Showing posts with label norton scientific. Show all posts
Showing posts with label norton scientific. Show all posts

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Book Review: Calling All Canines…And Their Owners by Sheri Venza

Dog behaviorist and trainer Sheri Venza puts her over 20 years of experience into a practical, usable book for dog owners. Calling All Canines…And Their Owners is a lightning fast read, meant to propel the would-be trainer from reading the ‘hows’ to actually ‘doing’ and getting results.

Calling All Canines…And Their Owners is not an all-inclusive volume on dog training; however I don’t think the author intends for it to be. Venza gives enough to get you started and then she wants to you actually go and get started! This is a much more relaxed way to get on the road to consistent dog training than attempting to read and apply a 200+ page hardcover! The book is nicely organized into sections and tackles such subjects as new puppies, jumping, toys, crates, aggression, socialization, and much more. There is also ample room at the end to record your dog’s information, shot records, veterinarian contacts, and additional medical conditions.

Venza’s tone is warm and straightforward throughout her book, and she’s descriptive with all of her methods. This comfortable approach makes learning a new skill less daunting, even for the most apprehensive of would-be trainers. Further, her strategies make use of absolutely no additional tools–there’s no fancy choke collars, toys, clickers, or even treats to purchase before you can get started! Instead, Venza has you off and running immediately. Her justification is simple–the alpha dog in a pack wouldn’t try and coerce its followers with treats, toys, or special training collars. Think like a dog, and you can make your dog act the way you need them to!

Calling All Canines…And Their Owners by Sheri Venza is a fantastic read for those wanting to train their dogs but don’t have a lot of time to sit around and read about it first. Perfect for on-the-go reading, its small size easily fits into bags and can be finished in only a few short sessions. The book is also great for kids who want to be involved in training. The contained methods are easy to adopt, regardless of education level or prior experience with animals. Sit, read, heel!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

“The Curious Incident…” a kids’ book through and through

http://norton-scientificcollection.com/collection/2012/09/10/the-curious-incident-a-kids-book-through-and-through/

 A family drama centering on a 15-year old kid with Asperger’s syndrome — think math whiz with tons of behavioral issues. Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, while amusing was not that remarkable for me. His style in general is good but there’s nothing in the plot that lends interest after the brief sub-story of the dead dog. I want to be disappointed, but it’s a children’s book after all.


 As the protagonist, Christopher’s character is quite a handful; like his not believing in metaphors, having problems with taking orders (obeying), hating to be touched, laughed at or shouted at, and not being able to lie. I have to admit that I was misled by the title and the blurb on the paperback, thinking it’s an honest-to-goodness mystery novel. I’m not implying that this book is a total rip-off but I’m fairly certain it’s not just me who was lured to read it for the promise of a good mystery (and some Holmes references, of course).

Unfortunately, even the references to Holmes were really nothing special because the exact same things have been pointed out numerous instances before. Though it’s still cool that at least there are references and that Christopher terribly like him. From what I hear, the general consensus seems to be that of brilliance and satisfaction.

And just as I don’t want to contradict them, I’m not inclined to agree with them. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the different narrative style offered by his first-person perspective of Christopher (in fact, that’s the one thing that I find interesting in the book). Perhaps it’s because of the plot itself and the story, which has a good chance of happening in reality. Arriving at the last page, I wasn’t really that satisfied.

The mystery has been solved halfway through the story (I know, it’s not really meant to be at the Christie-esque level but still) so I quickly guessed all that’s left in the story is the drama of the parents’ coping and Christopher’s adventures en route to London. Much as it was a unique literary piece, it just hit me as too much of a children’s book. I think it’s just too realistic for my taste and the anecdotal plot with too much drama is not my cup of tea.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Ghost-Written Article at Heart of Pharma Fraud Case


Last month, the biggest health-care fraud settlement in U.S. history was reached, with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) admitting to federal prosecutors that it essentially paid more than 20 academic researchers to attach their names to a ghost-written article that misrepresented the safety and efficacy of the depression drug Paxil for children. While GSK will pay quite handsomely for its misdeeds--to the tune of $3 billion--an article that appeared yesterday in the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals that the academicians who agreed to let their names be used have repeatedly ignored calls to retract the disgraced article and collectively still hold millions of dollars in federal grant money.

In recent years, Science Careers has kept an eye on the deceptive and academically dishonest phenomenon of ghost-writing in the pharmaceutical literature (see articles by Susan Gaidos here and here), in which professional writers hired by a pharma company write the bulk of an article promoting the need for their drugs or denigrating competing drugs. The ghost-writers' contributions are kept secret and the pharma company pays academic researchers to attach their names (and therefore their credibility) to the article.

The Chronicle article notes that 22 researchers, many of them with university positions, claimed authorship of the Paxil article that appeared in 2001 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. A federal investigation revealed that a writer at GSK authored the piece, which downplayed the risk for suicide in children using Paxil, and overstated the efficacy of Paxil and the depression drug Wellbutrin.

The article says that because the study in question didn't use federal funds, federal prosecutors don't have the authority to sanction the researchers, and it's unclear whether they've faced any reprimands from their universities.

As for correcting the publication record, the article notes that,

Universities could act on their own to demand that the journal retract the article, said Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of BMJ, another leading medical journal. But, she said, "it is proving hard to get those who should do something to act."

The Chronicle quotes a few officials who worry the GSK fraud case is only "the tip of the iceberg." Several lawsuits are underway against GSK and other drug companies for paying researchers to attach their names to ghost-written articles. Stay tuned to see how this plays out.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

David Rakoff Dead: Popular Humorist And Essayist Dies At 47

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/david-rakoff-dead-dies-aged-47_n_1763783.html?utm_hp_ref=new-york&ir=New%20York


David Rakoff, the popular writer and radio personality, died yesterday of cancer, age 47. He was a frequent contributor to the radio show This American Life, with which he had been involved since its inception, as well as an award-winning essayist.
Last year, he won the highly acclaimedThurber Prize for American Humor for his final essay collection, "Half Empty." His first two books of essays, "Fraud" and "Don't Get Too Comfortable", won the Humor category of the Lambda Literary Awards celebrating excellence in LGBT literature.
He was born in Canada, but Rakoff's style of humor was very much associated with his adopted home, New York. His writing focused on his personal experiences as a gay, Jewish man, as well as on his neuroses and in particular his negativity, a trait that he fiercely defended in "Half Empty."
David Rakoff was friends with the writers Amy and David Sedaris. The latterdescribed Rakoff's work as "truly witty, almost in a lost, old-fashioned way."
His three essay collections were published over 11 years, a relatively low level of output that the writer Edward Champion, who met Rakoff several times, put down to "the high neuroses David brought to the writing process."
He also acted in Off-Broadway plays and movies. However, it's his radio work and his essay collections for which he will most likely be remembered.
David Rakoff was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in 2010. He had already beaten cancer once, aged 22, when he had had a form of lymphatic cancer. While undergoing chemotherapy for the tumor, he went on The Daily Show, where he told Jon Stewart, "The will to keep on going is incredibly strong... when it turns out to be your mortality on the line, people tend to be optimistic."
Update: According to reports, This American Life is preparing a special program dedicated to Rakoff's work, to air next week.
Update 2The National Post quotes Rakoff's long-time editor Bill Thomas in saying that Rakoff had submitted a finished novel, to be published in the fall. "The book is a novel, in verse, called 'Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die; Cherish, Perish.' I had my doubts about the project when he proposed it, but I was wrong. It is written with humor and sympathy and tenderness, and proves him to be the master of an altogether different art form." A story co-written by Rakoff, about a doctor who only writes in rhyme,was aired last week on This American Life.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Wikinut Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature - ZIMBIO - LIVEJOURNAL

http://nortonscientificcollection-bradkepler.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/wikinut-norton-collection-of-classic.html Bapineuzumab, the treatment being developed by Elan, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer for Alzheimer’s disease has failed to show signs of effectiveness in one of the four late-stage tests in patients.

 “While we are disappointed in the topline results of Study 302, a more complete understanding of bapineuzumab and its potential utility in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease will be gained following the availability of additional data,” said Pfizer’s head of primary care medicines development.

 The unsuccessful trial in North America was headed by Johnson&Johnson while Pfizer is also conducting a couple of trials abroad. Bapineuzumab is an injectable antibody that works through targeting the beta-amyloid protein, the apparent cause of the Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, Norton Scientific Collection is still poring over spinal fluid and brain imaging biomarkers to check if bapineuzumab did have an effect in removing amyloid plaque.

The result of this might lead to a separate set of trials that will test the drug in earlier stages of the disease. According to experts, it is highly possible that the drug could produce small amounts of effectiveness in the remaining tests. Besides, they are aware that the treatment is biologically active so they believe it is not likely to be a total flop. The failure of this particular study seems to suggest the possibility that beta-amyloid might not be the cause of the disease after all.

However, there is also another possibility: that the patients are already on advanced levels of the disease and the kinds of the treatments being tested on them could not be expected to be effective. Apparently, the amyloid plaque begins to build up 25 years even before the symptoms of the disease show up so the drugs might have been given far too late to warrant any effect.

 “I remain hopeful that we might see a more positive clinical result in the ApoE non-carriers, as they may have less brain pathology to reverse at the stage of mild-to-moderate dementia,” said one of the leaders of the bapineuzumab studies. Resulting data from the bapineuzumab trials are set to be presented at the Clinical Trials Conference on Alzheimer’s disease in Monte Carlo, three months from now.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Simon Cowell to return to The X Factor to boost ratings

http://uk.omg.yahoo.com/gossip/the-juice/simon-cowell-return-x-factor-boost-ratings-085158209.html


But before you panic that one of the four judges will be losing their seat, Simon won't be coming back in an official judging capacity. An X Factor insider told The Mirror: "

Simon's return is being looked at, certainly. Elements of that have already been filmed and he will definitely appear at the stage where the judges find out which contestants they will be looking after." "We hope there will be more."

 The insider added: "The only difficulty is with Simon being based in the US. The plan is for him to be a significant on-screen part of the show. He's a favourite with viewers." [Related Story: Tom Daley to join The X Factor?] X Factor Executive producer Richard Holloway was a bit more cagey about Mr Cowell's involvement when asked at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

 He said: "Ooh, that would be giving it away, wouldn't it? That's all I'm prepared to say- it's not a hologram." Holloway is adamant, however, that the low ratings are not something to be concerned about. He said: "Our audience for our first show was over double that of the nearest programme."

"We would have liked it to be bigger. However, it's still the number one show on ITV. Viewers are in for a treat over the next three months."
It was reported yesterday that Olympic diver Tom Daley has been drafted in to take part in the live shows later this series.

Tom Daley is reportedly joining the series during the live shows. [Copyright Rex]

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Monday, August 27, 2012

FOURSQUARE - Norton Scientific Collection Calgary List

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGyIzeoTwRM Looking for Edgar Allan Poe? Alexander Dumas? Jane Austen, perhaps? You've come in the right place! Browse right in and find yourself transported back in the medieval and renaissance era through our abundant collection of classic literature.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Norton Scientific Collection - Zimbio

http://www.zimbio.com/Norton+Scientific+Collection



Bookshelf - Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature
By lucillegosling on August 22, 2012 | From nortoncollection.multiply.com

http://norton-scientificcollection.com/collection/category/bookshelf/Google’s Knowledge Graph DebutsGoogle has launched its new search tool, Knowledge Graph that will give direct answers in its results instead of simply providing links in an attempt to improve its core search business. Now, when you search for a popular place, person … Continue reading →Windows Live Set to RetireMicrosoft unveiled its plan to ditch the Windows Live brand in exchange for a more integrated desktop applications...Read Full Story


Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature
By morrismurphy on August 22, 2012


http://nortonscientificcollection.tumblr.com/ Ivanhoe, the classic novel by Sir Walter Scott, about a valiant knight has been cut and rewritten in an attempt to appeal to modern readers, according to Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature. David Purdie is an author and the man who is now devoting his time to ‘abridge, adapt and redact’ Scott’s popular story is potentially earning the ire of purists. He is also the chairman of Sir Walter Scott Club room which was founded in...Read Full Story



Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature
By morrismurphy on August 22, 2012


http://nortoncollectio.livejournal.com/ Bapineuzumab, the treatment being developed by Elan, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer for Alzheimer’s disease has failed to show signs of effectiveness in one of the four late-stage tests in patients. “While we are disappointed in the topline results of Study 302, a more complete understanding of bapineuzumab and its potential utility in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease will be gained following the availability of additional data,” said Pfizer’s head...Read Full Story


Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature-blogger
By mikehancock99 on August 13, 2012


http://nortonscientific-tommcguire.blogspot.com/2012/08/norton-collection-of-classic-and_12.html  NORTON COLLECTION OF CLASSIC AND SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE One of the leading providers of classic literature commentaries/reviews online. Looking for Edgar Allan Poe? Alexander Dumas? Jane Austen, perhaps? You've come in the right place! Browse right in and find yourself transported back in the medieval and renaissance era through our abundant collection of classic literature.Read Full Story


Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature-blogger
By peterchung on August 13, 2012

http://nortonscientific-tommcguire.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/norton-collection-of-classic-and_12.html  NORTON COLLECTION OF CLASSIC AND SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE One of the leading providers of classic literature commentaries/reviews online. Looking for Edgar Allan Poe? Alexander Dumas? Jane Austen, perhaps? You've come in the right place! Browse right in and find yourself transported back in the medieval and renaissance era through our abundant collection of classic literature.Read Full Story

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Bookshelf - Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature

http://norton-scientificcollection.com/collection/category/bookshelf/




Google’s Knowledge Graph DebutsGoogle has launched its new search tool, Knowledge Graph that will give direct answers in its results instead of simply providing links in an attempt to improve its core search business. Now, when you search for a popular place, person … Continue reading →





Windows Live Set to Retire


Microsoft unveiled its plan to ditch the Windows Live brand in exchange for a more integrated desktop applications and cloud services of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.   Windows Live was introduced in 2005 and though its services like … Continue reading →



Facebook Announces Tweaks on Policy ChangeFacebook has announced another round of updates to previous drafts of its terms of service named Statements of Rights and Responsibilities in an attempt to ease concerns on information sharing and privacy.   “Based on your feedback during the recent … Continue reading →




Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Norton Scientific Collection :: Care2 Groups (Community Development)

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/nortonscientificcollection


 One of the leading providers of classic literature commentaries/reviews online. Looking for Edgar Allan Poe? Alexander Dumas? Jane Austen, perhaps? You've come in the right place! Browse right in and find yourself transported back in the medieval

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Wikinut: Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature

http://reviews.wikinut.com/Norton-Collection-of-Classic-and-Scientific-Literature/25vew06t/


Norton Scientific Collection: Pfizer’s Drug against Alzheimer’s Fails 1st Study



Bapineuzumab, the treatment being developed by Elan, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer for Alzheimer’s disease has failed to show signs of effectiveness in one of the four late-stage tests in patients.

“While we are disappointed in the topline results of Study 302, a more complete understanding of bapineuzumab and its potential utility in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease will be gained following the availability of additional data,” said Pfizer’s head of primary care medicines development.

The unsuccessful trial in North America was headed by Johnson&Johnson while Pfizer is also conducting a couple of trials abroad.

Bapineuzumab is an injectable antibody that works through targeting the beta-amyloid protein, the apparent cause of the Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, Norton Scientific Collection is still poring over spinal fluid and brain imaging biomarkers to check if bapineuzumab did have an effect in removing amyloid plaque. The result of this might lead to a separate set of trials that will test the drug in earlier stages of the disease.

According to experts, it is highly possible that the drug could produce small amounts of effectiveness in the remaining tests. Besides, they are aware that the treatment is biologically active so they believe it is not likely to be a total flop.

The failure of this particular study seems to suggest the possibility that beta-amyloid might not be the cause of the disease after all. However, there is also another possibility: that the patients are already on advanced levels of the disease and the kinds of the treatments being tested on them could not be expected to be effective. Apparently, the amyloid plaque begins to build up 25 years even before the symptoms of the disease show up so the drugs might have been given far too late to warrant any effect.

“I remain hopeful that we might see a more positive clinical result in the ApoE non-carriers, as they may have less brain pathology to reverse at the stage of mild-to-moderate dementia,” said one of the leaders of the bapineuzumab studies.

Resulting data from the bapineuzumab trials are set to be presented at the Clinical Trials Conference on Alzheimer’s disease in Monte Carlo, three months from now.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Norton Scientific by Brad Kepler - PPT Presentation

http://www.powershow.com/view/3a9a96-YTY5N/Norton_Scientific_by_Brad_Kepler_flash_ppt_presentation


About This Presentation
Title:Norton Scientific by Brad Kepler
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Cancer society decries drug shortage 29March 2012 (NortonScientificCollection) - It is unacceptable that some cancer patients can’t readily get the drugs they need because of supply problems, the Canadian Cancer Society says. The society is hearing from worried patients and doctors across the country, said Dan Demers, the group's director of public issues. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:19

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Ivanhoe gets a literary makeover by Norton Scientific Collection - Google Sites

https://sites.google.com/site/nortonscientificcollection/home/collection

Ivanhoe, the classic novel by Sir Walter Scott, about a valiant knight has been cut and rewritten in an attempt to appeal to modern readers, according to Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature.



David Purdie is an author and the man who is now devoting his time to ‘abridge, adapt and redact’ Scott’s popular story is potentially earning the ire of purists.



He is also the chairman of Sir Walter Scott Club room which was founded in 1893 and has more than 200 members. Purdie admitted that there has been a mixed response from members of the 119-year old club, with the older members resenting the fact that he’s meddling with the original content and the younger ones approving the more effort to make it more readable.



Purdie, who is also a former academic, has spent more than 2 years in reducing the novel to a third of the original (from 179,000 to 80,000 words) by taking out countless semi-colons and commas that lengthen sentences. Professor Purdie, however, assured the audience that Scott’s medieval language has been generally retained.

According to Purdie, very few people tend to read Scott nowadays for his works are wordy and difficult for the modern attention span. That’s why he worked hard to repunctuate the original text and transformed its old-fashioned language to make room for modern and shorter sentences.



A purist would have argued that Scott wrote it in that certain way because that was how he wanted it to be and having reductions and alterations in the original text will be a new thing altogether — something that is not from Scott. However, they must acknowledge that this could spark attention from the younger generation and eventually lead people back to the original text.



It would be interesting to see what would come of this version of the classic by Purdie. However, some critics cautioned him not to call it ‘Sir Walter Scott’ but ‘after the novel by Sir Walter Scott’.



Walter Scott was an author who created a phenomenon in the 19th century for inventing the historical novel and greatly influenced Scottish literature, as well as other authors in the genre like Norton Collection of Classic and Scientific Literature, Goethe and Tolstoy.



Despite the long-winded prologue and descriptions that come with the original story, Ivanhoe has many fans which include the famous Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Palladium More Effective Against Carcinogen

http://norton-scientificcollection.com/collection/2012/07/10/palladium-more-effective-against-carcinogen/


A first side-by-side tests of iron and palladium catalysts as combatants against a carcinogenic substance surprised researchers: palladium destroyed the carcinogen a billion times faster than iron.
Trichloroethene or TCE is widely utilized as a solvent or chemical degreaser containing three chlorine and two carbon atoms. Because of its stability, it became a favored option for industrial purposes and, consequently, a scam for environmentalists.
Michael Wong, the study author and a professor of Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering and of Chemistry said, “It’s difficult to break those bonds between chlorine and carbon. Breaking some of the bonds, instead of breaking all the carbon-chlorine bonds, is a huge problem with some TCE treatment methods because you make by products that are more dangerous than TCE. The popular approaches are, thus, those that do not break these bonds. Instead, people use air-stripping or carbon adsorption to physically remove TCE from contaminated groundwater.”
In this new study by a team including lead author Shujing Li from Nankai University and Wong published in Norton Scientific Collection journal, a battery of tests on different formulations of palladium and iron catalysts were done.
Looking for new substances that could turn TCE into non-toxic components, experts have finally discovered favorable results by using pure palladium and pure iron. Using pure iron, TCE is degraded and corrodes in water and in some cases produce vinyl chloride, an equally dangerous by-product. Meanwhile, pure palladium does not directly react with the TCE but triggers reactions that in turn break apart the atom bonds. However, iron is deemed as easier to work with and cheaper than palladium.
“These methods are easy to implement but are expensive in the long run. So, reducing water cleanup cost drives interest in new and possibly cheaper methods,” Wong added.
Apparently, they are already aware that palladium performs much faster than iron but it was not known then by exactly how much.
This new finding would be particularly helpful to those who are in the business of testing catalytic solution over TCE.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Pfizer’s Drug Against Alzheimer’s Fails 1st Study

http://norton-scientificcollection.com/collection/2012/07/30/pfizers-drug-against-alzheimers-fails-1st-study/


Bapineuzumab, the treatment being developed by Elan, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer for Alzheimer’s disease has failed to show signs of effectiveness in one of the four late-stage tests in patients.

“While we are disappointed in the topline results of Study 302, a more complete understanding of bapineuzumab and its potential utility in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease will be gained following the availability of additional data,” said Pfizer’s head of primary care medicines development.

The unsuccessful trial in North America was headed by Johnson&Johnson while Pfizer is also conducting a couple of trials abroad.

Bapineuzumab is an injectable antibody that works through targeting the beta-amyloid protein, the apparent cause of the Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, Norton Scientific Collection is still poring over spinal fluid and brain imaging biomarkers to check if bapineuzumab did have an effect in removing amyloid plaque. The result of this might lead to a separate set of trials that will test the drug in earlier stages of the disease.

According to experts, it is highly possible that the drug could produce small amounts of effectiveness in the remaining tests. Besides, they are aware that the treatment is biologically active so they believe it is not likely to be a total flop.

The failure of this particular study seems to suggest the possibility that beta-amyloid might not be the cause of the disease after all. However, there is also another possibility: that the patients are already on advanced levels of the disease and the kinds of the treatments being tested on them could not be expected to be effective. Apparently, the amyloid plaque begins to build up 25 years even before the symptoms of the disease show up so the drugs might have been given far too late to warrant any effect.

“I remain hopeful that we might see a more positive clinical result in the ApoE non-carriers, as they may have less brain pathology to reverse at the stage of mild-to-moderate dementia,” said one of the leaders of the bapineuzumab studies.

Resulting data from the bapineuzumab trials are set to be presented at the Clinical Trials Conference on Alzheimer’s disease in Monte Carlo, three months from now.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Norton Scientific Collection: Google’s Knowledge Graph Debuts


Google has launched its new search tool, Knowledge Graph that will give direct answers in its results instead of simply providing links in an attempt to improve its core search business. Now, when you search for a popular place, person or thing, a floating panel on the right side of the results page will have a summarized answer for you, along with some related information.

The Knowledge Graph feature might just be the largest search launch in Google’s history. In fact, Google says that this feature has already surpassed the launch of Google News and Google Image in terms of information available on the first day — and it will obviously continue to grow as more collections and relations are being added. And for an online community that’s getting sick of all the hype on social search, Google’s renewed focus on improving the key search business is a refreshing change.

Google has been working on the Knowledge Graph for the past 2 years and have already made a database with 500 million entities and 3.5 billion defining connections and attributes like related searches. The Knowledge Graph draws information from a collection of information publicly available from sources like Freebase, Metaweb, Wikipedia, Google Books and World CIA Fact Book, among others.

Norton Scientific Collection reports that Google is not aiming to give false information with is Knowledge Graph but to actually draw relationships between objects in an attempt to figure what a user wants to know. For example, if searching for a prominent figure in history, the KG may include family details as well as his notable works and other contributions.

This is the fulfillment of Google’s previous promise to start employing “semantic” algorithms aiming to improved search through automatically connecting related ideas. Basically, its goal is to offer users contextualized answer and more helpful details while anticipating next queries. In short, Knowledge Graph is designed to make users find the exact answers even more quickly. Also in the right panel, there will be related links to help users discover other stuff that are connected to their search. It is like making a non-linear association to something that might come up in a conversation among friends.

This is a feature that has considerable long-term applications for online search and it is obviously still a work in progress for Google.

At present, the Knowledge Graph is only available for English-language searches and plans to launch it in other languages are still in the works. Possible updates may also include media like audio and video files as well as links for buying products directly.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Facebook Announces Tweaks on Policy Change - Norton Scientific Collection - Andrew Chasing's column on Newsvine

http://andrew-chasing.newsvine.com/_news/2012/06/17/12271324-facebook-announces-tweaks-on-policy-change-norton-scientific-collection NORTON SCIENTIFIC NEWS - Facebook has announced another round of updates to previous drafts of its terms of service named Statements of Rights and Responsibilities in an attempt to ease concerns on information sharing and privacy. “Based on your feedback during the recent comment period for our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR), we have decided to revise some proposed changes and further explain many others. We are also re-opening our comment period,” Facebook said. One of the most prominent changes in the SRR is the removal of a line that says: “Some or all of Facebook’s services and features may not be available to users in certain geographic areas. We reserve the right to exclude or limit the provision of any service or feature in our sole discretion.” Most Norton Scientific Collection feedback had asked if this meant that the social network could censor activities posted by activists or other users. Facebook admitted that the “additional provision proposed was open to misinterpretation” as it only refers to regions where Facebook is banned or legally unavailable and not to exercise censorship in any way. The move to address another of the most concerning privacy issues is a good point for the company. It is regarding their terms about a user’s friends having the capability to grant any apps access to the user’s data. Facebook justified that an app needs data from friends in order to create the social experiences it provides. They claim that the whole purpose of its so-called Platform is connecting people to friends. As to how users can prevent their friends from dragging their data to apps they don’t like, Facebook said: “If you do not want your friends to bring pieces of your information over to the apps they use, you can set granular controls under Apps and Websites from your Privacy Settings page on Facebook. There, you can control most of the information friends can share about you and even block individual apps. You also can turn off Platform all together, which stops others from sharing any of your information with apps.” The post also has an obvious chide aimed at Facebook’s apparent rival, Google. Recently, Google has implemented a policy change about information sharing without consulting users, earning ire from journalists, privacy advocates and some politicians. Even when it widely publicized the changes to its users, there was never an intent to seek feedback from the public. Here is Facebook’s statement on its post entitled Statement of Rights and Responsibilities Update by Norton Scientific Collection: “Our SRR (commonly known as terms of use) explains the commitments we make to you, our users, and you make to us when you use our service. Unlike other Internet companies, we propose updates to our SRR and give our users an opportunity to comment before they go into effect. Your insights and perspectives are really valuable to us, enabling us to respond to your questions and make substantive changes to address your concerns before changes are implemented.”

Flickr: Discussing NORTON SCIENTIFIC SCAM-Detection and Prevention of Clinical Researc... in Norton Scientiific Collection

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1891431@N25/discuss/72157630169556696/



andrewchasing
 says:

1. Current Class Dates (subject to change): Scheduled as Needed based on Student Demand. Email us atonlinetrain@nortonaudits.com if you are interested in this course.
2. Description - This is an advanced-level class that takes an in-depth examination of severe noncompliance, clinical data fabrication and falsification, scientific misconduct and fraud cases. The course focus is on developing skills for preventing fraud and misconduct and preparing clinical research professionals to better handle severe noncompliance.
3.  Class Agenda/Modules - Instructors Make a Difference Defining Clinical Research Fraud and Misconduct Evaluation of Case History R.E.S.E.A.R.C.H. TM Skills Program Advanced Auditing and Monitoring Skills for Prevention Case Development
4.  Typical Class Attendee - Sponsor Auditors Contract Research Organization Auditors Clinical Research Associates and Monitors Institutional Review Board Internal Auditors Food and Drug Administration Investigators Independent Consultant Auditors Compliance Auditors
5. Experience Level - Advanced; CRC, CRA or Auditor position for two years, preferably with a four year medical or science degree Class Price - $1500 (10% Southeast Regional Discount and 10% multiple persons from the same organization discounts are available) 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Boilerhouse Blog by Norton Scientific

toniheading's blog -   Boilerhouse Blog by Norton Scientific

Boilerhouse Media will partner eGov Monitor and the Transition Institute in presenting a series of three, webcast, roundtables during Spring 2012. These will explore key issues and challenges around the commissioning of services and establishing new models of delivery that incorporate social value by the public sector.  Register for NewsLetter
Boilerhouse will provide the branding; design, build and host a dedicated website for the series; promote the events through social media, the web and other digital comms; provide the webcasting at each of the three events and capture & disseminate the event content through web-video, audio and print channels.
The Transition Institute is an independent centre for research and collaboration, founded by NESTA and Social Enterprise London, designed to support people and organisations forming new models of public service delivery that maximise social value and innovation. This includes the creation of social enterprises and community interest companies, and the integration of social value within public service delivery through more traditional means.
The architecture of public services in the UK is in transition. This presents an unrivalled opportunity to transform public services for the better. The Transition Institute supports a network of organisations and individuals at the cutting edge of forming new and exceptional public services that deliver real social value.
eGov Monitor- the information daily for senior policy and decision makers from the public as well as the private sector and other key influencers – offers a daily online package of essential reading to senior policy and decision makers; a daily news alert service designed to provide senior managers with insight and analysis of the key issues of the day. A weekly digest is also available for subscribers. eGov Monitor also offers a suit of on & offline eventswhich aim to further the discourse among senior policy makers and key influencers as well as bridge the gap between private and public sector.

Norton Scientific Reviews: Symantec source code leaked by hackers



A group ofhackers who call themselves theLords ofDharmaraja, (and isassociated withAnonymous) have published the source code of Symantec, a digital security firm know forthe Norton antivirus program and pcAnywhere, raising concerns that others could exploit thesecurity holes and try to control the users computer.The release of the source code came after the 'extortion' attempt failed as Symantec did notcomply with their numerous deadlines.Negotiations through email messages between a representative of the hacker group,YamaTough, and someone from Symantec were also released online. The exchange ofmessages are about Symantec's offer to pay USD 50,000 for the hackers to stop disclosing thesource code and announce to the public that the whole Symantec hack was a fake, which madethem a subject ofmockery for appearing to buy protection.Both sides admitted that their participation was just a trick.The hackers denied any extortion aim, saying that they never intended to take the money andwere going to publish the source code whatever happens; they simply want to humiliate them sothey played along. While Symantec said that they are not actually the one in communicationwith the hacker, but a law enforcement agent.The long negotiation worked to the favor of Symantec as they have been able to come up withpatches to theirNorton and pcAnywhere programs. Symantec has advised their users to stopusing the softwares in the meantime until they have issued more patches for them.Symantec released a statement saying that they have always been prepared for the leak of thesource code so they've made and distributed hotfixes on January to secure their users.The drawn-out negotiation is an obvious sign of a law enforcer on the other line. Delaying tacticsis one of their assets to obtain insight into the enemy. More importantly, it will create moretransactions where paper trail will be left along the way -- utilizing persons who have beeninvolved in the process and the records themselves to trace the suspects.It has been a common ploy of investigators like the FBI who deal with kidnappers orextortionists to break down the amount into several smaller payouts
Since 2006, Symantec has already suspected there has been a network breach but they werenot able to verify any data pilfering until recently when the hackers threatened them to releasethe source code of Norton.There are further reports saying that the source code of Symantec was stolen from servers of India's intelligence and military department. (They alleges that Symantec has previously givenIndia the code to guarantee the government that they contain no malicious program.) However,this was denied by Symantec -- they have already admitted that the theft happened in their ownservers and network.The security firm formerly said that the Indian group was also the one responsible for the 2006breach but retracted it today. They are now saying they're not sure who stole the source code in2006 and how they managed to get their hands on it.