We're in the middle of an unexpected slow period of MMA. With the cancellation of UFC 151 and UFC 152 still a week and a half away, it doesn't feel like fight fans have much to look forward to. With a sport as constant as MMA, our attention spans are short. But hold on, Cagereaders. We still have plenty to look forward to in September. For example, in no particular order:
Joe Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson for the first UFC flyweight title at UFC 152, Sept. 22: Of course, the lion's share of publicity will go to the Jon Jones/Vitor Belfort at title fight, but expect the 125-lbers to steal the spotlight. Both Benavidez and Johnson bring exciting fights with them into every bout, and now they'll get to show off their skills for five rounds.
Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel 5, Sept. 29: Both Hardy and Sadollah are in need of a win and capable of finishing fights. Plus, I can't wait to hear how the crowd in Nottingham will erupt when Brit favorite Dan Hardy walks out.
Nordine Taleb vs. Marius Zaromskis at Bellator 74, Sept. 28: I always mark my calender when Zaromskis is fighting. Of his 18 wins, 13 are by knockout, but he is susceptible to being knocked out, too. Either way, this opening round bout of the Bellator welterweight tournament is likely to end in a highlight.
David Armas vs. Darrion Caldwell at Legacy Fighting, Sept. 14: This fight is highly anticipated by college wrestling fans. Caldwell won a national championship for North Carolina State over the highly touted Brent Metcalf from Iowa. Fans either love him or hate him, and will be tuning in with the hopes of Caldwell owning his MMA debut or him getting knocked out by Armas.
Jorge Santiago vs. Quinn Mulhern at Strikeforce, Sept. 29: Santiago had a tough go in the UFC, losing back-to-back fights before winning two fights in the Titan Fighting Championships. He will get another chance to prove himself at Strikeforce against Mulhern, who is riding a three-fight win streak.
Which fights are you looking forward to? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
Local talent: Global impact public invited to meet world-class researchers at Queen's Public release date: 12-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Claire O'Callaghan c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk Queen's University Belfast
Members of the public are being invited to Queen's University at lunchtime on Thursday (13 September) to meet and hear from the people behind some of the biggest scientific, medical and technological breakthroughs of recent times.
In a special lunchtime research showcase in the University's Whitla Hall, entitled Local Talent, Global Impact, members of the public can discover how Queen's researchers are making an enormous impact around the globe.
Experts working on advances in fertility treatment, cancer care and sight-threatening diseases; cutting-edge developments in laser technology, wave energy and ultra-fast high speed wireless connections; and who use innovative methods of social data collection on demographic aging, poverty and social exclusion that help to shape policies, will all be on-hand to discuss their work.
The event marks the launch of the new publication, 'The DNA of Innovation: Volume 2', which includes case study profiles of many of these researchers, their cutting-edge work and its impact on society.
Speaking about the event, Scott Rutherford, Director of Research and Enterprise at Queen's, said: "We often read the headlines about the ground breaking research that is taking place at Queen's and this free event is an opportunity to hear more from the people behind the headlines and about their work that impacts upon our everyday lives. From areas including health, electronics, education, politics and space Queen's University is paving the way in world-class research.
"'The DNA of Innovation: Volume 2' illustrates the work of 34 leading academics and their teams including: Professor Sheena Lewis whose extraordinarily successful work in the area of male infertility has transformed the lives of many couples: Professor William Scanlon, who is developing smart technology that uses a body-to-body network for data transmission; and Professor Alan Stitt who is recognised globally for his research into diabetic retinopathy. These examples are just a few from among research projects of extraordinary diversity that are advancing and exchanging knowledge and delivering impact and benefit to Northern Ireland and the wider world.
The showcase will be a fascinating opportunity for people to see what is going on right on their doorstep."
Earlier this year, Queen's was honoured with a Diamond Jubilee Anniversary prize from her Majesty the Queen for its pioneering work in cancer research. The University has been selected as the UK's Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security and is establishing an Institute of Health Sciences bringing major research areas onto one campus.
###
The event Local Talent Global Impact is free and open to the public and takes place in the Whitla Hall at Queen's University between mid-day and 2.30pm on Thursday. Short presentations by several leading academics will be given at 12.30pm and 1.30pm.
For media inquiries please contact Claire O'Callaghan on 00 44 (0) 2890975391 / 07814415451 or c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
Local talent: Global impact public invited to meet world-class researchers at Queen's Public release date: 12-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Claire O'Callaghan c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk Queen's University Belfast
Members of the public are being invited to Queen's University at lunchtime on Thursday (13 September) to meet and hear from the people behind some of the biggest scientific, medical and technological breakthroughs of recent times.
In a special lunchtime research showcase in the University's Whitla Hall, entitled Local Talent, Global Impact, members of the public can discover how Queen's researchers are making an enormous impact around the globe.
Experts working on advances in fertility treatment, cancer care and sight-threatening diseases; cutting-edge developments in laser technology, wave energy and ultra-fast high speed wireless connections; and who use innovative methods of social data collection on demographic aging, poverty and social exclusion that help to shape policies, will all be on-hand to discuss their work.
The event marks the launch of the new publication, 'The DNA of Innovation: Volume 2', which includes case study profiles of many of these researchers, their cutting-edge work and its impact on society.
Speaking about the event, Scott Rutherford, Director of Research and Enterprise at Queen's, said: "We often read the headlines about the ground breaking research that is taking place at Queen's and this free event is an opportunity to hear more from the people behind the headlines and about their work that impacts upon our everyday lives. From areas including health, electronics, education, politics and space Queen's University is paving the way in world-class research.
"'The DNA of Innovation: Volume 2' illustrates the work of 34 leading academics and their teams including: Professor Sheena Lewis whose extraordinarily successful work in the area of male infertility has transformed the lives of many couples: Professor William Scanlon, who is developing smart technology that uses a body-to-body network for data transmission; and Professor Alan Stitt who is recognised globally for his research into diabetic retinopathy. These examples are just a few from among research projects of extraordinary diversity that are advancing and exchanging knowledge and delivering impact and benefit to Northern Ireland and the wider world.
The showcase will be a fascinating opportunity for people to see what is going on right on their doorstep."
Earlier this year, Queen's was honoured with a Diamond Jubilee Anniversary prize from her Majesty the Queen for its pioneering work in cancer research. The University has been selected as the UK's Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security and is establishing an Institute of Health Sciences bringing major research areas onto one campus.
###
The event Local Talent Global Impact is free and open to the public and takes place in the Whitla Hall at Queen's University between mid-day and 2.30pm on Thursday. Short presentations by several leading academics will be given at 12.30pm and 1.30pm.
For media inquiries please contact Claire O'Callaghan on 00 44 (0) 2890975391 / 07814415451 or c.ocallaghan@qub.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
LONDON (Reuters) - Countries across the world are making rapid progress on child survival rates, showing it is possible to bring down child mortality significantly in two decades, the United Nations Children's Fund said on Thursday.
In its latest report on child survival, UNICEF hailed a sharp drop of about 40 percent in the number of children under the age of five dying, with the estimated global toll falling from nearly 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011.
There was progress across diverse nations with varied wealth, UNICEF said, providing evidence that neither a country's regional nor economic status was necessarily a barrier to being able to reduce child death rates.
Poor countries such as Bangladesh, Liberia and Rwanda, middle-income countries such as Brazil, Mongolia and Turkey, and high-income countries such as Oman and Portugal, all made what UNICEF described as dramatic gains, lowering their under-five death rates by more than two-thirds between 1990 and 2011.
Anthony Lake, UNICEF's executive director, said the decline was a "significant success" and testament to the work of governments, donors, agencies and families.
"But there is also unfinished business," he added. "Millions of children under five are still dying each year from largely preventable causes for which there are proven, affordable interventions."
The report found that child deaths are increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which together accounted for more than 80 percent of all under-five deaths in 2011. On average, one in every nine children in sub-Saharan Africa dies before reaching the age of five, it said.
"These lives could be saved with vaccines, adequate nutrition and basic medical and maternal care," said Lake. "The world has the technology and know-how to do so. The challenge is to make these available to every child."
CLEAN WATER AND VACCINES NEEDED
More than half the pneumonia and diarrhea deaths - which together account for almost 30 percent of under-five deaths worldwide - occur in just four countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Vaccines to prevent pneumococcal disease and rotavirus, leading causes of pneumonia and diarrhea, are widely available in wealthy countries but are still only gradually being rolled out in poorer nations.
Barbara Frost, chief executive of British-based charity WaterAid, said UNICEF's report also underlined the need for urgent focus on improving sanitation and access to clean water in developing countries.
The report showed that 11 percent of child deaths - equating to 759,000 a year or 2,079 a day - are due to diarrheal diseases, of which 88 percent can be attributed to a lack of clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene.
"Reducing under-five deaths by over 40 percent in the last two decades shows that real progress can be made, but the sad uncomfortable truth is that diarrhea remains the second largest killer disease of children," Frost said in a statement.
"With more children dying from diarrhea caused by lack of access to clean water and safe sanitation than AIDS, malaria and measles combined, we all need to focus on these basic interventions that we know work."
Pneumonia is the biggest killer disease of children, according to the World Health Organisation.
Latest data for 2010 shows that about one in three of the world's population still lack access to safe sanitation and one in 10 do not have clean drinking water.
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A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside of NATO headquarters in Kabul Saturday. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is thought to have been an attempt to undermine the US-led effort to increase security in Kabul.
By Deb Riechmann,?Associated Press / September 8, 2012
An Afghan policeman stands guard at the scene of a suicide bombing in Kabul Afghanistan, Saturday. Afghan authorities say a suicide bomber has blown himself up near NATO headquarters in Kabul, killing at least 6 people.
Ahmad Jamshid/AP
Enlarge
A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing at least six civilians in a strike that targeted the heart of the US-led military operation in the country, officials said.
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The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which was the latest in a series of insurgent attacks in the heavily-fortified Afghan capital aimed at undercutting a months-long campaign by the US-led coalition to shore up security in?Kabul?before a significant withdrawal of combat troops limits American options.
While bombings and shootings elsewhere in Afghanistan often receive relatively little attention, attacks in the capital score propaganda points for the insurgents by throwing doubt on the government's ability to provide security even the seat of its power. The attacks also aim to undermine coalition claims of improving security ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign troops by the end of 2014.
The bomber struck just before noon Saturday outside the headquarters of the US-led NATO coalition, on a street that connects the alliance headquarters to the nearby US and Italian embassies, a large U.S. military base and the Afghan Defense Ministry.
The alliance and police said all of the dead were Afghans, and the Ministry of Interior said some were street children.?Kabul?police said in a statement that the bomber was 14 years old.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the target was a U.S. intelligence facility nearby.
German Brig. Gen. Gunter Katz, the spokesman for the U.S.-led international military alliance, said there were no coalition casualties.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi blamed the attack on the Haqqani network, one of the most dangerous militant groups fighting U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan. He did not say what he was basing that conclusion on, but the Haqqani group, which is linked to both the Taliban and al-Qaida, has been responsible for several high-profile attacks in the Afghan capital in the past.
On Friday, the U.S. designated the Pakistan-based Haqqani network a terrorist organization, a move that bans Americans from doing business with members of the group and blocks any assets it holds in the United States.
The Obama administration went forward with the decision despite misgivings about how the largely symbolic act could further stall planned Afghan peace talks or put yet another chill on the United States' already fragile counterterrorism alliance with Pakistan.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mijahid said the decision will have no impact on the war against the Afghan government and U.S.-led forces, and added that the Haqqanis were part of the Taliban and not a separate group. He said its founder, Jalaluddin Haqqani, was a loyal member of the Taliban leadership council and a "person of trust" to the movement's leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.
"It will not have a negative effect on our struggle and we are rejecting this announcement," Mujahid said in an email.
The Haqqani network has been blamed for a series of high profile attacks against foreign targets in?Kabul, including coordinated attacks last April against NATO and government facilities that lasted more than a day before the insurgents were killed. A year ago, they were blamed for a rocket-propelled grenade assault on the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters. In June, gunmen stormed a lakeside hotel near?Kabuland 18 people in a 12-hour rampage.
American officials estimate the Haqqani forces at 2,000 to 4,000 fighters and say the group maintains close ties with al-Qaida.
Earlier Saturday, hundreds of Afghans and officials had gathered just a few hundred meters (yards) from the site of the attack to lay wreaths at a statue to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the death of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic Northern Alliance commander who was killed in an al-Qaida suicide bombing two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The alliance joined with the United States to help rout the Taliban after America invaded Afghanistan a month later in the wake of the attacks.
By this time next year, thousands of people will be using a new, faster, longer-range kind of WiFi commonly called "super WiFi."
Super WiFi isn't really WiFi, but a new form of wireless network (also known as White Spaces), championed by the likes of Google and Microsoft. After a long protracted battle (broadcasters at first opposed the new tech), it got the official OK from the FCC last December. Since then there's only been a few pilot networks where people can use it.
But progress is being made. A key company in the Super WiFi industry is Spectrum Bridge. It just announced a new program to help equipment makers get their White Space radios approved to be sold. That means that Super WiFi is on track to be more widely available in 2013.
This follows news from June, when the Advanced Internet Regions University, (AIR.U) said that it will deploy Super WiFi on university campuses across the country starting next year, too.
Super WiFi is exciting because it is stronger and more powerful than existing WiFi. It will be especially important for rural areas and other dead spots where broadband wireless isn't available. If it can get a TV signal, the area can have high-speed Internet access.
This is expected to become a $1 billion market, similar to the WiFi industry.
Don't miss: The Next Billion Dollar Wireless Industry Has Officially Launched
We're in the middle of an unexpected slow period of MMA. With the cancellation of UFC 151 and UFC 152 still a week and a half away, it doesn't feel like fight fans have much to look forward to. With a sport as constant as MMA, our attention spans are short. But hold on, Cagereaders. We still have plenty to look forward to in September. For example, in no particular order:
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Public release date: 12-Sep-2012
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