Neuroimaging Can Spot Schizophrenia Before It Manifests

Neuroimaging Can Spot Schizophrenia Before It Manifests

Psychology researchers at the Tel Aviv University in Israel, frustrated with what they consider to be unsatisfactory results of medications for schizophrenia, set out to find biological markers for the disease that could be seen through neuroimaging prior to the onset of the disease.
"Pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia remain unsatisfactory, so clinicians and researchers like myself have started to dig in another direction," says Professor Ina Weiner, lead researcher. "The big question asked in recent years is if schizophrenia can be prevented."
People assume that schizophrenia is inherited, as it is associated with many genes in the human genome. But actually, the presence of familial schizophrenia is not enough to determine that it will occur in offspring because there are environmental links to schizophrenia as well. One of those links can be the presence of an infection in the womb during pregnancy.

Because schizophrenia does not manifest itself until after puberty or later in adulthood, the disease is not treated until it appears. Professor Ina Weiner and Doctors Yael Piontkewiz and Yaniv Assaf undertook a study of rats in which the experimental group was given a viral mimic known to cause schizophrenia. The researchers then followed changes in rats' brains via neuroimaging during their development and could see the progression of the disease in the brain scans.

The researchers discovered that the schizophrenia-induced rats developed abnormal lateral ventricles and hippocampus. After treatment with commonly prescribed medications, risperidone and clozapine, the lateral ventricles and the hippocampus returned to normal size. The best time to treat the rats with these drugs, Professor Wiener noted, was during their adolescent periods, several months prior to them reaching full maturity.

The results encouraged the researchers to extrapolate that perhaps tracking high risk pubescent teens through neuroimaging and treating them before the onset of schizophrenia could delay or even eliminate their chances for developing the mind-altering disease.

Laser Cosmos Brings The Universe Into Your Room

Laser Cosmos Brings The Universe Into Your Room

Just occasionally a product comes along that simply blows us away. We get to see a lot of crazy and sometimes brilliant inventions, but Laser Cosmos is without a doubt the most superb one we've seen. There is no product out there that comes even close to the sheer excellence of this galactic wonder - sorry to sound quite so effusive, but really, it's staggering.

Imagine lying in your room, and having the ceiling whipped away to reveal the vast outreaches of the cosmos whirling overhead, complete with misty blue nebulae (which you can turn on and off!) and the occasional shooting star. Fully adjustable and requiring no set up, this super powerful space projector scatters a random panoply of sparkling green stars that will fill any room from the tiniest bedroom to the largest warehouse with a crystal clear animated star display.

What's so clever about this (apart from everything of course) is that it seems so three-dimensional, the varying brightness of different stars makes some seem close and others to come from distant galaxies.Created from powerful green laser and holographic technology, a display this bright and clear has never been available before. It's utterly mesmerising, and had us transfixed for hours (literally). Whether you're zoning out to music, throwing a party or just chilling, this stunning cosmic light show is like nothing we've ever seen before.

Truly one of the most amazing light shows you will see anywhere.

Features

* Romantic, mesmerising star and cloud projector.

* The Laser Cosmos will fill any room, no matter how big or small with a carpet of stars, blue clouds (optional), and even shooting stars.

* The Laser Cosmos itself is shaped like a funky 3D star.

* The Laser Cosmos can be pivoted to any angle.

* A Laser Stars projector lens.

* A cloud formation projector lens.

* A cloud brightness control.

* The projector is self-focussing.

* For best results use in total darkness.

* Use for no more than four hours at a time (the On/Off switch is helpful here).

* Suitable for ages 8 years+.

* Requires a mains adaptor (UK adaptor included).

* Size: 29 x 25 x 20cm.

Dorm Vault Laptop Case

Dorm Vault Laptop Case

Let's face it - your roommate is nice enough. Seems trustworthy. Only eats his food, and doesn't touch your stuff. But do you really trust him with everything? Would you trust him with your wallet? Your phone? Your laptop?

That laptop is your entire life! It's got all your papers on it, your music - maybe even pictures of you and your girlfriend at Spring Break! You know... those pictures.You might think that a cable-lock would be adequate to secure your laptop, but not only can those things just be clipped off with a cheap bolt-cutter, someone can still turn on and use your laptop without even removing it! No - that's not really security.

What you need is some serious armor. Something that can lock your lappy down, keeping it physically safe from pilfering hands, as well as potential data-thieves.What we found is so simple and yet totally ingenious.

A big metal box with a lock (simple), that bolts to your dorm-furniture from the inside (ingenious)! With the lid closed and locked, the wing-nuts that hold the vault in place get locked in with your valuables. It's one of those "gah, I wish I had thought of that" things.Big enough to hold a 17" laptop and accessories, you could even put a portable drive or two in there, your phone - even your wallet if you were so inclined.Now you don't have to worry about whether or not your roommate is trustworthy.

As they say, good locks make good neighbors. Or, is that fences? Doesn't matter - it still applies!Features

* Rugged steel construction* 16' x 13" x 5"* Weighs 9 pounds

* Laptop Safe for Dorm Room or Apartment

* Attaches to Furniture* Holds up to 17" laptops and Personal Accessories

* Comes with mounting brackets, multiple-size bolts, wingnuts and combination lock

COMPUTERS

COMPUTERS

Personal computers are now commonplace in most homes throughout the world, and are relied on heavily by both individuals and businesses. The invention of the computer is relatively new, emerging into our lives relatively late in the 20th century. The technology to build such intricate and sophisticated systems was simply not available prior to this, though advancements in microelectronics made the vision of a computer a realistic one.

The two innovations in electronics which allowed for this were the integrated circuit, which was manufactured in 1959, and the microprocessor, which appeared in 1971. The integrated circuit allowed the internal memory solutions to be shrunken down into manageable components, whereas the microprocessor reduced the size of a central processing unit down to a single chip.

The microprocessor revolutionised electronics as we know it, a small silicon chip which can process thousands of simultaneous calculations, and replace the need for thousands of independent transistors. Developed by Ted Hoff, in California, part of the Intel Corporation, the microprocessor opened up new opportunities for machines, as the processor itself was capable of handling large flows of data, performing logical calculations and almost behaving with intelligence.

The first desktop computer system was manufactured for person use in 1974, courtesy of Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems (MITS). The computer was termed Altair, and retailed for as little as $400. The popularity of the Altair soared to unimaginable heights, everyone appearing keen to sample this new machine. This sparked a whole host of computers being developed by other companies, or by young ambitious entrepreneurs.

The first well known and reputable company to produce their own computer was Tandy Corporation, which launched its own model in 1977. This model proved a hit, and became the most popular of the computers on the market at that time for two main reasons. It included a keyboard, to improve input, and also included a cathode ray tube to provide a CTR monitor. It also allowed information to be stored on cassette tapes, and was also programmable.

A couple of engineers, Stephen Wozniack and Steven Jobs, then began their own business venture which would become known as Apple Computers. The pair manufactured the Apple I, which was a homemade microprocessor, from Jobs' parents' garage of all places. The Apple I was then marketed to the public and was later sold to electronics enthusiasts and hobbyists. This led to the creation of Apple Computer, Inc., and in April, 1977, the Apple II was launched, the world's first personal computer system.

The system was designed exclusively by the Apple team and included a keyboard and most notably colour graphics. The Apple II retailed at $1290.Apple introduced brand new features to its computer system, expandable memory, disk-drive systems, improved data storage, and the aforementioned colour graphics. Apple Computers became the fastest growing business in American business history, with rival companies being set up as a result of Apple's huge success.1981 saw IBM introduce their model of microcomputer, generically named the IBM PC.

The 16-bit microprocessor prompted cravings for faster and more powerful processors. In the middle of the 1980's, a few more improvements were introduced to the computer world. 32-bit computers were revealed, which allowed for enough power to prove beneficial in a small to medium business environment.User friendliness was targeted as key for most computer users, and the development or a Graphical User Interface certainly epitomised this. The GUI, replaced the requirement of entering complex commands, and brought in a much simpler 'point and click' strategy. Douglas Engelbart created an "X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System": which effectively became the "mouse", which has obviously has remained a standard with modern day PC's.

Voice recognition software now exists to rival mouse input, and computer technology continues to grow at earth shattering speeds, which opens up exciting ideas for the not so distant future of computers.The invention of the computer was clearly one of the most revolutionary inventions ever to grace the business world.

DVD to iPod Converter 5.0

DVD to iPod Converter 5.0

About DVD to iPod Converter software:E-Zsoft DVD to iPod is the best iPod DVD Converter software, Convert and rip DVD movie and play them on your iPod/iPhone with excellent Video/Audio quality.

Transfer to iTunes/iPod/iPhone Directly.

So easy to use and fast in speed! Whether you are an experienced user or a beginner, DVD to iPod Converter software will make the task of converting DVD to iPod, transfer and copy MP4 Video to iPod/iTunes/iPhone a breeze!What's New? - DVD to iPod

Easily convert all kinds of DVD to iPod and directly transfer movies to your iPod 30G 80G 160G, E-Z DVD to iPod is your best choice!

500% FAST DVD to iPod Converter Speed. Optimize P4 & AMD CPU and auto detect CPU types to select the most effective conversion algorithm.

DVD to iPod full supports all iPod Devices (iPod Video, iPod Classic, iPod Touch)