But when you travel, things are a different story. You?re a fish out of water in Los Angeles, or Seattle. Which means you?re constantly ending up at the wrong restaurants, in the wrong neighborhoods. Even in a familiar environment, trying new places can be completely hit or miss. A big part of the problem is that online reviews aren?t written through your lense, and thus another person?s idea of chic and modern, to you seems drab and passe.
Enter personalized Web search by Nara. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup believes that it?s no longer enough to deliver the universally most relevant answer to a query. In this day and age, it?s necessary to deliver the most personally relevant answer to each user. Today, the company is announcing $3 million of follow-on financing to its $4 million June Series A round. ?Call it a Series A-1,? says co-founder and CEO Thomas Copeman. ?We had so much demand with our round this summer, and we?re seeing exciting new opportunities to invest in growth.?
The CEO and his co-founding CTO Dr. Nathan Wilson have been working for more than two years on the next-gen search technology which relies on an artificial intelligence to connect relevant information with interest graph data on each user. ?We are now deploying massively parallel neural networks into the cloud to [automatically organize and personalize information] at Web scale and bring order to a growing number of categories,? says Wilson.??Nara?s vision is to build a more personal, actionable and liberating Web,? says Copeman.
The company has applied this technology initially to the restaurant search sphere, but this is little more than a jumping off point in its grand plans. The same level of inference can be applied to hotel recommendations, books, movies, music, and countless other categories.
Along the restaurant lines, in addition to today?s funding announcement, Nara is also announcing a partnership with online and mobile food ordering service GrubHub, to complement its existing OpenTable relationship. Through these channels, the intelligent search platform collects semantic review and description data on each venue which it then structures into a database to compare establishments in different cities, genres, and price ranges.
The Nara platform currently analyzes over 150,000 restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and cafes in 25 major US and Canadian cities. Through its GrubHub, OpenTable, and FourSquare integrations, users can now see restaurant menus on merchant pages, as well as read reviews of each. A newly-added ?Why?? button explains the reasoning behind each individual recommendation.
To get to know its users, and solve the ?cold start problem,? Nara asks a series of basic but informative multiple choice questions. (You can also connect your social media profiles for further personalization.) First, users are asked to select ?Which tables appeal to you?? ? you can choose one or several representative photos among, formal, classic, intimate, trendy, hipster, and casual. Next, it?s which cuisine(s) to you enjoy? French, Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Mexican, American, or Mediterranean? Next, how would you spend a day off? In the city, with nature, on the beach, with family and friends, exercising, staying at home? Finally, users are asked to name their two favorite restaurants in a city they know well. From this broad picture of a user?s tastes, Nara is able to deliver very specific and personalized recommendations that will only approve over time. The company?s tagline is appropriately, ?A life well known.?
Nara is available on the desktop Web at Nara.me, and on iOS and Android. Since launching its mobile apps in mid-November, the company reports a doubling of its traffic, although it declined to quantify that statement further. Copeman did confirm that the platform will expand beyond restaurant recommendations into two additional ?consumer interest categories,? in Q1. Given the planned breadth of his offering,?I asked the CEO which company he thinks Nara is most competitive with: Google, Foursquare, or Yelp. He said, ?I would say we?re most distruptive to Yelp. Foursquare and Google offer very different signals and value propositions than we hope to. There?s room for all three.?
Both Nara?s Series A and Series ?A-1? rounds were funted entirely by Peter de Roetth?s Boston asset management firm Account Management, LLC. With the $7 million in capital raised in 2012, Nara has trippled its team to 20 members, including multiple MIT neuroscientists, computer scientists, and astrophysicists, as well as engineers and designers. Copeman deliberately chose Cambridge, as opposed to his previous home in Los Angeles, or the more knee jerk choice of Silicon Valley. ?There?s no other place in the world to build this,? he says, citing availability of world class talent, lack of distractions, and the ability to engage with experts across a variety of disciplines.
The idea of personalizing and curating the Web?s information is an area of intense interest. Many companies are trying to tackle it within single verticals and use cases, such as online video discovery, fashion recommendation, and yes, even restaurant recommendation. The Nara we see today, however, is just a glimpse at what Copeman and Wilson have planned. Personalized restaurant recommendations are a nice, clean way to introduce the concept, but there?s far more in the works. Going forward, expect the company to tackle and increasingly wide number of categories and soon add international support. Its an ambitious and exceedingly challenging problem to solve. Here?s hoping for all of our sakes that they pull it off.
Michael Carney
Michael Carney has spent his career exploring the world of early stage technology as an investor and entrepreneur and has participated in building companies in multiple countries within North and South America and Asia. Ultimately, he is an enthusiast of all things shiny and electronic and is inspired by those who build businesses and regularly tackle difficult problems. You can follow Michael on Twitter @mcarney.
China's Chang'e-2 probe took multiple images of the asteroid Toutatis during its Dec. 13 flyby.
By Alan Boyle
China's official news agency is reporting that the country's Chang'e 2 deep-space probe made an amazing flyby of the asteroid Toutatis this week, snapping a series of pictures as it passed just 2 miles away. The achievement signals China's entry into yet another exclusive space club.
Only four of the world's space efforts have managed close encounters with asteroids: NASA (with NEAR Shoemaker and Dawn, for example), the European Space Agency (with Rosetta), Japan (with Hayabusa) ??and now China with Toutatis.
The official Xinhua news agency quoted officials at the?State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, or SASTIND, as saying that Chang'e 2 buzzed past the 3-mile-long (5-kilometer-long) asteroid at a relative speed of 24,000 mph (10.73 kilometers per second).
Chang'e 2 was launched in 2010?primarily to serve as a lunar orbiter, but after a successful mission at the moon, the $132 million spacecraft was repurposed as a deep-space explorer.?The encounter with Toutatis had been planned for months, but Chinese media kept mum about the results until Saturday.
Aficionados of planetary science hailed China's success.
"Oh my goodness, did they succeed. This is awesome," the Planetary Society's Emily Lakdawalla said in a blog post passing along the news. On the Unmanned Spaceflight discussion forum, Ted Stryk wrote, "Welcome to the interplanetary club, China."
Toutatis is a near-Earth object that's big enough to cause a mass extinction if it were to hit our planet?? but fortunately, it isn't projected to come all that near in the foreseeable future. This week it passed by Earth at a minimum distance of 4.3 million miles (7 million kilometers). That provided scientists with an opportunity to study the peanut-shaped space mountain at a relatively close but totally safe distance.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted a series of radar observations using the Goldstone radio antenna in California, and on Friday, JPL released a grainy time-lapse video showing Toutatis' rotation.
This video, generated from Goldstone's Solar System Radar, shows the rotation of the asteroid when it was 4.3 million miles from Earth.
The insights gleaned from such observations could conceivably help scientists figure out how asteroids came into existence early in the solar system's history, how to mine asteroids for valuable resources, or how to divert asteroids that have the potential to threaten Earth.
Lakdawalla noted that the radar readings, combined with China's up-close images, made Toutatis one of the "best-studied asteroids in the solar system."?That sounds like a bold statement, considering that NASA studied the asteroid Eros with NEAR Shoemaker for more than a year, and had Dawn in orbit around the asteroid Vesta for a year as well. But the fact that Toutatis has gotten so much attention in the past week from multiple space efforts certainly suggests that scientists see "minor planets" as a major interest.
Still more asteroid encounters are on the agenda in coming years ??including Dawn's arrival at the dwarf planet Ceres in 2015, a potential sequel to Japan's Hayabusa mission, and the crewed mission that NASA wants to send to a near-Earth asteroid in the mid-2020s.
And let's not forget China. Chang'e 2 isn't finished just yet.?Xinhua quoted sources as saying that the probe "is continuing its deep space travel and will reach a distance of more than 10 million kilometers away from Earth in January next year."
More about asteroids:
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
President Barack Obama wipes a tear as he speaks about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,??An emotional President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to "take meaningful action, regardless of the politics," to prevent future tragedies like the shooting massacre Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
"Our hearts are broken today," Obama said in a brief statement at the White House briefing room, frequently pausing to wipe tears from his eyes. "The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams."
Obama expressed sorrow for the victims' loved ones and sympathy for the parents of the children who survived but who know that "their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early."
"As a country we have been through this too many times," Obama said, listing a series of mass shootings over the past few years in places like Aurora, Colo.
"These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," he stressed.
Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that?"today's not the day" to talk about possible new gun control steps meant to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Obama ordered flags over government facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 18. Shortly after he spoke, Connecticut State Police said the death toll included 20 children, six adults and the shooter.
Obama learned of the rampage at 10:30 a.m. from Homeland Security adviser John Brennan. He later discussed it by telephone with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy.
Obama's reference to acting "regardless of the politics" seemed likely to be a reference to deep opposition in Congress to new gun control legislation.
"Today's not ... a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates," Carney told reporters. "That day will come, but today's not that day."?Carney said renewing a federal assault weapons ban "does remain a commitment" of the president. The ban expired in 2004, and Obama has taken no serious steps to renew it on Capitol Hill.
Carney declined to answer repeated questions on when would be an appropriate time for lawmakers in Washington to discuss possible actions to prevent future tragedies.?"Our minds and our focus need to be on what's happening there and providing assistance where we can to those who need it," he said, urging "enormous sympathy for the families that are affected."
One reporter pointed to Obama's remarks in July just days after a shooting spree that left 12 dead and about 60 injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.
"I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country,"?Obama said at the time.
Obama has made similar comments before, including at a January 2011 memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in which then-Rep. Gabby Giffords was grievously wounded.
"We have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy.?We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence.?We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future,"?Obama said.?"But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do."
Republican House Speaker John Boehner likewise ordered the Stars and Stripes lowered over the Capitol.
"The horror of this day seems so unbearable, but we will lock arms and unite as citizens, for that is how Americans rise above unspeakable evil," Boehner said in a written statement. "Let us all come together in God's grace to pray for the families of the victims, that they may find some comfort and peace amid such suffering.
"Let us give thanks for all those who helped get people to safety, and take heart from their example. The House of Representatives?like every American?stands ready to assist the people of Newtown, Connecticut," Boehner said.
Agricultural, health education goes global via cellphone animationsPublic release date: 13-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Diana Yates diya@illinois.edu 217-333-5802 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, lll. They're watching them in Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India and Niger. They're learning how to stop the spread of dengue, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and food-related illness. They're learning how to protect their crops from insect damage or post-harvest losses. And they're coming up with new ideas for similar lessons to share with their neighbors or others around the world.
Many people in developing countries have cellphones that allow them to watch videos and play interactive games. Now agricultural researchers and health educators are using this technology to help those in the developing world address some of the most challenging issues they face -- and at a fraction of the cost of taditional development aid education. The initiative, Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO), delivers educational materials in the form of narrated, animated videos to a global audience, and perhaps most remarkably hears back from that audience on ways it can improve its message or add to its repertoire of videos.
Organized by faculty and staff members at the University of Illinois working in collaboration with the Center for African Studies as well as international students and animators, SAWBO offers videos on more than a dozen subjects of importance to global health and agriculture, and the list is growing.
"Our focus is providing new educational content as fast as possible dealing with world problems," said Illinois entomology professor Barry Pittendrigh, who founded SAWBO with Julia Bello-Bravo, an assistant director of Illinois Strategic International Partnerships in the office of International Programs and Studies; and Francisco Seufferheld, the SAWBO program coordinator in the department of entomology.
The animations feature characters of universal appeal, demonstrating, for example, how to purify water to stop the spread of cholera, how to use bed nets to prevent mosquito-borne infections, how to kill the insects attacking their crops or to transport grain without spilling it.
A primary focus is the prevention of "post-harvest losses," the waste of food crops as a result of insect infestations, spillage or spoilage. New videos, on how to avoid losing grain during bag or bulk transport, for example, are funded through the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss at Illinois.
"It is generally believed that about one-third of the world's agricultural production doesn't reach its intended use because of food losses and waste along the food supply chain," said Steve Sonka, the director of the Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss and a professor emeritus of agricultural strategy at Illinois. "Lack of effective training capabilities in developing nations contributes to that loss, and we believe that the SAWBO approach has tremendous promise in providing such training where it can be effectively employed."
Future videos will address other threats to agricultural products, showing people, for example, how to make and use clay vessels that extend the shelf life of fruits, vegetables and other perishable goods. And health-related videos tackle the spread of infectious diseases with easy-to-follow, step-by-step explanations and instructions.
"There are people who don't know that malaria is produced by the mosquito bite," Bello-Bravo said. "The videos teach them this basic fact, as well as the different measures they can take to prevent malaria. Getting this knowledge out to people who might otherwise not have access to it can really have a positive impact on their lives."
New subject matter will include lessons on how to use readily available materials to build sustainable devices, such as a solar oven to cook without wood.
The animations are done in a variety of styles, from realistic, three-dimensional modeling of people, objects and insects to simple 2-D cartoons, Seufferheld said. Some students in media studies and fine arts at Illinois have contributed their talents to the effort. Other videos are produced by professional animators.
The team also is branching out to develop applications for cellphones and tablet computers. Their first, an interactive app on what to do if you think you have been exposed to tuberculosis, offers an overview of how a doctor will test for the disease and if tests come back positive how the doctor will treat it.
International students at Illinois provide many of the narrations. SAWBO currently has videos in Yoruba and Igbo (Nigeria); Castilian Spanish; Wolof (Senegal); French (Haiti, Benin and elsewhere); English with a U.S., Indian or Nigerian accent; Amharic (Ethiopia); pidgin (Ethiopia and Nigeria); and Hindi, Tamil and Kannada (India).
The team works to ensure that every video is scientifically accurate, Pittendrigh said, using only information that has been proven in field trials or scientific studies. For example, most of the health and safety recommendations are based on those of the World Health Organization, he said.
The distribution of videos also is a critical issue, Pittendrigh said.
"Our goal is to be a centralized place where people can get materials and deploy them locally," he said. "We also have developed an online system that allows local educators to download and use the videos in the deployment strategies that they think are best in their local environment."
###
Editor's note:
To reach Barry Pittendrigh, email pittendr@illinois.edu. To reach Julia Bello-Bravo, email juliabb@illinois.edu. To reach Francisco Seufferheld, email fjseuffe@illinois.edu.
[ | 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.
Agricultural, health education goes global via cellphone animationsPublic release date: 13-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Diana Yates diya@illinois.edu 217-333-5802 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, lll. They're watching them in Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India and Niger. They're learning how to stop the spread of dengue, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and food-related illness. They're learning how to protect their crops from insect damage or post-harvest losses. And they're coming up with new ideas for similar lessons to share with their neighbors or others around the world.
Many people in developing countries have cellphones that allow them to watch videos and play interactive games. Now agricultural researchers and health educators are using this technology to help those in the developing world address some of the most challenging issues they face -- and at a fraction of the cost of taditional development aid education. The initiative, Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO), delivers educational materials in the form of narrated, animated videos to a global audience, and perhaps most remarkably hears back from that audience on ways it can improve its message or add to its repertoire of videos.
Organized by faculty and staff members at the University of Illinois working in collaboration with the Center for African Studies as well as international students and animators, SAWBO offers videos on more than a dozen subjects of importance to global health and agriculture, and the list is growing.
"Our focus is providing new educational content as fast as possible dealing with world problems," said Illinois entomology professor Barry Pittendrigh, who founded SAWBO with Julia Bello-Bravo, an assistant director of Illinois Strategic International Partnerships in the office of International Programs and Studies; and Francisco Seufferheld, the SAWBO program coordinator in the department of entomology.
The animations feature characters of universal appeal, demonstrating, for example, how to purify water to stop the spread of cholera, how to use bed nets to prevent mosquito-borne infections, how to kill the insects attacking their crops or to transport grain without spilling it.
A primary focus is the prevention of "post-harvest losses," the waste of food crops as a result of insect infestations, spillage or spoilage. New videos, on how to avoid losing grain during bag or bulk transport, for example, are funded through the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss at Illinois.
"It is generally believed that about one-third of the world's agricultural production doesn't reach its intended use because of food losses and waste along the food supply chain," said Steve Sonka, the director of the Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss and a professor emeritus of agricultural strategy at Illinois. "Lack of effective training capabilities in developing nations contributes to that loss, and we believe that the SAWBO approach has tremendous promise in providing such training where it can be effectively employed."
Future videos will address other threats to agricultural products, showing people, for example, how to make and use clay vessels that extend the shelf life of fruits, vegetables and other perishable goods. And health-related videos tackle the spread of infectious diseases with easy-to-follow, step-by-step explanations and instructions.
"There are people who don't know that malaria is produced by the mosquito bite," Bello-Bravo said. "The videos teach them this basic fact, as well as the different measures they can take to prevent malaria. Getting this knowledge out to people who might otherwise not have access to it can really have a positive impact on their lives."
New subject matter will include lessons on how to use readily available materials to build sustainable devices, such as a solar oven to cook without wood.
The animations are done in a variety of styles, from realistic, three-dimensional modeling of people, objects and insects to simple 2-D cartoons, Seufferheld said. Some students in media studies and fine arts at Illinois have contributed their talents to the effort. Other videos are produced by professional animators.
The team also is branching out to develop applications for cellphones and tablet computers. Their first, an interactive app on what to do if you think you have been exposed to tuberculosis, offers an overview of how a doctor will test for the disease and if tests come back positive how the doctor will treat it.
International students at Illinois provide many of the narrations. SAWBO currently has videos in Yoruba and Igbo (Nigeria); Castilian Spanish; Wolof (Senegal); French (Haiti, Benin and elsewhere); English with a U.S., Indian or Nigerian accent; Amharic (Ethiopia); pidgin (Ethiopia and Nigeria); and Hindi, Tamil and Kannada (India).
The team works to ensure that every video is scientifically accurate, Pittendrigh said, using only information that has been proven in field trials or scientific studies. For example, most of the health and safety recommendations are based on those of the World Health Organization, he said.
The distribution of videos also is a critical issue, Pittendrigh said.
"Our goal is to be a centralized place where people can get materials and deploy them locally," he said. "We also have developed an online system that allows local educators to download and use the videos in the deployment strategies that they think are best in their local environment."
###
Editor's note:
To reach Barry Pittendrigh, email pittendr@illinois.edu. To reach Julia Bello-Bravo, email juliabb@illinois.edu. To reach Francisco Seufferheld, email fjseuffe@illinois.edu.
[ | 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.
As you talk to Aaron Levie, the co-founder of fast growing cloud storage company Box, it's hard not to notice his incredible energy when he talks about enterprise storage possibilities. Six years in, Levie is still as passionate about what he is trying to build as he was back in Mike Arrington's backyard pitching VCs on Box in 2006. Box has had a big year, and one that many could call a turning point for the company. After raising $125 million in new funding a reported $1.2 billion valuation in July, the company is finishing off 2012 by nearly tripling revenue from last year, and preparing the company to possibly enter the public markets in 2013 or 2014. We sat down with Levie to talk about Box's gameplan for 2013, his education in being a leader and CEO, and more.
Tubular just closed a $2.5 million round of funding from FirstMark Capital, High Line Venture Partners, SVAngel, Lerer Ventures, and Bedrocket Media Ventures. Tubular provides a dashboard for understanding audience demographics, based on information that viewers share publicly throughout YouTube.
By Michael Carney 
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Public release date: 13-Dec-2012
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