2013 PC EDITIONS OF AWARD-WINNING A30 & A40 HEADSETS
Critically Acclaimed ASTRO Gaming A30 & A40 Headsets Deliver Most Accurate Audio Ever; Feature Updated Cabling System, Re-tuned Drivers
Prices Permanently Reduced for PC Editions of ASTRO A40 Pro-Gaming Headset, Now $149.99;
ASTRO A30 Cross-Gaming Headset, Now $99.99
SAN FRANCISCO ? Feb. 26, 2013 ? ASTRO Gaming, a division of Skullcandy, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKUL), and creators of premium video gaming equipment for professional and hardcore gamers, today announced a major update to two more of brand's most innovative and best-selling products with the 2013 PC Editions of the ASTRO A30 Cross-Gaming Headset and the ASTRO A40 Pro-Gaming Headset. The PC Editions of the ASTRO A30 and ASTRO A40 are standalone headsets designed for use while gaming on a PC, Mac or mobile phone. ASTRO Gaming also announced significant permanent price reductions for both of the new 2013 PC Edition products: the ASTRO A30 Cross Gaming Headset will drop from $129.99 to $99.99; while the ASTRO A40 Pro-Gaming Headset will be reduced from $199.99 to $149.99.
The 2013 PC Editions of the ASTRO A30 and ASTRO A40 Headsets feature an update to the company's highly popular Quick Disconnect Cabling System as well as re-tuned drivers and enclosures that make the audiophile-grade headsets the most accurate and detailed ASTRO Gaming has ever produced, with improved low-end response and less distortion at peak volume.
2013 PC Edition ASTRO A30 and A40 Headset Features Include:
NEW FEATURES:
New Quick Disconnect Cabling System: Updated version of the ASTRO Quick Disconnect system, offering the same flexibility of using multiple cable types and lengths, but now plugging directly into the headset via a 3.5mm 4-pole jack instead of the original mid-cable release. This increases reliability and durability while also making it easier to change to preferred cable lengths and update cables as desired.
Media Controller Cable: Designed to move freely between mobile, console and PC gaming, ASTRO A30 and A40 PC Edition Headsets feature a unique Media Controller Cable providing total audio control featuring: an in-line mic; an in-line mute; a switch that toggles between in-line and boom mics; a multi-use call/pick-up/music track control button; and, a volume control wheel.
Best Sounding ASTRO Headsets Ever: The 2013 Edition ASTRO A30 and A40 have re-tuned drivers and enclosures with improved low-end response and less distortion at high volumes making them the most accurate ASTRO headsets ever
RETURNING FEATURES:
ASTRO Audio Experience - Engineered specifically for gaming, ASTRO Audio delivers audiophile-grade sound in a richly detailed positional audio experience. ASTRO A30 and A40 headsets are designed for extended game playing, movie watching and music listening sessions and feature superior fit and finish.
Removable Mic System: Both the ASTRO A30 and A40 feature a removable boom mic; the A40 mic can be removed and swapped from ear to ear while the A30 also features an in-line mic suited for conversations on the go.
Customizable Speaker Tags: ASTRO A30 and A40 headsets feature a magnetic, removable and customizable Speaker Tag system. Tags can be designed online to create a unique look for teams, clans, guilds or simply for pure personal expression.
2013 PC Editions of the ASTRO Gaming A30 and A40 Headsets are now available directly from www.astrogaming.com.
Feb. 27, 2013 ? Syphilis is on the rise worldwide and there is an urgent need for reliable and rapid screening, particularly for people who live in areas where access to healthcare is limited. An international research team, led by scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, has demonstrated that rapid and point-of-care tests (POC) for syphilis are as accurate as conventional laboratory tests. The findings, which were published in PLoS ONE, call for a major change in approach to syphilis testing and recommend replacing first line laboratory tests with POC tests globally, especially in resource-limited settings.
"There is a need to embrace rapid and POC tests for syphilis in global settings," argues Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, the study's senior and corresponding author, clinical researcher at the RI-MUHC and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University. "This meta-analysis generates global evidence across all populations for POC tests for syphilis and is the first to use sophisticated analyses to explore the accuracy of POC tests compared to the best reference standards."
Currently, syphilis is screened using conventional laboratory-based tests that can take up to three weeks to deliver results. These tests require chemical agents, trained staff and a continuous supply of electricity, which are not readily available in some parts of the world. Rapid and POC tests can be performed on a simple finger stick sample one patient at a time, and the results communicated to the patient within 20 minutes, saving time and helping doctors order confirmatory tests and rapidly flagging patients who need treatment.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the rod-like bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is transmitted between sexual partners through direct contact with a Syphilis sore. It may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis. "As well timely screening and treatment in first trimester is extremely important for pregnant women to prevent still births, pre-term births and mother-to-child transmission of syphilis," adds Yalda Jafari, the study's first author and a former master's student of Dr. Pant Pai.
As many as 50 million people worldwide are being treated for syphilis and about 12 million new cases are diagnosed every year. However, approximately 90% of those infected do not know it, and this is the driving force behind the worldwide epidemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) often refers to syphilis as the "great imitator," because many of its symptoms are similar to other diseases.
"Our study has major worldwide implications for populations living in rural areas with limited access to healthcare," says Dr. Pant Pai. "These tests offer the potential to expedite first line screening in settings where people have no access to a primary care physician or where laboratories take more than a week to deliver results."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by McGill University Health Centre, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Yalda Jafari, Rosanna W. Peeling, Sushmita Shivkumar, Christiane Claessens, Lawrence Joseph, Nitika Pant Pai. Are Treponema pallidum Specific Rapid and Point-of-Care Tests for Syphilis Accurate Enough for Screening in Resource Limited Settings? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e54695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054695
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.
Scientists' findings disclose a new and much needed test for river blindness infection
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a telltale molecular marker for Onchocerciasis or "river blindness," a parasitic infection that affects tens of millions of people in Africa, Latin America and other tropical regions. The newly discovered biomarker, detectable in patients' urine, is secreted by Onchocerca volvulus worms during an active infection. The biomarker could form the basis of a portable, field-ready test with significant advantages over current diagnostic methods.
"There has been a need for an inexpensive, non-invasive test that can discriminate between active and non-active river blindness infections during treatment campaigns," said Kim D. Janda, who is Professor and Ely R. Callaway, Jr. Chair in Chemistry, member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, and director of the Worm Institute of Research and Medicine at TSRI. "We think that this new biomarker can be the basis for such a test."
The work is described in an online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of February 25, 2013.
Leading Cause of Vision Loss
A leading cause of vision loss, Onchocerciasis infections are transmitted among humans by river-dwelling blackflies in tropical regions. The vast majority of cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa, although pockets of endemic infection exist in Yemen and in Central and South America. The major symptoms of the disease, including blindness, result from the spread of O. volvulus "microfilariae"?early-stage larval worms?to the eyes and other tissues, where they trigger damaging inflammatory reactions.
Mass treatment campaigns, begun in the 1990s, have used the anti-worm drug ivermectin, as well as the antibiotic doxycycline, which kills a symbiotic bacterium within the worms. The World Health Organization's African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control has set a target date of 2025 for the eradication of the disease in that region. But Onchocerciasis treatment is seldom effective immediately and often spares adult worms. The latter can remain in protected nodules under the skin of a patient and secrete microfilaria for a decade or more. Health agencies need better diagnostic methods not only to monitor the progress of Onchocerciasis treatment campaigns, but also to limit the use of ivermectin and doxycycline to reduce the risk of resistance.
Current diagnostic methods include the painful cutting of "skin snips" from patients for microscopic analysis and an ELISA antibody test for microfilariae, which may yield positive results even for non-active infections. "You can still have circulating antibodies to a nemotode antigen in your blood for a long time after the infection is gone," said Janda.
Looking for a Better Way
A better diagnostic marker would be a metabolite of O. volvulus that appears only during an active, microfilariae-producing infection and that could determine both the presence and the severity of disease. In 2010, Janda's laboratory demonstrated the feasibility of this approach by sifting through the small-molecule metabolites within blood samples from river blindness patients?a technique called "metabolome mining"?and finding a set linked to active onchocerciasis infection. For the new study, the team sought a simpler set of biomarkers?or better yet, a single unique biomarker in urine.
Daniel Globisch, a postdoctoral fellow in the Janda laboratory, started with samples of urine from onchocerciasis-infected and non-infected Africans. Using a powerful laboratory technique called liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, he measured the concentrations of hundreds of small-molecule metabolites in the samples. Excitingly, between the infected and non-infected urine samples, one difference stood out clearly: "An unknown small molecule was highly elevated in the samples from infected individuals," said Globisch.
In a process akin to looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack, Globisch was able to purify the mysterious metabolite, and, using mass spectrometry, determine the chemical identities of its individual pieces. "The metabolite itself wasn't present in the databases, so I searched the literature for what is known about the biosynthesis and metabolic pathways in these nematodes," Globisch said. Ultimately, he was able to identify the metabolite as N-acetyltyramine-O,?-glucuronide. Remarkably, this molecule's inception can be traced to O. volvulus as a neurotransmitter molecule that is secreted by young, reproducing worms and then modified by the human body on its way to being excreted in urine.
"It's a spectacular find in terms of biomarkers as it does not occur naturally in humans," Globisch said. Levels of the metabolite in a non-infected North American control sample were near zero.
Toward a Field Test
In urine samples from Africans with active onchocerciasis infections, Globisch found that levels of the biomarker were on average four to six times higher than in samples from Africans with non-active infections. In a separate test, the team determined that a full course of doxycycline treatment, which sterilizes or kills infecting worms by destroying their symbiotic bacteria, also reduced levels of the biomarker to near-normal. "This biomarker appears to be specific for an active infection," Globisch said. The wide gap between biomarker levels in active and non-active infections suggests that a field test based on the biomarker would be robustly useful.
Such a diagnostic, said Janda, might ultimately be a simple urine dipstick test, much like a home pregnancy test, which would indicate the amount of the O. volvulus biomarker present in the sample. "Ultimately for this to be of value in Third World countries we will need to morph this biomarker into something that's inexpensive, simple to use, tolerant of extreme temperatures and portable?basically distilling our finding to a test that can be carted around in a backpack," Janda said.
Importantly, he adds that Globisch's metabolome-mining approach in theory should be applicable to the development of diagnostic tests for other worm diseases.
###
Scripps Research Institute: http://www.scripps.edu
Thanks to Scripps Research Institute for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
Telecoms giant Etisalat Group has announced its partnership with iMENA Holdings, a company focused on supporting the development of online consumer businesses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
iMENA?s mission is to capture the hyper-growth phase of the online consumer industry in the MENA region by developing a portfolio of businesses across various sectors that include e-commerce, digital media, and mobile applications and services to address the gaps in the Internet ecosystem.
With the support of investment capital from around the globe, the company?s strategy is to own and operate companies with proven business models, executed through the establishment of new businesses, partnering with established leaders, and investing in existing companies.
Through Etisalat?s ownership of telecommunications and ICT assets in these markets, and iMENA?s management team?s experience in managing successful online businesses, the partnership is established to provide great value for its partners and customers.
Khalifa Al Shamsi, chief digital services officer of Etisalat Group, said: ?Etisalat is constantly looking for new ways to enhance the way in which we serve our customers. By partnering with iMENA, we are helping to develop the Internet ecosystem which would foster an entrepreneurial environment and encourage the creation of new companies and business models in our region, for our region.?
Daniel Ritz, chief strategy officer for Etisalat Group, said: ?The number of consumers in the MENA region with Internet access is increasing at a rapid pace. This large and growing market is currently underserved. We believe our partnership with iMENA will enable us to better understand consumer trends ahead of the curve and allow us to develop innovative MENA-specific products and services to satisfy the future needs of our subscribers.?
Khaldoon Tabaza, co-founder and chairman of iMENA, added: ?We are delighted to partner with Etisalat Group, the leading telecommunications group in the region, which has the right scale to position iMENA as the leading Internet group in the region.?
While it's easy enough to brush off a few sleepless nights with a pot of coffee and the occasional desk-nap, you may be doing more harm than you realize. According to a new study from Surrey University, snagging less than six hours of sleep per night can actually shut down genes that play a key role in the body's process of self-repair. More »
Fujitsu had a third set on hand at its booth on opening day here at MWC 2013: the Arrows V F-04E. Launched as part of the NTT DoCoMo's winter lineup, this is the first opportunity we've had to get a hands-on as of course this set will never end up anywhere near our shores. The F-04E is loaded with everything one could expect in a high-end set like a 4.7-inch 720p display -- and it is wondrous to behold -- a 13.1-megapixel camera, 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, integrated 1seg TV antenna and a whopping 64GB of storage.
The Arrows V, aside from the odd obsession Fujitsu seems to have on insisting to hide all its USB ports under tough to open flip up open doors, is a very slick handset. The lines are clean, the display -- did we mention it is lovely? -- clear and easy read from every angle. Sadly for us the booth's requisite bowl of water or fountain was missing in action so we couldn't do a dunk test but we did manage to capture a bit of video and a gallery for you to enjoy.
Bridal registries replace matriarch with marketplace, new Notre Dame study showsPublic release date: 26-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tonya Williams Bradford twbradford@nd.edu 574-631-8674 University of Notre Dame
Bridal registries might be efficient sparing the gift-giver from hours of shopping and the recipient from having to return unwanted items. But that convenience may come at a cost: Where once the mom held great sway over selecting the intimate items that shaped the new household, now Target, Macy's and other retailers have taken over that role.
"Decades ago, the main role of the mother of the bride was creating the new home for the union of two families," says Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Notre Dame. "By turning to bridal registries, we've outsourced to the marketplace the sacred traditions of planning and outfitting a new family space."
"For the retailer, it certainly has increased the revenue," Bradford says. "And for the bride and groom, there is a broader net for who can participate, because all that is necessary is to communicate the registry website to potential gift-givers."
In her ethnographic study "Orchestrating Rituals through Retailers: An Examination of Gift Registry" (with Notre Dame Marketing Chair John Sherry) recently published in the Journal of Retailing, Bradford examines gift registries as part of a larger set of wedding rituals, and the implications of retailers playing a central role.
Weddings are not only the union of brides and grooms in matrimony and the creation of new family units, but also a lucrative industry. The research shows that in 2010 an estimated $19 billion in gifts were purchased from registries by invited guests, making wedding industry revenues second only to those of Christmas.
And the cost lies in more than the price tag.
"Roles formerly held by parents and grandparents, we as consumers now outsource," Bradford says, "And we're happy to do it."
The study reveals a number of findings about shifting the once very personal ritual of gift-giving to existing squarely within the marketplace.
"There is stiff competition among retailers to be the gift registry destination," Bradford says, "but registries also have changed our social fabric. The notion of gift-giving used to hold much more sentimental value. Now, everything is pretty much purchased, and, sadly, many people don't put a lot of thought into customizing those purchases."
The study considers how gift registries in general have changed the act of gift giving, as well as family traditions associated with various occasions, from welcoming a new baby to sending a teen to college.
"We used to make beautiful gifts to celebrate the birth of a new baby," Bradford says, "Friends and family would crochet blankets and knit hats and booties. Now we simply shop a registry at Babies R Us."
There are ways to preserve a slice of lost traditions, Bradford says.
"For gift-givers, find ways to customize the gift you select from the registrymake it personal," she says. "For gift recipients, make receipt of the gift a ceremonious occasion. Don't just pick up the package from the porch. Be prompt and personalize your expression of gratitude, ideally on personalized stationary. Describe for the gift giver in detail how you intend to use the gift."
###
[ | 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.
Bridal registries replace matriarch with marketplace, new Notre Dame study showsPublic release date: 26-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tonya Williams Bradford twbradford@nd.edu 574-631-8674 University of Notre Dame
Bridal registries might be efficient sparing the gift-giver from hours of shopping and the recipient from having to return unwanted items. But that convenience may come at a cost: Where once the mom held great sway over selecting the intimate items that shaped the new household, now Target, Macy's and other retailers have taken over that role.
"Decades ago, the main role of the mother of the bride was creating the new home for the union of two families," says Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Notre Dame. "By turning to bridal registries, we've outsourced to the marketplace the sacred traditions of planning and outfitting a new family space."
"For the retailer, it certainly has increased the revenue," Bradford says. "And for the bride and groom, there is a broader net for who can participate, because all that is necessary is to communicate the registry website to potential gift-givers."
In her ethnographic study "Orchestrating Rituals through Retailers: An Examination of Gift Registry" (with Notre Dame Marketing Chair John Sherry) recently published in the Journal of Retailing, Bradford examines gift registries as part of a larger set of wedding rituals, and the implications of retailers playing a central role.
Weddings are not only the union of brides and grooms in matrimony and the creation of new family units, but also a lucrative industry. The research shows that in 2010 an estimated $19 billion in gifts were purchased from registries by invited guests, making wedding industry revenues second only to those of Christmas.
And the cost lies in more than the price tag.
"Roles formerly held by parents and grandparents, we as consumers now outsource," Bradford says, "And we're happy to do it."
The study reveals a number of findings about shifting the once very personal ritual of gift-giving to existing squarely within the marketplace.
"There is stiff competition among retailers to be the gift registry destination," Bradford says, "but registries also have changed our social fabric. The notion of gift-giving used to hold much more sentimental value. Now, everything is pretty much purchased, and, sadly, many people don't put a lot of thought into customizing those purchases."
The study considers how gift registries in general have changed the act of gift giving, as well as family traditions associated with various occasions, from welcoming a new baby to sending a teen to college.
"We used to make beautiful gifts to celebrate the birth of a new baby," Bradford says, "Friends and family would crochet blankets and knit hats and booties. Now we simply shop a registry at Babies R Us."
There are ways to preserve a slice of lost traditions, Bradford says.
"For gift-givers, find ways to customize the gift you select from the registrymake it personal," she says. "For gift recipients, make receipt of the gift a ceremonious occasion. Don't just pick up the package from the porch. Be prompt and personalize your expression of gratitude, ideally on personalized stationary. Describe for the gift giver in detail how you intend to use the gift."
###
[ | 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.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tuZAILeBWKb1Frg3lVcHK26Yevgo9BN1rK5DqOL4Pc7kKZYO5hIxSPcdoWaXjBAlCIbZrLU-kbGNg6WvmhvCNceorwNM4cvFy07L7_lYY=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
Share ]