The team’s work focused on a neurotransmitter that typically plays an important role in communication among nerve cells in the brain and fosters learning and memory. This glutamate neurotransmitter opens the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, allowing the entry of calcium into the nerve cells.

Under normal conditions, the activity of the NMDA receptors is tightly regulated to prevent nerve cells from becoming overloaded with calcium. During a stroke, however, that process of regulation breaks down. The excessive influx of calcium through NMDA receptors kills the nerve cells and can cause severe brain damage.

Striving to prevent such calcium overloads, the research team discovered that an enzyme, DAPK1 (Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1), binds to a portion of the NMDA receptor and acts as a “cell death signal” during strokes.

Researchers hypothesized that by preventing DAPK1 from binding with the NMDA receptors, they could prevent the calcium overloads and cell deaths. They developed a potent compound to test their theory and found that the compound blocked DAPK1, protecting brain cells against stroke injury, and did not affect the beneficial physiological functions of the receptors.

The findings appear in the Jan. 22 issue of Cell, one of the leading journals in the field.

“It is conceivable that this study not only provides new insights into the cellular and molecular basis responsible for stroke damage, but also provides a therapeutic target for stroke therapy,” said Youming Lu, the LSU professor who led the team of scientists.

The findings also may have significant implications for developing therapeutic drugs to treat other neurodegenerative diseases, said UCF Assistant Professor Sic Chan, a study collaborator who has done extensive research on the role of calcium in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“Anytime we gain an increased understanding of the molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration, that enhances our ability to make better drugs,” he said.

To date, all stroke clinical trials targeting glutamate receptors have failed, largely because of their side effects, an inefficient delivery of compounds from the blood to the brain or the length of time it takes for the drugs to work effectively.

A career in Animation and Visual effects is for those who have a creative mind and a soaring imagination. Besides being creative, one needs a professional degree in 3D Animation and Visual Effects. Courses are available world wide to pursue masters in this.

Some of the disciplines in this profession are visual effects artist, texture artist, technical director, lighting artist, pre-visualisation artist, character animator and modeller. Whatever area one chooses to pursue, knowledge in traditional arts and animation skills on computer is the foundation. So, one begins with these courses.

Professionals in 3D Animation and Visual Effects can find work in video game design, motion picture
effects, DVD production, internet site design as well as ad design, television broadcast animation, and for entertainment like music concerts, comedy shows, and amusement rides that requires animation.

There will also be plenty of openings for education, corporate, health care, and governmental operations, including office training films, trade shows, and flight training video, and college course animations broadcast in the classroom or through web streaming video. This certainly does reflect the massive demand for 3d artists and animators in a variety of field.

Some of the top schools providing professional degree and hands on training in 3D Animation and Visual Effects are

National Institute of Design – Ahmedabad, India
E-dutainment Unlimited-Mumbai, India
Nanyang Tecnological University-Singapore
Hongik University, Korea
Gnomon Institute of visual effects, USA
Vancouver Film School, Canada
California Institute of the Arts, USA
School of Visual Arts, USA
University of The Arts, USA
Rhode Island School of design, USA
Royal College of Art, UK
National Film and Television School, UK
Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany
THE COLE NATIONALE SUPRIEURE DES ARTS DCORATIFS (ENSAD), France

Some of the graduates from these schools work in Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks skg, Blue Sky Studio and Nickelodeon. These the best places to end up after the formal training in 3D Animation and Visual Effects.

There are plenty of job opportunities if you hold a professional degree in Animation and Visual Effects. You can find work any where in the world.

Seems to me what the President needs to do more of is “explain the why.” Explaining the why is one of the leader’s most valuable tools in the citizen or employee engagement game. Explaining the why pulls people in, creates a common understanding of the situation or crisis, and helps everyone absorb how the change relates to them. Sometimes there’s no real need to explain the why – it’s either plainly obvious why we all need to pitch in (disaster in Haiti) or the call to action is logical and produces a “of course we’re with you” type of response (creating a set of core values for the company).

But President Obama (and you, perhaps) often face more cloudy motivational issues. Here’s just a few of the topics that the administration is dealing with that could use a health dose of “why” – Afghanistan, health care, the financial system bailout, and, coming soon (gulp), probable tax increases. Given his oratory skills, it’s surprising that Obama hasn’t taken his case for each of these changes directly to the American people in plain, easy to digest language (I’ll never understand why Presidents don’t literally hold a monthly “all hands meeting” with 300 million of their closest friends to say “here’s what we accomplished this month, here’s why we worked on that, and here’s what we’re going to work on next month” – why would that be so hard?). Seems like you become President and you forget Rule # 1 of being a leader – communicate, constantly!

Jack Welch used to talk about the need for leaders to be relentless and boring – to repeat, repeat, repeat the message until it resonated, helping people make sense of what was going on, how they fit in, and why it mattered. That’s it, really – here’s what we need to do, here’s why, and here’s what it means to you. How hard is that? Yet most leaders completely under-leverage this communication trifecta – they may be relatively clear about what needs to be done, but they definitely don’t stress the why or the “what’s in it for you” nearly enough.

It’s easy to see where Obama could be explaining the why more often, but what about you? What are you trying to rally your people around that could use more explanation? Why are you asking them to change, work harder, squeeze costs, etc.? What’s that getting you (and them)? It might even be 2 or 3 layers deep – we have to do this, to get to here, which is important for achieving this goal, etc.

Start thinking more about “explaining the why” – it’s a powerful communications technique that never goes out of style. Every time (yes, every time) you communicate something, add the why; notice the difference in how the message is received. You can do this – it takes a little extra preparation, but the returns are worth it. And if you can’t figure out the why, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it (which is part of the problem with health care reform – average American’s can’t tell why Washington wants to change the status quo).

Let me leave you with this – leading is a lot like parenting, yes? You explain the why to your kids when they’re young, right (don’t touch the stove, because…)? Same thing with your employees. Help them understand why you’re asking them to do certain things… it helps them understand. Just don’t fall back on that old parenting standby (“because I said so!”) – that won’t go over too well with your team!

A list of cities where TOEFL iBT is being introduced is posted in the Learners and Test Takers section of this Web site. This list is updated every week.

TOEFL iBT introduction dates have not yet been set for some countries (PDF). When these countries are ready to implement TOEFL iBT, a message will be posted on this Web site. To provide continued access for TOEFL and TSE test takers in these areas, ETS will offer the paper-based TOEFL test and the TSE test until TOEFL iBT can be delivered.

What Is Happening To The Current TOEFL Tests? The computer- and paper-based (CBT, PBT) versions of the TOEFL test will be given at a particular location until the Internet-based version is implemented.

TOEFL-iBit
The TOEFL® Internet-based test emphasizes integrated skills and measures all four language skills, including speaking. The content on the test is authentic, and the language is consistent with that used in everyday, real academic settings.

The test has four sections

Reading measures the ability to understand academic reading matter.
Listening measures the ability to understand English as it is used in colleges and universities.
Speaking measures the ability to speak English.
Writing measures the ability to write in a way that is appropriate for college and university course work.

Test content is based on a “corpus,” or database, of spoken and written language that currently contains more than 2.7 million words, collected from educational institutions throughout the United States.

The spoken language in the database was collected from
lectures and interactive classes
labs
office hours
study groups

everyday service interactions (for example, at the bookstore or registrar’s office). The written language was collected from sources, such as textbooks and course materials.

Listening and reading texts in the test conform to the characteristics of the language in the database.

Internet-Based Testing
Your TOEFL test payment entitles you to

one printed and one online examinee score record up to four official score reports that ETS will send directly to the institutions or agencies you designate when registering for the test Score recipients can be added or deleted online up until 10:00 p.m. (local test center time) on the day prior to the test date. ETS will send an examinee score record to you and official score reports to institutions 15 business days after you take the test. The printed score report that is mailed to you will contain all of the final section scores as well as your total score.

In addition to numeric scores, your examinee score record also includes performance feedback that indicates your performance level and a description of the kinds of tasks that test takers within the reported range can typically do. Your scores are based on your performance on the questions in the test. You must answer at least one question in each Reading and Listening section, write at least one essay, and complete at least one Speaking task to receive an official score report.
. TOEFL score is valid for two years.
. You can take TOEFL once in a month.
.You can request paper for writing section, but it may delay your score report.
. TOEFL may not be required by students of those countries whose native language is English .

OLD TOEFL Test: CBT Structure and Scoring
Section Questions Duration
Listening 30/49 15/25
Structure 20 15
Reading 44 70
Writing 1 essay 30

Put together by smoking experts and smokers themselves, much of the new kit aims to combat stress and cravings, as well as giving tips on how to avoid the triggers that lead to sparking up a fag in the first place.

“We know that certain triggers and cravings can threaten a successful quit,” said Professor Robert West from the Health Behaviour Research Centre at University College London.

“People need to find their own personal combination of support and tools to help combat them.”

The kit contains two mp3 downloads that the government believes are scientifically proven to reduce cravings, as well as a stress-relieving toy which smokers can handle and even a toothbrush.

There is also an appeal to household budgets, with a health/wealth wheel to help smokers work out how much money they are saving by quitting, and a 28-day wall planner to help them focus.

If this is not enough, there will also be a tug at the heartstrings with a new advertising campaign concentrating on the effect smoking has on loved ones.

The children of smokers, rather than actors, are seen singing the famous tune “I’d Do Anything” from the musical Oliver – the message being that they would go to any lengths to help parents to stop smoking.

The Department of Health claims that 96% of children whose parents smoke want them to quit.

The kits also contain details of where people can access nicotine replacement therapy such as gum or patches and tailored support.

In 2008-09, 337,054 people successfully quit smoking using help from the NHS, and public health minister Gillian Merron said that around seven out of ten smokers want to give up at any one time.

“NHS stop smoking services are rated as the best in the world, and smokers who quit by using free NHS support are up to four times more likely to be successful,” she added.