While BitTorrent threw its hat into the cloud storage ring this January with an early version of its Sync app, it was hard to be truly excited when only a small circle could use it. The company isn't waiting for a completely polished version to renew our interest, however -- it's making BitTorrent Sync Alpha available to the general public, starting today. The newly accessible build brings the same unlimited Linux, Mac and Windows file syncing as before, although it adds a handful of tools to limit just who can see what. Those worried about security can now sync read-only files or offer one-time Secrets (file sharing keys) to friends that expire after a day if they're unused; it's also possible to exclude specific files or folders in larger transfers. Sync remains in a rough state, as the Alpha badge suggests, but those willing to live with the quirks no longer have to wait on the sidelines or consideralternatives.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Air Canada said on Monday it expects a wider operating loss in the first quarter, after weather-related flight cancellations, operational challenges and a sizeable impairment charge. Shares fell sharply.
Analysts said the preliminary results, which Canada's largest airline said it announced early so it could share the data with potential lenders, were weaker than they had expected and may suggest slowing revenue and earnings growth.
The Montreal-based airline's more heavily traded class B shares were down 12.7 percent at C$2.62 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, a modest recovery from an earlier fall of 18 percent.
Before the results, Air Canada stock was up some 250 percent in a year, making it vulnerable to bad news, RBC Capital Markets analyst Walter Spracklin said in a note which cut his stock price target to C$3 from C$4.
"This morning's unexpected profit warning is an example of this risk, with the lower-than-expected RASM (revenue per available seat mile) and yields certainly a cause for concern," Spracklin said.
Last week, he downgraded the stock to "sector perform" due to its lofty share price.
The airline, which is scheduled to report its results May 3, estimated first-quarter RASM growth at 1.1 percent. Spracklin said that lags his estimate of a 2.7 percent rise and suggests negative yield, versus his forecast of a 2 percent yield gain.
Air Canada, whose main domestic rival is WestJet Airlines Ltd , expects a first-quarter operating loss of C$106 million ($103 million), deeper than a year-ago loss of C$91 million. The net loss is seen at C$260 million, versus a net loss of C$274 million in the same period last year.
LOWER COSTS
Closely-watched EBITDAR, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment, and aircraft rent, missed expectations, said TD Securities analyst Tim James.
The airline's estimate of C$145 million in first-quarter EBITDAR is down from C$174 million a year earlier, while lagging TD's expectation of C$193 million and the consensus view of about C$173 million, James wrote in a note.
"The shortfall relative to our expectations was mainly due to lower passenger yield and revenue growth, partially offset by lower operating costs," he wrote.
Adjusted costs per available seat mile, excluding fuel, were up an estimated 1.4 percent, below management's previous forecast of a 3-4 percent increase. The improvement was largely due to C$15 million in favorable accrual adjustments and the timing of maintenance, the airline said.
Air Canada said it now sees full-year adjusted costs per available seat mile falling 0.5-1.5 percent, a bigger drop than its previous view of costs that would be flat to down 1 percent.
The results included several one-time charges, which muddied the overall picture.
The airline said it took a C$10 million hit due to severe weather conditions during the quarter, and unfavorable currency-related moves and a higher proportion of leisure passengers over business passengers also hurt results.
The preliminary results also include a C$24 million impairment charge on Airbus A340-300 widebody planes, which the airline subleased in 2007-2008.
BIG DEBT LOAD
The carrier, which estimates its debt at C$3.9 billion as of March 31, has said it was considering options to refinance its debt and pay for five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft scheduled for delivery over the next two years.
An Air Canada spokesman could not say if the debt financing was aimed at existing debt, new debt, or a combination.
The airline has C$760 million in principal and interest obligations due this year, and aircraft lease payments and capital expenditure-related costs bring total 2013 obligations to C$1.69 billion.
For 2014, the airline has C$1.68 billion in total obligations, rising to C$2.40 billion in 2015 and roughly C$5.86 billion in 2016 and the years beyond.
(Reporting by Susan Taylor and Euan Rocha in Toronto and Krithika Krishnamurthy in Bangalore; editing by Janet Guttsman, Matthew Lewis and Sofina Mirza-Reid)
An overview of classic psychological research on expectancy and observer effects published in Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
Amsterdam, April 22, 2013 A target article recently published in Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC) reviews various high-profile false convictions. It provides an overview of classic psychological research on expectancy and observer effects and indicates in which ways forensic science examiners may be influenced by information such as confessions, eyewitness identification, and graphical evidence.
The target article authors, Saul Kassin and Jeff Kukucka, of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Itiel Dror, University College, London, point out that when the instrument of analysis is a human examiner, then even evidence considered by the public to be highly objective, such as fingerprint evidence, is actually subjective in its judgment. Therefore, they argue, there is a potential for confirmation bias because psychological research shows that "people tend to seek, perceive, interpret, and create new evidence in ways that verify their preexisting beliefs."
The authors reveal that even DNA evidence, more famously known for exonerating wrongfully convicted people, has contributed to false convictions, especially when other, flawed, evidence chronologically precedes it, such as a mistaken eyewitness identification or false confession.
"Popular TV programs, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, communicate a false belief in the powers of forensic science, a problem that can be exacerbated when forensic science experts overstate the strength of the evidence," explained leading author, Saul Kassin.
The study does not just point out flaws it details many things that can be done to limit or avoid these problems, both during an investigation and during a trial. The authors propose various best practice recommendations to reduce confirmation biases. During the investigation, for example, an easy solution would be to shield forensic examiners from everything other than the evidence they are examining. This minimizes chances of fitting the evidence to a known suspect.
"The target article describes an important force that has the potential to erode the quality of our judicial system. Solving the problem will require psychological researchers, legal scholars and forensic scientists communicating with one another a process that is fostered by the exchange of ideas," says Ronald Fisher, Editor-in-Chief of JARMAC, and Professor of psychology at Florida International University.
###
The target article is "The Forensic Confirmation Bias: Problems, Perspectives, and Proposed Solutions" by Saul M. Kassin, Itiel Dror and Jeff Kukucka (DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.01.001). It appears in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Volume 2, Issue 1 (March 2013), published by Elsevier on behalf of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.
The commentaries on the target article follow in the same issue http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22113681/2/1
Notes for Editors
Full text of the articles are available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Irene Kanter-Schlifke at +31 20 485 3359 or i.kanter@elsevier.com or Linda Henkel at +1 203 254 4000 (ext. 3269) or lhenkel@fairfield.edu. Journalists wishing to interview the target article authors may contact Itiel Dror at i.dror@ucl.ac.uk
About the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
The Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC) is an official journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (http://www.sarmac.org, SARMAC). It publishes innovative, creative empirical research targeting the overlap between cognitive theory and real-world application. Its articles examine any cognitive process (e.g. memory, attention, decision-making, problem-solving, perception, mental representation, etc.) applied across many applied domains (e.g., education, health, aging, law, security, athletics, transportation, business, military, etc.). The ultimate goal of this unique journal is to reach not only psychological scientists working in this field and allied areas but also professionals and practitioners who seek to understand, apply, and benefit from research on memory and cognition. Therefore, each empirical article includes a section clearly describing the practical applications of the research. http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-applied-research-in-memory-and-cognition.
About SARMAC
The Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition is a non-profit professional organization that fosters applied research in memory and cognition. SARMAC primarily aims to promote the communication of high-quality research within and between the applied and basic research communities, and to other interested people and groups. The Society was founded in 1994 at the Third Practical Aspects of Memory Conference held at the University of Maryland. Every two years, it showcases the latest work in a wide and varied program at an international conference. http://www.sarmac.org
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close
to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of
science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
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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.
Forensic sciences are 'fraught with error'Public release date: 22-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
An overview of classic psychological research on expectancy and observer effects published in Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
Amsterdam, April 22, 2013 A target article recently published in Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC) reviews various high-profile false convictions. It provides an overview of classic psychological research on expectancy and observer effects and indicates in which ways forensic science examiners may be influenced by information such as confessions, eyewitness identification, and graphical evidence.
The target article authors, Saul Kassin and Jeff Kukucka, of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Itiel Dror, University College, London, point out that when the instrument of analysis is a human examiner, then even evidence considered by the public to be highly objective, such as fingerprint evidence, is actually subjective in its judgment. Therefore, they argue, there is a potential for confirmation bias because psychological research shows that "people tend to seek, perceive, interpret, and create new evidence in ways that verify their preexisting beliefs."
The authors reveal that even DNA evidence, more famously known for exonerating wrongfully convicted people, has contributed to false convictions, especially when other, flawed, evidence chronologically precedes it, such as a mistaken eyewitness identification or false confession.
"Popular TV programs, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, communicate a false belief in the powers of forensic science, a problem that can be exacerbated when forensic science experts overstate the strength of the evidence," explained leading author, Saul Kassin.
The study does not just point out flaws it details many things that can be done to limit or avoid these problems, both during an investigation and during a trial. The authors propose various best practice recommendations to reduce confirmation biases. During the investigation, for example, an easy solution would be to shield forensic examiners from everything other than the evidence they are examining. This minimizes chances of fitting the evidence to a known suspect.
"The target article describes an important force that has the potential to erode the quality of our judicial system. Solving the problem will require psychological researchers, legal scholars and forensic scientists communicating with one another a process that is fostered by the exchange of ideas," says Ronald Fisher, Editor-in-Chief of JARMAC, and Professor of psychology at Florida International University.
###
The target article is "The Forensic Confirmation Bias: Problems, Perspectives, and Proposed Solutions" by Saul M. Kassin, Itiel Dror and Jeff Kukucka (DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.01.001). It appears in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Volume 2, Issue 1 (March 2013), published by Elsevier on behalf of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.
The commentaries on the target article follow in the same issue http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22113681/2/1
Notes for Editors
Full text of the articles are available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Irene Kanter-Schlifke at +31 20 485 3359 or i.kanter@elsevier.com or Linda Henkel at +1 203 254 4000 (ext. 3269) or lhenkel@fairfield.edu. Journalists wishing to interview the target article authors may contact Itiel Dror at i.dror@ucl.ac.uk
About the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
The Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC) is an official journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (http://www.sarmac.org, SARMAC). It publishes innovative, creative empirical research targeting the overlap between cognitive theory and real-world application. Its articles examine any cognitive process (e.g. memory, attention, decision-making, problem-solving, perception, mental representation, etc.) applied across many applied domains (e.g., education, health, aging, law, security, athletics, transportation, business, military, etc.). The ultimate goal of this unique journal is to reach not only psychological scientists working in this field and allied areas but also professionals and practitioners who seek to understand, apply, and benefit from research on memory and cognition. Therefore, each empirical article includes a section clearly describing the practical applications of the research. http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-applied-research-in-memory-and-cognition.
About SARMAC
The Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition is a non-profit professional organization that fosters applied research in memory and cognition. SARMAC primarily aims to promote the communication of high-quality research within and between the applied and basic research communities, and to other interested people and groups. The Society was founded in 1994 at the Third Practical Aspects of Memory Conference held at the University of Maryland. Every two years, it showcases the latest work in a wide and varied program at an international conference. http://www.sarmac.org
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close
to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of
science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
[ | 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.
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Apr. 21, 2013 ? Depression is the leading cause of disability with more than 350 million people globally affected by this disease. In addition to debilitating consequences on mental health, depression predisposes an individual to physiological disease such as heart disease, and conversely heart disease increases the risk of depression. According to the World Health Organization by the year 2020 heart disease and depression will be the number one and number two leading causes of disability in developed countries. While the co-occurrence of these disorders is well recognized, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that lead to this relationship are lacking.
Dr. Susan K. Wood, a Research Associate at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, investigates brain-related biomarkers for depression-heart disease comorbidity. She uses a rodent model of social stress likened to bullying in people that she has found to produce depressive-like behaviors and dysfunctional cardiovascular changes in a susceptible subset of rodents. Her previous work highlighted a role for the stress-related neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor in rendering an individual vulnerable to stress-induced depression and heart disease. Intrigued by what other biomarkers may be distinct her latest study is the first to identify gene and protein expression differences in the brains of rodents that are either vulnerable or resilient to developing stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and cardiovascular dysfunction.
The study, conducted in male rats, compared expression of 88 genes involved in signaling within the brain between socially stressed and non-stressed rats. It revealed more than 35 genes in stressed rats that had altered expression compared with non-stressed controls. Many of the genes that were differentially expressed were related to inflammation. Follow-up studies measuring protein levels revealed that Interleukin-1? and Monocyte chemotactic protein-1, inflammatory markers known to play a role in depression and heart disease, were suppressed in the brains of the resilient subset of rats and Interleukin-1? was increased in the vulnerable group. Dr. Wood measured the gene and protein levels under resting conditions 24 hours after just 5 daily 30-minute exposures to social stress.
The identification of factors in the brain that distinguish susceptibility and resiliency to depression and heart disease comorbidity would be a major advance in predicting, preventing and treating these disorders. Dr. Wood is continuing these studies as an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine with the hope that these findings will uncover new targets to treat the mind and body.
Her findings will be presented April 21st, 2013 during Experimental Biology 2013 in Boston, MA.
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A police dog handler checks a vehicle for explosives along the Mall in London on Saturday. The Mall will stage the finish line of the London Marathon on Sunday.
By F. Brinley Bruton, Staff Writer, NBC News
LONDON ? The London Marathon: 36,000 runners, 650,000 spectators, and now 40 percent more police officers. The twin blasts that killed three and wounded 176 at the Boston Marathon Monday have prompted authorities in the U.K. to boost security at Sunday?s event, with about 700 additional security officers expected along the 26.2-mile long route.?
There are already over 33,000 police in London, which is no stranger to terrorist attacks.
"There are no gaps because obviously we police this every year with the London marathon and our other agencies - British Transport Police, London Police,? the head of the Metropolitan Police's London marathon operation Julia Pendry told NBC News? U.K. partner ITV News.
"What we have done since Boston is we've reviewed our plans, we've reviewed our contingencies and I have put on increased numbers of officers in high visibility reassurance patrols,? she added.
The increase was meant to ?make sure that when people step into the capital on Sunday they feel hopefully reassured and safe,? she said.
Police in London are boosting security at Sunday's London Marathon after the attacks in Boston.
While U.K. officials have years of experience coping with security challenges ? London has spent decades under the threat of bombs, first from Irish Republicans and more recently jihadists ?a marathon is by its nature a potential security headache.
The race route is set to take runners past important and iconic sites ? including Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace ? as well as through Canary Wharf, the riverside financial district targeted by the Irish militants in the 1990s.?
In a statement released on Saturday, London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel also acknowledged ?additional security issues ahead of Boston, but that seems be bedding down and the message of reassurance to runners very well received.?
Related: Runners, fans determined not to shy away from London Marathon
Related: London beefs up marathon security
Marathon organizers and security officials would not go into great detail about security preparations, but they would likely have been watching the dramatic events unfold in Boston.
Jared Wickerham / Getty Images
Cheers filled the streets after a Boston Marathon bombing suspect was captured alive but wounded Friday night ? following a daylong manhunt that shut down the city.
On Friday night, Boston police captured bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19. The arrest capped a manhunt that had the city of Boston and its suburbs locked down after the execution of a college campus patrol officer, a carjacking and the death of Tsarnaev's 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, during a 200-bullet confrontation with cops.
British officials were keen to point out that there had been no change to the threat level and nothing to link the London marathon to the two bombings in Boston.
?There is no change in the threat in London,? Pendry said.
Despite any preparations, it would be impossible to make the marathon completely immune to attack, according to security expert Margaret Gilmore.
?You can?t ever guarantee safety,? said Gilmore, a senior research fellow specializing in homeland security at Royal United Services Institute, the U.K.'s top defense and security think tank.
Organizers were also planning to commemorate those killed and injured in Boston by holding a 30-second silence before each of the race?s three starts and handing out black ribbons to every runner. They also announced that they would donate around $3 to the Boston First fund for every finisher.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:
What's next: The interrogation of the Boston bombing suspect
How thermal imaging helped catch bomb suspect
Timeline of?terror hunt, from first photos to final fight?
DENVER (AP) ? Denver police on Sunday pointed to a YouTube video they say shows a possible suspect in the weekend shooting at a marijuana celebration that injured two people and scattered a crowd of thousands.
The shooting on Saturday took place during the outdoor celebration of the first 4/20 counterculture holiday since Colorado legalized marijuana. Denver police spent much of Sunday scanning video taken at the event.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson told The Denver Post (http://bit.ly/ZGZFPZ ) that the suspect is shown in the video walking in a crowd away from the scene of the shooting as sirens wailed in the background.
The suspect, a black male who was wearing a brown and white checkered shirt, can be seen about six seconds into the video, he said.
"We are seeking this individual as we believe he assisted the primary suspect after the shooting," Jackson said in an email to the newspaper.
The police gang unit has taken over the investigation, although it isn't yet clear if gangs were involved, he said.
Witnesses on Saturday described a scene in which a jovial atmosphere quickly turned to one of panic at the downtown Civic Center Park just before 5 p.m.
Several thought firecrackers were being set off, then a man fell bleeding, his dog also shot. Witnesses said as many as 10 shots could be heard.
A man and a woman each suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Additionally, a juvenile who was grazed by a bullet walked to a nearby hospital, police said.
Police said they were also looking for a second black man ? one who was dressed in a grey hoodie and light blue baseball cap.
"When gunfire happens people run away. Now that things have calmed down, we would like them to come back and talk to us," Jackson said.
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Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
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