Cricketers & Their Kids

A montage of the special ones in the lives of these special cricketers.

Adam Gilchrist

Saurav Ganguly

Inzaman UL Haque

Steve Waugh

Glenn McGrath

Bradd Haddin

LONDON - SEPTEMBER 13: Andrew Flintoff with his daughter Holly and captain Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen pose for a photograph aboard the parade bus on the way to Trafalgar Square as part of the Ashes victory celebration, September 13, 2005 in London. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)

Denis Lillee wit the son Adam Lillee

Shane Warne With son Jackson

CALCUTTA, INDIA: Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (R) walks across the field with his young son Ibtecam (C), team-mate Abdul Razzaq, (L) before a practice session in Calcutta, 11 November 2004.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 25: Matthew Hayden of Australia kisses daughter Grace while out on the pitch during training at the MCG on December 25, 2004 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria and his wife Dharmeta pose for photographs with their newly born daughter at a hospital in Karachi, 26 February 2005.

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN - DECEMBER 19: Former Pakistan cricket team captain Imran Khan and his sons Qasim and Suleiman Khan watch the action during the fourth one day international match between Pakistan and England at The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on December 19, 2005 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

MAthew Hyeden

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 28: Former cricketer Merv Hughes and son Scott participate in the "Merv's walk to the G" event from Federation Square to the MCG before day three of the Second Test between Australia and South Africa played at the MCG on December 28, 2005 in Melbourne, Australia.

Bangalore, INDIA: Indian cricketer Anil Kumble, with his son Mayas Kumble, arrives for a press conference to announce his retirement from one-day international (ODI) cricket during a press conference in Bangalore, 30 March 2007

Glenn McGrath

ENGLAND - JUNE 1983: Viv Richards of the West Indies with his daughter during the World Cup 1983 held in June 1983 in England. (Photo by Getty Images)

Michael Vaughan (R) watches from the stand with his daughter Talulah Grace during the Twenty20 match between Yorkshire and Durham at Headingley on June 27, 2006 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Rahul Dravid

Sanath Jayasurya

Mohammed Yusuf

Adam Gilchrist

Virendra Sehwag

Tilakratney Dilshan

Ricky Ponting

MUMBAI, INDIA - APRIL 02: Sachin Tendulkar (C) of India alongside his son Arjun (L) and daughter Sara (R) during the 2011 ICC World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Mumbai, India.

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar stands alongside his son Arjun as they watch a nets practice session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 1, 2012.

Steven Fleming

Indian cricket coach Gary Kirsten and his son Joshua stand at the nets during an optional training session ahead of the third and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka, in Mumbai on November 29, 2009. India lead the 3-match series 1-0.

Mutaiyaa Muralidharan

Researchers shedding new light on neural imaging research

Neural imaging—maps of brain functions—is a primary tool used by researchers hoping to transform the lives of people living with chronic neurological conditions such as epilepsy. At present, researchers often require several different imaging techniques to fully map brain functions, making research and treatment of these conditions expensive and inefficient.

Using cutting-edge illumination technology, Professor Ofer Levi and his research students from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) has developed a new cost-effective neural imaging system. It allows researchers to make much more complex maps of the brain with just one camera and one imaging system. The team's initial findings, released this week in Biomedical Optics Express, demonstrate that this new technology may one day transform the way researchers view the human brain

Developed from the same technology that lights up our cell phones and computers, this unique system uses Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL): low-cost, easily-tested, miniature microchip lasers mounted on an extremely fast, sensitive camera, which allows the operator to switch the lasers on and off with extraordinary speed and precision. This rapid light manipulation (at a rate of approximately 1x/millisecond) means that the brain can be mapped with greater sophistication and precision—much more quickly. Results published in Professor Levi's article, for instance, demonstrate that this imaging technology is able to classify both veins and arteries simultaneously—something never before accomplished.

Hart Levy, co-author of the article and recent graduate from the ECE and IBBME, looks forward to seeing the results of further testing. "It's amazing to develop something that's going to be used to help people," he said.

Professor Levi asserts that this new, "agile system" is only the beginning; he plans to adapt the technology into a portable model, which would enable researchers to conduct studies with "freely behaving," or non-anesthetized, animals. While other portable neural mapping systems already exist, Professor Levi's multi-modality technology mean that blood flow, oxygenation and florescence—the three components of the human brain that researchers look at, which currently requires three different imaging systems—can be mapped simultaneously.

Provided by University of Toronto

"Researchers shedding new light on neural imaging research." April 2nd, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-04-neural-imaging.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Information superhighway 'bypassing adult learners' -- new study

Despite a world of opportunities just a click away, there has been no significant shift in the uptake of lifelong learning over the past decade according to new research.

Pronouncements at government level about the creation of 'a learning society' where education is the key to a nation's economic development - the so-called 'knowledge economy'- are not backed by evidence in society, the researchers found.

Although easier access to the internet and faster connections may have facilitated informal learning opportunities, the vision of mass learning is simply a pipe-dream, researchers claim.

Analysis conducted by Dr Patrick White, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Leicester, suggests that participation in adult learning neither increased nor widened during the first decade of the 21st Century.

He said: "Given the rapid development of the Internet during these years – both in terms of capability and accessibility – our findings suggest that online technologies have not fulfilled the promise of their advocates who believed they would break down barriers to learning and expand access to previously excluded groups."

The research, published in the British Educational Research Journal, used multivariate analysis to analyse data on more than 47,000 participants collected as part of annual surveys commissioned by the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE). White concluded that – despite considerable technological change and numerous government initiatives – Britain was no closer to being a 'learning society' in 2010 than it was nine years beforehand.

In every survey year from 2002 to 2010 the majority of adults surveyed said that they had not engaged in any form of learning in the three years before being questioned. Those who had participated, however, were likely to be young, well-educated, economically active and working in skilled, non-manual occupations.

Dr White said: "The research found that respondents who were in occupational classes A, B or C1 (non manual jobs) were between one-and-a-half to two times more likely to have recently participated in recent learning than those in manual or unskilled work. Continuing initial full-time education beyond the age of 16 increased the chances of participation by a similar amount, as did being active in the labour market and being aged under 55 years.

"In contrast, having children in the household decreased the chance of participation by approximately one third."

While those currently participating in adult learning were more likely to report having access to the internet at home, there was no evidence that the internet had enabled groups with high levels of non-participation to re-engage with education.

Said Dr White: "Neither recent participation in learning nor intention to participate in the future increased over the nine survey years and there was no evidence to suggest that the factors most closely associated with participation – youth, early engagement with education and occupational success – had decreased in importance over time.

"Our analysis however, provides further evidence to support the growing body of research that suggests that the 'barriers' preventing educational participation are 'dispositional' and attitudinal rather than only practical, logistical or financial.

"Learning in later life appears to be primarily linked to positive attitudes to education that are usually formed during compulsory schooling. This means that young people who experienced early educational failure or felt alienated by the school system are very unlikely to participate in education as adults regardless of the opportunities available or potential benefits."

Commenting on the research, Dr Fiona Aldridge, Head of Research at NIACE, said: "There are many challenges highlighted by the research including the crucial need to promote adult learning to adults from all walks of life, who do not believe that learning is for them. We need to overcome the maxim that 'if at first you don't succeed in learning then you never do'. While this is true for far too many people, we also know that thousands of adults get back into learning every year, defying the norm and reaping the benefits."

More information: Patrick White (2012): Modelling the 'learning divide': predicting participation in adult learning and future learning intentions 2002 to 2010, British Educational Research Journal, 38:1, 153-175. http://dx.doi.org/ … .2010.529871

Provided by University of Leicester

"Information superhighway 'bypassing adult learners' -- new study." April 2nd, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-04-superhighway-bypassing-adult-learners-.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Sweden's largest Facebook study results announced

 

The surveyed women spend an average of 81 minutes per day on Facebook, whereas men spend 64 minutes. Low educated groups and low income groups who spend more time on Facebook also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives. This relationship between time spent on Facebook and well-being is also salient for women, but not for men. These are some of the results of Sweden's largest Facebook study ever, a project led by Leif Denti, doctoral student of psychology at the University of Gothenburg.

You might get hooked

Facebook is a habit-forming activity – 85 percent of the respondents use Facebook as part of their daily routine. Almost half of the respondents indicated that it is difficult to stay updated and on top of things without Facebook, and one quarter responded that they would feel ill at ease if they didn't get to log in on a regular basis.

'Facebooking may become an unconscious habit. A majority of the respondents log in every time they start their web browser. This may even develop into an addiction,' says Leif Denti, doctoral student of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.

People with low income and low-educated individuals spend more time on Facebook

Women are generally more active than men on Facebook. On average, women spend 81 minutes per day Facebooking, whereas men spend 64 minutes. Users with low income and low education use Facebook more than other groups. Within these groups, users who spend more time on Facebook also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives. This relationship is also present for women, but not for men.

We brag, provoke, and mainly write about positive events

One third of the male respondents stated that they provoke others on Facebook. That is about twice the figure for women (one fifth). One quarter of the respondents use Facebook to brag.

'Facebook is a social tool that is clearly used to manage relationships with friends and family. But users won't write just anything – most of the content they share has something to do with major events, positive events and when feeling good. Only 38 percent write about negative emotions and events,' says Leif Denti.

Facebook statistics from the study: 

• The average user spends 75 minutes per day on Facebook
• The average user logs on to Facebook 6.1 times per day
• 70 percent log in every time they start their computer or web reader
• 26 percent feel ill at ease if they do not get to log in regularly
• Women spend on average 81 minutes per day on Facebook
• Men spend on average 64 minutes per day on Facebook
• Facebooking is primarily a habit among young users
• Older Facebook users use Facebook to get to know more people
• 67 percent of young users use Facebook to kill time
• 38 percent share negative information in their status updates
• Women write more about emotions and relationships
• One third of the men try to provoke others on Facebook, which is twice the figure for women
• More than 50 percent of the users broadcast information and knowledge via Facebook
• Women who use Facebook more are also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives
• One quarter of the respondents brag on Facebook

APPROACH

The study was based on data collected from more than 1000 Swedish 18-73 year olds from June to September 2011 via a web-based questionnaire.

Provided by University of Gothenburg

"Sweden's largest Facebook study results announced." April 2nd, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-04-sweden-largest-facebook-results.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Peacocks !

Random Articles of Fashion Accessories

LightHouse

Shannon's Mathematical Theory of Communication Applied to DNA Sequencing

Nobody knows which sequencing technology is fastest because there has never been a fair way to compare the rate at which they extract information from DNA. Until now

KFC

One of the great unsung heroes of 20th century science is Claude Shannon, an engineer at the famous Bell Laboratories during its hey day in the mid 20th century. Shannon's most enduring contribution to science is information theory: the idea that underpins all digital communication. 

In a famous paper dating from the late 1940s, Shannon set out the fundamental problem of communication: to reproduce at one point in space, a message that has been created at another. The message is first encoded in some way, transmitted and then decoded.

Shannon's showed that a message can always be reproduced at another point in space with arbitrary precision provided noise is below some threshold level. He went on to work out how much information could be sent in this way, a property known as the capacity of this information channel.

Shannon's ideas have been applied widely to all forms of information transmission with much success. One particularly interesting avenue has been the application of information theory to biology--the idea that life itself is the transmission of information from one generation to the next. 

That type of thinking is ongoing, revolutionary and still in its early stages. There's much to come. 

Today, we look at an interesting corollary in the area of biological information transmission. Abolfazl Motahari and pals at the University of California, Berkeley, use Shannon's approach to examine how rapidly information can be extracted from DNA using the process of shotgun sequencing.

The problem here is to determine the sequence of nucleotides (A, G, C and T) in a genome. That's time consuming because genomes tend to be long--for instance, the human genome consists of some 3 billion nucleotides or base pairs. This would take forever to sequence in series.

So the shotgun approach involves cutting the genome into random pieces, consisting of between 100 and 1000 base pairs and sequencing them in parallel. The information is then be glued back together in silico by a so-called reassembly algorithm.

Of course, there's no way of knowing how to reassemble the information from a single 'read' of the genome. So in the shotgun approach, this process is repeated many times. Because each read divides up the genome in a different way, pieces inevitably overlap with segments from a previous run. These areas of overlap make it possible to re-assemble the entire genome, like a jigsaw puzzle. 

That smells like a classic problem of information theory and indeed various people have thought about in this way. However, Motahari and co go a step further by restating it more or less exactly as an analogue of Shannon's famous approach.

They say the problem of genome sequencing is essentially of reproducing a message written in DNA, in a digital electronic format. In this approach, the original message is in DNA, it is encoded for transmission by the process of reading and then decoded by a reassembly algorithm to produce an electronic version.  

What they prove is that there is a channel capacity that defines a maximum rate of information flow during the process of sequencing. "It gives the maximum number of DNA base pairs that can be resolved per read, by any assembly algorithm, without regard to computational limitations," they say.

That is a significant result for anybody interested in sequencing genomes. An important question is how quickly any particular sequencing technology can do its job and whether it is faster or slower than other approaches. 

That's not possible to work out at the moment because many of the algorithms used for assembly are designed for specific technologies and approaches to reading. Motohari and co say there are at least 20 different reassembly algorithms, for example. "This makes it difficult to compare different algorithms," they say. 

Consequently, nobody really knows which is quickest or even which has the potential to be quickest. 

The new work changes this. For the first time, it should be possible to work how close a given sequencing technology gets to the theoretical limit. 

That could well force a clear out dead wood from this area and stimulate a period of  rapid innovation in sequencing technology.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1203.6233: Information Theory of DNA Sequencing