Microsoft Surges To Best Consumer Perception In ... - Business Insider

Microsoft / YouTube

The Windows 8 launch ad

The recent launch of Windows 8, the Surface tablet, and Bing's new advertising campaign are most likely the causes of Microsoft's recent surge in positive consumer perception. The company is at its highest perception level with shoppers in 21 months.

The company has bombarded the airwaves with trendy dubstep-themed ads for both Surface and Windows 8 recently. Historically, Microsoft is known for its rather staid, square advertising. In the last six months, it's marketing has looked a lot sexier.

This month alone, Bing reached a two-year perception high, Windows reached its highest perception since October 2009, and Microsoft tablet owners gave the company its highest mark of the year.?

YouGov BrandIndex's Buzz score provides consumer perception data by asking 5,000 customers a day "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"

Related:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-surges-to-best-consumer-perception-in-21-months-2012-11

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Turkey Family Art Project - Hobbies On A Budget

Turkey Family Art Project

turkey 4

It?s almost Thanksgiving. That means it?s time for every kid to create a Thanksgiving turkey. My son?s kindergarten class is no exception. He brought home his turkey family art project a few weeks ago for us to transform from a white piece of poster board into a turkey masterpiece. This is our 3rd Family Art Project of the year. We?ve made an Angry Bird Apple, a Halloween Pumpkin and now the Thanksgiving turkey! These are so much fun.

Turkey Family Art Project

We tried to come up with a really original, creative turkey idea for this family art project. But all turkeys need feathers ? so feathers it is! But since my family loves the University of Kentucky Wildcats, we decided this turkey needed a UK ball cap and a basketball! We thought about using the crinkled, shredded paper for the body, but once we started working my son didn?t like that idea at all.

We gathered our supplies:

Craft Foam
Turkey shape on poster board
Elmers Rubber cement
googly eyes
feathers
hot glue glun
scissors

I traced the shape of the turkey?s head and neck and let Luke start cutting.

Gluing on the feathers was easier with hot glue than rubber cement! All that was missing was the basketball and UK hat!

This Turkey Family Art Project was done and ready to help set the stage for Thanksgiving fun on the Kindergarten hall!

What?s your favorite way to make a turkey craft for Halloween? My friend

Source: http://hobbiesonabudget.com/2012/11/10/turkey-family-art-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=turkey-family-art-project

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Victims to testify in Afghan massacre hearing

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. (AP) ? Two victims and four relatives of victims are scheduled to testify from Afghanistan on Friday night against the American soldier accused of devastating their remote villages during a nighttime massacre last March.

The villagers will speak, by video conference and through an interpreter, to a military courtroom at Joint Base Lewis-McChord during an overnight session to accommodate the time difference. They are expected to describe the horrors that befell them before dawn on March 11.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, a 39-year-old Ohio native and father of two from Lake Tapps, Wash., could face the death penalty if he is convicted of 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder in the attack in southern Afghanistan. The preliminary hearing in his case, which began Monday, will help an investigating officer determine whether to recommend a court-martial.

Prosecutors say that Bales wore a T-shirt, cape and night-vision goggles ? no body armor ? when he slipped away from his remote post, Camp Belambay. He first attacked one village, returned to the base, and headed out again to attack another village, they say.

In between, he woke a fellow soldier, reported what he'd done, and said he was headed out to kill more, the soldier testified. But the soldier didn't believe what Bales said, and went back to sleep.

Nine children were among the victims, and 11 of the victims were from the same family.

Two Afghan National Army guards who reported seeing a soldier return to Belambay and then leave again were also scheduled to testify Friday night.

On Thursday, a U.S. Army DNA expert testified that Bales had the blood of at least four people on his clothes and guns when he surrendered.

The blood of two males and two females was discovered on Bales' pants, shirt, gloves, rifle and other items, said Christine Trapolsi, an examiner at the Army's Criminal Investigation Laboratory.

To preserve the evidence, she said she only tested a portion of the bloodstains, and it's possible more DNA profiles could be discovered through additional testing.

Another forensic expert from the Criminal Investigation Lab, fiber specialist Larry Peterson, testified that a small piece of fabric that matched the cape Bales reportedly wore was discovered on a pillow in one of the attacked compounds.

Prosecutors referred to the cape as a blanket, but Peterson said it was more like a decorative covering for a window or doorway.

Bales has not entered a plea and was not expected to testify. His attorneys, who did not give an opening statement, have not discussed the evidence, but say Bales has post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered a concussive head injury during a prior deployment to Iraq.

A U.S. agent who investigated the massacre has testified that local villagers were so angered it was weeks before American forces could visit the crime scenes less than a mile from a remote base.

By that time, bodies had been buried and some bloodstains had been scraped from the walls, said Special Agent Matthew Hoffman of the Army's Criminal Investigation Command.

Other stains remained, on walls and floors. Investigators recovered shell casings consistent with the weapons Bales reportedly carried.

Hoffman also said Bales tested positive for steroids three days after the killings.

Bales leaned back in his chair at the defense table and did not react as an Army doctor, Maj. Travis Hawks, gave clinical descriptions of treating the wounded villagers as they arrived at a nearby forward operating base.

One girl had a large bullet wound in the top of her head, he said. She was unresponsive at first, but survived after treatment.

A woman had wounds to her chest and genitals, but she and her relatives insisted that the male doctors not treat her. Prosecutors showed photos of the victims being treated.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/victims-testify-afghan-massacre-hearing-100411338.html

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Ruling hints at phone firm MTS return to Uzbekistan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - An Uzbek court has overturned a ruling confiscating the local assets of Russian mobile phone operator MTS , offering hope it could yet restart operations valued at $1 billion in central Asia's most populous country.

In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the court also ordered MTS to pay around $600 million in fines within eight months and ruled to bring in the operator as a civil defendant in a criminal case against its four local employees.

But it overturned a previous judgment ordering the confiscation of MTS assets. Previous fines had also totaled $900 million.

MTS had appealed against the nationalization of its Uzbek assets after its operating license was withdrawn earlier this year and a 2.5-year "corrective" labor sentence imposed on its managers.

MTS chief executive Andrei Dubovskov said in a statement that the ruling cleared the way for moves to find a solution that settled the previous differences and was "mutually beneficial to all parties".

MTS, which had taken a $1.1 billion write-off in August in connection with the Uzbek license withdrawal, said it had yet to decide on its next moves in Uzbekistan. But business daily Vedomosti, which cited a source at MTS parent company Sistema , said MTS was hoping the fines would be reduced.

The company has said it is just the latest foreign player to be on the end of a "classic shakedown" by officials in the gas-rich republic, pointing to the withdrawal of London-listed Oxus Gold , U.S. firm Newmont Mining Corp and Russia's Wimm-Bill-Dann, now part of PepsiCo .

Swedish telecoms operator TeliaSonera last month started a legal review of its 2007 purchase of a license in Uzbekistan after allegations of wrongdoing related to that deal.

The most recent accusations, aired in a Swedish TV programme, are that Telia bought its Uzbek 3G license from a firm reported to have close ties with the daughter of Uzbek president Islam Karimov.

FINES TOO HIGH

MTS' Uzdunrobita unit accounted for 3.6 percent of MTS' total sales and 4.5 percent of its operating income before depreciation and amortization last year. As recently as the middle of this year it was the market leader with around 9 million clients.

Analysts said that the chances of MTS returning to the market were still low.

"It is premature to assume that MTS will restore its operations in the country, as the $600 million fine seems too high, given that it is almost half of the value of this asset," said Anna Lepetukhina, an analyst at Sberbank-CIB.

MTS spokeswoman Yelena Kokhanovskaya said a reserve it had made previously as part of the $1.1 billion write-off would cover potential fines.

Uralsib analysts said even if MTS managed to return to Uzbekistan, it would still be unlikely to fully restore its market position.

According to Russian market research firm AC&M, Vimpelcom - MTS's main rival in CIS markets - increased its Uzbek subscriber base to 9.2 million by the end of September from 7 million in June.

Uzbek officials could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Additional reporting by Anastasia Teterevleva)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ruling-hints-phone-firm-mts-return-uzbekistan-152925591--sector.html

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The Civil Wars cancel tour using divorce language

FILE - This Oct. 14, 2012 file photo shows Joy Williams, left, and John Paul White of The Civil Wars at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars are calling off their upcoming tour dates, citing irreconcilable differences. Folk-pop duo Joy Williams and John Paul White released a statement Tuesday announcing that they are "unable to continue as a touring entity at this time" due to "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." Williams and White are both married, but to other people. Williams recently had a baby with husband and manager Nate Yetten. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - This Oct. 14, 2012 file photo shows Joy Williams, left, and John Paul White of The Civil Wars at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars are calling off their upcoming tour dates, citing irreconcilable differences. Folk-pop duo Joy Williams and John Paul White released a statement Tuesday announcing that they are "unable to continue as a touring entity at this time" due to "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." Williams and White are both married, but to other people. Williams recently had a baby with husband and manager Nate Yetten. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, file)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars have canceled their upcoming tour dates, citing irreconcilable differences.

The folk-pop duo Joy Williams and John Paul White released a statement Tuesday announcing that because of "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition" they were unable to "continue as a touring entity at this time."

Although they used the language of divorce, the duo added, "Our sincere hope is to have new music for you in 2013."

Williams and White are both married, but to other people. Williams had a baby this summer with husband Nate Yetton, the duo's manager.

Earlier this year the pair canceled part of their European tour.

The duo found unexpected success with their 2011 debut album, "Barton Hollow." With backgrounds in gospel and rock, they met when they were both asked to contribute to a country project and found chemistry.

Back then, the pair framed their partnership in terms of courting. White told The Associated Press that after two songwriting sessions, "I finally got up the nerve to ask her out, as it were."

"In a musical way," Williams said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-06-Music-The%20Civil%20Wars/id-76071afbb921451eac5aa0e40682cc42

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Greek vote helps markets calm after turmoil

A currency trader watches monitors in front of screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and foreign exchange rate, left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.19 percent at 1,914.43. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader watches monitors in front of screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and foreign exchange rate, left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.19 percent at 1,914.43. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A man stands outside a securities firm in Tokyo Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. Asian stock markets tumbled Thursday after a ratings agency threatened to downgrade the U.S. if a solution to the so-called fiscal cliff isn't negotiated among lawmakers and newly re-elected President Barack Obama. Japan's Nikkei 225 index shed 1.7 percent to 8,822.15. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

An investor looks at the stock price monitor at a private securities company in Shanghai, China, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. Asian stock markets tumbled Thursday after a ratings agency threatened to downgrade the U.S. if a solution to the so-called fiscal cliff isn't negotiated among lawmakers and newly re-elected President Barack Obama. Also being watched by investors is Thursday's opening of China's Communist Party congress ? the once-in-a-decade forum to name China's top leadership. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A currency trader reacts in front of screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and foreign exchange rate, right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.19 percent at 1,914.43. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

(AP) ? Financial markets settled down Thursday after the turmoil of the previous day when concerns over the U.S. fiscal situation combined with renewed worries over the European economy to hammer stocks.

But a vote early Thursday by the Greek Parliament to back another round of austerity measures has helped settle the mood ahead of the monthly press conference from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. Hopes that U.S. politicians may agree a crucial budget deal have also contributed to the more positive tone in markets.

"Volatility will likely continue to be the name of the game going forwards as markets lurch from one crisis to the next and investors will continue to trade with extreme caution," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.4 percent at 5,812 while Germany's DAX rose 0.5 percent to 7,269. The CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent higher at 3,423.

Wall Street was poised for a flat opening, a day after U.S. stocks suffered one of their worst days of the year. Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures were up 0.1 percent.

Again, investors in the U.S. will likely be focusing on developments in Washington as politicians return to the nation's capital following the general election.

Top of re-elected President Barack Obama's intray is to fashion a deal with the Republicans who maintained their control of the House of Representatives. Their leader, Speaker John Boehner, said in brief remarks Wednesday that he may be ready to bargain.

An agreement is needed if the U.S. is to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff ? a combination of higher taxes and government spending cuts that automatically take effect unless Congress agrees on a new budget by Jan. 1. Economists warn that a failure to reach a concrete decision will push the world's largest economy back into recession.

Moody's and Fitch have both warned that the U.S.'s triple A credit rating may come under threat if a deal isn't forthcoming. Last year, rival Standard & Poor's stripped the U.S. of its top-tier rating amid the political infighting in Washington.

"The hope is that politicians will be more inclined to be flexible given they don't have to worry about being re-elected for quite some time yet," said Michael Hewson, markets analyst at CMC Markets.

Despite worries over the fiscal cliff, the dollar garnered support on Wednesday through its perceived status as a haven at a time of financial distress. That remained, albeit modestly, Thursday, with the euro trading 0.1 percent lower at $1.2733.

Earlier in Asia, markets tumbled, tracked their counterparts in Europe and the U.S. the day before. Japan's Nikkei 225 index shed 1.5 percent to close at 8,837.15, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng sank 2.4 percent to 21,566.91.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.6 percent to 2,071.51, while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 2.3 percent to 831.71.

On Thursday, China's weeklong Communist Party congress began ? the once-in-a-decade forum to name China's top leadership. Markets are looking for hints on how the new leadership plans to tackle the nation's economic slowdown.

In the oil markets, benchmark oil for December delivery was up 54 cents to $84.98 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $4.27 amid the turmoil on Wednesday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-08-World%20Markets/id-6e64f1b7e02d4b26a51028556e72d8d8

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Embassy ballot gives China a glimpse of democracy

David Lom / NBC News

Huang Annian, a retired professor of American history at Beijing Normal University, casts a ballot in a mock election at the American Embassy in Beijing, China, on Wednesday.

By Ed Flanagan, NBC News

BEIJING ? Huang Annian cast his vote this week in his sixth straight U.S. presidential election.?But his vote has never been counted.?

Huang, a retired professor of American history at Beijing Normal University and a Chinese national who has been casting ballots at U.S. election parties in China for about 25 years, said the Obama-Romney race was especially significant.

?This year was a very important election,? Huang told NBC News from the American Embassy?s party on Wednesday morning, Beijing time. ?The most important issue China and the U.S. will face is whether they develop together or tear each other down.?


Hosted by organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce and the American Embassy, the events usually include a mock ballot that allow Chinese nationals to cast a vote.?

World leaders welcome Obama's 2nd term - but many challenges wait on his doorstep

That this celebration of American democracy was coming on the eve of a critical, once-a-decade leadership change in China?s ruling Communist Party was not lost on the attendees.? It served to contrast the rowdy American election that risked overwhelmed viewers worldwide with too much information, with China?s crucial transfer of power, which has been shrouded in secrecy.

While the candidates are scrutinized and skewered by the media in the U.S., China's new leader Xi Jinping remains a man of mystery among his citizens. NBC's Ian Williams reports

?I voted?
Past ?election? events have been relatively lavish affairs complete with fully catered breakfasts at Western-brand hotel chains.? This year?s was more modest. The 400-plus guests ? about 100 Chinese nationals, the rest Americans working in China ? were only offered light snacks: muffins, cookies and fruit to go with their coffee. A reflection, maybe, of the austere times the American government is experiencing.

Suspicion of US rife as White House contenders batter China

Still, there were abundant signs of celebration ? balloons festooned the hotel ballroom and TVs were setup with videos that explained how elections in the United States work and what it means to Americans. Chinese guests who participated in the vote appeared to enjoy the pageantry of voting ? going into the booth, filling out the ballot and sliding it into the ballot box.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Campaigning with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, voting and election results.

By the end of the day many of them were gathering around the booths for photos, ?I voted? pins proudly displayed on their jacket lapels.

Among them was Huang.

Huang, a self-described American politics junkie in his 70s who blogs regularly about the U.S. elections, was among the first to arrive. Accompanied by his wife, who has attended every one of the election events with him, the two cheerfully marched up to the voting booths when voting opened.

In the past Huang has cast ?winning? votes for the likes of Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. ?

In the final presidential debate, Mitt Romney says the country needs to get tough on China on currency manipulation and counterfeit products.

This year? His vote went to the eventual winner, Barack Obama, who won over 150 of the 200 ballots cast at the mock election.

All smiles upon exiting the booth, Huang urged embassy staff to invite him and his wife to the 2016 event.

BCNews.com's The World is Watching series

But he had a more serious message too, urging collaboration, not competition between the countries.

?There will be many more conflicts between China and the U.S., but there will be more cooperation as well because the two countries are codependent,? he said. ?China cannot continue to develop without the United States and the U.S. cannot remain on top without China.?

Indeed, when the euphoria of his re-election passes, Obama will face a barrage of issues that will challenge the Sino-US relationship.? These range from concerns about trade imbalances that American trade officials say allow China to undercut U.S. competitiveness to Beijing?s concerns about the true intention of the Obama administration?s ?pivot? back to the Asia-Pacific region.

Much at stake for US as tensions rise in troubled China Seas

Despite the tensions between the two countries, Obama appears to have been the choice of officials and academics who attended the party.

Neither candidate would have significantly altered the direction of the Sino-U.S. relationship, and Obama provided familiarity and comfort born from experience, professor He Xingqiang told NBC News.

China brings its 1st aircraft carrier into service, joining 9-nation club

?I think both China and the U.S. want to keep stable relations,? the associate professor at the Institute for American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told NBC News after Obama?s victory was announced.

?If Obama gets reelected, he can continue his China policy,? he said. ? If Romney got elected, no big problem for China-U.S. relations, but a little trouble ? because Romney has said some tough words about China.?

NBC News? Johanna Armstrong and Le Li contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Source: http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14994796-embassy-ballots-give-chinese-a-glimpse-of-democracy-ahead-of-power-transfer?lite

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FDA approves Pfizer drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-arthritis-drug-wins-approval-challenge-humira-215733709--finance.html

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Breast cancer and depression: UCLA gets $5M to study why ...

Michael Irwin

Dr. Michael Irwin

UCLA researchers have received a $5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for a study aimed at developing a risk profile for breast cancer survivors likely to suffer from depression. The prevalence of depression among survivors is three to five times greater than in the general population.

?

UCLA will be teaming on the five-year study with Kaiser Permanente, which will provide the 300 volunteers needed for the study by culling through electronic patient records to locate women who have been treated for breast cancer and have not had a history of depression.

?

Researchers believe that cancer and its treatment induce inflammation, which in turn leads to sleep disturbance and depression. Sleep disturbance occurs in more than half of breast cancer survivors and is thought to contribute to the elevated risk of depression in these women. Depression negatively impacts quality of life and increases the risk of death, possibly due to an increased chance of cancer recurrence.

?

Through the study, researchers hope to find out if certain sub-sets of breast cancer survivors are at greater risk for depression by examining their DNA for potential biomarkers and genetic anomalies. If they can identify a risk profile, a study would be launched later to evaluate prevention measures, said the study's principal investigator, Dr. Michael Irwin, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, part of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

?

"Depression in breast cancer survivors is a huge problem. It often goes undiagnosed and is undertreated," Irwin said. "If we can identify those breast cancer survivors at elevated risk for sleep disturbance and, therefore, depression, we can diagnose and treat it earlier, with better outcomes. Additionally, if we can identify those at greatest risk, efforts can be implemented early to prevent the occurrence of depression in the first place.

?

"Because depression is so prevalent and difficult to treat in breast cancer survivors, prevention of depression will dramatically improve the quality of their life."

?

For many cancer patients, their survival is complicated by long-term physical and behavioral late effects of their treatment, especially depression, Irwin said. Yet despite the high prevalence of depression among breast cancer survivors, the unique clinical, behavioral and biological factors that contribute to this increased depression risk is not known.

?

"There are no published prospective data that have examined the independent contribution of sleep disturbance on depression occurrence in breast cancer survivors," Irwin said. "Increasing evidence implicates that sleep disturbance is activating inflammatory signaling, which serves as a biological mechanism that contributes to depression. We hope to define the genomic and biologic processes that results in this depression."

?

Irwin's ultimate goal is preventing the cascade of events that lead to depression ? inflammation and sleep disturbance ? but more information is needed first.? This study is vital to providing valuable clues as to how that cascade occurs, he said.

?

"You can't design a prevention trial unless you know the risk profile and the magnitude of the problem," Irwin said. "What makes this so exciting is that by partnering with Kaiser Permanente, we can do this work in a primary care sample, which will significantly help speed recruitment."

?

Study volunteers, once identified, will come in for an interview, give a blood sample that will measure levels of inflammation and provide DNA for examination. This process will be repeated every six months for two years. The volunteers also will be called once a month and asked a series of questions to determine if they are becoming depressed.

?

"If depression is suspected, we can bring them in immediately and evaluate them," Irwin said. "That will be a big benefit for volunteers as they'll get diagnosed and treated much sooner than they normally would be."

?

Irwin said he expects it will take two to three years to successfully recruit the 300 volunteers needed.

?

?

Source: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-awarded-5-million-240554.aspx

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