Thursday, August 1, 2013

US Cellular opens Moto X pre-orders for $199 with free Motorola headset

Moto X

'Switcher Bonus' knocks $75 off the price for new activations.

U.S. Cellular is jumping on the bandwagon of Moto X news today by announcing its own pricing, availability and deals for the handset. Just as is the case with the other carriers, U.S. Cellular will have both the black and white Moto X in 16GB capacity for $199 on-contract (and an oddly-high $699 off-contract). The carrier is also offering a $75 "Switcher Bonus", which knocks the on-contract price to $124 for new activations.

Additionally, U.S. Cellular is actually putting the device up for pre-order today, letting you lock in your device while the other carriers simply have announcements up. Customers who pre-order will also get a Motorola Boom Bluetooth headset, valued at $59.99.

A specific launch date is not yet known, but latest leaks point to the last week of August.

More: U.S. Cellular Pre-orders

read more

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/NES28kSzzRI/story01.htm

Chris Lighty JJ Watt jerry sandusky hayden panettiere raul ibanez completely wrong stacey dash

08/01/13 RTIR E-zine: Bradley Manning, Internet ... - RTIR Online

August 1, 2013

01. Sentencing Bradley Manning
02. Peace Prize for Manning?
03. Forgiving Anthony Weiner
04. Is Salad Safe?
05. Cheap, End-of-Summer Fun
06. Pack Your Travel Smarts
07. Where Internet Predators Lurk
08. Hurricanes, Tornadoes & Summer Disasters
09. More American Families Homeless
10. Top 5 Interview Blunders
11. How to Talk at Work
12. She Built a $5M Business in 18 Months
13. Zimmerman Trial ? Spark that Ignited
14. Feng Shui of the Royal Family Tree
15. Can Clutter Make You Sick?
16. Former Actress on Facing Cancer with Grace
17. Can You Choose to Be Happy?
18. Summer Pet Safety
19. Astrologer on Hollywood Cold Cases
20. He?s the Ultimate Party Authority

=======================================

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01. ==> Sentencing Bradley Manning

According to Gabriel Schoenfeld of the Hudson
Institute, Bradley Manning betrayed America, broke the
law, and needs to be punished. ?Our government is
acting fully within its rights and with justice on its
side when it punishes someone who betrays his oath,
abuses his position of responsibility in a way that
weakens our country and imperils friends and allies
around the world.? He adds, ?The indiscriminate mass
leaking that Manning engaged in was recklessness of a
high order. However much one wants to temper justice
with mercy when a young person commits a crime, it?s
Manning?s recklessness that demands he face a harsh
sentence.? Gabriel Schoenfeld is a senior fellow at the
Hudson Institute, a policy research center that
describes itself as working to promote national and
global security and freedom. He is the author of
?Necessary Secrets: National Security, the Media and
the Rule of Law,? and ?A Bad Day on the Romney
Campaign: An Insider?s Account.? Contact him at
schoenfeld.g@gmail.com; @gabeschoenfeld or James
Bologna at (202) 974-6456; jbologna@hudson.org

02. ==> Peace Prize for Manning?

Despite a judge finding him guilty of 20 counts -
include violations of the Espionage Act ? Norman
Solomon says Bradley Manning should get the Nobel Peace
Prize. ?Thanks to Manning, vast troves of information
have become public knowledge, making possible more
informed debate about war and peace. For instance, he
leaked the now-infamous ?collateral murder? video, with
a soundtrack of chilling banter as U.S. servicemen in a
pair of gunships fired on civilians in Baghdad.?
Solomon says he?ll deliver a petition to the Nobel
Committee in Oslo next month, with more than 100,000
signatures. Norman Solomon is founding director of the
Institute for Public Accuracy and author of ?War Made
Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to
Death.? He?s the co-founder of RootsAction.org, which
organized the petition. Contact him at (415) 488-3606,
solomonprogressive@gmail.com

03. ==> Forgiving Anthony Weiner

After admitting he sent more lewd messages to women
after his 2011 resignation from Congress, NYC mayoral
hopeful Anthony Weiner?s poll numbers plummeted, his
campaign manager quit, and questions keep coming about
his online relationships. Weiner vows to stay in the
race, and his wife, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, says
she?s forgiven him and New York voters should too.
Should she? Could you? Should voters? Lisa Gibson
considers herself a forgiveness expert. She lost her
brother in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over
Scotland and made headlines when she met ? and forgave
- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, one of the world?s
most notorious terrorist and man responsible for her
brother?s death. She?ll outline the five stages people
need to go through in order to forgive anyone and share
the life changing stories of others who have applied
these principles to their lives. Lisa is a terrorism
expert who does conflict resolution training in war
torn countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Sudan.
She?s been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, and
countless other networks and has written ?Releasing the
Chains: Timeless Wisdom on How to Forgive Anyone for
Anything? and ?Life In Death: A Journey from Terrorism
to Triumph.? Contact Lisa Gibson at (720) 839-3285
(CO); lisa@peaceandprosperityalliance.org

04. ==> Is Salad Safe?

Prepackaged salad is believed to be behind a cyclospora
outbreak that?s sickened hundreds across the country
over the past few weeks. Hundreds of people have been
affected in 16 states with almost two dozen
hospitalized. Health officials say the threat is gone
and people should still eat their fruits and veggies,
but they advise washing everything thoroughly. Jon
Frank says washing may help get rid of some health
threats, but you may still consume toxic residue and
eat food that has fewer nutrients, all because of the
way most produce is grown today. You?ll hear why
locally grown and organic produce may not be healthier
options, which minerals are missing from most produce,
how toxic residues reduce absorption of nutrients, and
health issues caused by the unlabeled genetically
modified foods you?re eating. Jon Frank owns a soil
testing lab and educates gardeners and large-scale
growers nationwide on how to produce nutrient dense
produce. His new book is ?Grow Your Own Nutrition: How
to Opt Out of Toxic Agriculture.? Contact him at (507)
236-9076 (MN); jon.frank@aglabs.com

05. ==> Cheap, End-of-Summer Fun

Looking to keep the kids occupied, have some summer
fun, and stay on budget? ?No problem,? says Denise
Winston. Invite the financial expert Readers Digest
calls one of the Cheapest People in America to talk
about ways to sneak in some fun this August, without
breaking the bank. Denise has lots of great ideas for
getting the whole family involved in planning ? and
paying ? for activities. You?ll learn where to find
inexpensive ? or even free ? workshops and classes, and
how giving back to others can bring great rewards.
Denise is a former banker and the author of ?Money
Starts Here! Your Practical Guide to Survive and Thrive
in Any Economy.? Contact her at (661) 333-5247 (CA);
denise@MoneyStartHere.com

06. ==> Pack Your Travel Smarts

Cubicles everywhere are empty but airports and highways
are hopping! It?s summer travel season, and Hon. Nancy
Steorts, a safety expert and former head of the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission says travel is
exciting and fun, but you need to keep your wits about
you, and be smart. She?ll tell you the safest clothes
to wear on a plane and explain how simple things, like
noting your hotel?s emergency exits, could save your
life should you find yourself in a ?situation.? She
says women, in particular, should only use their first
initials and last names when making reservations and
checking in. ?And make sure the hotel clerk does not
announce your room number. If it happens, request a new
room.? She?ll also share a safety checklist on how to
keep your house safe while you?re away. Nancy Steorts
is the author of several books including ?Your Home
Safe Home.? Steorts has appeared on national networks
including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.
Contact her at (240) 401-7782 (VA);
nancysteorts@cox.net

07. ==> Where Internet Predators Lurk

Millions of us use the Internet every day for shopping,
emailing, connecting ? it?s a great resource but it?s
also the perfect avenue for predators waiting to take
advantage of their next victim. Cyberstalking expert
Jayne Hitchcock, a victim herself, will explain how
criminals use the Web to stalk victims, bully them,
extort them out of money and even target them as
victims of violent crime. You?ll learn where the bad
guys are most likely to get your information, why you
should always lurk before posting a comment, and how to
make sure your kids don?t become targets. Jayne
Hitchcock has appeared on numerous major network news
shows. She?s the president and co-founder of WHOA
(Working to Halt Online Abuse) and conducts law
enforcement training and school presentations about the
importance of Internet safety. Contact Rob Colding at
(609) 654-6266, ext. 330(ME); rcolding@infotoday.com

08. ==> Hurricanes, Tornadoes & Summer Disasters

It?s August, and prime season for some intense weather
around much of the country. Invite disaster
preparedness expert Dr. Arthur Bradley on your show to
share tips your listeners need to get through the rest
of summer, whether they?re in tornado alley or in
coastal areas prone to hurricanes. ?Most Americans
simply don?t appreciate that the United States
experiences more dangerous weather than any other
country in the world. It isn?t until winds are blowing
and rain is pounding that they begin to think about
their vulnerability. Unfortunately, by then, it is
often too late.? He?ll detail how to avoid what he
calls the Five Horsemen of Death and what everyone
should have on hand at all times, at home and in their
car. Arthur Bradley, Ph.D. is the author of ?Handbook
to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family and
the Prepper?s Instruction Manual.? Contact him at (757)
332-0829

09. ==> More American Families Homeless

Right now, one in five American children lives in
poverty and family homelessness in the United States
has increased more than 20 percent since the recession
began in 2007. Ralph da Costa Nunez, Ph.D., president
of the Institute for Children, Poverty and
Homelessness, has worked closely with homeless families
for more than two decades. He?ll discuss why there are
nearly 1 million homeless students in public schools,
why you should talk to your children about poverty and
homelessness, why simply building housing isn?t the
answer, and what can be done in your community to help
break the cycle of family and child homelessness. Dr.
Ralph Nunez is former deputy director for the New York
City Mayor?s Office of Homeless and Housing Services
and a professor at Columbia University. He?s the author
of ?A Shelter is Not a Home? Or is it? ? Revisited? and
numerous publications. Contact Linda Bazerjian at (212)
358-8086, ext. 1204 (NY); Lbazerjian@ICPHusa.org

10. ==> Top 5 Interview Blunders

You got the interview and waited to hear back but ?
nothing. What happened? According to interview coach
and recruiting expert Stuart Taylor, most people are
disqualified early on for any number of avoidable deal
breakers, including not knowing enough about a company,
fumbling on a response, a poor handshake, or even
forgetting to ask for a business card. Taylor advises
job candidates to approach the interviews the same way
you would a date. He?ll reveal the top 5 mistakes
people make, rules for a great interview, and how to
avoid the ?last second? mistakes that can derail one.
Taylor is the author of ?How to Ace a Job Interview.?
Contact him at (323) 974-7353 (MD);
stuart@topperformers.com

11. ==> How to Talk at Work

Shawn Kent Hayashi works with Fortune 500 companies to
help their employees learn how to communicate
effectively and collaboratively ? even when their
personalities, priorities and work styles are miles
apart. You?ll learn 12 conversations you can use in any
work situation and how to get workplace conversations
back on track ? even when they seem to be veering out
of control. She?ll share how changing the way you talk
with peers, employees and bosses can move your career
forward and help you motivate others and get results.
Shawn Kent Hayashi is an executive coach, keynote
speaker and the founder of The Professional Development
Group. Her latest book is ?Conversations that Get
Results and Inspire Collaboration.? Contact her at
(215) 588-1188 (PA);
Shawn@TheProfessionalDevelopmentGroup.com

12. ==> She Built a $5M Business in 18 Months

Did you know that more than 12 percent of U.S. adults
started or ran a new business last year? While millions
of Americans are eager to join their ranks, running a
successful small business is much more challenging than
most entrepreneurs expect. Interview business start-up
expert Niki Pfeiffer to learn what she did to grow her
start-up business. ?So many businesses fail because the
business tries to be everything to everyone or spread
itself too thin. Business success is more about what
you say ?no? to rather than what you say ?yes? to.? A
business strategist who has worked with many Fortune
500 companies, Niki Pfeiffer created a multimillion-
dollar technology business in just 18 months and is the
inventor of the Wine Gabby wine carrier. Contact her
at (610) 805-5803 (PA); npfeiffer@nikipfeiffer.com

13. ==> Zimmerman Trial ? Spark that Ignited

The George Zimmerman verdict has further divided
America on the issue of race, but many people are
missing key factors driving this nationwide emotion.
According to Sandra and Daniel Biskind, the spike in
anger and frustration isn?t just about this event. They
say the big picture goes way back. ?The not guilty
verdict has triggered a flood of ancient anger,
frustration and despair. When a tragedy like this
occurs, we can?t ignore the feelings we try to deny
every day; we are afraid we don?t belong in this world
with the people we find as our neighbors.? Sandra and
Daniel Biskind are spiritual life coaches who?ve
appeared on numerous radio shows and in magazines
throughout Australia and New Zealand. Their upcoming
book is ?The Forgiveness Principles.? Contact them at
(310) 658-8406; biskind@heartpower.net

14. ==> Feng Shui of the Royal Family Tree

Little Prince Georgie is third in line to be King,
behind Grandpa Charles, and his dad, William. Just like
an episode of Downton Abbey, we love the pomp and
circumstance of the Royal Family along with the cast of
characters. Bring Patt Sendejas on your show to talk
about the dynamics of the family by analyzing their
Feng Shui personality styles. She?ll explain the
relationship between Kate and the Queen, the success of
Kate and William?s marriage, and why Princess Di and
the Queen didn?t get along. She?ll also reveal how this
new edition to the family tree will change things. She
says it?s no surprise Prince Harry loves to play and
will make a great uncle. Patt Sendejas is the author
of several books including her latest, ?Live Your Life
on Purpose ? Discover Your Feng Shui Personality Type:
The People & Spaces that Support You? Contact her at
(805) 523-8488; pat@speaker4change.com

15. ==> Can Clutter Make You Sick?

Organizing expert Dorothy Breininger says most people
don?t realize the ill effect clutter is having on them.
She says summer is the perfect time to take a hard look
at your garage, basement, closet and everywhere in-
between where things accumulate. She?ll explain what
your clutter says about you if you have too much paper,
too many clothes, too much food, or too many books, and
the link between clutter and weight gain, unhappiness
and poor health. Dorothy Breininger is seen on A&E?s
Hoarders series and has appeared on the Today show, Dr.
Phil, The View, Oprah and other programs. Her latest
book is ?Stuff Your Face or Face Your Stuff.? Contact
Kim Weiss at Kimw@hcibooks.com

16. ==> Former Actress on Facing Cancer with Grace

Former All My Children actress Mary Ann Wasil was
diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She?ll share her
personal story and how she?s faced her battle with
grace, style and faith ? even if it means wearing
stilettos to her chemotherapy appointments and paying
her doctors in warm donuts and gerbera daisies. Invite
her to hear what it?s really like to be a cancer
patient, why a diagnosis isn?t a death sentence and why
she calls the years since her diagnosis the happiest of
her life. Mary Ann Wasil was 39 years old and the
single mother of three when diagnosed with cancer.
She?s since become a health activist, speaker, and the
author of ?A Diary of Healing.? She?s also the founder
the nonprofit Get In Touch Foundation. Contact her at
(203) 913-7773 (CT); mediarequets@maryannwasil.com

17. ==> Can You Choose to Be Happy?

We?ve all seen them; those people who always seem
upbeat, happy and hopeful, even when those around them
aren?t. What?s the secret? Rico Racosky says they
choose to be that way and he?ll explain how anyone can
transform their own attitude. Rico says we?re
conditioned to think happiness is elusive, rare or even
unnatural, but in reality, happiness is there for the
taking, if you decide to grab it. You?ll learn how
happy people keep smiling despite a struggling economy,
workplace or personal issues, and even the weather!
When he?s not flying planes, Rico Racosky writes
motivational books for kids and adults. His latest is
?Just2Choices ? It?s that Simple.? Contact him at (303)
442-0324 (CO); rico@just2choices.com

18 ==> Summer Pet Safety

From pests to heatstroke, pets face a whole host of
dangers in summertime. Bring Dorie Miller on your show
and learn the top five critters that pose the greatest
danger to your dog, how your pup?s teeth could be most
at risk during the summer months, and what happens when
you leave your pet outside ? even when the heat?s as
low as 70 degrees. Dorie Miller founded The Marley
Foundation after her beloved dog, Marley, was bitten by
a rattlesnake while on a hike. After a two-mile sprint
to an emergency clinic, Marley was able to recover from
the poisonous bite. Now, Dorie?s on a mission to
educate others on the hazards pets face in the summer
months. The Marley Foundation is a fund that helps
people pay for emergency veterinary care. Contact Dorie
Miller at (608) 520-4632 (WI);
dorie@changeunlimited.com

19. ==> Astrologer on Hollywood Cold Cases

Can the stars in the sky shed light on the mysteries
surrounding Hollywood?s brightest stars? Forensic
astrologer B.D. Salerno says yes?and she?ll discuss her
shocking findings with your audience. Ask B.D. whether
Marilyn Monroe?s death was really a suicide, if Natalie
Wood fell off that boat, and who the stars say is the
real culprit in JonBenet Ramsey?s murder. B.D. will
also discuss how the positions of stars and planets
reveal clues about the mysterious deaths and
disappearances of ordinary folks all across the
country. B.D. Salerno has been an astrologer for 20
years and has worked with investigators on missing-
persons cold cases. She is developing methods for the
astrological profiling of criminals and is the author
of ?Forensics by the Stars: Astrology Investigates.?
Contact Grace Allen at (888) 795-4274;
grace.allen@iuniverse.com

20. ==> He?s the Ultimate Party Authority

Staging an event is never easy, just ask Darren
Johnson, the nation?s top corporate event planner. He?s
the guy Microsoft, Disney, Universal Studios and Coca
Cola call to make their events special. Johnson has a
behind-the-scenes tale for the biggest and splashiest
parties he?s produced; And while nearly every story has
a happy ending, some of the moments leading up to them
are painful, unwelcome and truly terrifying. Surprises
like charging rattlesnakes, sprinklers going off during
outdoor receptions, and power outages at night. He?ll
share must-know rules to producing a killer event for
100 guests or 10,000. Johnson has produced more than
4,000 corporate and sport events throughout North
America and has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNBC,
in the Miami Herald, and in several online news
magazines. His new book is ?Going Live: Insider Secrets
to Corporate Event Production. Contact him at (352)
205-6866 (FL); darren@dwj-p.com

Source: http://www.rtironline.com/2013/08/01/080113-rtir-e-zine-bradley-manning-internet-predators-royal-family/

2 Chainz Big Brother 15 BET AWARDS 2013 Yarnell Az Arizona fire cirque du soleil Confederations Cup

NIH launches neurological drug development projects

NIH launches neurological drug development projects [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Christopher Thomas
thomaschr@ninds.nih.gov
301-496-5751
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

New projects will target Fragile X syndrome, nicotine addiction, and age-related macular degeneration

The National Institutes of Health has launched three innovative projects that will focus on development of therapeutics for Fragile X syndrome, nicotine addiction, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These projects are funded through the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network which provides access to a variety of drug development resources.

"We are excited about the opportunity to apply cutting-edge science to the pursuit of novel treatments for these debilitating disorders" said Rebecca Farkas, Ph.D., program director at NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Office of Translational Research.

The purpose of the NIH Blueprint is to provide in-depth research capabilities to increase the success rate of innovative drug discovery efforts. The program uses a virtual pharma model to provide researchers with access to support and resources that have been traditionally available to large pharmaceutical companies.

Partnerships between NIH program staff and awarded research teams are designed to bridge the funding gap between ground-breaking laboratory research and industry adoption. NIH staff helps investigators work with veteran industry drug development consultants and contract research organization capabilities from the discovery stage through preliminary clinical trials. In addition, each investigator maintains sole ownership of intellectual property associated with his or her project

NIH launched the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network in 2011. Including these three awards, 14 drug discovery programs have been funded as part of the program and 10 are currently active (see: http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/bpn.htm).

The newly-funded investigators and their organizations are:

  • Sage Therapeutics, Cambridge, Mass.
    Principal Investigator: Al Robichaud, Ph.D.
    Disorder: Fragile X syndrome
    Project Summary: Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder linked to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. Many patients experience general and social anxiety yet benzodiazepines, which are drugs typically used to treat anxiety disorders, provide little relief. Their anxiety has been linked to reduced activity in the brain by a protein called, the GABA A receptor. Sage Therapeutics is developing positive allosteric modulators, designed to enhance the receptor's activity and possibly relieve the anxiety.
  • The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Fla.
    Principal Investigator: Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D.
    Disorder: nicotine addiction
    Project Summary: Nicotine addiction has been attributed to the stimulatory effects of nicotine binding to brain proteins called orexin 1 receptors. Dr. Kenny and colleagues will develop selective receptor antagonists as potential smoking cessation aids to treat people who have attempted to quit smoking but faced high relapse rates and significant side effects.
  • University of Utah, Salt Lake City
    Principal Investigator: Dean Yaw Li, Ph.D.
    Disorder: age-related macular degeneration
    Project Summary: Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. One form, called wet AMD, is associated with inflammation and blood vessel leakage in the retina, the eye's light-sensitive tissue. Dean Li and his colleagues are developing small molecules that inhibit the activity of Arf6, a molecule known to help control inflammation and blood vessel leakage. This novel approach may lead to effective therapies for treating patients who do not respond to current wet AMD therapies.

###

NINDS is the nation's leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The NINDS mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


NIH launches neurological drug development projects [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Christopher Thomas
thomaschr@ninds.nih.gov
301-496-5751
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

New projects will target Fragile X syndrome, nicotine addiction, and age-related macular degeneration

The National Institutes of Health has launched three innovative projects that will focus on development of therapeutics for Fragile X syndrome, nicotine addiction, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These projects are funded through the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network which provides access to a variety of drug development resources.

"We are excited about the opportunity to apply cutting-edge science to the pursuit of novel treatments for these debilitating disorders" said Rebecca Farkas, Ph.D., program director at NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Office of Translational Research.

The purpose of the NIH Blueprint is to provide in-depth research capabilities to increase the success rate of innovative drug discovery efforts. The program uses a virtual pharma model to provide researchers with access to support and resources that have been traditionally available to large pharmaceutical companies.

Partnerships between NIH program staff and awarded research teams are designed to bridge the funding gap between ground-breaking laboratory research and industry adoption. NIH staff helps investigators work with veteran industry drug development consultants and contract research organization capabilities from the discovery stage through preliminary clinical trials. In addition, each investigator maintains sole ownership of intellectual property associated with his or her project

NIH launched the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network in 2011. Including these three awards, 14 drug discovery programs have been funded as part of the program and 10 are currently active (see: http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/bpn.htm).

The newly-funded investigators and their organizations are:

  • Sage Therapeutics, Cambridge, Mass.
    Principal Investigator: Al Robichaud, Ph.D.
    Disorder: Fragile X syndrome
    Project Summary: Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder linked to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. Many patients experience general and social anxiety yet benzodiazepines, which are drugs typically used to treat anxiety disorders, provide little relief. Their anxiety has been linked to reduced activity in the brain by a protein called, the GABA A receptor. Sage Therapeutics is developing positive allosteric modulators, designed to enhance the receptor's activity and possibly relieve the anxiety.
  • The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Fla.
    Principal Investigator: Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D.
    Disorder: nicotine addiction
    Project Summary: Nicotine addiction has been attributed to the stimulatory effects of nicotine binding to brain proteins called orexin 1 receptors. Dr. Kenny and colleagues will develop selective receptor antagonists as potential smoking cessation aids to treat people who have attempted to quit smoking but faced high relapse rates and significant side effects.
  • University of Utah, Salt Lake City
    Principal Investigator: Dean Yaw Li, Ph.D.
    Disorder: age-related macular degeneration
    Project Summary: Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. One form, called wet AMD, is associated with inflammation and blood vessel leakage in the retina, the eye's light-sensitive tissue. Dean Li and his colleagues are developing small molecules that inhibit the activity of Arf6, a molecule known to help control inflammation and blood vessel leakage. This novel approach may lead to effective therapies for treating patients who do not respond to current wet AMD therapies.

###

NINDS is the nation's leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The NINDS mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/nion-nln073113.php

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Cooking With Babette

Still from Babette's Feast, 1987.

Still from Babette's Feast, 1987.

Courtesy of Panorama Film A/S/The Criterion Collection

Rare is the film that can make your mouth water. So rare, in fact, that when it happens?when a movie really gets food and cooking?it?s easy to gorge yourself on it, stretching lazily into the conclusion that nothing better could hope to exist. I made this error, for example, with Julie & Julia, the 2009 film in which Meryl Streep plays a buoyant Julia Child and Amy Adams an annoying food blogger?here was clearly the best movie about food ever made. My mistake was an honest one: Like many home cooks who approach cooking as a discipline demanding of study rather than a slapdash hobby, I immediately felt a certain affinity with Child?s joyful yet utterly serious devotion to her craft. I bought a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, prayed that it would usher Julia?s warm spirit into my own modest apartment kitchen with each new stain on its pages, and felt the food-movie contest to be closed. But that was before I met Babette.

I watched Babette?s Feast for the first time about a month ago, and by the time the credits rolled, it was clear to me that reassessments would need to be made. To a degree that I couldn?t have imagined (and certainly more so than Julia), Babette articulates a cooking ethic?one of generosity, care, artistic integrity, and above all humility?that I have aspired to for many years. With the 1987 Oscar-winning film by Danish director Gabriel Axel joining the Criterion Collection this month, that ethic and the small, lovely story that conveys it are enjoying the grand presentation they deserve.

The plot of Babette?s Feast, which is set in late-19th-century Denmark, is so simple as to be nearly nonexistent. A French woman named Babette arrives in an ascetic rural Lutheran community seeking shelter. She is taken in by the spinster daughters of the town?s deceased patriarch, and she works quietly as a housemaid and cook for many years. One day she receives word that she has won 10,000 francs in a lottery back in France, and she arranges to cook a ?real French dinner? for the few (and increasingly querulous) residents remaining in the town to mark what would have been the 100th birthday of the patriarch. Though the sect?s members are wary of earthly pleasures, Babette?s exquisite, beautifully composed meal?featuring most memorably a dish of stuffed quails in puff pastry called cailles en sarcophage?ultimately brings the village together again.

And how couldn?t it? Real turtle soup, sparkling Veuve Clicquot, and baba au rhum would inspire just about anyone to sing hymns under the stars. Yet the sentimentality of Babette?s Feast is tempered by a certain seriousness?seriousness about fine cooking, of course, but also about the power a cook has to, as the sociologist Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson points out in an interview on the Criterion edition, help transform consumers into a community, however briefly. But today, when caloric abundance is the rule rather than the exception, does a complicated, lovingly prepared meal still have the power to bring people together? To find out, I determined to recreate Babette?s pi?ce de r?sistance, the cailles en sarcophage, for a group of friends.

There are a few serviceable recipes for the dish floating around online; I chose the one that seemed richest, calling for homemade duck-fat puff pastry and a luscious fig and Madeira sauce along with the truffle- and foie gras-stuffed quails. True, my Styrofoam-packed shipment of the gourmet items from D?Artagnan lacked the romantic appeal of Babette?s seaborne delivery, but it was exciting to have a single $25 summer truffle in the house, much less a fridge full of foie gras, delicate little partially deboned birds, a rich duck-veal demi-glace, and fine puff pastry. Discerning readers will detect that at this point I?ve already compromised by cheating on a few steps?the store-bought demi-glace, for instance, and certainly the puff pastry, the homemade pursuit of which I abandoned when a chef friend informed me that it would take at least three days to do properly.

The first step was to marinate the quails in pricey Bual Madeira and a little cognac overnight, along with thyme and garlic (my additions). After that, the process of assembly was surprisingly easy, if fragile. To create the puff pastry nests, I needed circular cutting implements of 5- and 3-inch diameters, respectively?a martini glass and small prep bowl filled the role nicely. As anyone who?s worked with puff pastry in a hot kitchen knows, the fickle stuff demands to be rushed back into the freezer after just a few minutes of handling lest it become too sticky, so the cutting process was slow. But once complete, I had four nice rounds with smaller circular indentations in the middle. After the pastry baked and rose majestically, I used the indentations as a guide to gently cut out a neat hole in the center of each puff?voila, we had sarcophages! ?

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Photos courtesy of Cam McDonald

Next I turned to my baby birds. Having purchased them already cleaned and deboned save for the legs and wings, I really only had to stuff and truss them like toy chickens. Though relatively easy, I will offer the following observations: Foie gras does not slice well in a hot kitchen (producing lots of messy errors I had no choice but to eat), and truffles, though insanely delicious, smell kind of like spoiled milk when waiting in your fridge.

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Photos courtesy of Cam McDonald

Now all that was left was the actual cooking. After a brief sear in duck fat and a careful roast in the oven, I tucked my birds in their nests with the richest sauce my pan has ever contained, including figs, white wine, homemade chicken stock, demi-glace, and more Madeira. Sitting on their white plates, my cailles were not nearly as elegant as Babette?s, but they were, in the words of a dinner guest, remarkable. (And at roughly $37 dollars a plate, that?s fortunate).

130730_FOOD_BabettesFeastDish

Photos courtesy of Cam McDonald

Was the result worth the effort and cost? Considered purely as an exercise in cooking, I?d say sure?the cailles were as rich, succulent, and delicious as advertised (though there is some small irony to be found in the fact that my guests were more vocally appreciative of the first-course vichyssoise, which cost something like $4 per person.) However, my relative success with Babette?s special dish is not the thing that I value most about that evening. Instead, it?s my role as a cook in relation to my guests that I keep thinking about as the flavors fade from memory.

During this dinner I spent a great deal of time in the kitchen, prepping the next course, opening more wine, and generally taking pleasure in the fact that my guests were enjoying themselves?my food and service, as the grist for the gathering, were more important than my constant presence. In this sensibility I share something fundamental with Babette, who cooks not to impress or to show off (indeed, she never appears in the dining room), but rather to facilitate the alchemy that transforms good food into great fellowship.

This is an ethic that is all too rare. We live in a food culture dominated by the notion that cooking is a performance art, something that you wow people with from behind the island of your open-concept kitchen as if you were the host of your own Food Network show. The covers of glossy cooking magazines exhort you to ?impress your friends? with this or that new technique, while ?celebrity chefs? by their very existence make the argument that a cook?s personality is more important than her food. This is the contemporary self-centeredness that makes Julie?s half of Julie & Julia so unbearable?she may master French cooking, but in the end, the only guest she?s interested in feeding is her ego.

Contrast that with Babette. My favorite scene in the film comes after the last, glistening course has been served, when she finally sits for a moment in the kitchen, her skin dewy from work, quietly sipping a glass of wine. The satisfaction on her face is the kind that can only come from the knowledge that you have created something that sustains both the bodies and the spirits of the people in your care. Indeed, Babette?s story is an argument for the idea that spending money, time, and energy cooking for friends is the best gift a home cook can give, especially if they enjoy themselves so much that they practically forget who?s behind the stove.

I can think of no more eloquent way of summarizing this ethic than Babette?s own words: ?I was able to make them happy ? when I gave of my best.? Anyone can learn to stuff a quail with fancy things; perfecting the recipe for fleeting, full-bellied happiness is a far more impressive feat, and one that any home cook worth his kosher salt should be after every time he picks up his knife.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/07/cailles_en_sarcophage_babette_s_feast_s_richest_most_expensive_dish_made.html

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