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LONDON (Reuters) – The amazing eyes of a giant shrimp living on Australia's Great Barrier Reef could hold the key to developing a new type of super high-quality DVD player, British scientists said on Sunday. Mantis shrimps, dubbed "thumb splitters" by divers because of their vicious claws, have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. They can see in 12 primary colors, four times as many as humans, and can also detect different kinds of light polarization -- the direction of oscillation in light waves.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Obama administration is working up plans to push for new sanctions against Iran, targeting its energy, financial and telecommunications sectors if it does not comply with international demands to come clean about its nuclear program, U.S. officials said Monday. The officials said the U.S. would expand its own penalties against Iranian companies and press for greater international sanctions against foreign firms, largely European, that do business in the country unless Iran can prove that its nuclear activities are not aimed at developing an atomic weapon.

WASHINGTON – The White House is considering expanding counterterror operations in Pakistan to refocus on eliminating al-Qaida instead of mounting a major military escalation in Afghanistan. Two senior administration officials said Monday that the renewed fight against the terrorist organization could lead to more missile attacks on Pakistan terrorist havens by unmanned U.S. spy planes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made. Top aides to President Barack Obama said he still has questions and wants more time to decide.

I know what she is trying to do. She wants to channel Jackie O, but she comes across as a Walmart wannabe. Is this the best her staff of 20+ clucking hens can come up with? Her every outfit is progressively worse and her "Jackie O on the Shortbus" look is not catching on. Is America rushing to imitate the trends of the first lady? NO. Are women's fashions showing up with belts worn under the bosom? NO. Are trendy stores introducing a line of Fabulous Fall MO clothing? NO. Its time to come out and say it. Michelle, your...

A Bourbon ( Blasphemous name " Harlot "Rev 13:2 ) , a brawl ( Rev 13:7) a drink of death( Rev 13:2) , A wound to the head ! But truly only an upset (Rev13:3), For truly what you are about to behold , Is the book and words of Revelation about to unfold , A scroll revealed and come to pass , A man that appears as a jackass , (beast , False hosanna )(Rev13:4) , A false hosanna come to call , Many will follow many will fall , But to the wise true worshippers that see !...

Jennifer and Jason Bott knew immediately there was something terribly wrong with their newborn daughter. "Something in my heart said something was wrong," said Jennifer Bott, 31, whose daughter, Emily, was born with slightly misaligned eyes and "cloudy" corneas, a condition that was initially a mystery to the young Vernon parents -- as well as to their doctors. "We were on such a high, to be parents again, and this was like a slap in the face. They didn't alert us of any problems until the next day," added 32-year-old Jason Bott. The Botts eventually learned their daughter, now 20...

President Barack Obama plans to nominate Meredith Attwell Baker to a Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission, the White House said on Thursday. Baker has more than 12 years of experience in telecommunications and technology policy in the private and public sector, the White House said. She is a former Commerce Department official.

Look to the retina as a likely site for the first success in stem-cell therapy. "The eye is the best place to test proof-of-concept for stem cell-based therapies," says Martin Friedlander of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Friedlander is co-founder of EyeCyte, also in La Jolla, whose investors include industry heavyweight Pfizer. Several laboratories are exploring stem-cell-derived transplants to delay or prevent blindness, and Pfizer recently put up funds for a project nearing human trials at University College London (UCL). Why the eye appeal? As organs go, it is easily accessible, somewhat protected from the immune system's...

In a world-first breakthrough, University of New South Wales (UNSW) medical researchers have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease. Sight was significantly improved within weeks of the procedure, which is simple, inexpensive and requires a minimal hospital stay. The research team from UNSW’s School of Medical Sciences harvested stem cells from patients’ own eyes to rehabilitate the damaged cornea. The stem cells were cultured on a common therapeutic contact lens which was then placed onto the damaged cornea for 10 days, during which the cells were able to...

I'm boycotting Brazil nuts. The top nut in Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (big enough to be known simply as Lula, like Beyonce or Madonna) told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the world's current economic crisis was caused by "white people with blue eyes." Waving his finger at Brown, Lula, a socialist, said people in poor countries shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of people in rich countries. "It is a crisis caused and encouraged by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes," he said, "who before the crisis appeared to know everything, but...

LUCKNOW, India — At least 22 elderly people in northern India have lost vision in one or both of their eyes after undergoing free cataract surgery at a state-owned clinic, a government official said Wednesday. Health Minister Anant Kumar Singh said initial reports suggested they may have gone blind from infections caused by contaminated eye drops used during surgery. The case marks the second time in three months that mass blindness has been reported after free government surgeries in the impoverished state of Uttar Pradesh. Nine people went blind after treatment in December.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Dec. 1, 2008 – Troops on the ground in Iraq have an “eye in the sky,” thanks to soldiers like Army Spc. Rodolfo Delatorre in the 4th Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade, who launches, recovers and maintains the Shadow unmanned aerial system. Army Spc. Rodolfo Delatorre, unmanned aerial system maintainer, 4th Infantry Division’s Company G, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, Multinational Division Baghdad, wires the propeller of a Shadow unmanned aerial system before launching the surveillance aircraft. Delatorre is responsible for launching, recovering and maintaining the high-tech Shadow at Camp Taji, Iraq. U.S....

As the Legislature’s lame-duck session sputters to a close this week without much action expected, California budget watchers remain in limbo, hoping federal assistance will help alleviate the state’s financial burden. The state is preparing a new round of mid-year budget cuts to close an $11 billion shortfall. But even as budget stakeholders play defense, some are quietly talking about new proposals that could re-channel pots of existing money into new programs, such as an expansion of health care coverage for uninsured children. Part of the lethargy of the lame-duck session, according to Capitol leadership sources, is the remaining uncertainty...

DID YOU SEE IT ? From hair plugs to this. Now I know what those two beige streaks were on the side of his temples ! He used cosmetic tape to give himself an eye lift and it almost closed them shut. Both socialist/democrats suffering from severe Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I have a screen capture but no matter how I try it comes out as a red x

The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced that it is funding a new adult stem-cell treatment that could treat diabetes-induced retinal damage, a leading cause of blindness. Forbes Magazine says that Pfizer is funding the creation of a San Diego biotech company named EyeCyte to develop stem-cell treatments for eye diseases. The company will base its work upon Scripps Research Institute ophthalmologist Martin Friedlander’s research involving stem-cells from blood and bone marrow. EyeCyte will receive about $3 million from Pfizer, which in return has the right of first refusal regarding the new company’s products. In animal experiments, adult stem-cells have shown...

WELLINGTON (AFP) - The largest squid ever caught began to reveal its secrets Wednesday, including beach ball-sized eyes that scientists said were the biggest known in the animal kingdom. The 495-kilogram (1,090-pound) colossal squid -- accidentally caught by a fishing boat in Antarctic waters in February 2007 -- is slowly thawing under the fascinated gaze of a team of scientists at the Museum of New Zealand. While defrosting took longer than expected Wednesday, one of the earliest revelations were eyes measuring 27 centimetres (11 inches) across with lenses of 10 to 12 centimetres in diameter. In comparison, a human eye...

It is one of the main questions on an amorous young man's mind - how can you tell whether a girl might be interested in a one-night stand without having to waste precious time in small talk? Similarly, an eligible young lady might be keen to know whether the chap chatting her up is the type who's ready to settle down and raise a family. It turns out that the answers have been staring them in the face. Scroll down for more ... Perfect: Charlize Theron and Lindsay Lohan have the doe-eyed look that men find attractive A study suggests...

People with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor, according to new research. A team of scientists has tracked down a genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. The mutation occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, so before then, there were no blue eyes. "Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. The mutation affected the so-called OCA2 gene, which is involved in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to our hair, eyes and skin. "A genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene...

KIRKUK, Iraq, Jan. 31, 2008 – They are known as the “commander's eyes on the battlefield.” Coalition forces have used them to find roadside bombs, track the enemy’s movement, clear convoy routes and locate key targets -- all without having to leave the relative safety of their bases. Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Thornthwaite and Army Spc. William Arms, with the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion; and Dave Hill, a civilian field representative for Aircraft Armaments Inc., prepares a Shadow 200 unmanned aircraft system for launch. The unit has used the Shadow to monitor the battlefield...

January 22, 2008 It’s not often in this era of rampant technological innovation that a fundamentally new concept surfaces – with almost no limitations to what can be achieved with the myriad new technologies coming to market over the last few years, fundamentally new ideas of this magnitude are becoming increasingly rare, much less technologies with groundbreaking societal implications. Such a technology emerged this week when it was announced that engineers at the University of Washington have used microscopic scale manufacturing techniques to combine a flexible contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Though in its infancy, the...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Nov. 6, 2007) -- Being able to see and assess a situation in a combat environment is essential for success. Sometimes service members wish they had an extra pair of eyes, or eyes on the back of their heads. Thanks to one unit, the Al Qaim ground units have an extra pair of eyes. Those extra eyes are provided by the Marines and civilians that analyze information and operate the Scan Eagles flown by Marine Unarmed Aerial Squadron 2, Detachment B. “The basic mission here is to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support via the Scan Eagle...

London, England (LifeNews.com) -- British scientists hope to use embryonic stem cells to cure blind patients age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among elderly people. However, other doctors have already used adult stem cell research to treat blind patients and their conditions have vastly improved. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells within the eye play a vital role in the survival and maintenance of the rods and cones that detect light and color. Death of RPE cells may lead to the condition known as AMD. The British researchers hope to develop the embryonic stem cells, which can only...

Cincinnati - Adult bone marrow stem cells may help cure certain genetic eye diseases, according to UC researchers. Scientists have completed a study using mice which showed that bone marrow stem cells can switch roles and produce keratocan, a natural protein involved in the growth of the cornea—the transparent, outer layer of the eyeball. This ability of marrow cells to “differentiate” into keratocan-producing cells might provide a means for treating abnormal corneal cell growth in people. Winston Whei-Yang Kao, PhD, professor of ophthalmology, and Hongshan Liu, PhD, research scientist in the department of ophthalmology, will present their findings at the...

Shifty eyes may be a sign of good memory By Roger Highfield, Science Editor Last Updated: 11:41pm BST 04/05/2007 Moving your eyes from side to side for 30 seconds can boost your power of recall, researchers say. Horizontal eye wiggles are thought to cause the two hemispheres of the brain to interact more, improving the ability to retrieve memories. Scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University found people who made horizontal eye movements recognised significantly more previously studied words than subjects who did not make such eye movements. They also had fewer errors in their recall. Dr Andrew Parker, whose findings are...

MELBOURNE, April 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A man's vision has been restored by a corneal patch grown from adult stem cells by a team at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) and the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery (BOBIM). The patch, which replicates the cornea, was cultivated from a single stem cell from a donor eye and was transplanted to the surface of the man's eyes. The research team was led by Dr Mark Daniell (CERA) and Dr Erik Thompson (BOBIM). The process, known as a limbal stem cell transplant, is thought to be the first...

Reindeer Change Their Eyes for Summer and Winter, Study Finds James Owen for National Geographic News March 13, 2007 Reindeer have a different set of eyes for summer and winter, a new study suggests. Scientists say the animals change their eye color and structure with the seasons in Arctic regions where permanent summer sunlight is replaced by 24-hour darkness in winter. The visual alterations appear to be an adaptation to deal with polar light extremes, according to the researchers from Norway and the U.K., who add that the phenomenon has never before been recorded in mammals. The researchers studied reindeer...

GALVESTON — Technology developed to keep track of prisoners by scanning their irises became available Thursday to identify missing children or elderly people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease in Galveston County. The Galveston County Sheriff's Department is the first sheriff's department in Texas and the 47th nationwide to join the Children's Identification Database, or CHILD Project. The addition of Galveston County is part of an effort to image the irises of 5 million children into a nationwide database over the next few years, said Robert Melley, vice president and CEO of Biometric Intelligence & Identification. "We have 1,800 sheriff's departments representing...

Transplant of limbal stem cells offers hope to patients with corneal disorders. Photo: K. GopinathanUnique capacity: A part of the eye constantly renews itself.CAN you imagine a part of your eye that constantly renews itself for the whole of your life? Half the cells are replaced every two months under normal conditions. The cells replicate fast and move across the surface at an incredible speed of 60 to 80 mm per hour. These are the properties of the Corneal epithelium — the outermost layer, or "skin" of your cornea, composed of five to six layers of specialised cells that...

Iran Press News: The inhumane judiciary of the Islamic regime in Mashhad issued an order to have a defandants’ eyeballs removed as punishment.The regime-run newspaper GHODS in its Tuesday, September 26th issue wrote: "The criminal court of Khorasan-Razavi province sentenced a man to have his eyeballs removed. His name is Amir. The order has been issued via branch 6 of the Mashhad court and will be carried out soon."

LONDON - Four men arrested on suspicion of organizing terrorist training camps in Britain were tracked by Spanish investigators earlier this year as they traveled through Spain from France en route to North Africa, officials said Monday. The statement from Spain's interior ministry was the first public indication of an international link to the probe, which led to the arrests late Friday and early Saturday of 14 people suspected of training and recruiting for terror attacks. British prosecutors, meanwhile, said eight other people allegedly involved in a separate plot to blow up U.S.-bound aircraft are unlikely to be brought to...

Like tiny automatons, the cells that form a fish embryo's eyes are chemically programmed to individually amass at the site where the eyes will develop, according to a new study that contradicts traditional views of how organs develop before birth. The study was done only on fish eyes and might or might not apply to humans. "We think organs might be forming by the individual movement of cells," says Martina Rembold, of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the study's lead author. Scientists previously thought that the eyes formed as cells at the sides of the tube-like structure that eventually...

Overweight and obese people should be aware that their unhealthy lifestyle could put their eyesight at risk, scientists say. It is common knowledge that expanding waistlines are linked to conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But research shows that obesity is also linked to eye problems, which could lead to loss of eyesight. Two Israeli ophthalmologists are now warning that the prospect of eye disease should also be a powerful incentive to lose weight. Professor Michael Belkin and Dr Zohar Habot-Wilner, from the Goldschleger Eye Institute at the Sheba Medical Centre, reviewed more than 20 studies involving thousands...

NEW DELHI: Age-related degeneration of vision has been a common problem, which so far has no cure. However, an ongoing stem cell study at AIIMS might just provide a solution. For about six months now, Dr Rajender Prasad Centre for Opthalmic Sciences at AIIMS has been studying the effect of stem cells in patients who suffer from degenerative vision disorders — the patients taken in the Phase I of study can’t see beyond 3 metre and according to the WHO classification are termed ‘blind’. The study is being conducted on patients who have age-related vision loss or are affected by...

SOMETIMES all it takes is a quick hug, and everything looks different. Now a shape-shifting lens has been developed that alters its focal length when squeezed by an artificial muscle, rather like the lens in a human eye. The muscle, a ring of polymer gel, expands and contracts in response to environmental changes, eliminating the need for electronics to power or control the devices. "The lenses harness the energy around them to control themselves," says lead researcher Hongrui Jiang at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, where the device has been developed (Nature, vol 442, p 551). "This would be useful...

Col. Ra'ad, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army commander, leads American Soldiers through one of the few excavated areas in the Hatra ruins July 14. Ra'ad, whose brother-in-law work on the site in the 1970s, gave his endorsement to a coalition iniative to build a protective fence around the 2,000-year-old site to keep out looters. Story and photo by Sgt. Rachel Brune101st Sustainment Brigade,101st Airborne Division AL HADR -- Even as he is mired in the present concerns of coordinating logistics for Q-West Base Complex, Capt. Jesse Ballenger, 153rd Field Artillery Brigade, has one eye on the future,...

CENTRAL COMMAND THEATER OF OPERATION (July 11, 2006) -- Marines serving with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), trained with the X-63 “Dragon-Eye� unmanned aerial vehicle June 11, as part of a training exercise in the Central Command theater of operation. The bungee-cord-launched “Dragon-Eye� provides organic aerial reconnaissance and surveillance at the small-unit level, giving Marine units the opportunity to observe real-time enemy movements beyond their traditional capacity. Whisper-quiet and weighing less than five pounds, the “Dragon-Eye� is able to navigate pre-assigned waypoints via a global positioning system while transmitting data...

The feeling of being watched makes people act more honestly, even if the eyes are not real, a study suggests. A Newcastle University team monitored how much money people put in a canteen "honesty box" when buying a drink. They found people put nearly three times as much in when a poster of a pair of eyes was put above the box than when the poster showed flowers. The brain responds to images of eyes and faces and the poster may have given the feeling of being watched, they say. Writing in the journal Biology Letters, the team says the...

BETHESDA, Md., June 17 — Almost every Thursday during the academic year, a bus carrying a dozen or so Naval Academy midshipmen leaves Annapolis for the 45-minute drive to Bethesda, where Navy doctors perform laser eye surgery on them, one after another, with assembly-line efficiency. Nearly a third of every 1,000-member Naval Academy class now undergoes the procedure, part of a booming trend among military personnel with poor vision. Unlike in the civilian world, where eye surgery is still largely done for convenience or vanity, the procedure's popularity in the armed forces is transforming career choices and daily life in...

HAQLANIYAH, Iraq (June 9, 2006) -- Marines operating in this insurgent-heavy Euphrates Valley city have developed a knack for locating improvised explosive devices – seemingly the number one weapon of choice of insurgents in Al Anbar province. According to Cpl. Robert Gaye, a squad leader assigned to the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, the Marines are also getting a little help from the local populace in finding IEDs before they are able to do harm to innocent civilians or coalition forces. Every day Marines and Iraqi soldiers conduct counter insurgency/security patrols in the volatile streets of Haqlaniyah, a city...

UF finding could lead to approaches to treat macular degeneration GAINESVILLE, Fla. - University of Florida scientists conducting experiments with mice have found evidence that the body naturally replenishes small amounts of cells in the eye essential for healthy vision. The finding may shatter the belief that a cell layer vital for eyesight called the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE, is a nonrenewable resource, say researchers writing in a recent issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. RPE plays a vital role in our visual health by forming the outer barrier of the retina and supporting the function of cells...

6/7/2006 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- What has a 50-foot wingspan, buzzes like a giant insect and can put an AGM-114 Hellfire missile through a window from 8,000 miles away? It is the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, and it’s arguably one of the most requested assets in Operation Enduring Freedom, said Capt. Jonathan Songer, commander of the Predator launch and recovery element here. “They can’t get enough of us. They simply can’t get enough Predators in the air,” he said. Captain Songer and the Airmen of the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Flight are responsible for the operation...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 27, 2006) – Volunteering to work in public affairs for Task Force Guardian is somewhat like plunging into Lake Pontchartrain. It immediately awakens all of ones senses, while providing instant meaning to priorities and issues of real importance. While the experience was meant to expand my media-relations knowledge, it’s also schooled me in the power of the human spirit. As a Department of Army public affairs intern, I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to deploy to an emergency operations center. When the chance was offered to work with the Corps of Engineers, I quickly...

TEL AVIV – A Florida teenager lying in a coma here after being critically injured last week in a suicide bombing opened his eyes for the first time since the attack yesterday just as his rabbi donned him with teffillin, or Jewish prayer phylacteries. Daniel Wultz, 16, was one of over 60 people injured in last Monday's attack in which a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded section of Tel Aviv as Israelis celebrated the fifth day of the Passover holiday. The blast ripped through a falafel restaurant just outside the city's old central bus station, killing...

BAGHDAD, April 10, 2006 — Last week saw maneuvers by many sides in Iraq and the coalition to help form a unity government. There is talk that the next Council of Representatives will meet Wednesday. It is a positive move. When they meet, the speaker and deputy speaker of the CoR will be selected, with potential to nominate the president and two vice presidents, making up the presidency counsel. One of the major stumbling points in the formation of the current government is the selection of the prime minister. There is talk the current nominee, Prime Minister Ja’afari may step...

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 24, 2006 – The convoy travels down the dusty desert road. Soldiers keep watchful eyes, surveying the barren landscape surrounding them. Today, their minds are slightly at ease. Overhead, an armed F-16 in direct contact with their team is watching the road ahead. No one will be lost today. An F-15E Strike Eagle flies over the coast in Southwest Asia. Aircraft like this and others are capable of monitoring the battlespace with their targeting pods. This concept is known as nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution...

TAYBEH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian brewer Nadim Khoury, far from going out of business after Hamas Islamists won an election landslide, is preparing a new product -- non-alcoholic beer. Khoury said his brewery would put a green label on bottles instead of the gold one on regular Taybeh beer. The reason? The green flag of Hamas. "Now we have a new government, so our motive to produce non-alcoholic beer becomes stronger," said Khoury, general director of Taybeh Beer, the only brewery in the occupied West Bank or in the Gaza Strip. Hamas's surprise election win worried some Palestinians, including...

Edison International, PG&E Corp. and other suppliers of electricity in California will be required by state regulators to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Power companies in the most populous state will face a cap intended to bring emissions down, possibly to 1990 levels, according to a measure approved Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last year that he wanted the state to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The state would be the first to regulate emissions by electricity providers. "It's a very positive first step in the right direction," said Dan Kalb, the California...

2/14/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post Airmen have one of the most important areas in the area of responsibility to track. With four controllers and a superintendent covering around-the-clock operations this group is ready for anything. “We are the nerve center for the base in this war environment,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Howell, command post superintendent. “And we all understand our work can have a big effect on the mission here.” That mission impact was evident to first-time deployer Staff Sgt. Lynn Brown the moment he arrived. “There is a definite adjustment we...

Eating carrots, which are rich in the nutrient beta carotene, as well as foods containing the antioxidant vitamins C and E and zinc, results in a significantly reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in elderly people, a new Dutch study has found. Currently, age-related macular degeneration affects 11.5 percent of white people over the age of 80. The number of people severely disabled by late-stage AMD in the United States is expected to increase by more than 50 percent, to 3 million, in the next 20 years. Previous studies evaluating antioxidants had shown conflicting results, with one major study showing...