Can the friend of my friend be my enemy?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Just as humans can follow complex social situations in deciding who to befriend or to abandon, it turns out that animals use the same level of sophistication in judging social configurations, according to a new study that advances our understanding of the structure of animal social networks.

The study, which appears today in the journal Animal Behaviour, is the first in which researchers applied a long-standing theory in social psychology called "structural balance," which is used to analyze human relationships, to an animal population to better understand the mechanisms that determine the structure of animal social groups. Researchers analyzed social bonds in behavioral data from a long-term study of the rock hyrax, a small mammal that lives in colonies across Africa and the Middle East.

Structural balance theory considers the positive or negative ties between three individuals, or triads, and suggests that "the friend of my enemy is my enemy" triangle is more stable and should be more common than "the friend of my friend is my enemy" triangle. Another configuration, "the friend of my friend is my friend," is considered to also be a stable configuration in the social network. The last possible triangle, "the enemy of my enemy is my enemy," presages an unstable state, according to the theory.

The potential power of structural balance theory is its ability to predict patterns in the structure of the whole social network and also predict changes that occur over time, as unstable triads are expected to change to stable ones.

"We all live in social networks of some kind, either online or offline, and we are interested in understanding how these groups form and dissolve and their internal dynamics, but while studying these human dynamics is important, it's also very difficult and in many cases impractical. So we study how sociality evolved in animals, which might offer us some insights into our own social behavior. And indeed, the structural balance theory that was developed to study human behavior appears to be relevant in animals as well," said the study's lead author Amiyaal Ilany, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis.

In the study, the hyraxes tended to form balanced triads and changed unbalanced triads to balanced triads over time. However, new individuals in the population ? new pups or males that migrate into the network ? introduced social instability by often forming unbalanced triads, causing the network as a whole to retain some level of instability. The study also found that contrary to classical structural balance theory, the "enemy of my enemy is my enemy" configuration was actually a stable configuration. The results suggest that structural balance may play a role in the evolution of social structures by selecting against specific configurations. Structural balance may also serve as a psychological mechanism that allows specific social structures to exist and that prevents cooperation between members of different groups.

The authors suggest that structural balance may be prevalent in other species as well.

"The results indicated that changes in social relationships are dependent not only on two individuals, but significantly on third parties, which underscores the importance of structural balance theory in explaining the evolution of complex natural social systems," Ilany said, who was a doctoral student at Tel Aviv University when the research was begun.

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National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS): http://www.nimbios.org/

Thanks to National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127867/Can_the_friend_of_my_friend_be_my_enemy_

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Screening detects ovarian cancer using neighboring cells

Apr. 22, 2013 ? Pioneering biophotonics technology developed at Northwestern University is the first screening method to detect the early presence of ovarian cancer in humans by examining cells easily brushed from the neighboring cervix or uterus, not the ovaries themselves.

A research team from Northwestern and NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) conducted an ovarian cancer clinical study at NorthShore. Using partial wave spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy, they saw diagnostic changes in cells taken from the cervix or uterus of patients with ovarian cancer even though the cells looked normal under a microscope.

The results have the potential to translate into a minimally invasive early detection method using cells collected by a swab, exactly like a Pap smear. No reliable early detection method for ovarian cancer currently exists.

In previous Northwestern-NorthShore studies, the PWS technique has shown promising results in the early detection of colon, pancreatic and lung cancers using cells from neighboring organs. If commercialized, PWS could be in clinical use for one or more cancers in approximately five years.

The ovarian cancer study was published this month by the International Journal of Cancer.

PWS uses light scattering to examine the architecture of cells at the nanoscale and can detect profound changes that are the earliest known signs of carcinogenesis. These changes can be seen in cells far from the tumor site or even before a tumor forms.

"We were surprised to discover we could see diagnostic changes in cells taken from the endocervix in patients who had ovarian cancer," said Vadim Backman, who developed PWS at Northwestern. "The advantage of nanocytology -- and why we are so excited about it -- is we don't need to wait for a tumor to develop to detect cancer."

Backman is a professor of biomedical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. He and his longtime collaborator, Hemant K. Roy, M.D., formerly of NorthShore, have been working together for more than a decade and conducting clinical trials of PWS at NorthShore for four years. Backman and Roy both are authors of the paper.

"The changes we have seen in cells have been identical, no matter which organ we are studying," Backman said. "We have stumbled upon a universal cell physiology that can help us detect difficult cancers early. If the changes are so universal, they must be very important."

Ovarian cancer, which ranks fifth in cancer fatalities among American women, usually goes undetected until it has spread elsewhere. The cancer is difficult to treat at this late stage and often is fatal.

"This intriguing finding may represent a breakthrough that would allow personalization of screening strategies for ovarian cancer via a minimally intrusive test that could be coupled to the Pap smear," Roy said.

At the time of the ovarian cancer study, Roy was director of gastroenterology research at NorthShore and worked with Jean A. Hurteau, M.D., a gynecological oncologist at NorthShore. (Hurteau is an author of the paper.) Roy is now chief of the section of gastroenterology at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.

The study included a total of 26 individuals. For cells taken from the endometrium (part of the uterus), there were 26 patients (11 with ovarian cancer and 15 controls); for cells taken from the endocervix, there were 23 patients (10 with ovarian cancer and 13 controls). The small size of the study reflects the difficulty in recruiting ovarian cancer patients.

Cells were placed on slides and then examined using PWS. The results showed a significant increase in the disorder of the nanoarchitecture of epithelial cells obtained from cancer patients compared to controls for both the endometrium and endocervix studies.

The cells for the ovarian cancer study were taken from the cervix and uterus. For the earlier lung cancer study, cells were brushed from the cheek. For the colon, cells came from the rectum, and for the pancreas, cells came from the duodenum. Cells from these neighboring organs showed changes at the nanoscale when cancer was present.

PWS can detect cell features as small as 20 nanometers, uncovering differences in cells that appear normal using standard microscopy techniques. PWS measures the disorder strength of the nanoscale organization of the cell, which is a strong marker for the presence of cancer in the organ or in a nearby organ.

The PWS-based test makes use of the "field effect," a biological phenomenon in which cells located some distance from the malignant or pre-malignant tumor undergo molecular and other changes.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Dhwanil Damania, Hemant K. Roy, Dhananja Kunte, Jean A. Hurteau, Hariharan Subramanian, Lusik Cherkezyan, Nela Krosnjar, Maitri Shah, Vadim Backman. Insights into the field carcinogenesis of ovarian cancer based on the nanocytology of endocervical and endometrial epithelial cells. International Journal of Cancer, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28122

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/most_popular/~3/OR6G5mqaHdM/130422175832.htm

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Ricin suspect hearing cancelled, announcement set

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) ? Officials have cancelled the third day of a hearing for the Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge.

Christi McCoy, defense attorney for Paul Kevin Curtis, says that federal authorities and defense attorneys will speak to reporters at 5 p.m. CDT about the case.

The announcement came 90 minutes after the hearing was supposed to start in federal court. Lawyers spent that time conferring with the judge. Later, Curtis and family members were escorted into a meeting room with his lawyers, followed by a probation officer.

On Monday, an FBI agent said federal authorities didn't find any ricin in Curtis' Corinth, Miss., home or vehicle.

McCoy says the search results bolster Curtis' claims of innocence.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ricin-suspect-hearing-cancelled-announcement-set-155109459.html

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Earthquake rocks Afghanistan, felt in Pakistan and India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake hit Afghanistan on Wednesday and was felt as far away as the Indian capital of New Delhi, the latest in a string of tremors to shake Asia in the past week.

The 5.7 magnitude quake was 40 miles deep with an epicenter 16 miles northwest of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Buildings swayed in the Indian capital New Delhi and people ran into the street in the disputed northern region of Kashmir, where an earthquake killed about 75,000 people in 2005, most on the Pakistan side. Wednesday's tremor was also felt in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Last week, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 200 people in southwest China, a few days after another powerful tremor killed 35 people in Pakistan near the border with Iran.

(Reporting by Satarupa Bhattacharjya in NEW DELHI, Fayaz Bukhari in SRINAGAR and Kathryn Houreld in ISLAMABAD; Editing by Nick Macfie; Writng by Frank Jack Daniel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/earthquake-felt-indias-delhi-kashmir-witnesses-094113969.html

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Rye Brook Public Hearing on Reckson Ice Proposal Tonight ...

The Rye Brook Village Board will hold a public hearing on the Reckson Ice rink proposal, specifically on an application for approval of a special permit and amended site plan for Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. at 1100 King Street.

At the last public hearing in January, many residents spoke against the plan while a few spoke in favor of the ice arena.

Rye Brook and Greenwich residents expressed deep concern over the traffic impact the 140,000 square-foot arena would have on King Street and on the surrounding neighborhoods. Other issues raised were concerns about hockey players and fans partying and drinking on site, noise, space for emergency vehicles, the watershed and environment, and preserving the current quality of life in Rye. Read more on the first public hearing here.

Since then, the developers have submitted a revised building plan, dated April 13, and a 395-page traffic impact study update, dated April 11. You can find all those documents here.

The public hearing will be at Rye Brook village hall at 7:30 p.m.?

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What do you think of the Reckson proposal? Tell us in the comments.?

Source: http://harrison.patch.com/articles/rye-brook-public-hearing-on-reckson-ice-proposal-tonight

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Content Partners Invests in CSI | peHUBpeHUB

Content Partners has acquired a 50% interest in three series comprising the TV franchise CSI: ?CSI: Las Vegas,? ?CSI: New York? and ?CSI: Miami.? Financial terms weren?t announced. Allen Matkins provided legal advice to Content Partners.

PRESS RELEASE

Allen Matkins, a California-based full service business and real estate law firm, served as legal counsel for Content Partners in the entertainment finance investment fund?s March 2013 acquisition of a 50 percent interest in the three series comprising the hit television franchise ?CSI? (?CSI: Las Vegas,? ?CSI: New York? and ?CSI: Miami?). Content Partners acquires interests and participations in completed entertainment properties, including motion pictures and television series.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130422/CG98199)
The transaction is only one of many the Allen Matkins Investment Funds and Advisers practice group has handled in the past year. Allen Matkins partners Daniel McIntosh and Matthew Ertman were lead attorneys for Content Partners and oversaw all aspects of the financing and acquisition of the assets by Content Partners.
Over the past 12 months, Allen Matkins? Investment Funds and Advisers practice group has represented clients in the formation of private equity and hedge funds having more than $1.1 billion in assets under management, as well as in asset acquisitions made by the funds. Other notable corporate transactions in which Allen Matkins has provided legal counsel include the formation of a large emerging growth technology fund, the leveraged buy-out of an energy company, and representing Reverse Mortgage Solutions in its $120 million sale to NYSE-listed Walter Investment Management Company.
?The recent Content Partners acquisition illustrates Allen Matkins? growing position as a destination firm for investment fund formation and related acquisition transactions,? says Ertman.
Allen Matkins? Investment Funds and Advisers practice group, which includes corporate, finance and tax attorneys, has 15 attorneys focused on structuring investment funds and advising fund managers.? The group is additionally supported by labor and ERISA, real estate, intellectual property and regulatory specialists.? Fund client investment strategies include the entertainment, energy and financial services industries, public and private equities, technology, and real estate.
ABOUT ALLEN MATKINS?Allen Matkins, founded in 1977, is a California-based law firm with approximately 220 attorneys in the four major metropolitan areas of California:? Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and San Diego.? The firm?s core specialties include corporate and securities, commercial finance, employment and labor law, intellectual property, taxation, real estate and real estate finance, land use, natural resources, environmental, bankruptcy and creditors? rights, and dispute resolution and litigation. For more information about Allen Matkins please visit www.allenmatkins.com.

Source: http://www.pehub.com/197563/content-partners-invests-csi/

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Don't Swallow Cinnamon & Don't Snort Condoms | Care2 Healthy ...

?I dare you to eat a spoonful of cinnamon.? These words are surprisingly familiar among teens.

Thousands of people have agreed to try ? and videotape ? this infamous dare; indeed, a search on YouTube for ?cinnamon challenge? yields 775,000 results.

For anyone who hasn?t witnessed the fad, eating a spoonful of cinnamon is a nearly impossible task. Most of the videos show a predictable outcome, which includes coughing, gasping, spitting and reaching for water.

But what seems like a harmless prank is getting a dangerous ?do not attempt? stamp from many health officials. Cinnamon challengers face a number of risks, including choking, chest pain, and even permanent lung damage. Dejah Reed?a 16-year-old freshman, was hospitalized with a collapsed lung and pneumonia after attempting the ?cinnamon challenge.? Ever since, she?s been sending a strong message to teens and college students: ?Don?t take the cinnamon challenge.?

Between 2011 and 2012 phone calls to poison control related to cinnamon misuse more than tripled?shooting from just 51 to 178.

Take Dejah?s advice, and do not attempt this one at home. And in case you?re curious about the next YouTube fad on the horizon ? some videos suggest it will be?snorting condoms ? don?t try that one either.

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Related:
The Problem with the Teenage Brain
Dad Shoots Teen?s Laptop

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dont-swallow-cinnamon-dont-snort-condoms.html

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