Rovio recently announced a sequel to its Angry Birds Star Wars game, and the Finnish company was on hand to demo its latest title here at Comic-Con. Coming to Android and iOS on September 19th (and to consoles a month later), the app features more than 30 playable characters and -- most notably -- works with Hasbro-designed "Telepods." If you've heard of Skylanders -- not to mention Hasbro's zAPPed line of add-ons for iPad games -- the concept will be quite familiar: the Angry Birds Star Wars 2 Telepods give players access to additional characters and superpowers.
To get started with the Telepod figures, we simply had to place them (attached to their plastic stand) over the demo iPad's camera. The tablet recognized the characters in just a second or two, and then we were able to play with new birds and their associated abilities (hint: more explosions). Rovio's VP of marketing Philip Hickey says the Telepod collaboration with Hasbro allowed the company to make even Jar Jar Binks' character interesting -- and we have to admit, that's quite an accomplishment. The Telepods will be available in stores for about $20 shortly before game launches in September.
The live-action telepods may be the upcoming title's most novel feature, but that doesn't mean the game doesn't have several software-based goodies as well. You can choose to play on the dark side ("on the pork side," as it were), and there are new two-player cooperative and two-to-four-player multiplayer modes. Be sure to check out our video hands-on after the break to see the sci-fi birds in action.
John Hackworth, the head coach of Major League Soccer?s Philadelphia Union, is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. Monday at UNCW ? on the topic of soccer youth development in the United States.
As previously reported, the Cape Fear Soccer Club and the Union have a formed a partnership.
The full release:
?? ?? Philadelphia, PA/Wilmington, NC (July 10, 2013) ? Cape Fear Soccer Club welcomes John Hackworth, the Philadelphia Union?s Head Coach, to Wilmington, NC to launch the Union?s Development Affiliate Network program on July 15th.? Hackworth, the former U-17 National Team Coach, USSF Development Academy Technical Manager and US World Cup team Assistant Coach, will begin his visit with a community outreach clinic at the MLK Center in downtown Wilmington, followed later in the evening with a presentation on the future of youth soccer development in the United States at UNC-Wilmington?s McNeill Hall.
?To be able to participate in any outreach program, especially a well-established one like Cape Fear Soccer Club?s, is very rewarding to me and have a true passion for, ? says Hackworth.? ?I am very familiar with the Wilmington soccer community and I look forward to formally welcoming such a devoted soccer culture into the Union?s network.?? Kenny Bundy, Cape Fear Soccer Club?s Director of Coaching states, ?I hope the entire Wilmington area soccer community gets an opportunity to hear Coach Hackworth?s message on the future of youth soccer development.?? Bundy adds ?his experience at all levels will give a profound insight for all of our coaches, families and supporters involved in soccer.?
The presentation will be held on Monday, July 15th at 6pm at UNC-Wilmington?s McNeill Hall Auditorium (room 1005) and is open to the public. Parking will be available at the Campus parking deck and special needs parking lots S or T. http://www.uncw.edu/ba/campus_map/index.htm.
A free NFL Punt, Pass and Kick program will occur at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27 at Rogers Park for boys and girls ages 6-15.
The national skills competition, put on locally by the Beaumont Recreation Division, will put five age divisions through punting, passing and kicking competitions.
More information can be found at www.nflppk.com or by calling 409-838-3613.
HARARE, Zimbabwe ? Baba Jukwa's name is whispered in buses, bars and on street corners by Zimbabweans eager for the inside scoop on President Robert Mugabe's ruling party. One avid follower even climbs a tree in a rural village for a signal to call a friend for the latest tidbits from the mysterious yet stupendously popular blogger.
Baba Jukwa, or Jukwa's father in the local Shona language, is a ZANU-PF party insider, or "mole," who says on his popular Facebook page that he is disheartened by the "corrupt and evil machinations" of President Robert Mugabe's fractious party.
From its launch in March the Baba Jukwa page now has a larger following than either the president and prime minister with at least 200,000 followers.
The shadowy blog points to what it claims are exposes by well-connected insiders of Mugabe's health secrets, murder, assassination and corruption plots, and intended intimidation and vote-rigging ahead of upcoming elections scheduled for the end of July. It also, in some postings, calls for violent retribution against ruling party members.
Zimbabweans who follow Baba Jukwa now say they have unfettered access to what they have always wanted to know but never dared ask for fear of being arrested. Under the nation's sweeping security laws, it is an offense to undermine the authority of the president and national security operatives.
There is even a Baba Jukwa claim on the page that there is a bounty on his head, although it is believed there are several authors because the writing style of the posts changes from day to day.
After state-run media, loyal to 89-year-old Mugabe, said the president made a trip to Singapore for an eye check-up, the Baba Jukwa page stated: "When we welcomed him at the airport yesterday early in the morning our old man, ladies and gentlemen, looked weaned and very weak. It was clear that the chemotherapy process he went through in Far East Asia was still having effect on him."
It said Mugabe was suffering from a severe recurrence of prostate cancer.
With the catchphrase "tapanduka zvamuchose," a Shona term that he has "gone rogue," Baba Jukwa gives details of secret venues and times of undercover meetings.
ZANU-PF insiders have reported they are afraid to leave important meetings to go to the bathroom in case they are suspected of firing off smart phone texts to Baba Jukwa. The site has reported getting tip-offs from the midst of meetings of Mugabe's politburo, its highest policy making body, and other confidential gatherings.
Zimbabwe has an estimated 12 million mobile subscribers with 60 percent estimated to have direct access to the Internet through their cell phones, according to commercial company reports from the three main mobile networks.
This photo released by NASA shows a view of Mars that was stitched together by images taken by NASA?s Viking Orbiter spacecraft. The space agency is planning to send a spacecraft similar to the Curiosity rover to the red planet in 2020. A NASA-appointed team released a report on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 that described the mission?s science goals. (AP Photo/NASA)
This photo released by NASA shows a view of Mars that was stitched together by images taken by NASA?s Viking Orbiter spacecraft. The space agency is planning to send a spacecraft similar to the Curiosity rover to the red planet in 2020. A NASA-appointed team released a report on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 that described the mission?s science goals. (AP Photo/NASA)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Explore an intriguing spot on Mars. Hunt for ancient signs of Martian life. Bag a bunch of rocks and leave them on the surface for a future mission to possibly return.
That's what the next rover to Mars should strive for, a NASA-appointed team said Tuesday.
The scientists released a 154-page report outlining ambitious science goals for a red planet mission that NASA wants to launch in 2020.
While the plan marked the first concrete step toward returning a piece of Mars to Earth, NASA said it's unclear how ? or when ? the cache would be retrieved.
"We're not signing up to a timetable or a commitment for a follow-on mission," said NASA sciences chief John Grunsfeld, adding that it's up to future planners to decide the next steps.
NASA has the ultimate say on what the future rover will accomplish within its $1.5 billion budget, excluding the cost of the launch vehicle.
One thing is for certain: The rover will be modeled after Curiosity, which captivated the world last summer with its daring landing in Gale Crater near the Martian equator.
Despite the successful touchdown, the $2.5 billion mission ran over budget and faced technical problems during development.
To save money, engineers will dust off Curiosity's blueprints and reuse spare parts where possible. There are also plans to recycle the landing technology that delivered the car-size rover to the surface.
The future rover would build on discoveries of past Mars missions. Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2004, uncovered plenty of geologic evidence of past water. Curiosity found a habitable environment where microbes could thrive and recently began a long road trip toward a mountain.
Scientists want Curiosity's successor to carry high-tech instruments that can peer at rocks on a microscopic level in search of chemical clues that might have been left behind by microbes, if they existed.
Since the Martian surface is a harsh environment with no signs of water, the panel said it didn't make sense to look for current life.
That would be a "foolish investment," said Brown University planetary geologist John Mustard, who headed the NASA-appointed team.
The only time NASA tackled the life question head-on was during the Viking missions of 1976. The twin spacecraft's rudimentary experiments failed to turn up signs of life. Many Mars researchers believe that question can be best answered by examining Martian rocks and dirt under a microscope on Earth.
Women working shifts are at greater risk of miscarriage, menstrual disruption and subfertilityPublic release date: 9-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christine Bauquis christine@eshre.eu 32-499-258-046 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
London, 9 July 2013: Shift work, which encourages sleep deprivation and patterns of activity
outside the circadian rhythm, has been associated with a greater risk of ill health and loss of
well-being in some (but not all) studies.(1) However, little is known about the effects of shift
work on reproductive health and fertility.
Now, a study reported today at the annual meeting of ESHRE, by Dr Linden Stocker from the
University of Southampton, UK, indicates that working shift patterns is associated with an
increased risk of menstrual disruption and subfertility.
The study is a meta-analysis of all studies on the subject published between 1969 and January
2013. It compares the impact of non-standard working schedules (including night-shift work and
mixed-shifts) with that in women not working shifts. The end-points were early reproductive
outcome parameters, including menstrual dysregulation, female fertility and miscarriage rates.
The study, which included data on 119,345 women, found that those working shifts (alternating
shifts, evenings and nights) had a 33% higher rate of menstrual disruption than those working
regular hours (odds ratio 1.22, statistically significant) and an 80% increased rate of subfertility
(OR 1.80, statistically significant).(2)
Women who worked only nights did not have a statistically increased risk of menstrual
disruption or difficulty conceiving, but they did have an increased rate of miscarriage (OR 1.29),
although this increased risk of miscarriage was not observed in women who worked nights as
part of a shift pattern.
The investigators describe their findings as "novel", but in keeping with other studies (which
found adverse effects in later pregnancy). "If replicated," they said, " our findings have
implications for women attempting to become pregnant, as well as for their employers".
On the implications of the study Dr Stocker said: "Whilst we have demonstrated an association
between shift work and negative early reproductive outcomes, we have not proven causation. In
humans, the long-term effects of altering circadian rhythms are inherently difficult to study. As a
proxy measure, the sleep disruption demonstrated by the shift workers in our study creates
short- and long-term biological disturbances. Shift workers adopt poor sleep hygiene, suffer
sleep deprivation and develop activity levels that are out-of-sync with their body clock.
"However, if our results are confirmed by other studies, there may be implications for
shift workers and their reproductive plans. More friendly shift patterns with less
impact on circadian rhythm could be adopted where practical - although the optimal
shift pattern required to maximise reproductive potential is yet to be established."
In noting that only some reproductive outcomes were affected by shift work, Dr Stocker
reported that the underlying biological disturbances involved in reproductive difficulties "are
complex and not the same across all the disease processes". "Indeed," she said, "it is probable
that completely different causes underlie menstrual dysfunction, miscarriage and subfertility.
This may explain why the effects of different types of shift work are seen in some groups of
women, but not others."
She added that one possible explanation for the overall findings is that the disruption of
circadian rhythm can influence the biological function of "clock genes", which have been shown
to be associated with changes in biological functions.
###
Abstract 193, Tuesday 9 July 17.15 BST
Do working schedules influence early reproductive outcomes - a metaanalysis
Notes
1. Most studies have concentrated on the association between shift work and cardiovascular
risk factors, with an emphasis on circadian rhythm, disturbed activity patterns, reduced social
support, psychological stress, stress, unhealthy behaviour (smoking, diet, alcohol, exercise), and
metabolic changes (cholesterol, blood pressure). Some studies have found a higher association
in shift workers, but results tend to be varied and the studies of inconsistent methodology.
Meta-analysis (as in this study) provides a way of pooling the data and applying a consistent
methodology.
2. Menstrual disruption was defined as a cycle which deviated from the normal 28
days; either a short menstrual cycle (32 days).
Shifts included all women who worked at any time other than a standard day-time schedule.
This could include night shifts, evening shifts, split shifts or rotating shifts.
* When obtaining outside comment, journalists are requested to ensure that their contacts are
aware of the embargo on this release.
For further information on the details of this press release, contact:
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.
Women working shifts are at greater risk of miscarriage, menstrual disruption and subfertilityPublic release date: 9-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christine Bauquis christine@eshre.eu 32-499-258-046 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
London, 9 July 2013: Shift work, which encourages sleep deprivation and patterns of activity
outside the circadian rhythm, has been associated with a greater risk of ill health and loss of
well-being in some (but not all) studies.(1) However, little is known about the effects of shift
work on reproductive health and fertility.
Now, a study reported today at the annual meeting of ESHRE, by Dr Linden Stocker from the
University of Southampton, UK, indicates that working shift patterns is associated with an
increased risk of menstrual disruption and subfertility.
The study is a meta-analysis of all studies on the subject published between 1969 and January
2013. It compares the impact of non-standard working schedules (including night-shift work and
mixed-shifts) with that in women not working shifts. The end-points were early reproductive
outcome parameters, including menstrual dysregulation, female fertility and miscarriage rates.
The study, which included data on 119,345 women, found that those working shifts (alternating
shifts, evenings and nights) had a 33% higher rate of menstrual disruption than those working
regular hours (odds ratio 1.22, statistically significant) and an 80% increased rate of subfertility
(OR 1.80, statistically significant).(2)
Women who worked only nights did not have a statistically increased risk of menstrual
disruption or difficulty conceiving, but they did have an increased rate of miscarriage (OR 1.29),
although this increased risk of miscarriage was not observed in women who worked nights as
part of a shift pattern.
The investigators describe their findings as "novel", but in keeping with other studies (which
found adverse effects in later pregnancy). "If replicated," they said, " our findings have
implications for women attempting to become pregnant, as well as for their employers".
On the implications of the study Dr Stocker said: "Whilst we have demonstrated an association
between shift work and negative early reproductive outcomes, we have not proven causation. In
humans, the long-term effects of altering circadian rhythms are inherently difficult to study. As a
proxy measure, the sleep disruption demonstrated by the shift workers in our study creates
short- and long-term biological disturbances. Shift workers adopt poor sleep hygiene, suffer
sleep deprivation and develop activity levels that are out-of-sync with their body clock.
"However, if our results are confirmed by other studies, there may be implications for
shift workers and their reproductive plans. More friendly shift patterns with less
impact on circadian rhythm could be adopted where practical - although the optimal
shift pattern required to maximise reproductive potential is yet to be established."
In noting that only some reproductive outcomes were affected by shift work, Dr Stocker
reported that the underlying biological disturbances involved in reproductive difficulties "are
complex and not the same across all the disease processes". "Indeed," she said, "it is probable
that completely different causes underlie menstrual dysfunction, miscarriage and subfertility.
This may explain why the effects of different types of shift work are seen in some groups of
women, but not others."
She added that one possible explanation for the overall findings is that the disruption of
circadian rhythm can influence the biological function of "clock genes", which have been shown
to be associated with changes in biological functions.
###
Abstract 193, Tuesday 9 July 17.15 BST
Do working schedules influence early reproductive outcomes - a metaanalysis
Notes
1. Most studies have concentrated on the association between shift work and cardiovascular
risk factors, with an emphasis on circadian rhythm, disturbed activity patterns, reduced social
support, psychological stress, stress, unhealthy behaviour (smoking, diet, alcohol, exercise), and
metabolic changes (cholesterol, blood pressure). Some studies have found a higher association
in shift workers, but results tend to be varied and the studies of inconsistent methodology.
Meta-analysis (as in this study) provides a way of pooling the data and applying a consistent
methodology.
2. Menstrual disruption was defined as a cycle which deviated from the normal 28
days; either a short menstrual cycle (32 days).
Shifts included all women who worked at any time other than a standard day-time schedule.
This could include night shifts, evening shifts, split shifts or rotating shifts.
* When obtaining outside comment, journalists are requested to ensure that their contacts are
aware of the embargo on this release.
For further information on the details of this press release, contact:
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.
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Public release date: 9-Jul-2013
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