iPhone Still Ranks Far Above Samsung Galaxy Line In Mobile Ads, Says Velti

A lot of headlines have focused on the new Galaxy S4 as a potential iPhone challenger in terms of hype and mindshare, but mobile ad firm Velti offers a different perspective in its February summary of global exchange data from its network. The company still sees iOS and iPhone dominating among mobile advertisers, despite the rising tide of Android devices.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/babHigJSs_E/

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Two Studies Find Promising News Ways To Detect Alzheimer?s Earlier

Sleep patterns and markers in spinal fluid may hint at the first signs of the neurodegenerative disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 5 million Americans have Alzheimer?s disease, and while there are no effective treatments, experts believe that detecting the disease early can help patients to strengthen memory and cognitive functions and potentially slow down the buildup of brain plaques that are the hallmark of the condition. Two studies, both published in the?Journal of the American Medical Association?(JAMA), hint at potentially encouraging ways to identify those who might be at risk, at the earliest possible stages of disease.

(MORE: Study Shows Alzheimer?s Protein May Not Spread like a Virus)

In one study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, ?researchers found that levels of the protein amyloid, which makes up these plaques, were correlated with poor sleep quality. Previous studies in animals showed that animals that slept less tended to develop more plaques, but it wasn?t clear whether poor sleep can contribute to the formation of amyloid plaques, or whether the build up of these deposits causes disturbances in sleep.

To study the connection further, the scientists asked 145 cognitively normal individuals aged 45 to 75 who were enrolled at the Alzheimer?s disease research center to keep a diary of their sleep patterns for two weeks. The volunteers recorded when they went to bed, when the woke up in the morning, how many naps they took and whether they felt sleepy during the day. The scientists had the advantage of already having samples of the participants? spinal fluid, so they could also match up the sleep records with the level of amyloid protein in the brain of in each patient.

All of the participants slept about the same amount, but there were stark differences in the quality of that sleep. Thirty two participants showed higher levels of amyloid build-up that was classified as pre-clinical Alzheimer?s disease, and also had worse sleep quality. These volunteers were less likely to spend time their time in bed in restful, deep sleep than those with lower levels of amyloid.

MORE: New Research on Understanding Alzheimer?s

Because none of the participants were experiencing any symptoms of Alzheimer?s, the researchers believe that such sleep disturbances may be among the earliest signs of the disease, and could help to identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer?s. It?s still possible that the link between poor sleep and?Alzheimer?s?disease works both ways, and that amyloid build-up could interfere with neurological sleep functions while at the same time restless sleep could also create conditions that promote the deposit of the amyloid protein.

Either way, the scientists believe that sleep disturbances could not only help to identify the most vulnerable populations but also help in testing of new treatments. Measuring the effect that novel drugs or therapies have in improving sleep quality and lowering amyloid levels could serve as a marker for their effectiveness. ?Sleep measures themselves could be used as markers of brain function, thereby?facilitating faster and easier clinical trials of promising?treatments in the preclinical and early clinical stages of Alzheimer?s Disease,? the authors write.

(MORE: Is Alzheimer?s Caused by Contagious Proteins?)

In the second study, researchers from the University of Minnesota focused more specifically on which markers of amyloid were the best representatives of the protein?s buildup in the brain. They studied spinal fluid from 107 adults, about half of whom showed signs of Alzheimer?s or cognitive impairment, and half of whom did not. They then compared their results to those of 10 younger and?cognitively?normal controls to ensure that they were zeroing in on the most reliable markers for Alzheimer?s.

MORE: Use it or Lose it: Keeping Brain Active May Help Ward Off Alzheimer?s

For years now, scientists have known that the amyloid protein that builds up in the neurodegenerative condition actually comes from a larger protein that is broken down into various fragments. So the Minnesota researchers concentrated on two of these, the beta-amyloid trimers and beta-amyloid*56. They found that levels of these fragments were elevated among the participants who already showed symptoms of Alzheimer?s, but were lower among those who didn?t have the symptoms and among the younger controls. Levels of these compounds also increased with age, suggesting that they serve as a viable target for new treatments as well, since eliminating or hampering their aggregation might hold off some of the symptoms of Alzheimer?s.

MORE: Scientists Identify Rare Gene Mutation that Protects Against Alzheimer?s

Both methods require additional confirmation, but as experts learn more about the processes that drive Alzheimer?s, they hope to find more interventions that can reduce the severity of the disease or, ultimately prevent it altogether.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-studies-promising-news-ways-detect-alzheimer-earlier-153031285.html

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US boosts aid to Syrian opposition, rebel fighters

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, talks to Syrian opposition coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib, during an international conference on Syria at Villa Madama, Rome, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The United States is looking for more tangible ways to support Syria's rebels and bolster a fledgling political movement that is struggling to deliver basic services after nearly two years of civil war, Kerry said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, talks to Syrian opposition coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib, during an international conference on Syria at Villa Madama, Rome, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The United States is looking for more tangible ways to support Syria's rebels and bolster a fledgling political movement that is struggling to deliver basic services after nearly two years of civil war, Kerry said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, sits between Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, right, and British Foreign Secretary William Hague during meetings at Villa Madama in Rome on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Rome is the fourth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a hectic nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Syrian National Coalition President Mouaz al-Khatib, second from left, arrives for meetings at Villa Madama in Rome on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

ROME (AP) ? The Obama administration said Thursday that it will provide the Syrian opposition with an additional $60 million in assistance and ? in a significant policy shift ? will for the first time provide nonlethal aid like food and medical supplies directly to rebels battling to oust President Bashar Assad.

The move was announced by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at an international conference on Syria in Rome, and several European nations are expected in the coming days to take similar steps in working with the military wing of the opposition in order to ramp up pressure on Assad to step down and pave the way for a democratic transition.

"We do this because we need to stand on the side of those in this fight who want to see Syria rise again and see democracy and human rights," Kerry said. "The stakes are really high, and we can't risk letting this country in the heart of the Middle East being destroyed by vicious autocrats or hijacked by the extremists."

"No nation, no people should live in fear of their so-called leaders," he said, adding that President Barack Obama's "decision to take further steps now is the result of the brutality of superior armed force propped up by foreign fighters from Iran and Hezbollah."

Kerry and senior officials from 11 countries most active in calling for Assad to leave said in a joint statement released by the Italian foreign ministry that they had agreed in Rome on "the need to change the balance of power on the ground." It said the countries represented "will coordinate their efforts closely so as to best empower the Syrian people and support the Supreme Military Command of the Free Syrian Army in its efforts to help them exercise self-defense."

Britain and France, two countries that Kerry visited before Italy on his first official trip as secretary of state, have signaled that they want to begin supplying the rebels with defensive military equipment such as combat body armor, armored vehicles, night vision goggles and training. They are expected to make decisions on those items in the near future in line with new guidance from the European Union, which still bars the provision of weapons and ammunition to anyone in Syria.

"We must go above and beyond the efforts we are making now," said Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, who hosted the conference. "We can no longer allow this massacre to continue."

Appearing beside Terzi and Kerry, the leader of the Syrian opposition coalition, Mouaz al-Khatib, delivered a forceful and emotional demand for Assad to stop the brutality of his forces that have in recent days launched scud missile attacks on the city of Aleppo that have been roundly condemned by much of the Western and Arab worlds

"Bashar Assad, for once in your life, behave as a human being," Khatib said. "Bashar Assad, you have to make at least one wise decision in your life for the future of your country."

The opposition has been appealing for some time for the international community to boost its support and to provide its military wing with lethal assistance, and while al-Khatib did not mention those requests, he pointedly made no reference to the new assistance that Kerry announced. Instead, he urged outside nations to support the creation of protected humanitarian corridors inside Syria, which the foreign ministers said they had "positively considered" by made no decisions.

Kerry defended the limited U.S. assistance, saying it was just part of what was being offered and that other countries would fill in any gaps. He said he was confident that the "totality" of the aid should be enough to prod Assad to start changing his calculations on remaining in power.

"We're doing this, but other countries are doing other things," he replied, without going into specifics. "I am confident the totality of this effort is going to have an impact on the ability of the Syrian opposition to accomplish its goals." Kerry said Thursday's meeting in Rome marked the "beginning of a process that will in fact change his (Assad's) calculation."

Washington has already provided $385 million in humanitarian aid to Syria's war-weary population and $54 million in communications equipment, medical supplies and other nonlethal assistance to Syria's political opposition. The U.S. also has screened rebel groups for Turkey and American allies in the Arab world that have armed rebel fighters.

But until now, no U.S. dollars or provisions have gone directly to rebel fighters, reflecting concerns about forces that have allied themselves with more radical Islamic elements since Assad's initial crackdown on peaceful protesters in March 2011.

The $60 million in new aid to the political opposition is intended to help the opposition govern newly liberated areas of Syria by aiding in the delivery of services and improving rule of law and human rights as well as to blunt the influence of extremists who have made inroads in some places.

The rations and medical supplies for the fighters will be delivered to the military council for distribution only to carefully vetted members of the Free Syrian Army, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. will be sending technical advisers to the Syrian National Coalition offices in Cairo to oversee and help them spend the money for good governance and rule of law. The advisers will be from non-governmental organizations and other groups that do this kind of work.

The foreign ministers' presentation was disrupted by one protester who called on them to "stop supporting terrorists."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-28-US-Syria/id-6244239c6e1445edbb6ef126e7d3c98b

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