James Franco's latest project, the novel "Actors Anonymous" isn't about really, really busy actors in a recovery program — as the title might have you believe. As he told TODAY's Savannah Guthrie Monday, the book is about "how we interact with others, how we interact with life through performance and through the lens of a recovery book," he said.
Fans of the multi-talented Franco won't be suprised to know that "Anonymous" is not the only project on Franco's slate. He and Guthrie discussed his multiple advanced college degrees, his recent roasting on Comedy Central and his interest in taking frequent selfies.
He also brought up a new film he's making with Seth Rogan, "The Interview." In it, he told Guthrie, "I actually play one of you" — that is, an interviewer. Then he turned the tables on her and asked a few questions. "How did you get into this?" he queried.
"I started a long time ago," she said, and quickly he had her talking about how walking in heels hurt her feet, and how she had to spend an hour in the makeup chair every day.
"I love interviewing people and I love asking the questions," grinned Franco.
He also seems to love publicity, adding at the interview's end, "More shameless self-promotion — my favorite movie that I've done this year is 'Spring Breakers.' And they're doing an ... Oscar campaign for it. ... I wanted to put that out there for Harmony Korine, the director."
Clearly, there's enough spotlight to go around with Franco.
"Actors Anonymous" will be in bookstores on Oct. 15, but you can find an excerpt from "Actors Anonymous" here.
"The effects of the gridlock in Washington may keep claims elevated as employers grow concerned about the economic outlook.
" 'The longer the government shutdown continues, the bigger the effect on the private sector will be,' Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody's Analytics Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania, said before the report. He added that it will be hard to tell whether the layoffs are coming from contractors directly affected by the closings or by other companies with shaken confidence."
A government spokesman attributed about one-quarter of the increase to applications from employees of government contractors, but said that claims by federal workers furloughed by the shutdown wouldn't start showing up in the data until next week.
So, what happens if furloughed federal workers get back pay once the government reopens?
It likely depends on the state, but as Bloomberg reports, in Virginia, the unemployment benefits would be treated as an overpayment and the state would ask for a full reimbursement once workers return to the job.
I still think that this is one of my favorite physics problems. Why? Why not. First, it’s just a cool event. But other than that, the physics is both simple and complicated at the same time. The simple part is that there are essentially only two forces acting on Felix as he falls to the ground. There is the air resistance force and the gravitational force. The complicated part of this problem is the fact that the air resistance force depends on both the density of air and the speed of the jumper. Really the only way to model the motion in this case is to create a numerical calculation with a computer.
I’ve looked at many different aspects of this Red Bull Stratos jump. Here are a few of my favorite posts on the subject.
Rhett Allain is an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University. He enjoys teaching and talking about physics. Sometimes he takes things apart and can't put them back together.
Vanderbilt scientists discover potential new way to treat anxietyPublic release date: 4-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Bill Snyder william.snyder@Vanderbilt.Edu 615-322-4747 Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Chemically modified inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme relieve anxiety behaviors in mice by activating natural "endocannabinoids" without gastrointestinal side effects, Vanderbilt University scientists will report next week.
Endocannabinoids are natural signaling molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors in the brain, the same receptors turned on by the active ingredient in marijuana.
These receptors are also found in the gastrointestinal system and elsewhere in the body, and there is evidence that they play a role in wide range of physiological and pathological processes, in addition to modulating stress and anxiety.
If the "substrate-selective" COX-2 inhibitors developed at Vanderbilt also work in humans without side effects, they could represent a new approach to treating mood and anxiety disorders, the researchers conclude in a paper to be posted online Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Clinical trials of some of these potential drugs could begin in the next several years, said Lawrence Marnett, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology and the paper's co-senior author with Sachin Patel, M.D., Ph.D.
The Vanderbilt scientists are pursuing other potential applications of activating endocannabinoids by substrate-selective COX-2 inhibition, including relieving pain, treating movement disorders, and possibly preventing colon cancer.
"The door is really wide open," said Patel, assistant professor of Psychiatry and of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics. "We've just scratched the surface."
Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) relieve pain and inflammation by blocking either or both of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which produce pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.
It has been known for several years that COX-2 inhibition also activates endocannabinoids.
Because the "substrate selective" inhibitors developed at Vanderbilt increase endocannabinoid levels in the mouse without blocking prostaglandin production, "we think (they) will not have the gastrointestinal and possibly cardiovascular side effects that other NSAIDs do," said Marnett, University Professor and Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research.
"We thought we knew everything there was to know about (COX-2 inhibitors) until about five years ago when we discovered the substrate selective inhibition," he added. The approach used by the Vanderbilt team "is a really powerful way to help design the next generation of drugs."
###
Daniel Hermanson, a graduate student in Chemistry, was first author of the paper. Other co-authors were Nolan Harley, Joyonna Gamble-George, Naoko Brown, Brian Shonesy, Ph.D., Phillip Kingsley, Roger Colbran, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Reese, M.D.
The three-year-long study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants CA089450, GM015431, NS064278, DA031572, HL096967, HL109199, MH063232, NS078291 and MH065215.
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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.
Vanderbilt scientists discover potential new way to treat anxietyPublic release date: 4-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Bill Snyder william.snyder@Vanderbilt.Edu 615-322-4747 Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Chemically modified inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme relieve anxiety behaviors in mice by activating natural "endocannabinoids" without gastrointestinal side effects, Vanderbilt University scientists will report next week.
Endocannabinoids are natural signaling molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors in the brain, the same receptors turned on by the active ingredient in marijuana.
These receptors are also found in the gastrointestinal system and elsewhere in the body, and there is evidence that they play a role in wide range of physiological and pathological processes, in addition to modulating stress and anxiety.
If the "substrate-selective" COX-2 inhibitors developed at Vanderbilt also work in humans without side effects, they could represent a new approach to treating mood and anxiety disorders, the researchers conclude in a paper to be posted online Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Clinical trials of some of these potential drugs could begin in the next several years, said Lawrence Marnett, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology and the paper's co-senior author with Sachin Patel, M.D., Ph.D.
The Vanderbilt scientists are pursuing other potential applications of activating endocannabinoids by substrate-selective COX-2 inhibition, including relieving pain, treating movement disorders, and possibly preventing colon cancer.
"The door is really wide open," said Patel, assistant professor of Psychiatry and of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics. "We've just scratched the surface."
Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) relieve pain and inflammation by blocking either or both of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which produce pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.
It has been known for several years that COX-2 inhibition also activates endocannabinoids.
Because the "substrate selective" inhibitors developed at Vanderbilt increase endocannabinoid levels in the mouse without blocking prostaglandin production, "we think (they) will not have the gastrointestinal and possibly cardiovascular side effects that other NSAIDs do," said Marnett, University Professor and Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research.
"We thought we knew everything there was to know about (COX-2 inhibitors) until about five years ago when we discovered the substrate selective inhibition," he added. The approach used by the Vanderbilt team "is a really powerful way to help design the next generation of drugs."
###
Daniel Hermanson, a graduate student in Chemistry, was first author of the paper. Other co-authors were Nolan Harley, Joyonna Gamble-George, Naoko Brown, Brian Shonesy, Ph.D., Phillip Kingsley, Roger Colbran, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Reese, M.D.
The three-year-long study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants CA089450, GM015431, NS064278, DA031572, HL096967, HL109199, MH063232, NS078291 and MH065215.
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?
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.
Early July is about more than fireworks, cookouts and long weekends. It's also about hundreds of new state laws.
Around the nation, July 1 marks the start of new fiscal years and the date recently passed legislation goes into effect, although states often mark their independence by enacting new regulations on their own calendars.
The laws and effective dates vary somewhat from state to state, but an overview of legislation set to hit the books Monday shows that state lawmakers took positions on the following five topics of national debate:
? GUNS: State legislatures across the U.S. discussed gun laws in the wake of mass shootings that shocked the nation in 2012. Most efforts to pass restrictions faded amid fierce opposition. Only a handful of states enacted new limits, some of which go into effect Monday. Among them Colorado is notable for requiring background checks for private and online gun sales and outlawing high-capacity ammunition magazines. At least 18 states, however, have gone the other way and loosened gun laws. Kansas laws set to take effect will allow schools to arm employees with concealed handguns and ensure that weapons can be carried into more public buildings.
? TECH: Dozens of states examined technology laws. Recently passed legislation in eight states will prevent businesses from demanding passwords to social media sites as a condition of employment. The law in Washington state also stops employers from compelling workers to add managers as "friends" so their profile can be viewed. Four states updated tech laws to allow drivers to show proof of car insurance on an electronic device, such as a smartphone.
? CARS: A handful of states have restricted cellphone use while driving. Starting Monday in Hawaii and West Virginia motorists will have to put down handheld devices. Meanwhile, in South Dakota beginning drivers will face similar restrictions. Utah also enacted limits for newbies with a law that has already taken effect. A few states have banned texting while driving. Other state laws affecting drivers will make it illegal to smoke in a car with a child, raise highway speed limits, crackdown on drunken drivers and raise gas taxes.
? ABORTION: Nationally, state lawmakers proposed more than 300 bills that would have restricted abortions, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. At least 13 state legislatures passed new limits, though two are waiting for governors to sign off. Notably, a bill that would have closed almost every abortion clinic in Texas was dramatically defeated by a Democratic filibuster and a restless crowd in late June. The Texas governor, however, has ordered another special legislative session to push the bill through. North Dakota has passed the nation's strictest abortion law, which takes effect in August, banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
?DRONES: An Idaho law taking effect Monday forbids anyone from using an unmanned aircraft for spying on another. Virginia has passed a ban preventing authorities from using drones for the next two years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four other states approved anti-drone regulations, though legislation aimed at law enforcement in Texas isn't effective until fall.
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Not all of the measures set to take effect were matters dominating national political discussion. The following five examples of recently approved legislation show state-level updates can cover a variety of topics:
? SEXIST LANGUAGE: Washington lawmakers are completing work to strip the state's books of sexist language. References to "his" will be changed to "his or her," college "freshmen" will become "first-year students" and "penmanship" will be called "handwriting."
? JACKPOT: Wyoming residents might soon consider 7, 1 and 13 as lucky numbers. A Cowboy State law kicking in Monday calls for the state to establish a lottery for the first time, leaving a dwindling list of only a handful of states without such a prize drawing.
? ELECTION DAY DRINKING: Kentucky has lifted a ban on election day drinking. It was one of the last states with Prohibition-era restrictions on the sale of alcohol while polls are open.
? EDIBLE LANDSCAPING: Maine lawmakers this session have directed officials to plant edible landscaping, such as fruit trees or berry shrubs, around the Statehouse.
? TANNING: Dozens of states this year considered keeping minors out of tanning beds. New Jersey and Nevada restrictions kick in July 1, and an Oregon limit takes effect in January. The home of MTV's reality series "Jersey Shore" and its famously bronzed cast, however, took the law beyond sun lamps to block anyone younger than 14 from getting even a spray tan.
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Associated Press writers Lauren Gambino in Salem, Ore., and Greg Moore in Phoenix contributed to this report.
July 1, 2013 ? A key brain structure that regulates emotions works differently in preschoolers with depression compared with their healthy peers, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The differences, measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), provide the earliest evidence yet of changes in brain function in young children with depression. The researchers say the findings could lead to ways to identify and treat depressed children earlier in the course of the illness, potentially preventing problems later in life.
"The findings really hammer home that these kids are suffering from a very real disorder that requires treatment," said lead author Michael S. Gaffrey, PhD. "We believe this study demonstrates that there are differences in the brains of these very young children and that they may mark the beginnings of a lifelong problem."
The study is published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Depressed preschoolers had elevated activity in the brain's amygdala, an almond-shaped set of neurons important in processing emotions. Earlier imaging studies identified similar changes in the amygdala region in adults, adolescents and older children with depression, but none had looked at preschoolers with depression.
For the new study, scientists from Washington University's Early Emotional Development Program studied 54 children ages 4 to 6. Before the study began, 23 of those kids had been diagnosed with depression. The other 31 had not. None of the children in the study had taken antidepressant medication.
Although studies using fMRI to measure brain activity by monitoring blood flow have been used for years, this is the first time that such scans have been attempted in children this young with depression. Movements as small as a few millimeters can ruin fMRI data, so Gaffrey and his colleagues had the children participate in mock scans first. After practicing, the children in this study moved less than a millimeter on average during their actual scans.
While they were in the fMRI scanner during the study, the children looked at pictures of people whose facial expressions conveyed particular emotions. There were faces with happy, sad, fearful and neutral expressions.
"The amygdala region showed elevated activity when the depressed children viewed pictures of people's faces," said Gaffrey, an assistant professor of psychiatry. "We saw the same elevated activity, regardless of the type of faces the children were shown. So it wasn't that they reacted only to sad faces or to happy faces, but every face they saw aroused activity in the amygdala."
Looking at pictures of faces often is used in studies of adults and older children with depression to measure activity in the amygdala. But the observations in the depressed preschoolers were somewhat different than those previously seen in adults, where typically the amygdala responds more to negative expressions of emotion, such as sad or fearful faces, than to faces expressing happiness or no emotion.
In the preschoolers with depression, all facial expressions were associated with greater amygdala activity when compared with their healthy peers.
Gaffrey said it's possible depression affects the amygdala mainly by exaggerating what, in other children, is a normal amygdala response to both positive and negative facial expressions of emotion. But more research will be needed to prove that. He does believe, however, that the amygdala's reaction to people's faces can be seen in a larger context.
"Not only did we find elevated amygdala activity during face viewing in children with depression, but that greater activity in the amygdala also was associated with parents reporting more sadness and emotion regulation difficulties in their children," Gaffrey said. "Taken together, that suggests we may be seeing an exaggeration of a normal developmental response in the brain and that, hopefully, with proper prevention or treatment, we may be able to get these kids back on track."
Funding for this study comes from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It also was supported by the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation and the Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide (CHADS) Coalition for Mental Health. NIH Grant number K23 MH098176.
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Public release date: 4-Aug-2013
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