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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50320652/
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
75 percent tax on ultrarich? French court nixes plan
?
By The Associated Press
PARIS -- Embattled French President Francois Hollande suffered a fresh setback Saturday when France's highest court threw out a plan to tax the ultrawealthy at a 75 percent rate, saying it was unfair.
In a stinging rebuke to one of Socialist Hollande's flagship campaign promises, the constitutional council ruled Saturday that the way the highly contentious tax was designed was unconstitutional. It was intended to hit incomes over 1 million euros ($1.32 million).
The largely symbolic measure would have only hit a tiny number of taxpayers and brought in an estimated 100 million to 300 million euros - an insignificant amount in the context of France's roughtly 85 billion euro deficit.
?
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was quick to respond, saying in a statement following the decision the government would resubmit the measure to take the court's concerns into account.
The court's ruling took issue not with the size of the tax, but with the way it discriminated between households depending on how incomes were distributed among its members. A household with two earners each making under 1 million euros would be exempt from the tax, while one with one earner making 1.2 million euros would have to pay.?
?
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? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Tumor boards linked to little association with effects on cancer care
Dec. 28, 2012 ? There is little association of multidisciplinary tumor boards with measures of use, quality, or survival, and measuring only the presence of tumor boards may not be adequate in determining their effects on cancer care, according to a study published Dec. 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tumor board reviews offer a multidisciplinary approach to treatment planning, which encompasses doctors from many specialties reviewing and discussing the medical condition and the treatment of patients. Even though the use of tumor boards is widespread, there is little data on how it affects cancer care.
In order to determine the effects tumor boards have on cancer care, Nancy L. Keating, M.D., M.P.H., Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, and colleagues gathered information about tumor boards from 138 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and linked cancer registry and administrative data to gauge receipt of stage-specific recommended care, survival, or use for patients with colorectal, lung, prostate, hematologic, and breast cancers diagnosed during 2001-2004 and followed through to 2005.
The researchers found only a modest association between the presence of tumor boards and the types of treatments that patients received. Most types of care for lung, prostate, hematologic, and breast cancers were unaffected by the presence or types of tumor boards. For seven measures, the rates of some types of care were higher (lung cancer and prostate cancer) whereas others were lower (lymphoma and palliative care). "This could mean that tumor boards did not, in fact, influence quality of cancer care in the VA setting," the authors write. "Additional research is needed to understand the structure and format of tumor boards that lead to the highest quality care."
In an accompanying editorial, Douglas W. Blayney, M.D., Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, notes that tumor boards may not influence quality in a large, integrated health system such as the VA as much as they might in smaller centers and writes that measures of adherence and survival are difficult to track and therefore while it is tough to determine the overall efficacy of tumor boards, they "have too long a history for them to be easily abandoned," adding that, "until there is carefully constructed public reporting of process adherence and outcome, we are left to hope that cancer doctors, their leaders, and the systems that they build will use recognized measures of structure and process and work toward superior outcomes."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal References:
- N. L. Keating, M. B. Landrum, E. B. Lamont, S. R. Bozeman, L. N. Shulman, B. J. McNeil. Tumor Boards and the Quality of Cancer Care. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2012; DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs502
- D. W. Blayney. Tumor Boards (Team Huddles) Aren't Enough to Reach the Goal. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2012; DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs523
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/3KLaz36YKTA/121228203158.htm
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Canada dollar at 5-week low as U.S. budget talks struggle
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar ended slightly weaker against its U.S. counterpart on Friday as the White House and U.S. lawmakers made a late attempt to avert the "fiscal cliff" and investors choose safe-havens to wait out the negotiations.
World stocks slipped and the U.S. dollar gained as the deadline looms for reaching a budget deal to avert massive tax increases and spending cuts that could drag the U.S. economy, the destination for most Canadian exports, into recession.
President Barack Obama was not planning to make a new offer to avert the tax hikes and spending cuts that loom on January 1 at a White House meeting with congressional leaders on Friday, a source familiar with the meeting said.
At the meeting, Obama was set to ask lawmakers to hold a vote on a plan that would allow taxes to rise on those who earn $250,000 and up, and that would extend unemployment insurance benefits, according to the source.
"We saw some hint of progress on the fiscal cliff negotiations, a mini deal, and for everyone that is a disappointment," said Adam Button, currency analyst at ForexLive in Montreal.
Commodity-linked currencies like the Canadian dollar tend to benefit when U.S. budget negotiations run smoothly, but when there are snags, investor flows go into the highly liquid U.S. dollar.
The Canadian dollar ended the North American session at C$0.9965 versus the U.S. dollar, or $1.0035, weaker than Thursday's North American session close at C$0.9949 versus the U.S. dollar, or $1.0051.
Earlier in the session the Canadian currency hit C$0.9969, its weakest level since November 23, but seemed bound by a tight range approaching parity with the U.S. dollar.
"The Canadian dollar is once again just above parity and in no rush to go anywhere, which is fitting - we end the year very close to parity because that has been the story day after day in 2012," Button said.
He warned, however, that the final trading day of the year on Monday may bring some volatility as investors square positions.
"Historically, this holiday time is very quiet, but we've had very large moves in the yen and euro, so I would rule out nothing on Monday in terms of substantial moves. Desks are thinly staffed but that hasn't kept markets from moving," he said. "And in this kind of environment, you can't look for moves to make sense - you just have to go with momentum."
Canadian government bond prices were higher across the curve on the flight to safety. The two-year bond was up 1 Canadian cent, yielding 1.132 percent, while the benchmark 10-year bond rose 18 Canadian cents to yield 1.774 percent.
(Additional reporting by Jeffrey Hodgson; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-dollar-5-week-low-u-budget-talks-213509381--finance.html
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Friday, December 28, 2012
What happens to you if we go over the fiscal cliff
18 hrs.
Some lawmakers are back in Washington hoping to hammer out a last-minute deal to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, but so far it seems that there?s more name-calling than deal-making going on.
If no deal is ever reached, it will be more than just a political headache. Americans also could feel considerable pocketbook pain as taxes rise, unemployment benefits are cut off and an array of smaller changes take effect.
The cumulative effect on Americans? wallets could be enough to dent?significantly the already weak economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said the combination of tax increases and spending cuts could be enough to send the nation back into recession.
That?s the worst-case scenario, and despite the considerable gridlock, most experts expect that Congress and the president will eventually come to some sort of deal. Experts also say that even if no deal is reached by Jan. 1, retroactive fixes and other dealmaking could prevent the most harmful effects from ever hitting most Americans.
Related: Consumers, businesses brace for fiscal cliff impact
Still, the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, says that nearly 90 percent of households?would be affected if we go over the fiscal cliff completely and no deal is reached.
A stalemate would have very specific effects on certain groups of taxpayers, such as students, parents and married couples who have benefited over the past decade?from certain tax law changes passed under the Bush and Obama administrations.
But the Tax Policy Center says that on average, taxes would go up for every income group, from the poorest taxpayers to the most wealthy:
- Americans in the lowest 20 percent of the income scale could pay an average of about $400 more in taxes.
- Middle-income households could pay about $2,000 more in taxes, on average.
- The top 20 percent of taxpayers could pay about $14,000 more a year in taxes, on average.
- The 1 percenters could pay an average of $120,000 more in taxes.
Here?s a look at some of the biggest issues likely to affect the largest groups of taxpayers if Congress cannot make a deal.
Tax rates will go up: If no deal is made, taxpayers can expect their tax rate to rise no matter what income group they fall in, said?Roberton Williams, senior fellow with the Tax Policy Institute. That?s because previously passed rate cuts would expire.
?Everyone who has taxable income will see a tax increase because of the rates,? Williams said.
Payroll taxes: For the past two years, the employee?s share of taxes paid for Social Security has been set at 4.2 percent instead of the previous level of 6.2 percent. That temporary tax cut would expire without a new deal, meaning almost everyone?s taxes would rise by 2 percentage points.
Translation: Your paycheck would be a little bit smaller.
?That?s the thing that people will see first,? Williams said.
Alternative Minimum Tax:? The Alternative Minimum Tax? was originally designed so that wealthy taxpayers would be forced to pay a minimum level of taxes no matter what. But because it was not created to account for inflation, over the years it has threatened to affect an ever-bigger group of people.
Congress has previously passed temporary ?patches? to keep lower-income households from having to pay more taxes. If no deal is reached this year, the latest patch would expire and the Internal Revenue Service says around 30 million additional taxpayers would become subject to the AMT.
Of course, every taxpayer?s individual circumstances are different. To see how your family?s tax rates could be affected, you can check out the Tax Policy Center?s individualized tax?calculator.
Taxes aren?t the only pocketbook problem Americans could face if a deal isn?t reached, because so much government spending is tied up in reaching a deal. But the most widespread effect would probably be on people who have been unemployed for a long time.
Unemployment benefits: About 2.1 million unemployed Americans are scheduled to lose federally funded unemployment compensation if Congress can?t reach a deal to extend the benefits plan by the end of the year. President Obama has said he?d like to see those benefits extended as part of a fiscal cliff deal.
The federally funded unemployment benefit extensions were introduced in 2008 while the country was in the depths of the recession. The extended benefits kick in after an unemployed person has exhausted his or her 26 weeks of state benefits. The exact amount of additional compensation depends on the unemployment rate in the person?s home state.
The unemployment rate has fallen sharply in recent months, but long-term unemployment remains a major?problem. About 4.8 million people, or 40 percent of the total number of people who were unemployed in November, had been jobless for 27 weeks or more.
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Video: Obama cuts vacation short to tackle 'fiscal cliff'
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50300363/
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Internet Marketing Advice That Can Make You More Successful | Jim ...
Mistakes Are Costing You! Learn To Stop?Making ALL 189 Of Them!
Struggling With WordPress? 100+ Step-By-Step Videos Now Available!
Affiliate marketing is quite a fascinating area. Many businesses, both large and small, have benefited greatly from online forms of advertising. While this is exciting, it can also be stressful for the Website marketing beginner. Use these tips to get started with your website.
Technology moves fast, and if your company wants to keep up, you are going to have to take advantage of all the technology available for marketing success. Neglecting to remain current undermines your clients? confidence in your capabilities. If you want to gain respect and see more sales, you need to show visitors that you are up-to-date in your field.
Make sure you are very knowledgeable about the content on your site. This is vital not solely because it gains you credibility about your field, but it also prevents you from appearing dishonest because you don?t know what you?re talking about.
TIP! Solicit feedback whenever possible. This is very important to your business, as your perception of your prices and your site?s appearance might differ from the customer?s opinion.
Offer freebies that are branded with your company and submit those freebies to the websites that advertise those kinds of deals. If it is a free e-book, submit it to websites that offer free e-books. You can find many websites that are happy to list free offers.
Craft your banner ads so that they stand out from the other million banner ads on the web. The more appealing and original your banner ad appears, the more people you?ll have clicking on it.
TIP! Put some banners on your header, make sure they do not look like a banner. If they appear as clickable links, your customers will be more apt to use them.
People focus on website URLs. Make sure your website is easy to remember so that a customer will be able to quickly and easily access it whenever they desire. When you are setting up your company, you should always try to incorporate your brand name or company name. While customers can Google you, make it simpler by having an address they can easily remember and type into their search bars.
Study the most successful techniques that your competitors are using, then expand on them and use them with your website. If your competitors? websites make you want to buy something, analyze the techniques used to make you feel that way.
You possess the skills needed to be successful in online marketing. You don?t need elaborate software or a wild, far-fetched scheme, you only need yourself. You simply need a good strategy and a great work ethic.
TIP! The internet has turned business into an anonymous affair. Small businesses benefit from this the most as they rely on a more personal and relationship based strategy to help sell, and create a lifelong customer base.
Give your customers a reason to visit your website. You don?t need to create an entire encyclopedia, but having a good amount of information that your customers can easily access is important. Add reviews, articles and other content that will let prospective customers know that you are a business that knows your industry.
You can use online tools to determine the efficiency of your marketing approach; one option is to calculate the percentage of site visitors who ultimately end up making a purchase. Most major companies online offer various add-ons and trackers, which allow you to see the comparison of visitors to sales numbers and repeat customers.
A title often commands respect. If you?re a business owner, become CEO. If you are not the owner, you can still adopt an impressive title. When you write articles ensure you have a good title and sign it along with your name.
TIP! Any online business plan and marketing strategy should include a fully secure ordering process. Guarantee the security of your customer?s information so they are not leery of sharing it with you.
You can?t succeed at Website marketing without a great website. Regularly test your site to make sure there are no broken links, missing images, or other problems. If your website proves to be full of mistakes or links that don?t work, then your potential customers will go elsewhere.
Tailor versions of your website to different audiences worldwide. Offer visitors the option of choosing their own language when viewing your site. With a more global approach, you will get a lot of traffic and a lot more customers. If a person can read your website in their preferred language, they will feel more comfortable, and you raise the chance that they will place an order with you.
Advertising is your best avenue to making your online business successful. Advertising can greatly increase the profits of your business. It helps to make new customers that may not have been able to find you otherwise.
TIP! A little sizzle in your website design can be good, but don?t overwhelm your readers with fancy tricks. You only have a few seconds to engage your potential customer and give them a reason to stay on your site.
Marketing online is like other markets in some ways; however, in other ways, it is very different. For example, what if search engines stopped emphasizing title keywords in their ranking systems? If this happens, you will have to adjust your marketing strategy.
Make a simple video where you demonstrate using the products that you are selling. That way the customer is going to see you use the product. Be sure to demonstrate any and all features and benefits that the product has. Upload this video to sites such as Youtube, and put it on your blog.
Marketing over the Internet is something that is filled with multiple strategies and it can be perceived as a gift or a curse. It is a good thing that there is a lot of room for customization, but that means it can be very difficult to make your choices. The following tips will make your journey into Web marketing a success.
TIP! Design an all-inclusive website with an emphasis on fresh, relevant content. Give knowledge to your customers in a short time, so they are informed prior to purchasing a product.
Are you ready to have success in the home based business industry and build it on autopilot? Click below to register for free today. See how it works here. Also check out our team benefits here
Source: http://leucabiz.com/blog/internet-marketing-advice-that-can-make-you-more-successful/
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Thursday, December 20, 2012
Janesville, WI 2013 Ford Fiesta New Hatchback Rockford, IL Beloit, WI Gordie Boucher Ford Lincoln of Janesville for $18,090
- $18,090
- Violet Gray
- Charcoal Black
- 13F491
- 1.6L 4 cyls
- 3FADP4EJ4DM164835
- POWER SHIFT 6 SPD AUTO TRANS
- 4 mi.
- FWD Hatchback (4 Door)
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Convenience
- Compass
- Bluetooth
- Tachometer
- Trip computer
- Rear defogger
- Cruise control
- Clock - In-dash
- Air conditioning
- Power heated mirrors
- Remote power door locks
- External temperature display
- Power windows with 1 one-touch
- Audio controls on steering wheel
- Speed-proportional power steering
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
- Center Console - Full with storage
- Multi-function remote - Trunk/hatch/door
Safety
- Passenger Airbag
- Stability control
- 4-wheel ABS brakes
- Knee airbags - Driver
- Daytime running lights
- Traction control - ABS and driveline
- Head airbags - Curtain 1st and 2nd row
- Signal mirrors - Turn signal in mirrors
Technical
- 4 Doors
- 120 hp horsepower
- Front-wheel drive
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- 1.6 liter inline 4 cylinder DOHC engine
- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 40 and EPA city (mpg): 29
Interior
- Rear bench seats
- Front seat type - Bucket
Exterior
- Rear wiper
- Rear spoiler - Lip
- Privacy/tinted glass
- Intermittent window wipers
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Payment $317.18 |
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EPA mileage estimates are for newly manufactured vehicles only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
Before purchasing this vehicle, it is your responsibility to address any and all differences between information on this website and the actual vehicle specifications and/or any warranties offered prior to the sale of this vehicle. Vehicle data on this website is compiled from publicly available sources believed by the publisher to be reliable. Vehicle data is subject to change without notice. The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors and/or omissions in this data the compilation of this data and makes no representations express or implied to any actual or prospective purchaser of the vehicle as to the condition of the vehicle, vehicle specifications, ownership, vehicle history, equipment/accessories, price or warranties. 2013 Ford Milwaukee, WI 2013 Ford Madison, WI 2013 Ford Waukesha, WI
Source: http://www.boucher.com/2013-Ford-Fiesta-Janesville-WI/vd/12838252
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Newly discovered loris may be slow, but its bite is toxic
A new slow loris species was discovered in Borneo, named Nycticebus kayan.?The little primate weighs less than a pound.
The newly discovered slow loris primate (Nycticebus kayan) has a furry "face mask" distinct from other slow loris species.
Ch'ien C Lee
EnlargeA new small primate with a toxic bite and distinctive facial fur markings has been discovered in the jungles of Borneo.
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The new slow loris species is found in the highlands of the island of Borneo and has been named Nycticebus kayan, after a major river, the Kayan, flowing through the region. The trio of scientists also found that two species previously considered sub-species in the Nycticebus genus are officially unique species.
"Historically, many species went unrecognized as they were falsely lumped together as one species," researcher Rachel Munds, of the University of Missouri Columbia, said in a statement.
Closely related to lemurs, the slow loris is found across Southeast Asia, from Bangladesh and China's Yunnan province to Borneo. To distinguish between species, the researchers focused on the seeming face masks of Borneo's slow lorises; fur patches cover their eyes, while their heads are covered with differently shaped caps. The examined photographs and museum samples for eight face mask features, finding there were four species of Bornean lorises. [See Photos of the Slow Loris Primates]
The new species to science, N. kayan, showed a dark, highly contrasting face mask, with dark patches around its eyes. From the specimen examined, the species is about 10.8 inches (273 millimeters) long and weighs about 14.5 ounces (411 grams). The other species include: N. menagensis, N. bancanus and N. borneanus. (N. menagensis had already been recognized as a species.)
The newly identified species illustrate the breadth of biodiversity yet to be discovered in the jungles of Borneo and nearby islands, the researchers noted. The slow lorises, as with other animals on these islands, face threats from human activity.
"The pet trade is a serious threat for slow lorises in Indonesia, and recognition of these new species raises issues regarding where to release confiscated Bornean slow lorises, as recognition by nonexperts can be difficult," said study researcher Anna Nekaris, of Oxford Brookes University in England, in a statement.
Munds, Nekaris and co-author Susan Ford of Southern Illinois University also note this week in the American Journal of Primatology that their results confirm the use of fur color and pattern as a valid way of distinguishing between species of small primates. Some researchers, they wrote, had claimed that because Bornean slow lorises are not a diverse group because they share similar cranial features and all are lacking an upper second incisor. The new study suggests otherwise, the team added.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.
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Western University-led research debunks the IQ myth
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 19-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Jeff Renaud
jrenaud9@uwo.ca
519-661-2111 x85165
University of Western Ontario
After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading.
The findings from the landmark study, which included more than 100,000 participants, were published today in the journal Neuron. The article, "Fractionating human intelligence," was written by Adrian M. Owen and Adam Hampshire from Western's Brain and Mind Institute (London, Canada) and Roger Highfield, Director of External Affairs, Science Museum Group (London, U.K).
Utilizing an online study open to anyone, anywhere in the world, the researchers asked respondents to complete 12 cognitive tests tapping memory, reasoning, attention and planning abilities, as well as a survey about their background and lifestyle habits.
"The uptake was astonishing," says Owen, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging and senior investigator on the project. "We expected a few hundred responses, but thousands and thousands of people took part, including people of all ages, cultures and creeds from every corner of the world."
The results showed that when a wide range of cognitive abilities are explored, the observed variations in performance can only be explained with at least three distinct components: short-term memory, reasoning and a verbal component.
No one component, or IQ, explained everything. Furthermore, the scientists used a brain scanning technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to show that these differences in cognitive ability map onto distinct circuits in the brain.
With so many respondents, the results also provided a wealth of new information about how factors such as age, gender and the tendency to play computer games influence our brain function.
"Regular brain training didn't help people's cognitive performance at all yet aging had a profound negative effect on both memory and reasoning abilities," says Owen.
Hampshire adds, "Intriguingly, people who regularly played computer games did perform significantly better in terms of both reasoning and short-term memory. And smokers performed poorly on the short-term memory and the verbal factors, while people who frequently suffer from anxiety performed badly on the short-term memory factor in particular".
To continue the groundbreaking research, the team has launched a new version of the tests at http://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/theIQchallenge
"To ensure the results aren't biased, we can't say much about the agenda other than that there are many more fascinating questions about variations in cognitive ability that we want to answer," explains Hampshire.
###
For interviews with Adrian M. Owen or Adam Hampshire from Western's Brain and Mind Institute, please contact Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, Western University at 519-661-2111, ext. 85165 (office), 519-520-7281 (mobile), jrenaud9@uwo.ca
For full article, images and video, please visit http://www.uwo.ca/its/brain/news/iqmyth.html
[ | 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.
Public release date: 19-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Jeff Renaud
jrenaud9@uwo.ca
519-661-2111 x85165
University of Western Ontario
After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading.
The findings from the landmark study, which included more than 100,000 participants, were published today in the journal Neuron. The article, "Fractionating human intelligence," was written by Adrian M. Owen and Adam Hampshire from Western's Brain and Mind Institute (London, Canada) and Roger Highfield, Director of External Affairs, Science Museum Group (London, U.K).
Utilizing an online study open to anyone, anywhere in the world, the researchers asked respondents to complete 12 cognitive tests tapping memory, reasoning, attention and planning abilities, as well as a survey about their background and lifestyle habits.
"The uptake was astonishing," says Owen, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging and senior investigator on the project. "We expected a few hundred responses, but thousands and thousands of people took part, including people of all ages, cultures and creeds from every corner of the world."
The results showed that when a wide range of cognitive abilities are explored, the observed variations in performance can only be explained with at least three distinct components: short-term memory, reasoning and a verbal component.
No one component, or IQ, explained everything. Furthermore, the scientists used a brain scanning technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to show that these differences in cognitive ability map onto distinct circuits in the brain.
With so many respondents, the results also provided a wealth of new information about how factors such as age, gender and the tendency to play computer games influence our brain function.
"Regular brain training didn't help people's cognitive performance at all yet aging had a profound negative effect on both memory and reasoning abilities," says Owen.
Hampshire adds, "Intriguingly, people who regularly played computer games did perform significantly better in terms of both reasoning and short-term memory. And smokers performed poorly on the short-term memory and the verbal factors, while people who frequently suffer from anxiety performed badly on the short-term memory factor in particular".
To continue the groundbreaking research, the team has launched a new version of the tests at http://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/theIQchallenge
"To ensure the results aren't biased, we can't say much about the agenda other than that there are many more fascinating questions about variations in cognitive ability that we want to answer," explains Hampshire.
###
For interviews with Adrian M. Owen or Adam Hampshire from Western's Brain and Mind Institute, please contact Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, Western University at 519-661-2111, ext. 85165 (office), 519-520-7281 (mobile), jrenaud9@uwo.ca
For full article, images and video, please visit http://www.uwo.ca/its/brain/news/iqmyth.html
[ | 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.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/uowo-wur121712.php
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Twitter and Nielsen pair up to publish new "social TV" ratings
SAN FRANCISCO |
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nielsen Holdings NV, the television viewership measurement company, said on Monday it will partner with Twitter to publish a new set of ratings that measure chatter on Twitter about TV programming.
The new measurement, dubbed the "Nielsen Twitter TV Rating," seeks to tap into the stream of viewer commentary and armchair musings generated on "second screens" - the smartphones and tablets perched on Twitter users' laps while they watch, say, Monday Night Football or the latest episode of "Homeland" on their TVs.
The new ratings, to be launched next fall, arrive at a moment when media and advertising industry executives say they are observing a shift in TV viewing habits that include the rise of "second screen" use.
But significant questions remain for advertisers over how best to interpret the data and whether a Twitter ratings system is meaningful at all.
In September, Nielsen ratings showed that TV viewership for Viacom Inc's MTV Video Music Awards, which coincided with the Democratic National Convention, plummeted by more than 50 percent from a year ago. Yet social media chatter tripled, according to the research firm Trendrr.
Brad Adgate, an analyst at Horizon Media, said advertisers will view the Twitter ratings as a useful layer of information about a show's popularity, but it is "not going to be close to the currency" of existing ratings metrics.
"It lets producers and creative directors know if the storyline is working, like a huge focus group," Adgate said. "But I don't think you can translate comments to ratings for a show. Right now I think the bark right now is bigger than its bite."
The new ratings will measure the number of people discussing a show on Twitter, as well as those who are exposed to the chatter, to provide the "precise size of the audience and effect of social TV to TV programming," Nielsen said.
"As the experience of TV viewing continues to evolve, our TV partners have consistently asked for one common benchmark from which to measure the engagement of their programming," Chloe Sladden, Twitter's vice president of media, said in a post on the company blog on Monday. "This new metric is intended to answer that request, and to act as a complement and companion to the Nielsen TV rating."
Mark Burnett, executive producer of NBC's hit "The Voice," argued that advertisers should value programs that can attract a high level of social media engagement from viewers. Deeply embedded social media elements, such as live Twitter polls, were critical in driving "The Voice" to the top of the Tuesday night ratings among viewers between 18 to 49, Burnett said.
"If you're an advertiser, wouldn't you want to know whether people are watching this show passively or if they're actively engaged in the viewing experience?" Burnett said. "Five years from now this will make traditional television ratings seem archaic."
For Twitter, the partnership with a recognized measurement company like Nielsen emphatically punctuates a year-long effort by its media division to bring second-screen usage into the mainstream.
Twitter's convergence with television has been on display during sporting and major news events, which have provided some of the biggest viewership moments for both broadcasters and the social media company.
During the Summer Olympics in London, Twitter set up a page for the event that displayed photos from inside an event venue or athletes' tweets to complement what was being broadcast on NBC. Advertisers like Procter & Gamble Co, for instance, which advertised heavily during the Games, tried to bridge the two mediums by airing an ad on TV, then sending out a tweet soliciting viewer feedback about the ad.
As news organizations tallied votes on election night in the United States on November 6, worldwide Twitter chatter hit a peak of more than 327,000 per minute, the company said this month.
(Reporting By Gerry Shih; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Diane Craft)
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
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Images & specs for Sony?s 5-inch, full HD Yuga smartphone surface
We have been hearing a lot of rumors about Sony?s unannounced ?Yuga C6603? smartphone, and today Russian site Mobile-review.com posted images of the 5-inch, Android 4.1.2 powered device. According to the report, which also includes a number of benchmark tests, the Sony Yuga?s packs in a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) 5-inch display with 440 ppi and Sony?s Mobile Bravia Engine. The display also features on-screen buttons running along the bottom. Other specs include 2GBs of RAM, LTE, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, Adreno 320 graphics, USB Host support, and micro HDMI and microSD for support up to 128GB. This could definitely be an interesting flagship device for Sony in 2013. It?s also sporting a 12 megapixel camera according to the site.
Head over to Mobile-review for more images and benchmarks. We?ll be keeping our eyes out for the device early next month at CES.?
(via Engadget)Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/9to5Google/~3/xkuC-R_uwQM/
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Family: Boy's favorite teacher died cradling him
By Andrew Mach, NBC News
As families struggle to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., some are clinging to bits of solace from the grim details that emerge.
The family of six-year-old Dylan Hockley, one of the 20 children killed in the shootings last Friday, revealed in a statement Monday that their child's favorite teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary cradled him as they both?died in a hail of bullets.?
"We take great comfort in knowing that Dylan was not alone when he died, but was wrapped in the arms of his amazing aide, Anne Marie Murphy," Dylan?s family said in a statement. "Dylan loved Mrs. Murphy so much and pointed at her picture on our refrigerator every day."
Murphy, 52, a mother to four children with her husband, Michael, was a special education teacher in Dylan?s classroom at Sandy Hook.?She was a?14-year resident of Sandy Hook and formerly of Katonah, N.Y., according to her obituary.
"She will be remembered for her love of the arts, walks in the outdoors and most importantly: her family," her obituary said.
Authorities reportedly told Murphy's parents, Hugh and Alice McGowan, that their daughter helped shield some of her students from the rain of bullets.
?A first responder said she was a hero,? her 86-year-old father told Newsday. ?You don?t expect your daughter to be murdered. That?s sort of a shocker.?
Murphy?s mother, also 86, said she grabbed her rosary and cried when she got the news.?
Dylan?s parents, Ian Thomas, who is British, and Nicole Marie (Moretti), both 42, had lived in England for 18 years before moving to a house on the same street as Nancy Lanza, the gunman's mother and first victim,?in January, The Telegraph (U.K.) reported. They said they chose Newtown specifically for the?tight-knit?community and the Sandy Hook school.
?We do not and shall never regret this choice,? they said. ?Our boys have flourished here and our family?s happiness has been limitless.??
The family also praised other staffers and teachers who died at Sandy Hook.
"We cannot speak highly enough of Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach, exceptional women who knew both our children and who specifically helped us navigate Dylan's special education needs," Dylan's family added.?"Dylan's teacher, Vicki Soto, was warm and funny and Dylan loved her dearly."
Both Hochsprung, 47, the school principal, and Sherlach, 56, the school psychologist, died while lunging at the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, in an attempt to overpower him. Soto, 27, a first-grade teacher,?shielded her students and ushered them into a closet, putting herself between them and the gunman. She was found huddled with the children.?
"Though our hearts break for Dylan, they are also filled with love for these and other beautiful women who all selflessly died trying to save our children," the family said.
In the statement, the Hockley family said Dylan loved to cuddle, bounce on his trampoline and play computer games. He also looked up to his older brother, Jake.?He was learning to read and "was so proud when he read us a new book every day."?
"We will always be a family of four," they said. "He is forever in our hearts and minds."?
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University Hospitals Neurological Institute to present 6th International 2013 Epilepsy Colloquium
Public release date: 17-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: George Stamatis
george.stamatis@uhhospitals.org
216-844-3667
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
In partnership with Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Neurological Institute will present the 6th International Epilepsy Colloquium on tumoral epilepsy and epilepsy surgery in Cleveland, Ohio, May 20-24, 2013.
The International Epilepsy Colloquia (IEC) represent a joint initiative from several major epilepsy centers: Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center; EpilepsieZentrum in Marburg, Germany; and University Hospital Institute for Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy IDEE in Lyon, France; and Grenoble University Hospital in Grenoble, France.
The symposium is designed for epileptologists, neurosurgeons and pediatric neurologists. Residents/fellows, nurses, neuropsychologists, EEG technologists and other health care professionals may also find this education of value. Awards will be given for poster submissions.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Program highlights include:
Epileptology Course May 20 21
3D Stereotactic EEG in Epilepsy Surgery: Hands-on Workshop for Neurosurgeons May 22
6th International Epilepsy Colloquium: Tumoral Epilepsy and Epilepsy Surgery May 22 24
Source Imaging in Epilepsy May 24
Epileptology Course: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
6th International Epilepsy Colloquium: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 13.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Source Imaging Symposium: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
###
To register or learn more, visit http://iec2013.case.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.
Public release date: 17-Dec-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: George Stamatis
george.stamatis@uhhospitals.org
216-844-3667
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
In partnership with Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Neurological Institute will present the 6th International Epilepsy Colloquium on tumoral epilepsy and epilepsy surgery in Cleveland, Ohio, May 20-24, 2013.
The International Epilepsy Colloquia (IEC) represent a joint initiative from several major epilepsy centers: Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center; EpilepsieZentrum in Marburg, Germany; and University Hospital Institute for Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy IDEE in Lyon, France; and Grenoble University Hospital in Grenoble, France.
The symposium is designed for epileptologists, neurosurgeons and pediatric neurologists. Residents/fellows, nurses, neuropsychologists, EEG technologists and other health care professionals may also find this education of value. Awards will be given for poster submissions.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Program highlights include:
Epileptology Course May 20 21
3D Stereotactic EEG in Epilepsy Surgery: Hands-on Workshop for Neurosurgeons May 22
6th International Epilepsy Colloquium: Tumoral Epilepsy and Epilepsy Surgery May 22 24
Source Imaging in Epilepsy May 24
Epileptology Course: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
6th International Epilepsy Colloquium: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 13.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Source Imaging Symposium: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
###
To register or learn more, visit http://iec2013.case.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.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/uhcm-uhn121712.php
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Four white South Africans charged with treason over ANC plot
In the aftermath of Friday's Newtown school shooting, we've heard tales mostly horrifying and occasionally heroic, from surviving witnesses and mourning citizens alike, but this one lies somewhere in between, all the more unshakeable. One six-year-old Sandy Hook student played dead in her first-grade classroom, her family pastor said late Sunday, with the kind of quick thinking that ended up saving her life but now leaves her with the unshakeable memories of watching all her classmates being shot and killed. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/four-white-south-africans-charged-treason-over-anc-091451745.html
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
China lets foreign sovereigns, central banks exceed $1 billion investment limit
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's foreign exchange regulator has removed the $1 billion limit for foreign sovereign wealth funds, central banks and monetary authorities buying Chinese assets through the Qualified Institutional Investor Programme (QFII).
The new regulations, published on the website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), did not specify a new top limit, merely that the funds can apply to invest over $1 billion.
The policy is aimed at sovereign wealth funds like Qatar Holdings and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, both of which have already been approved to invest up to $1 billion each through QFII.
SAFE will retain the right to approve or deny individual applications on a case-by-base basis.
Chinese regulators have said in the past that facilitating increased foreign investment in Chinese assets will help restore confidence in China's stock markets, which have declined by over 60 percent since November 2007.
But the total amount of foreign money allowed to enter the domestic stock market remains small, and the new rules do not increase it.
Combined foreign investment in China's stock market accounts for only 1 percent of total market capitalization.
The overall net quota for the QFII programme remains at its current $80 billion, of which SAFE has only allocated $36 billion for use by QFII funds as of November 30.
Foreign appetite for Chinese equities has shown some signs of increase in recent months, especially in Hong Kong, but the weak performance of stock-focused QFII funds - and complaints about high fee structures - has dampened appetite. (GRAPHIC: Comparison of QFII fund performances in China http://link.reuters.com/xun34t)
To drum up additional interest, Chinese regulators, including officials from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, went on an overseas tour in September to advocate for Chinese equities and QFII in particular.
The new regulations also relax restrictions on the ability of funds to remit principal and income from investments, but made no further clarifications as to how China will tax QFII profits, an area of enduring uncertainty for QFII investors.
Chinese stock markets on Friday had their biggest single-day jump since 2009, which some analysts attributed to expectations of further relaxation of rules on foreign investment in stocks.
Others, however, offered alternative explanations for the unusual jump, such as behind-the-scenes share buybacks by state-owned entities trying to engineer a rebound for the end of the year.
(Editing by Michael Perry)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-lets-foreign-sovereigns-central-banks-exceed-1-044405761--sector.html
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Native American Tribe Taxing Rules Spelled Out By Treasury
WASHINGTON -- Taxes cannot be levied on honoraria to a shaman or spiritual leader for religious services, but could be assessed on per-capita payments from gambling revenues to tribal members, under a proposal for taxing Native Americans by the Internal Revenue Service.
The thorny issue of taxing Native Americans and Alaska Natives had the potential to cause a rift in the good relations the Obama administration built with tribes during the president's first term. Tribal members chafed at IRS audits on their finances and at demands for tax payments on some benefits for and payments to them.
At a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing in June, tribes complained that the IRS was enforcing tax laws without taking into account unique aspects of their sovereign governments. In one case detailed in written testimony, an IRS agent ruled tribal members who benefited from government programs should be taxed on the part of the benefit paid for by gambling revenue.
Amid the complaints, the IRS and Treasury Department met with tribal representatives to hammer out some proposed "guidance" on what is taxable and what is excluded under existing laws.
"The ability of tribes to provide for the general welfare of their citizens is truly critical to the self-determination of tribal governments," Hawaii Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka, the committee's chairman, said at the June hearing he convened on the matter. "This is especially important given one out of every four Native people in the U.S. live in poverty."
The Treasury Department unveiled the proposal Dec. 5, when more than 500 tribal leaders were in Washington for the fourth White House Tribal Nations Summit.
Neal Wolin, deputy Treasury secretary, said the proposal was drafted with tribal input.
"A key challenge for tribal nations is economic development. Many of your communities face poverty, high unemployment and lack of good paying jobs," Wolin told leaders at the summit. "Effective immediately, tribes can rely on this guidance and have comfort that programs that meet these guidelines will be respected by IRS."
The guidance is not yet final, and comments can be submitted in writing through June 3, 2013.
The proposed guidance generally exempts from taxation assistance from a government program that is not compensation for services. Benefit payments cannot be lavish or extravagant or discriminate to benefit government leaders.
The Treasury Department said some examples of exclusions from taxation are housing payments to help individuals and families acquire modest homes or apartments, aid for disaster victims, medical or dental assistance and services of a shaman or medicine men or women for health and spiritual and cultural reasons.
General welfare programs funded by casino revenues are exempt, but per-capita payments from gambling revenue are taxable income.
Dante Desiderio, executive director of the Native American Finance Officers Association, said the proposed guidance has generated a lot of interest from tribes. A webinar held by his organization on the proposal drew some 150 people, he said.
Reaction has been largely positive, particularly to recognition by IRS of the "unique governing responsibility of tribal governments," Desiderio said.
The proposal allows tribes to define financial need, Desiderio said. It recognizes tribes may spend money to feed entire communities as part of a ceremony, feast day or cultural event and would exclude that benefit from taxation.
"The idea is that we as tribes don't base our benefits and services on financial need," he said. "It's the need of the community."
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/native-american-tribe-taxing_n_2300021.html
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NKorea still years away from reliable missiles
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? After 14 years of painstaking labor, North Korea finally has a rocket that can put a satellite in orbit. But that doesn't mean Pyongyang is close to having an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Experts say North Korea is years from even having a shot at developing reliable missiles that could bombard the American mainland and other distant targets, though it did gain attention and the outrage of world leaders Wednesday with its first successful launch of a three-stage, long-range rocket.
A missile program is built on decades of systematic, intricate testing, something extremely difficult for economically struggling Pyongyang, which faces guaranteed sanctions and world disapproval each time it stages an expensive launch. North Korea will need larger and more dependable missiles, and more advanced nuclear weapons, to threaten U.S. shores, though it already poses a threat to its neighbors.
"One success indicates progress, but not victory, and there is a huge gap between being able to make a system work once and having a system that is reliable enough to be militarily useful," said Brian Weeden, a former U.S. Air Force Space Command officer and a technical adviser to the Secure World Foundation, a think tank on space policy.
North Korea's satellite launch came only after repeated failures and hundreds of millions of dollars. It is an achievement for young authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un, whose late father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, made development of missiles and nuclear weapons a priority despite international opposition and his nation's poverty.
Kim said the achievement "further consolidated" the country's status "as a space power," the government's official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. It added that Kim personally issued a written launch order and "stressed the need to continue to launch satellites in the future."
South Korea's Defense Ministry said Thursday the satellite was orbiting normally at a speed of 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) per second, though it's not known what mission it is performing. North Korean space officials say the satellite would be used to study crops and weather patterns.
Though Pyongyang insists the project is peaceful, it also has conducted two nuclear tests and has defied international demands that it give up its nuclear weapons program.
A senior U.S. official said the satellite is tumbling in orbit and not acting as it should, but the official said that doesn't necessarily mean it is out of control. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorization to publicly discuss the U.S. analysis, said the important takeaway is that North Korea was able to successfully execute all three stages of the missile launch and get the satellite into space.
The U.N. Security Council said the launch violates council resolutions against the North's use of ballistic missile technology, and said it would urgently consider "an appropriate response."
"This launch is about a weapons program, not peaceful use of space," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. Even the North's most important ally, China, expressed regret.
North Korea has long possessed the components needed to construct long-range rockets. Scientists in Pyongyang, however, had been trying and failing since 1998 to conduct a successful launch. Only this week ? their fifth try ? did they do so, prompting dancing in the streets of the capital.
North Korea's far more advanced rival, South Korea, has failed twice since 2009 to launch a satellite on a rocket from its own territory, and postponed two attempts in recent weeks because of technical problems.
Each advancement Pyongyang makes causes worry in Washington and among North Korea's neighbors. In 2010, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned that within five years the North could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
But experts say the North must still surmount tough technical barriers to build the ultimate military threat: a sophisticated nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a long-range missile, something experts say will be the focus of future nuclear tests.
And despite Wednesday's launch, Pyongyang is also lacking the other key part of that equation: a reliable long-range missile.
"If in the future they develop a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a rocket, they are not going to want to put that on a missile that has a high probability of exploding on the launch pad," David Wright, a physicist with the Union of Concerned Scientists who has written extensively about North Korea's missile program, said in an email.
To create a credible missile program, experts say, North Korean technicians need to conduct many more tests that will allow them to iron out the wrinkles until they have a missile that works more often than it fails. Pyongyang's past tests have been somewhat scattershot, possibly because of the heavy international sanctions the rocket and nuclear tests have generated.
North Korea must build a larger missile than the one launched Wednesday if it wants to be able to send nuclear weapons to distant targets, analysts said.
The satellite North Korea mounted on the rocket weighs only 100 kilograms (220 pounds), according to the office of South Korean lawmaker Jung Chung-rae, who was briefed by a senior South Korean intelligence official. A nuclear warhead would be about five times heavier.
Other missing parts of the puzzle include an accurate long-range missile guidance system and a re-entry vehicle able to survive coming back into the atmosphere at the high speeds ? 10,000 mph ? traveled by intercontinental ballistic missiles, said Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts.
Both are seen as being years off.
History also shows that first-generation, long-range missiles need dozens of test flights before they are accurate enough to be deployed.
The world's "ICBM club" has just four countries: the United States, Russia, China and France, according to Markus Schiller, an analyst with Schmucker Technologie in Germany and a leading expert on North Korean missiles.
If North Korea "really intended to become a player in the ICBM game, they would have to develop a different kind of missile, with higher performance," Schiller said. "And if they do that seriously, we would have to see flight tests every other month, over several years."
Wright said the Unha-3 rocket launched Wednesday has a potential range of 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers (4,970 to 6,210 miles), which could put Hawaii and the northwest coast of the mainland United States within range.
But even if North Korea builds a ballistic missile based on a liquid-fueled rocket like the 32-meter (105-foot)-tall Unha-3, it would take days to assemble and hours to fuel. That would make it vulnerable to attack in a pre-emptive airstrike. Solid-fueled missiles developed by the U.S. and Soviet Union are more mobile, more easily concealed and ready to launch within minutes.
Money is another problem for Pyongyang. A weak economy, chronic food shortages and the sanctions make it difficult to sustain a program that can build and operate reliable missiles.
"I don't think the young leader has any confidence that the home economy could afford a credible deterrent capability," said Zhu Feng, deputy director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University.
Weeden said North Korea may want to create the perception that it poses a threat to the United States, but "I don't think that perception will be matched by the actual hard work and testing needed to develop and field a reliable, effective weapon system like the ICBMs deployed by the US, Russia and China."
North Korea already poses a major security threat to its East Asian neighbors. It has one of the world's largest standing armies and a formidable if aging arsenal of artillery that could target Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Nearly 30,000 U.S. forces are based in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a formal peace treaty.
The North's short-range rockets could also potentially target another core U.S. ally, Japan.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the nongovernmental Arms Control Association, said those capabilities, rather than the North's future ability to strike the U.S., still warrant the most attention.
___
Pennington reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Liz Sidoti in Washington, Alexa Olesen in Beijing and Jenni Sohn in New York contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-still-years-away-reliable-missiles-165539108.html
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