This cloak-and-dagger moniker references the fact that the room houses projects often jointly developed with companies under strict confidentiality, stated the center’s director, Dr. Santiago Horgan.

The 007 Room at the Center for the Future of Surgery is the spot at the UCSD School of Medicine where future medical devices come for testing under wraps. — Howard Lipin

“As you can imagine, the future happens there,” he said. “That is a room where we develop new surgical techniques, where we test-drive new devices and where we team up with industry to develop the devices of the future.”

Researchers have tested projects by companies such as Olympus, Stryker, Torax and Gore Medical through the public-private partnership.

It is the spirit of this single room — the push to move forward the practice of surgery — that drives the rest of the center in its day-to-day mission to help surgeons master the latest in minimally invasive techniques. Modern surgery, which requires smaller incisions or sometimes none at all, can shorten healing times and reduce complications for patients.

The surgery center and its 007 room are part of the Medical Education and Telemedicine Building, which opened at the University of California San Diego in September 2011.

The building has quickly become the home of medical education for the school. Its surgery center, which takes up about half of the overall structure’s lower level, has offered state-of-the-art training available to all types of surgeons — from residents just entering their medical specialties to veteran physicians looking to sharpen their skills and learn new techniques.

Anchoring the center are three da Vinci surgical robots, which cost between $1.3 million and $2 million each.

To use the robot, a surgeon sits in the embrace of a specially designed console, peering at a high-definition display that shows a video-camera view of the surgical field. Joysticks and foot pedals control robotic arms that are positioned over the patient like a high-tech octopus.

Each arm can be equipped with an array of instruments that are able to cut, grasp, cauterize and suture tissue after making small incisions.

The key innovation that sets these tools apart is motion: The instruments’ tips have a better range of motion than the human wrist, according to Intuitive Surgical, maker of the da Vinci system.

The university’s surgical residents regularly undergo training at the center. They use the da Vinci machines’ built-in virtual reality simulation abilities to practice minimally invasive skills — from making little stitches, called sutures, to cauterizing blood vessels. The system’s controls resemble those of a video-game console.

Urogynecologist, physician Heidi Brown uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System to practice suturing technique in an operating room used for simulations at the Center for the Future of Surgery at the UCSD School of Medicine. — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Heidi Brown uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System to practice suturing technique in an operating room used for simulations at the Center for the Future of Surgery at the UCSD School of Medicine. — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Heidi Brown uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System to practice suturing technique in an operating room used for simulations at the Center for the Future of Surgery at the UCSD School of Medicine. — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Anna Kirby uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System and a computer program to practice generic surgical skills in an operating room used for simulations in the Center for the Future of Surgery, at the UCSD School of … — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Anna Kirby uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System and a computer program to practice generic surgical skills in an operating room used for simulations in the Center for the Future of Surgery, at the UCSD School of … — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Anna Kirby uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System and a computer program to practice generic surgical skills in an operating room used for simulations in the Center for the Future of Surgery, at the UCSD School of … — Howard Lipin

Urogynecologist, physician Anna Kirby uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System and a computer program to practice generic surgical skills in an operating room used for simulations in the Center for the Future of Surgery, at the UCSD School of … — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

Urogynecologist, physician Anna Kirby uses the da Venci Robotic Surgical System and a computer program to practice generic surgical skills in a simulated operating room in the Center for the Future of Surgery, at the UCSD School of Medicine. — Howard Lipin / U-T San Diego

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Such exercises grant surgeons to build proficiency with utmost safety and realism, stated Dr. Mark Talamini, chairman of the medical school’s surgery department. They keep threading virtual needles through specified targets until they can consistently hit the right spots.

“In a patient, you could hardly say, ‘Take that apart and do it over and over again until it’s right.’ But in the lab, you can,” Talamini said.

Though the da Vinci robots tend to command the most attention from visitors, surgeons also spend many hours learning another way of performing minimally invasive surgery: controlling a long, thin mechanical device called a laparoscope.

Samsung (005930:KS) co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun has this day hailed the company’s new Galaxy S4 phone as its fastest ever selling gadget. It’s expected to hit 10 million in sales next week, a mere three weeks after it first launched. JK Shin also told The Korea Times:

We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week. It is selling much faster than the previous model S3.He added that the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S4 could ultimately reach 100 million units sold, a feat which would represent double the global sales of its predecessor, the Galaxy S3, which reached 50 million sales. Indeed, the S3 took 50 days to pass the 10 million sales mark.The Galaxy S4 went on sale in South Korea on April 26, and promptly landed in the US, China, and India the next day ahead of a big global roll-out backed up by major offline and on-line marketing. The big-screened S4 launched in Indonesia on May 3rd.Samsung is the top smartphone brand in China, where it sold 30 million phones across various models in 2012.(Source: Korea Times; via The Verge)
The post Samsung CEO Hails 10 Million Galaxy S4 Sales in 3 Weeks, Hints at 100 Million in Future appeared first on Tech in Asia.

Davis stated the aim of the reviews is to learn from the experience and prepare for the future.

“We are very anxious to get those reviews under way and learn lessons from anything that might pop up as an issue of concern,” Davis said. “I anticipate that this whole year will be a time of review and reflection on what happened.”

Davis addressed reporters after delivering the commencement address at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The event occurred a tiny more than a month after the April 15 bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260. The attacks made Davis a national figure.

He stated one review, of all of the city’s response services, will be conducted under the leadership of Mayor Thomas Menino and his office of Emergency Management. The second investigation will look at ideal practices and will be funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

“I fervently hope that each of these reviews help us learn more about our emergency services and will grant us to better prepare for other large-scale events in our future,” Davis told hundreds of graduates, their families and faculty.

He could not immediately state when the investigations will start, only that he anticipates them to take “a few months.” He did not know how much they are likely to cost.

Davis indicated that the bombings have changed the perspective of the city police department. He noted that ahead of the July 4 celebration in Boston, police officers will travel to New York City for additional training on securing large-scale public events.

Davis states he is continuously asked what he learned from the bombings and following days.

“I learned to think the unthinkable,” he said. “I learned that the most horrific of circumstances can produce the most inspirational and heroic of actions, not just by one single person, but by hundreds of them.”

Davies stated Boston police Officer Tom Barrett used his hand to put out the flames of a person set on fire by one of the blasts. He also named Jeff Bauman, the bombing victim who provided a description of one of the bombers after having his legs blown off, and the man who helped Bauman into a wheelchair.

The 57-year-old Davis received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Nearly 3,200 students received degrees.

Davis is a Lowell native who began his police career as a patrolman in the city. He rose through the ranks and ran its police department for 12 years until being named commissioner in Boston in 2006.

He told the graduates that lessons he learned over the years were valuable in the aftermath of the April 15 bombings.

“If you take away nothing else from my remarks today, you must realize that every single day for the rest of your life is going to provide a learning opportunity for you,” Davis said. “Many of you believe that when you leave this arena this day with your UMass Lowell diploma in hand your days of learning are over … you are only getting started.”

A measure of the U.S. economy’s future health rose in solidly in April, buoyed by a sharp rise in applications to build new homes and apartments. The Conference Board index is intended to signal economic conditions three to six months out. (Photo: A construction worker installs a window in a new home at the Arbor Rose housing development in San Mateo, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A measure of the U.S. economy’s future health rose in solidly in April, buoyed by a sharp rise in applications to build new homes and apartments.

The Conference Board states its index of leading indicators (LEI) increased 0.6 percent last month to a reading of 95. That followed a 0.2 percent decline in March.

The index is intended to signal economic conditions three to six months out.

Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein stated the index is 3.5 percent higher at an annual rate than it was six months ago, suggesting expansion for the economy. He stated the biggest risk at the moment is the drag from cuts in federal spending.

“The biggest positive factor is the potential for improvement in the recovering housing and labor markets, stated Goldstein. “The biggest unknown is the resiliency in confidence, both consumer and business.”

Another economist at The Conference Board,  Ataman Ozyildirim, stated housing permits and the interest rate spread helped the index in April. 

“Labor market conditions also contributed, even though consumers’ outlook on the economy remains weak,” stated Ozyildirim. “In general, the LEI points to a continuing economic expansion with some upside potential. Meanwhile, the CEI, a measure of current conditions, has returned to a slow growth path, despite declining industrial production in April.”

The index is composed of 10 forward-pointing indicators. Strength in April came from the surge in building permits, a drop in applications for unemployment benefits and a rising stock market.

Holding the index back in April: Weaker consumer confidence and a decline in the average hours worked at U.S. factories.

The job market has also improved over the past six months. The economy has added an average of 208,000 jobs a month since November. That’s up from only 138,000 a month in the previous six months.

Unemployment has fallen to a four-year low of 7.5 percent.

A rebound in housing, along with a limited supply of homes for sale, has lifted the construction industry.

Construction cooled off in April, as builders broke ground on fewer homes after topping the 1 million mark in March for the first time since 2008. But most of the decline was in apartment construction, which tends to vary sharply from month to month.

The most encouraging sign for the industry last month was that applications for new construction reached a five-year peak. That suggests the housing revival will be sustained.

Builders are benefiting from a sustained rebound in housing that began a year ago. Steady job growth, rock-bottom mortgage rates and rising home values have boosted demand.

The overall economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the January-March quarter, up from a rate of just 0.4 percent in the October-December quarter. The fastest expansion in consumer spending in more than two years drove economic growth in the first quarter.

Many economists anticipate growth is slowing slightly in the current April-June period to around 2 percent. Still, cheaper gas prices helped consumers boost spending at retail businesses last month. Consumer spending accounts for almost 70 percent of economic activity.

A gauge of future economic activity rose more than analysts had expected, as did a measure of consumer confidence, adding to evidence that the economy is maintaining a steady recovery.

Stocks have surged to record levels this year on optimism about the economy and record corporate earnings. The market is also being supported by on-going stimulus from the Federal Reserve, which is keeping long-term borrowing costs at historically low levels.

“This slow but relatively steady growth, that keeps inflation in check and keeps interest rates low, is actually a pretty healthy environment for the stock market,” stated Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co. “Right now we are very optimistic.”

General Motors rose $1.03, or 3.2 percent, to $33.42. The automaker’s stock is trading above the $33 price of its November, 2010 initial public offering for the first time in two years.

Northrop Grumman gained $3.16, or 4 percent, to $82.19 after the defense contractor stated its board approved the repurchase of another $4 billion in stock, and that it plans to purchase back a quarter of its outstanding shares by the end of 2015.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 62 points, or 0.4 percent, to 15,294 as of noon Eastern Daylight Time. The index is up 1.2 percent this week and 16.7 percent for the year.

The Standard & Poor’ 500 index climbed 8.5 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,658. The gauge is up 1.6 percent this week and has gained 16 percent this year.

After some lackluster reports on the economy Thursday, including slowing manufacturing and an increase in applications for unemployment benefits, Friday’s reports were a tonic for investors.

The Conference Board stated its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.6 percent last month after a revised decline of 0.2 percent in March. The index is intended to predict how the economy will be doing in three to six months.

The University of Michigan’s survey of consumer confidence climbed to 83.7. Economists had predicted that the gauge would climb to 76.8.

As well as giving stocks a lift, the reports also pushed government bond yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.92 percent from 1.88 percent Thursday as investors favored riskier assets.

Gold fell for a seventh straight day, dropping $24.40, or 1.8 percent, to $1,362 an ounce. The precious metal is down nearly 20 percent this year and has fallen out of favor as an alternative investment as the stock market has surged this year.

The demand for gold is also being undermined by a surge in the U.S. dollar. The U.S. currency advanced against both the euro and the yen Friday.

The price of oil rose 24 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $95.39 a barrel.

The Nasdaq composite climbed 16.7 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,481.

Among other stocks making huge moves;

— J.C. Penney fell 69 cents, or 3.7 percent, 34 percent, to $18.09 after the retailer reported a loss that was worse than analysts’ already dismal estimates. The retailer is reeling from the fallout from turnaround plan orchestrated by its former CEO Ron Johnson, who was ousted last month after less than a year and a half on the job.

— Aruba Networks fell $4.63, or 26 percent, to $12.9 reporting a fiscal third-quarter loss. The company stated it was cautious about trends in technology spending.

Housing and Utlities Minister Ali Sherief (left) and Tripoli Local Council leader Sadat Badri (photo:Sami Zaptia).

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference after the collapse of a building in Tripoli that killed five people, Sadat Badri, head of Tripoli Local Council (TLC), revealed that an emergency plan was put in place to deal with any future collapses of buildings.

Badri, was talking after a building constructed during the Italian colonial period of the 1920-30’s collapsed in the Belkhair district in central Tripoli. The building had been vacated by the state, but Libya’s acute housing crisis meant that tenants reoccupied it illegally.

“We created an operation room which is in permanent meeting”, the TLC leader revealed, “to put in place a plan to help those affected by the collapse.”

Badri reported that “the Prime Minister was in constant contact with him as well as a number of other Ministers”.

However, residents of the area had complained, burnt tyres and blockaded at least one road yesterday in anger at the lack of government help. They were also upset by the fact that the Prime Minister had not visited the scene personally. Other Ministers and GNC members were reportedly seen at the site.

Housing Minister Ali Sherief, on the otherhand, had reported at yesterday evening’s press conference that a number of Ministers, the Deputy GNC head and GNC members had visited the site.

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The Canadian model admits the industry used to be elitist before social media made it more accessible to everyone.

This shows how significant technological developments are on shaping the future of fashion.

“For a long time I think fashion was seen as this untouchable world only for the elite. The industry as a whole is embracing social media, and that is proof that the pendulum is now swinging away from that attitude,” Coco told Australian Vogue. “More than ever people want to be, and in many cases, anticipate to be a part of this world and I’m happy to have been here to usher in a more inclusive attitude from within the industry. I think there is a large opportunity for technology to impact the fashion industry in the way we create and also view supply and demand.”

Coco shared her tips for creating and maintaining a special media presence. She admitted it is time consuming but believes it is vital to carefully craft your on-line identity. Coco states the only person she trusts to help her is her husband James Conran.

“It really is nearly a full-time job but I don’t do it alone, my husband helps me enormously. Had I not had his help I probably would have had to close down some of my accounts since there are just not enough hours in the day to manage them all. It’s important that we keep it in the family though,” she shared. “Personally, even though I have a great PR team no one except my husband and I touch any of my ten social media accounts. It’s a lot of work but I know that my brand, my image and my voice are authentic to me.”

Big Brother’s live feed is set to return this summer, while Rylan Clark has been confirmed as a host of the spin-off show.

The live nightly coverage that the show used to offer is coming back when the new series launches, according to Channel 5.

When the channel acquired Big Brother in 2011 they decided against any extensive live coverage, a feature of earlier series shown by previous broadcaster Channel 4.

At the time a Channel 5 spokesperson said: “The aim is to reflect the habits of our audience this day and we believe that prioritising social media is the way to get people involved in the show.”

But trial runs of a live hour after eviction shows in 2012 proved so popular that the coverage has been upped to two hours every night between 7pm and 9pm on 5*.

Meanwhile X Factor contestant and Celebrity Big Brother winner Rylan has been confirmed as the new host of spin-off show Big Brother’s Bit On The Side with Emma Willis, who will also host the main programme.

The line up is finished by TV and radio presenter AJ Odudu, who along with Rylan will replace Emma’s former co-hosts Alice Levine and Jamie East.

Rylan said: “I have followed the show since the very beginning. It was a dream come true to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house this year, let alone win it! Being offered the job to present Big Brother’s Bit On The Side was amazing.”

Ben Frow, Channel 5′s director of programmes, said: “Big Brother’s spin off shows have a history of bringing on new talent and with Rylan and AJ I think we have two future stars.”

Channel 5 have announced a second spin-off show, Big Brother’s Bit On The Psych, where a panel of psychologists and behaviour experts will analyse the housemates’ behaviour over the past seven days.

Close to 700 employees at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada labs and farms across the country received notices Thursday their jobs could be eliminated, in what union officials and former scientists state is another attack on research in Canada.

Bob Kingston, the national president of the Agriculture Union — a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada —said he anticipates there to be significant job cuts at Ottawa headquarters and at the Central Experimental Farm.

About 235 PSAC employees received notices on Thursday, and Kingston stated at least a hundred scientists, engineers and other workers in the National Capital Region will be affected.

About 350 members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) also received notices, including more than 150 in the National Capital Region.

PIPSC leaders anticipate the notices will likely lead to the elimination of some 200 jobs.

About 100 employees with the Canadian Association of Professional Employees received notices on Thursday.

Kingston stated he believes the cuts are part of the Conservative government’s move away from pure scientific research.

“Everybody knows this government has no use for long-term science. They’ve made that absolutely clear. If you cannot produce a gadget you can sell in a year, they do not even call it science,” stated Kingston.

Clarke Topp, a former research scientist at Agriculture Canada for 37 years, stated he is alarmed with what is happening at Agriculture Canada and he is also concerned about the new industry-led approach at the National Research Council.

The government announced Tuesday the NRC would be revamped, and would concentrate on industrial research, new growth and business development.

“Innovation doesn’t arise in response to a call for somebody’s need,” stated Topp. “Sometimes you just have to be exploring with an open mind.”

A spokesperson from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada issued a statement that the department is streamlining to make it easier for producers and processors to do business with government and deliver results.

“Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) continues to transform the way it operates to achieve its mandate and to ensure the future success of farmers and the agricultural sector,” read the statement from the department.

“We continue to find the most effective and least-costly ways to deliver service to Canadians so that as much of AAFC’s overall budget as possible goes directly to producers and the agricultural industry.”

LONDON – Even as the financial disparities in English football grow, this season gave the underdogs a chance to leave their mark.

The Premier League campaign was dominated and defined by Alex Ferguson winning a 13th title before announcing his retirement after almost 27 years at Manchester United.

But new names have been etched onto the League Cup — Swansea in February — and the FA Cup — Wigan on Saturday.

In the knockout competitions, the smaller teams on relatively meagre budgets, were able to produce uplifting upsets against more illustrious opponents.

In the earlier rounds of the League Cup and the FA Cup — from Bradford and Oldham in the north to Brentford and Luton in the south — came results that defied the gulf between teams in the football pyramid.

Although the cups were ultimately won by Premier League teams, their journeys to glory were no less inspirational.

For Swansea, in the League Cup final, came a first-ever title in the south Wales team’s centenary season.

And, in the FA Cup final on Saturday, Wigan became Wembley Stadium’s second history-maker inside three months.

In the first FA Cup final in its 81-year history, Wigan collected its first major piece of silverware by humbling wealthier regional neighbour, Manchester City, which won the Premier League last season.

Roberto Martinez, the much-admired 39-year-old manager, was the mastermind of Wigan’s success, having first helped the team as a player to begin the rise from the fourth tier in 1997.

“Winning the FA Cup is something special in the British game and I’m well aware of that,” Martinez stated after Saturday’s 1-0 win. “It’s inspirational to other football clubs that they begin in the lowest division in the British game, and you go all the way to the Premier League, stay there so far for eight seasons (for Wigan) and you win the FA Cup. It’s an incredible, incredible achievement.”

And one finished with eye-catching, attacking football that is the hallmark of Martinez. It also thrived at Swansea, where Martinez was part of the team’s ascent from the fourth tier as a player before starting his managerial career there.

Martinez was brought to Wigan in 1995 after an unheralded playing career in Spain by Wigan owner Dave Whelan.

“I arrived in the UK in 1995 and I was not a midfield dynamo, a midfield fighter or a tackler — I was a technical player and I always had real beliefs about how to play the game in the U.K.,” Martinez said. “And I knew that it would be very successful to try to introduce some possession game and have very strong football concepts that it could give you a really good future.”

It has given Whelan a major trophy to show for 18 years of investment in a club in a town better known for its rugby league team.

“I’ve seen Hollywood films with worse scripts than this story,” Martinez said.

Whelan’s first taste of an FA Cup final ended in heartache, when he had his playing career cut short by a broken leg suffered during the showpiece match while playing for Blackburn.

“1960 was a life-changing moment for him and left him with unfinished business,” Martinez said. “(At Wigan) his vision, work and financial backing has made all of this possible, and I could not have been prouder than when I saw him leading his team out at the begin of the day, and holding the cup at the end.”

The priority now is steering Wigan out of the Premier League relegation zone with two games to go.

“We’ve only struggled in the league because we have had so many injuries, we have had really bad luck,” Whelan said. “We’re a small club so it’s difficult to replace those. You could see the pride in all of our supporters that we had won the cup and will take the cup back to Wigan.

“All we want now is for the rugby league team to bring the Challenge Cup back to Wigan and Wigan is back on the map huge style.”

And in Europe — with both Wigan and Swansea in the Europa League next season.

But there were other remarkable stories in the English cups — competitions renowned for so-called “giant killings.”

Fourth-tier Bradford set the tone this season by reaching the League Cup final after knocking out both Arsenal and Aston Villa.

The FA Cup produced a set of stunning results in the fourth round.

Luton became the first non-league team in 24 years to beat topflight opposition in the cup by ousting Norwich.

Third-tier clubs also prospered, with Oldham eliminating Liverpool and MK Dons claiming the scalp of Queens Park Rangers. And Brentford held mighty west London neighbour Chelsea to a draw and forced a replay that it eventually lost.

It was fitting then that the final did not disappoint as Wigan pulled off one of the great final upsets.

“What an incredible story,” Martinez said.