Science fiction often envisions worlds populated by humanoid robots. In reality, insects, reptiles and nonhuman animals often serve as a more practical template for automatons. The more legs a robot has, the more easily it can navigate tough terrain. Likewise, claws are less challenging to emulate than primate-esque hands, and, as a team of researchers reported recently, tails are an incredibly versatile stabilizing mechanism.
The back end of snakes, ants or even grasshoppers has served as such an inspiration to some roboticists. Now Robert J. Full, a biologist at the Univer?sity of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues have turned to the red-headed African Agama lizard. The researchers? work, published in the January 12 issue of Nature, describes how a careful study of the Agama?s approach to leaping on slippery surfaces led to improvements in robotic design.
High-speed videography and motion capture revealed how the Agama raises its tail to counteract a lack of footing on slippery surfaces when vaulting from a flat, rectangular block to a vertical sur?face. When the block was covered with sandpaper, the lizard required less stabilization and its tail remained in a down position during a leap.
Full and his team applied the lizard?s tail-raising schemes to a small, robotic four-wheeled vehicle dubbed Tailbot. After attaching a stabilizing tail to the rear of the vehicle and sending it off a ramp, the researchers noted that Tail?bot sank nose down with its tail in the down position. When the tail was raised like the Agama?s, based on the Tailbot?s attitude coming off the ramp, the robot was able to land on its wheels in a more balanced position. Full and his students are now investigating the role of the tail in controlling roll?and pitch and yaw?while running.
These are just the latest developments in Full?s full-on flirtations with lizard-inspired robots. Stickybot, a mechanical collaboration with Stanford University in 2006 that could walk up smooth surfaces such as windows using an adhesive, was modeled after microscopic hairs found on the feet of geckos.
Other examples of so-called bio?mimetic machines include Boston Dynamics?s Legged Squad Support System (LS3), which resembles a headless pack mule, and a wormlike robot under development at Harvard University.
By focusing on these nonhuman robot models, investigators can improve robotic design piece by piece, examining specific problems and learning from the ways in which animals solve them.
This article was published in print as "It's All in the Tail."
Whatever the cogency of their moral critique of alcohol and tobacco, these Muslim leaders are pushing for a solution that is characteristically Islamic: instead of working to teach Muslim youth self-control and the virtues of avoiding drinking, smoking and drug use, they want to make it impossible for them to fall into these vices by making them unavailable. This is the same mentality that, instead of teaching men to respect women and control themselves, forces women to cover themselves up in public, ostensibly so as to remove all temptation.
And above all this is a Sharia move. If it weren't, they wouldn't be pressuring the store owners to stop selling pork as well. Their attempt to portray this as a strike for morality and the common welfare falls flat when they bring the pork ban into it. Here again, Muslims are trying to force non-Muslims -- in this case, those who live near and patronize these stores -- to abide by Sharia provisions, instead of simply refraining themselves from the things to which they object.
"Muslim group asks stores to remove alcohol, tobacco," by John Kopp for the Delaware County Daily Times, February 16 (thanks to Robert):
CHESTER ? A group of Islamic leaders is urging Muslim business owners to stop selling alcohol, tobacco and drug paraphernalia, which are prohibited in the Quran because they contribute to the destruction of humanity.
The United Muslim Coalition for Chester Citizens Against Violence and Crime mailed out a letter detailing the request to 16 Muslim-owned businesses last month.
The coalition wants the businesses to stop selling such products because they run counter to Islam and also contribute to the drug and violence problem plaguing Chester. The coalition claims the business owners are ignoring passages in the Quran that call for Muslims to protect others from harm.
?They?re preying on the addictions that plague our community,? Imam Haneef Mahdi said. ?We?re trying to eradicate from the root those things that are hurting our community.?
Imam Farid W. Rasool said many people buy blunts from these stores strictly to lace the wraps with marijuana, cocaine or embalming fluid. The latter is known as ?wet? on the streets.
Rasool said many of Chester?s youth engaged in drugs and violence identify with the Muslim faith. Coalition leaders said they are tired of seeing these youth ? and others who don?t identify with Islam ? dying on the streets.
?We have a right to request that you stop contributing to the death of your community,? Keith Muhammad said. ?We are asking as a community for you to stop. That should be respected. Certainly, out of the law of Islam, you should be moved.?
Coalition leaders said they are just one cog in a broader effort to improve Chester. They said they simply are asking their fellow Muslims to adhere to their faith and stop taking actions detrimental to the community.
If the business owners do not cease selling forbidden products, the coalition said it will ask the public to stop supporting those businesses.
Coalition leaders do not view their efforts merely as another anti-violence group taking action.
They said they want to influence the morality of the community and are calling on Muslim business owners to cease living a contradictory lifestyle.
?We live by example,? Muhammad said. ?That is what we?re trying to get them to do.?
In their letter, the coalition also asked Muslim business owners to cease selling pork and any other products also forbidden in the Quran.
The Muslim leaders spent two weeks visiting each of the establishments, because none of them responded to their letter or attended their meeting, they said.
Mahdi said many of the business owners expressed concerns about profits. Some store operators are immigrants more focused on prospering in America than following their religion, he said.
?The concern was normally the monetary loss that would be taken if they removed these products from their stores,? Mahdi said. ?There are certainly other things they could be selling that would make their businesses profitable.?
Coalition leaders noted at least 25 Muslim-owned businesses are making profits by selling wholesome products. There is no need to sell forbidden products, they said.
?We are enjoined to have love in our hearts to every human being,? Nusrat J. Rashid said. ?Why on earth would you want another human being to be subject to these dangers??
Anybody that has been following Chearleading?s current trend knows that injuries have become an issue. From 1990-2002, studies have proven injuries in cheerleading to possess bending (This really is by having an 18 percent growth). Also, research released within the journal Pediatric medicine estimations 208,800 youthful people age range 5 to 18 were treated at U.S. hospitals for cheerleading-related injures throughout the 13-year period. The majority of the injuries were experienced by 12- to 17-year-olds nearly 40 % were leg, ankle and feet injuries.
How have these injuries elevated a lot in 13 years? The 2 reasons are elevated acrobatic abilities and insufficient understanding. Cheerleading went way past doing mainly cheers and chants. Now it?s moved into doing complex collapsing passes as well as other acrobatic lifts (stunting). Of course, because the level of skill rises, the chance of injuries follows.
Regrettably, the level of skill is risng as the understanding of a good saftey needs is falling. There?s an over-all not enough information available for coaches as well as their cheerleaders. For instance, lookup training football inside a book store and you?ll visit a huge assortment of books available. Perform the same for cheerleading and also the selection becomes limited. A whole lot worse, most cheerleading books don?t stress the significance of safety enough.
Do in order to these limited assets, many coaches and cheerleaders find yourself attempting to replicate a collapsing pass or acrobatic lift (stunt) they saw elsewhere. This leads simply to an elevated chance of failure and injuries. Every collapsing pass and acrobatic lift (stunt) has its own needed technique and spotters (those who insure the security from the participant).
Buying the right Salt Lake auto insurance for your car is essential to prevent financial difficulties when an accident occurs. The article below will describe how to ask the right questions from your broker or agent, what coverage to buy and how to avoid duplicate coverage. Read the article and ask the right questions from your insurance professional.
One option you always have to help decrease your insurance payments is to raise your comprehension and collision deductibles. Because people with higher deductibles typically file fewer claims, insurance companies typically charge less for customers who maintain a high deductible. The higher you deductible, the higher the amount you will have to pay out of pocket in the event of an accident.
You can save a lot of money if you have aN accident and you have good coverage. Individuals pay a pre-set deductible, but the insurance should cover some costs.
When shopping for vehicle insurance coverage for your teen, ask your agent to give you a quote, both as a separate policy and also as an addition to your existing policy. Depending on the vehicles involved it is sometimes cheaper overall to buy them a different policy.
In most states you are required to have a liability insurance in order to get your car on the road. You need to know what is required by your state, and what the minimum coverage is that you need. If you lack insurance and are involved in a wreck, not only can it be financially disastrous, but you will also be violating the law.
Don?t just accept the first insurance quote you get. There are different formulas that every company uses to determine your insurance premium. By researching many competitors, it becomes easier to find a good deal and save money.
Consider how much monthly insurance rates will be before purchasing a car. Auto insurance companies look more favorably on safer car choices. Sportier cars are frowned upon and will cost you more. Take these differences into account when selecting your new car.
You need to maintain a clean license. Your insurance will be very expensive if you have a lot of traffic citations and accidents on your driving record. If you do have a poor driving record, taking a defensive driving record can improve it and help you get lower insurance rates.
Hopefully with this article, you have learned some knowledge that you can apply to your Salt Lake auto insurance decisions. More knowledge can only lead to making better decisions. You can also give these tips out to help family and friends.
To learn more about the safest way to insure please visit our website at salt lake city auto insurance or san antonio car insurance for more information.
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Critics aren't buying into the love triangle between Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. By Kara Warner
Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in "This Means War" Photo: 20th Century Fox
"This Means War" has all the makings of a perfect romantic comedy/ action flick, including the very attractive and high-caliber stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, the capable direction of McG, comic relief from Chelsea Handler and a script from the guys whose combined talents have brought us "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Sherlock Holmes," "Role Models" and "Just Go With It."
The story revolves around two best friends and highly skilled CIA agents who fall in love with the same woman and go to war with each other in an effort to win her heart. We imagine the filmmakers set out to make a fun, if only slightly farfetched, popcorn flick, but the critical masses couldn't seem to suspend their disbelief. The film has a 30 percent Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Read on as we fight through the "This Means War" reviews!
The Story "Having great-looking stars who have the added bonus of actually being able to act makes the noisy romp "This Means War" more tolerable that it ought to be. It's essentially a love-triangle version of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," rendered even more bombastic in the hands of "Charlie's Angels" director McG. (Simon Kinberg, who wrote the 2005 film that spawned Brangelina, shares script credit here with Timothy Dowling.) So you've got your sport utility vehicles tumbling in slow motion, your gravity-defying shootouts and your obligatory explosions galore. Naturally, the premise is the most high-concept, contrived confection: Two CIA agents (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who happen to be best friends also happen to fall in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon), who has no idea these guys know each other. They promise their shared pursuit won't ruin their friendship, but good luck with all that." — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press
The Bromance Factor "The relationship that truly sizzles — from the sentiment to the satire — is the one between FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), with Pine and Hardy pulling off one of the better bromances in recent memory. ... Hardy ("Inception") and Pine ("Star Trek") are the heart of the film — proving to be excellent opposing sides of the same coin. Both balance their characters' cynicism with a certain sweetness, their chemistry fairly crackling, electrifying the screen almost any time they're sharing it, whether taking down a bad guy or squabbling about who is more lovable (it's a tossup). With Lauren, on the other hand, they are basically gentlemen, so not electrifying." — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
The Suspension of Disbelief Factor, or Lack Therof "And in the film's opening minutes, it feels as if that might be the desired effect: It's loaded with overblown action chestnuts like from-the-hip gunplay, people dangling from the sides of skyscrapers and a gruff commanding officer. (That would be Angela Bassett, who shows up periodically to growl at her charges in a role that might have been hilarious had anyone thought to write anything legitimately funny for her.) But a good parody takes a finesse that isn't in the vocabulary of McG, a bargain-basement Michael Bay more concerned with cool than coherence. Instead we get utter nonsense like a video store with a database that conveniently includes customer photos for the CIA to tap into. (Related: These characters are, in 2012, going to a video store?) In another scene, FDR wrestles on the floor with a small dog that has just attacked him, as Lauren stands 5 feet away, oblivious. The Farrelly brothers should sue the producers not for stealing the scene outright from 'There's Something About Mary,' but for imitating it so badly." — Ian Buckwalter, NPR
The Final Word "Part spy caper, part buddy picture, part romantic comedy, part raunchy-girl-talk sex farce, This Means War has been assembled with all the haphazardness of an amateur science experiment. The project was directed by the amped-up industry go-getter McG (Charlie's Angels), and it's had a long trial-and-error history. The initial script dates back a century — or at least about a decade — and the string of famous guys who didn't take the dual lead male roles reportedly includes Bradley Cooper, Seth Rogen, Sam Worthington, and, stretching even further back, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence. All this fiddling and fumbling shows on the screen. And yet, and yet ... I confess I enjoyed everything that's all over the place about the finished product. 'This Means War' may have been hammered together by brute Hollywood force, but there's this going for it: It's game to throw in anything that'll keep the motor running." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? U.S. congressional negotiators agreed on Wednesday to a bipartisan deal to extend a payroll tax cut, which would give a victory to Democrats and allow Republicans to get out from under an issue that threatened to hurt them in the November elections.
U.S. Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat, told Reuters enough negotiators from both parties had signed off on the accord to clear it for a vote by the full Senate and House of Representatives.
The two chambers are expected to vote on the deal before lawmakers depart Friday for a week-long recess.
Just hours earlier, talks hit a snag when a number of Republicans and a least a few Democrats declined to sign off on the deal, reached earlier in the day by lead negotiators.
But those concerns were apparently resolved.
The tax cut had divided Republicans and risked further angering voters, who already hold Congress in low regard, if they were seen as blocking renewal of the tax relief.
?We?re determined to put this to an end,? said Republican Representative Renee Ellmers. She said Republicans want to ?move on to the real issues: the president?s failed policies? to support the ailing economy.
House Speaker John Boehner and fellow Republican leaders cleared the way for a deal on Monday when they dropped their demand that there be spending cuts to pay for a reduction in the payroll tax in order to avoid an increase in the federal debt.
The decision showed Boehner?s pragmatic side since his party would have been blamed for any failure to extend the tax cut, which many of his members initially opposed.
DODGING THE BLAME
Since becoming speaker in January 2011, Boehner has had problems keeping some conservative members in line, particularly those who see deficit reduction as their chief mission.
The agreement would extend the payroll tax cut, first implemented in 2011 at the request of Obama, until the end of this year for about 160 million U.S. workers.
Passage would end a battle that has raged since last year over legislation some economists say is vital to keeping the U.S. recovery on track by injecting more consumer spending into the economy.
The payroll tax cut is estimated to put $1,000 in additional money in the hands of the average working family over one year. And extending unemployment benefits is seen by economists as one of the most effective ways of encouraging consumer spending because the unemployed use their benefit checks for basic needs.
Long known as the party of low taxes, Republicans initially fought the payroll tax cut that largely helped low- and middle-income workers, saying temporary tax cuts did little to stimulate the economy.
With economists disagreeing and Democrats simultaneously forcing Republicans to go on the record in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy, Republicans found themselves in a losing position.
As their leaders tried to move into winning territory, it only stoked Republican infighting as conservatives, including Tea Party activists, resisted handing Democrats a victory.
Analysts said opinion polls showing public disgust with a gridlocked Congress may have helped drive lawmakers, many of whom are up for re-election this year, toward a deal.
(Additional reporting by Donna Smith and David Lawder; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Todd Eastham)
Brain-imaging differences evident at 6 months in infants who develop autismPublic release date: 17-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tom Hughes tahughes@unch.unc.edu 919-966-6047 University of North Carolina School of Medicine
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. A new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism.
"It's a promising finding," said Jason J. Wolff, PhD, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at UNC's Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD). "At this point, it's a preliminary albeit great first step towards thinking about developing a biomarker for risk in advance of our current ability to diagnose autism."
The study also suggests, Wolff said, that autism does not appear suddenly in young children, but instead develops over time during infancy. This raises the possibility "that we may be able to interrupt that process with targeted intervention," he said.
Joseph Piven, MD, director of the CIDD, is senior author of the study.
The study was published online on Friday, Feb. 17 at AJP in Advance, a section of the website of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Its results are the latest from the ongoing Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and headquartered at UNC. Piven received an NIH Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program network award for the IBIS Network in 2007. ACE networks consist of researchers at many facilities in locations throughout the country, all of whom work together on a single research question.
Participants in the study were 92 infants who all have older siblings with autism and thus are considered to be at high risk for autism themselves. All had diffusion tensor imaging which is a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 6 months and behavioral assessments at 24 months. Most also had additional brain imaging scans at either or both 12 and 24 months.
At 24 months, 28 infants (30 percent) met criteria for autism spectrum disorders while 64 infants (70 percent) did not. The two groups differed in white matter fiber tract development pathways that connect brain regions as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA). FA measures white matter organization and development, based on the movement of water molecules through brain tissue.
This study examined 15 separate fiber tracts, and found significant differences in FA trajectories in 12 of the 15 tracts between infants who did develop autism versus infants who did not. Infants who later developed autism had elevated FA at six months but then experienced slower change over time. By 24 months of age, infants with autism had lower FA values than infants without autism.
"This evidence, which implicates multiple fiber pathways, suggests that autism is a whole-brain phenomenon not isolated to any particular brain region," Wolff said.
###
Eighteen researchers are listed as co-authors of the study. Study co-authors with UNC affiliations include Wolff, Piven, Hongbin Gu,PhD; Guido Gerig,PhD; Jed T. Elison, PhD; Martin Styner, PhD; Geraldine Dawson, PhD and Heather C. Hazlett, PhD. Other institutions and organizations that took part in the study include the University of Utah, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Washington, McGill University, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Alberta.
In addition to funding from the NIH, the IBIS Network receives support from Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.
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Brain-imaging differences evident at 6 months in infants who develop autismPublic release date: 17-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tom Hughes tahughes@unch.unc.edu 919-966-6047 University of North Carolina School of Medicine
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. A new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism.
"It's a promising finding," said Jason J. Wolff, PhD, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at UNC's Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD). "At this point, it's a preliminary albeit great first step towards thinking about developing a biomarker for risk in advance of our current ability to diagnose autism."
The study also suggests, Wolff said, that autism does not appear suddenly in young children, but instead develops over time during infancy. This raises the possibility "that we may be able to interrupt that process with targeted intervention," he said.
Joseph Piven, MD, director of the CIDD, is senior author of the study.
The study was published online on Friday, Feb. 17 at AJP in Advance, a section of the website of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Its results are the latest from the ongoing Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and headquartered at UNC. Piven received an NIH Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program network award for the IBIS Network in 2007. ACE networks consist of researchers at many facilities in locations throughout the country, all of whom work together on a single research question.
Participants in the study were 92 infants who all have older siblings with autism and thus are considered to be at high risk for autism themselves. All had diffusion tensor imaging which is a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 6 months and behavioral assessments at 24 months. Most also had additional brain imaging scans at either or both 12 and 24 months.
At 24 months, 28 infants (30 percent) met criteria for autism spectrum disorders while 64 infants (70 percent) did not. The two groups differed in white matter fiber tract development pathways that connect brain regions as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA). FA measures white matter organization and development, based on the movement of water molecules through brain tissue.
This study examined 15 separate fiber tracts, and found significant differences in FA trajectories in 12 of the 15 tracts between infants who did develop autism versus infants who did not. Infants who later developed autism had elevated FA at six months but then experienced slower change over time. By 24 months of age, infants with autism had lower FA values than infants without autism.
"This evidence, which implicates multiple fiber pathways, suggests that autism is a whole-brain phenomenon not isolated to any particular brain region," Wolff said.
###
Eighteen researchers are listed as co-authors of the study. Study co-authors with UNC affiliations include Wolff, Piven, Hongbin Gu,PhD; Guido Gerig,PhD; Jed T. Elison, PhD; Martin Styner, PhD; Geraldine Dawson, PhD and Heather C. Hazlett, PhD. Other institutions and organizations that took part in the study include the University of Utah, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Washington, McGill University, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Alberta.
In addition to funding from the NIH, the IBIS Network receives support from Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.
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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.
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Public release date: 17-Feb-2012
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