Five Chinese boys died of CO poisoning

Published: Nov. 18, 2012 at 1:09 PM

BIJIE, China, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Investigators said it appeared five children whose bodies were found in a garbage bin in southwestern China were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Autopsies confirmed the boys, all street children about 10 years old, died from the deadly gas and ruled out death from injuries or strangling, Communist Party sources in Guizhou Province told China's official Xinhua News Agency.

Investigators in the mountain city of Bijie found burned charcoal in the trash container, which sources said led investigators to believe the boys had lit a fire inside it to keep warm.

Xinhua said the deaths created an Internet uproar among Chinese who chastised the local government and the boys' parents for negligence.

Source: http://pheed.upi.com/click.phdo?i=3d8b3283dbd5f9e9b0f878f33ef99739

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Brain waves make waves

Friday, November 16, 2012

Naturally, our brain activity waxes and wanes. When listening, this oscillation synchronizes to the sounds we are hearing. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have found that this influences the way we listen. Hearing abilities also oscillate and depend on the exact timing of one's brain rhythms. This discovery that sound, brain, and behaviour are so intimately coupled will help us to learn more about listening abilities in hearing loss.

Our world is full of cyclic phenomena: For example, many people experience their attention span changing over the course of a day. Maybe you yourself are more alert in the morning, others more in the afternoon. Bodily functions cyclically change or "oscillate" with environmental rhythms, like light and dark, and this in turn seems to govern our perception and behaviours. One might conclude that we are slaves to our own circadian rhythms, which in turn are slaves to environmental light?dark cycles.

A hard-to-prove idea in neuroscience is that such couplings between rhythms in the environment, rhythms in the brain, and our behaviours are also present at much finer time scales. Molly Henry and Jonas Obleser from the Max Planck Research Group "Auditory Cognition" now followed up on this recurrent idea by investigating the listening brain.

This idea holds fascinating implications for the way humans process speech and music: Imagine the melodic contour of a human voice or your favourite piece of music going up and down. If your brain becomes coupled to, or "entrained" by, these melodic changes, Henry and Obleser rea-soned, then you might also be better prepared to expect fleeting but important sounds occurring in what the voice is saying, for example, a "d" versus a "t".

The simple "fleeting sound" in the scientists' experiment was a very short and very hard-to-detect silent gap (about one one-hundredth of a second) embedded in a simplified version of a melodic contour, which slowly and cyclically changed its pitch at a rate of three cycles per second (3 Hz).

To be able to track each listener's brain activity on a millisecond basis, Henry and Obleser record-ed the electroencephalographic signal from listeners' scalps. First, the authors demonstrated that every listener's brain was "dragged along" (this is what entrainment, a French word, literally means) by the slow cyclic changes in melody; listeners' neural activity waxed and waned. Second, the listeners' ability to discover the fleeting gaps hidden in the melodic changes was by no means constant over time. Instead, it also "oscillated" and was governed by the brain's waxing and wan-ing. The researchers could predict from a listener's slow brain wave whether or not an upcoming gap would be detected or would slip under the radar.

Why is that? "The slow waxings and wanings of brain activity are called neural oscillations. They regulate our ability to process incoming information", Molly Henry explains. Jonas Obleser adds that "from these findings, an important conclusion emerges: All acoustic fluctuations we encoun-ter appear to shape our brain's activity. Apparently, our brain uses these rhythmic fluctuations to be prepared best for processing important upcoming information".

The researchers hope to be able to use the brain's coupling to its acoustic environment as a new measure to study the problems of listeners with hearing loss or people who stutter.

###

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: http://www.mpg.de

Thanks to Max-Planck-Gesellschaft for this article.

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.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125280/Brain_waves_make_waves

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Facebook's 'couples' pages not off to happy start

Facebook

An example of a couples page as shown by Facebook.

By Suzanne Choney

I didn't ask for a "couples" page on Facebook. The whole idea seems... saccharine and very 1950s. Besides, it's one thing for me to share photos of my beloved on my Facebook page, but another to have a page automatically generated of "us." That's creepy. Period.

The new twist on a two-year-old feature ? "Friendship" pages ?? was referenced somewhat backhandedly last week by Facebook when it announced redesigned Friendship pages.

... we're introducing a new layout for friendship pages. Friendship pages combine posts, photos and events that you and another person have shared. Click the gear menu at the top of a friend's timeline to see a friendship page. If you've listed yourself as "in a relationship" with someone, you can also visit facebook.com/us to see the friendship page you share with that person.

Like many folks, I headed on over to Facebook.com/us ? the "us" isn't for U.S., it's for "us." Get it? It's just meant to be a URL shortcut, Facebook says, to see all the posts connected to the person you say you're in a relationship with, but it's irritating.

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According to that Facebook.com/us couples page for my husband and I, we became "friends" on June 13, 2009. OK, I get it, that's the day we became "Facebook friends."

Then I saw ? surprise! ? we were married that very same day! Wrong! We may have become Facebook friends that day, but, no matter how fast my husband moves, it's not that fast. We were married long before then, but it's not a date I have ever shared on the social network. So much for Facebook's algorithms and formulae.

Suzanne Choney / TODAY.com

My Facebook "couples" page, which shows my husband and I becoming "friends" and getting married on the same day.

I'm not alone in discovering this freaky sideshow-ish page. Couples all over may be finding that Facebook has messed with their anniversaries. If you, like me, haven't put in a wedding date, Facebook won't leave it blank like it should on the much-disliked Timeline. Instead, it inserts this nonsensical misinformation.

My co-workers also checked out facebook.com/us only to find their own laughable results (and it's a good thing they have senses of humor). Tech & Science editor Wilson Rothman noted that in "real life," he and his wife got married in 2005. "In Facebook land," as he put it, they were wed in 2007.

The "couples" page itself is generated on Facebook when you change your profile to indicate that you are "in a relationship" with someone, a Facebook spokeswoman told TODAY.com. And, in my case ? and others ? indicating I'm in a relationship, that I'm married and listing the name of my spouse led Facebook to misconnect the dots.

Note: If the person you say you're "in a relationship with" does not say they're in a relationship with you on Facebook, the couples page will not be automatically generated. (This, at least, bodes well for all the Jessica Biel fans who are in denial about her marriage to Justin Timberlake and want to say otherwise on the social network.)

There's not a lot of good news about how to handle this at this point. The information can be made private, but "you cannot deactivate the pages," another Facebook spokeswoman told TODAY.com. You can, however, "control what you share on Facebook using the privacy settings for each post." Great.

"The friendship page respects the privacy setting of each post," she said. "This means the person viewing the friendship page may see each post elsewhere on Facebook, like on either friend's timeline or in news feed. You can curate your friendship page by hiding stories you do not want to appear."

That's all a lot of work, more than it should be for something that's supposed to be fun, but is getting to be less fun all the time.

Here's what to do if you'd just as soon not show friendship or couples pages publicly. On Facebook, go to the Help page for Friendship pages.

Facebook

First, familiarize yourself with how to see Friendship pages.

Now, follow these instructions for removing information:

Facebook

Weirdly, there's a "Profiles for Couples!" page on Facebook that has been trying since 2009 to make this very thing happens.?On that page,?some Facebook users have shared their feelings about the new couples pages.

Posted Liz Remb: "This is super lame. I am not a combined unit with my loved one."

"Horrible idea!" posted Andrea Bethard. "I will never list my relationship status for sure now."

"I think people are over thinking this," posted GK Huffman. "I for one already share a Facebook page with my wife because we have the same circle of friends. If you have something to hide then change it, i think it is great."

And on our own TODAY pages, commenting on the story, "How to zap photos from Facebook's new couples pages," published last weekend, "JRS-619990" wrote: that the change feels "like someone coming into your home and rearranging your personal photos in picture frames, photo albums, or scrapbooks."

With this latest "tweak" to the social network, that's exactly how it feels.

Whether you're looking for motivation to work out during the winter months or simply want to pump up your regular routine, technology expert Katie Linendoll shows off the gadgets that will have you moving in no time.

More from Digital Life:

?

Source: http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2012/11/16/15169915-facebooks-couples-pages-not-off-to-happy-start

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Minnesota House names committee chairs, completes legislative ...

House Democrats finalized their committee chair appointments on Friday, completing the legislative leadership decisions for the coming session when DFLers will be back in control of both chambers.

House Speaker-designate Paul Thissen said in a statement that the committee chairs are ?ready to roll up their sleeves, tackle tough challenges and govern well.?

The Senate finalized its leadership appointments on Thursday.

Rep. Lyndon Carlson will move up from DFL-lead under the GOP to chair the Ways and Means Committee, last headed under a DFL majority by Rep. Loren Solberg, who was ousted in 2010. Rep. Ann Lenczewski will return as head of the House Taxes Committee, a key area to watch this session if the projected budget deficit sticks.

Other committees also saw the return of their longtime chairs. Rep. Alice Hausman will resume her role leading the Capital Investment Committee, which would oversee a bonding bill. Rep. Tom Huntley will head up Health and Human Services Finance.

Rep. Ron Erhardt, a former Republican who lost in 2008 after voting to override former Gov. Tim Pawlenty?s veto of a gas tax increase, will take over the Transportation Policy Committee as a Democrat this session.

Rep. Gene Pelowski, a stalwart on the Higher Education Committee, replaces retiring Rep. Tom Rukavina as the lead DFLer there.

Rep. Paul Marquart, who lost to Rep. Erin Murphy in a bid for House majority leader, will take over the Education Finance Committee.

Here is the full list of chairs, and here is the meeting schedule for standing committees [PDF]:

? Ways and Means ? Rep. Lyndon Carlson

? Taxes ? Rep.Ann Lenczewski

? Property Tax Division ? Rep. Jim Davnie

? Higher Education Finance and Policy ? Rep. Gene Pelowski

? Education Finance ? Rep. Paul Marquart??

? Education Policy ? Rep. Carlos Mariani

? Health and Human Services Finance ? Rep. Tom Huntley????

? Health and Human Services Policy ? Rep. Tina Liebling

? Capital Investment ? Rep. Alice Hausman

? Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Finance ? Rep.Jean Wagenius

? Environment and Natural Resources Policy ? Rep. David Dill

? Agriculture Policy ? Rep. Jeanne Poppe

? Energy Policy ? Rep. Melissa Hortman

? Transportation Finance ? State Rep. Frank Hornstein

? Transportation Policy ? Rep. Ron Erhardt

? Judiciary Finance and Policy ? Rep. Debra Hilstrom

? Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy ? Rep. Joe Atkins

? Jobs and Economic Development Finance and Policy ? State Rep. Tim Mahoney

? Labor, Workplace, and Regulated Industries ? State Rep. Sheldon Johnson

? State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs ? Rep. Mary Murphy

? Legacy ? Rep. Phyllis Kahn

? Housing Finance and Policy ? Rep. Karen Clark

? Government Operations ? Rep. Michael Nelson

? Elections ? Rep. Steve Simon

? Public Safety Finance and Policy ? Rep. Michael Paymar

? Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy ? State Rep. Joe Mullery

? Civil Law ? Rep. John Lesch

? Rules and Legislative Administration?? Rep. Erin Murphy.

Source: http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2012/11/minnesota-house-names-committee-chairs-completes-legislative-leadership

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How To Choose What Landscape Elements Will Work With Your Home

TIP! Try to do landscaping that will continue to look great throughout the entire year. This means you should have different plants that will blossom throughout the spring and the summer, and perhaps some pine trees to keep your yard green during the winter months.

Landscaping your yard can be as simple as you choose it to be. By learning about landscaping, it makes the job a lot easier. Read on for simple tips to get you started.

TIP! If you?re doing a landscaping project on your own, sit down and calculate all of your costs. To create an accurate list of costs associated with your landscape design, include plants, mulch and equipment.

When you think about how to renovate your home, look at a blueprint or sketch first. Spend some time sketching out the outline of your home, the property boundaries, and the major features you will have to work around.

TIP! Consider elements of basic design when planning your landscape. Anchor plants can help provide continuity in diverse areas.

Walkways and paths can, and should, be integrated into your landscaping design. Concrete is considered one of the most terrible looks for a sidewalk. Using detailed pavers or stones is a great way to add visual appeal. You can find them in many colors and shapes, and they don?t cost too much more than concrete.

TIP! If you want to add much color to your landscape, but you have a smaller budget, consider using wildflowers. All home improvement stores carry wildflower seeds, and they can be scattered on large areas that are hard to plant.

Make sure to save enough room for your plants to grow as you plan a landscaping project. Planting a tree right next to your home could work fine now, but as the tree matures it could rupture your foundation and grow too close to the side of your house. Consider maturation before you plant anything to ensure proper balance in your landscaping.

TIP! Avoid planting flowers under a large tree, as they will not thrive in the constant shade. Instead of planting flowers you can add ground cover instead.

Get a good quality fertilizer to put in your yard. Being consistent with one fertilizer can help you avoid any possible chemical reaction that may occur if you use more than one. Read reviews of different products, or better yet, talk with a landscaper at your local nursery to determine which products are best suited to your area. Fertilizing your yard creates a good foundation for the next phase of your landscaping project.

TIP! When you need to plant seeds as part of your landscaping project, you should work in the biggest batches possible. The amount of effort and time you put in doesn?t change much between a small area or a larger one, as it?s the preparation that takes the most time, so working on the whole area at once will allow you to get done more quickly.

Using native plants from your area can help to avoid problems in the future. Native plants are a lot easier to take care of because they are used to the area?s climate and soil. Thus, they are a great choice for anyone who is unwilling or unable to spend a lot of time on maintenance. Check out a local gardening store and see what plants are actually native in your area.

TIP! If you are installing an outdoor kitchen on your property, you should try to use granite for most of your surfaces. While marble or some other material would cost you much less money, you can place hot things on granite without it getting damaged, and it does not require a lot of maintenance.

Often, people don?t think of shopping online for landscaping materials. However, shopping online is simpler to do for many reasons and also provides better prices and more variety at times.

TIP! Add variety in your yard by planting different sizes and shapes of plants as well as ones with unique textures. Plants that are larger should anchor everything, and the smaller ones planted around them.

Before heading to your local garden store for plants and materials, take down exact measurements for your entire work area. This will allow you to accurately determine how many of each type of item you need. This simple step can ensure you do not end up with either a shortage or surplus of materials.

TIP! Many people place plants along the edges of their property and house. While this is preferred, you should also place shrubs in other areas in your yard.

Landscaping, as you have seen, can be a difficult task. Even though it isn?t always easy, by researching and learning all you can, you can make your landscaping amazing. Once you know how to do something from there, it?s all application and learning, so it?s up to you to get to it now. Use the advice shared here to learn how to create a landscaped yard that you can be proud of.

Source: http://voooz.com/2012/11/16/how-to-choose-what-landscape-elements-will-work-with-your-home/

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Gov. says Kan. higher ed may see targeted funds

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) ? Gov. Sam Brownback says the Kansas higher education system might get additional funds next year for specific initiatives, but he's advising officials not to push for general budget increases.

Brownback told the state Board of Regents in brief remarks Thursday that he doubts legislators will approve increases in base operating funds for public universities, community colleges and technical colleges.

Brownback did not drop any hints about the budget he'll present to lawmakers for the fiscal year that begins July 1. He said he hasn't started putting together his recommendations.

But the state must close a $328 million gap between expected revenues and current spending commitments for the new fiscal year after this year's massive cuts in income taxes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gov-says-kan-higher-ed-may-see-targeted-164437781--finance.html

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PRINCEVILLE: 4781 Kapaka St, Great Stuff Yard Sale, Sat,11/17 & Sun, 11/18, 8 am Opposite from Church of Pacific Clothes, shoes, purses, India arts & crafts

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Source: http://kauai-www2.kauaiworld.com/mobile-classified/ads/29378499/?market=admarket

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