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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

damsel sylphlike: Low Tech Visual Aid | Technical Writing

For my low tech visual aid and report conclusions I plan on using a handout. The handout will give a brief and simple performance comparison between two supersonic transport aircraft. One will have fixed wings and one will have variable sweep wings. The results should speak for themselves and should support everything my report has made conclusions about.

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Source: http://com221h.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/low-tech-visual-aid-4/

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Source: http://damsel-sylphlike.blogspot.com/2013/04/low-tech-visual-aid-technical-writing.html

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Novartis loses landmark India cancer drug patent case

By Kaustubh Kulkarni and Suchitra Mohanty

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's top court dismissed Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG's attempt to win patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec, a blow to Western pharmaceutical firms targeting India to drive sales and a victory for local makers of cheap generics.

The decision sets a benchmark for intellectual property cases in India, where many patented drugs are unaffordable for most of its 1.2 billion people, and does not bode well for foreign firms engaged in ongoing disputes in India, including Pfizer Inc and Roche Holding AG, analysts said.

It cements the role of local companies as big suppliers of inexpensive generics to India's rapidly growing $13 billion-a-year drugs market and also across the developing world.

Among the chief beneficiaries of Monday's Supreme Court ruling will be India's Cipla Ltd and Natco Pharma Ltd, which already sell generic Glivec in India at around one-tenth of the price of the branded drug.

"The multinational companies will have to find new ways of doing business in India," said Deepak Malik, healthcare analyst at brokerage Emkay Global, suggesting they may consider licensing agreements with local firms to offer cheap versions of branded drugs like Glivec.

Ranjit Shahani, managing director of Novartis India Ltd, the firm's locally listed unit, said it will be cautious about investing in India, especially over introducing new drugs, and seek patent protection before launching any new products. It will continue to refrain from research and development activities there.

"The intellectual property ecosystem in India is not very encouraging," Shahani told reporters in Mumbai after the ruling.

Healthcare activists have called on the government to make medicines cheaper in a country where many patented drugs are too costly for most people, 40 percent of whom earn less than $1.25 a day, and where patented drugs account for under 10 percent of total drug sales.

"This appears to be the best outcome for patients in developing countries as fewer patents will be granted on existing medicines," said Leena Menghaney, Medecins Sans Frontieres' Access Campaign manager for India.

Over 16,000 patients in India use Glivec and the vast majority of those get it free of charge, Novartis says. By contrast, generic Glivec is used by more than 300,000 patients, according to industry reports.

The Supreme Court's decision comes after a legal battle that began when Novartis was denied a patent for Glivec in 2006.

EXTRA WORK

Novartis had argued it was entitled to a patent for the amended version of Glivec because the original patented compound was never suitable for making into a pill. Developing the final chemically stable form took years of extra work and it was this effort that marked the real breakthrough in developing Glivec as a life-saving cancer medicine, the Swiss company said.

Glivec is used to treat certain forms of leukemia and gastrointestinal cancer, as well as some other rare tumors.

Shares in Novartis' Indian unit ended 1.8 percent lower after falling as much as 6.8 percent after the verdict. Natco Pharma stock ended 5.4 percent higher after earlier gaining nearly 11 percent and Cipla gained 1.3 percent, beating the benchmark index which ticked up 0.15 percent.

India's domestic drugs market is the 14th-largest globally, but with annual growth of 13-14 percent and the world's second-biggest population, international pharmaceutical firms say India has massive potential at a time when traditional developed markets have slowed down.

The ruling may dampen enthusiasm from foreign pharmaceutical firms in the short term, said S. Majumdar, head of law firm S. Majumdar & Co based in the eastern city of Kolkata.

"They will have to get used to it and learn to live with the law," he said.

NOT SO EVERGREEN

Pfizer's cancer drug Sutent and Roche's hepatitis C treatment Pegasys lost their patented status in India last year, decisions the companies are fighting to have reversed. The Supreme Court's latest ruling will make it tougher for them to win back patent protection.

"Henceforth, multinational pharma companies are likely to want that their patents are first recognized in India before launch of a patented product," said Ameet Hariani, managing partner at Mumbai-based law firm Hariani & Co.

India has refused protection for Glivec on the grounds that it is not a new medicine, but an amended version of a known compound. By contrast, the newer form of Glivec has been patented in nearly 40 countries including the United States, Russia and China.

Indian law bans firms from extending patents on their products by making slight changes to a compound, a practice known as "evergreening". The Supreme Court said Glivec does not satisfy a patent's "novelty" requirement, Pravin Anand, lawyer for Novartis, told reporters.

Novartis can file a review petition within 90 days.

Indian Trade Minister Anand Sharma called the ruling "a historic judgment" that reaffirmed legal provisions mandating the need for substantial innovation before new patents are issued on medicines.

(Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler in LONDON; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Matthew Tostevin)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indias-top-court-dismisses-novartis-petition-glivec-patent-052240790--finance.html

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French in Mali face Islamist insurgency of unknown strength

Insurgent raids into Timbuktu and Gao in supposedly secured northern cities put a question mark over France's aspirations to wrap up its military intervention in Mali soon.

By Robert Marquand,?Staff writer / April 1, 2013

A Malian soldier walks in Gao, northern Mali, in early February. Timbuktu has been hit by a prolonged battle between Islamic extremists and the Malian and French armies, residents and a Malian military spokesman said Sunday.

Jerome Delay/AP/File

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Handfuls of Islamist radicals are slipping in and out of towns in northern Mali on hit and run operations, putting a question mark over France's aspirations to neatly wrap up its military intervention soon.

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Investing at the Library | American Libraries Magazine

By Jordan Brandes

Learning financial literacy is a sure bet thanks to the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

Posted Mon, 04/01/2013 - 15:19

The demise of many manufacturing jobs during the recent recession and the continued downturn of Michigan?s economy left Jackson County suffering. Estimates showed that one in four children in the county lived below the poverty line. It was clear something needed to be done and the staff of Jackson (Mich.) District Library felt it could make a difference, with help from?the Smart Investing @ your library program.

Launched in 2007 by ALA and FINRA Investor Education Foundation,?Smart Investing @ your library helps create and expand community awareness of investor-education resources and services available through public libraries. Since its creation, the program?has awarded $6.96 million in grants and grown a national network of 94 programs representing more than 900 facilities that reach a service population of over 31 million. Each grant not only helps participating patrons learn more about financial responsibility, but also provides the basis for spreading those projects to other library systems through collaboration.

Jackson District Library, which was chosen in 2011, used its grant money to educate low-to-moderate-income households. Participants developed financial plans, increased their knowledge about money management and investing, and gained better access to learning resources with support from a personal-finance help-desk service and classes based on the FDIC Money Smart curriculum. ?Our grant is for two years, so we are right in the middle of our plan,? said Debby Sears, reference coordinator for the library.

?We have had success with the Money and Marriage luncheons,? she said. ?Each one has had good attendance and is presented with such a positive attitude that couples leave in good spirits regarding their ability to talk together about money.?

ALA and FINRA invite selected public libraries, nonprofit networks, public library systems, community college libraries, and state libraries to submit a grant application. Because it is a competitive program, there is no guarantee that a library will be awarded a grant. The grant amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000, and the terms last anywhere from one to two years. This competitive yet monitored process yields a range of interesting projects.

Milwaukee (Wis.) Public Library was awarded two Smart Investing @ your library grants, one in 2007 and another in 2010. With the second grant, the library staffers decided to focus their efforts on teaching teens about financial responsibility. They used the money to partner with Make-A-Difference Wisconsin and created a series of video vignettes written by teens to educate their peers. ?My recent class really seemed to be engaged when watching the videos and they helped bring home the points in the program. They have been a hit!? said Joe Schlidt, a volunteer with the Milwaukee program.

Queens (N.Y.) Library, awarded a grant in 2009, took a different approach, focusing its efforts on educating neighborhood immigrants. ?During the grant period, more than 500 people attended financial literacy programs [taught] in their own languages for maximum intake of the information,? said Joanne King, director of communications at the library. Queens Library serves residents who speak Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Korean, and more than 100 other languages. The staff wanted to make sure that the widest possible audience would be involved.

Fifty-six sessions were held in six languages throughout the grant period. Though the average number in each class was nine people, King said that the impact of the program cannot be judged by how many bodies were in the chairs. ?We still have the collections on the shelves and they are being accessed,? said King. ?Counseling sessions are still going on via the New York City Office of Economic Empowerment. The learning is shared among other members of the participants? social group. Overall awareness of financial education in the community has been raised. All of that will add value as time goes on.?

Smart Investing @ your library was created to bring universal financial literacy to underserved populations. ?If we can help residents learn to navigate money management and discover the possibilities of finding ways to be debt-free, as well as helping them navigate computers and software, then we will be doing our job to help the community,? said Debby Sears.

For more information on the program, as well as tips, tools, and ideas, check out smartinvesting.ala.org.

JORDAN BRANDES is a Chicago-based freelancer writer.

Source: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/04012013/investing-library

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Colo. prosecutors seeking death penalty for Holmes

Robert and Arlene Holmes arrive at district court for a hearing in the case of their son, Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes, in Centennial, Colo., on Monday, April 1, 2013. The prosecutor announced he will seek the death penalty against Holmes. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Unidentified women embrace outside of the courtroom in the case of Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes in Centennial, Colo., on Monday, April 1, 2013, after hearing that the prosecution will seek the death penalty in the case against Holmes. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

FILE - This March 12, 2013 file photo shows James Holmes, Aurora theater shooting suspect, in the courtroom during his arraignment in Centennial, Colo. Lawyers for Holmes are objecting to a Fox News reporter's request to delay her court appearance to testify about her confidential sources, Tuesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Denver Post, RJ Sangosti, Pool)

District Attorney George Brauchler arrives at district court for a hearing in the case of Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes in Centennial, Colo., on Monday, April 1, 2013. Brauchler announced he will seek the death penalty against Holmes. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Two unidentified women hide their faces as they leave the courtroom in the case of Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes in Centennial, Colo., on Monday, April 1, 2013, after hearing that the prosecution will seek the death penalty in the case against Holmes. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) ? Prosecutors on Monday said they will seek the death penalty against the man accused in last year's movie theater attack that killed 12, injured 70 and spurred new gun control laws in Colorado.

The much-anticipated disclosure came in a court hearing held four days after prosecutors publicly rejected an offer by James Holmes' attorneys that the former neuroscience graduate student would plead guilty to avoid execution.

Prosecutors had said the defense proposal wasn't a valid plea bargain offer, although they could still agree to a plea before the case goes to trial.

The decision to seek execution will delay the start of the trial until at least February, and the judge acknowledged even that might not be enough time for all sides to prepare. The trial had been planned to begin in August.

"It's my determination and my intention that in this case for James Eagan Holmes justice is death," Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said at the Monday hearing. He spoke quietly and deliberately without any hesitation.

There was no audible reaction from Holmes, who sat in court with his back to reporters.

Holmes' parents sat side by side in the gallery, clutching hands with fingers intertwined.

They were also quiet, as were the victims in the courtroom when Brauchler disclosed his decision, which he said he had shared with no one.

He said he had personally discussed the case with 60 people who lost relatives in the shooting. Overall, prosecutors have consulted with 800 victims and relatives.

Bryan Beard, whose best friend Alex Sullivan was killed in the attack, was in an overflow courtroom during the announcement.

"I had a huge adrenaline rush," he said. "I love the choice, I love it, I love it ... I hope I'm in the room when he dies."

Holmes' attorneys are expected to argue he is not guilty because he was legally insane at the time of the July 20 shooting. They balked at entering that plea last month, saying they couldn't make such a move until prosecutors made a formal decision on the death penalty.

Investigators say Holmes methodically stockpiled weapons and ammunition for his assault on a packed midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" and booby-trapped his apartment to explode and distract any police who responded.

Last week, prosecutors said they had rejected an offer from Holmes' attorney to have him plead guilty and serve life in prison, saying the offer wasn't a serious attempt at plea bargaining. They accused the defense of trying to gin up public support for a plea deal.

In a sign of how long the case could drag on, District Judge William Sylvester on Monday named a new judge ? Carlos A. Samour Jr. ? to take over the case. As chief judge for the district, Sylvester is responsible for the overall running of the court. He said he couldn't do that and oversee a complicated death penalty case.

In his order, Sylvester said "a final resolution of this case is now likely years away."

The timeline disturbed victims.

"It could be 10 or 15 years before he's executed," said Pierce O'Farrill, who was shot three times in the attack. "I would be in my 40s, and I'm planning to have a family, and the thought of having to look back and reliving everything at that point in my life, it would be difficult."

Prosecutors said they want the case wrapped up by spring of next year. But defense lawyers objected, saying the trial alone would take at least nine months and can't even start until numerous pretrial issues are resolved.

"They are trying to execute our client, and we will do whatever it takes to defend his life," said Tamara Brady, an attorney for Holmes.

The judge tried to strike a compromise with a trial starting on Feb. 3 and ending in June but acknowledged that schedule might have to be pushed back.

Prosecutors could eventually accept a plea deal but would want to ensure that it's air-tight, said Karen Steinhauser, a former prosecutor who is now an adjunct professor at the University of Denver law school.

Holmes would give up his right to appeal by pleading guilty, she said. He could ask to change a plea if new evidence surfaced or he claimed his lawyers were ineffective, but "it's very, very hard to withdraw it," Steinhauser said.

In addition, the judge would want assurances from defense lawyers that Holmes is mentally competent to plead guilty and accept a life sentence with no parole, Steinhauser said.

The judge could order a mental competency evaluation before accepting a guilty plea, but Steinhauser said that's unlikely unless Holmes showed some sign of incompetence.

The theater massacre was repeatedly cited by gun control advocates who pushed a hotly contested package through the Colorado Legislature last month. The bills include a ban on the sort of high-capacity magazines used to spray the theater with dozens of bullets in a matter of seconds.

President Obama is scheduled to visit Denver on Wednesday to highlight the legislation as part of his push for more gun control following December's Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-01-Colorado%20Shooting/id-b6b446bf254e489ea05c07d2271ac7a8

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Insert Coin: Dash charts your car data live, with gauges and a dashcam (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

We've seen a few stabs at smartphone-enhanced car diagnostics as of late, but many good solutions like Automatic Link and Delphi's Vehicle Diagnostics are primarily useful after you've parked. The upcoming Dash OBD-II adapter is certainly up to that side of the job, telling a Bluetooth-connected iOS device (and eventually, Android) about your car's problems and estimating fuel costs based on the gas tank's levels. Where it stands out is its usefulness while on the road: the custom app offers custom live gauges, including a Green-Meter for ideal fuel economy that you won't usually find in a real instrument cluster. There's even a dashcam mode that overlays travel details on captured video, whether it's to support insurance claims or just to immortalize a drive through the back country.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Transportation