February existing-home sales and prices affirm a healthy recovery is underway in the housing sector, according to the National Association of REALTORD?. Sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases.
Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in January, and are 10.2 percent above the 4.52 million-unit level seen in February 2012. February sales were at the highest level since the tax credit period of November 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says conditions for continued housing improvement are at play. ?Job growth in the improving economy and pent-up demand are causing both home sales and rental leasing to rise. Though home prices are rising much faster than rents, historically low mortgage rates are still making home purchases affordable,? he says. ?The only headwinds are limited housing inventory, which varies greatly around the country, and credit conditions that remain too restrictive.?
Total housing inventory at the end of February rose 9.6 percent to 1.94 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.3 months in January, which was the lowest supply since May 2005. Listed inventory is 19.2 percent below a year ago when there was a 6.4-month supply.
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $173,600 in February, up 11.6 percent from February 2012. The last time there were 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases was from June 2005 to May 2006. The February gain is the strongest since November 2005 when it was 12.9 percent above a year earlier.
?A strong rise in home values is contributing to housing wealth recovery, which has risen by $1.4 trillion in the past year and looks to top that increase this year,? Yun says. ?The extra consumer spending arising from growth in housing wealth is expected to be $70 billion to $110 billion this year.?
Distressed homes?foreclosures and short sales?accounted for 25 percent of February sales, up from 23 percent in January but down from 34 percent in February 2012. Fifteen percent of February sales were foreclosures, and 10 percent were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 18 percent below market value in February, while short sales were discounted 15 percent.
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.53 percent in February from 3.41 percent in January; it was 3.89 percent in February 2012.
NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty in Villa Park, Calif., says interest rates remain extraordinarily low. ?In the history of mortgage interest rates since 1971, the 30-year fixed rate has been below 4 percent in only 15 months, and those have all been in the past 15 months,? he says. ?Even with rising home prices, affordability remains historically favorable because home prices over-corrected during the downturn. This means there is still great value for buyers in the current market.?
The median time on market for all homes was 74 days in February, which is 24 percent below 97 days in February 2012. Short sales were on the market for a median of 101 days, while foreclosures typically sold in 52 days and non-distressed homes took 77 days. One out of three homes sold in February was on the market for less than a month.
First-time buyers accounted for 30 percent of purchases in February, unchanged from January; they were 32 percent in February 2012.
All-cash sales were at 32 percent of transactions in February, up from 28 percent in January; they were 33 percent in February 2012. Investors, who account for most cash sales, purchased 22 percent of homes in February, up from 19 percent in January; they were 23 percent in February 2012.
?There was an upward bump in the shares of investor and all-cash closed purchases in February. These sales result from purchase offers during the holidays when shopping activity by traditional home buyers slows, but investors, who typically pay cash, remained active,? Yun says. ?This is a seasonal pattern, but we?re now seeing a general increase in buyer traffic, which is 25 percent above a year ago.?
Single-family home sales slipped 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.36 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.37 million in January, but are 8.7 percent above the 4.01 million-unit pace in February 2012. The median existing single-family home price was $173,800 in February, which is 11.3 percent higher than a year ago.
Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 8.8 percent to an annualized rate of 620,000 in February from 570,000 in January, and are 21.6 percent above the 510,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $172,500 in February, up 13.9 percent from February 2012.
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 3.1 percent to an annual rate of 630,000 in February but are 8.6 percent above February 2012. The median price in the Northeast was $238,800, which is 7.6 percent above a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the Midwest slipped 1.7 in February to a pace of 1.14 million but are 12.9 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $129,900, up 7.7 percent from February 2012.
In the South, existing-home sales increased 2.6 percent to an annual level of 2.01 million in February and are 14.9 percent above February 2012. The median price in the South was $150,500, up 9.3 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West rose 2.6 percent to a pace of 1.20 million in February and are 1.7 percent above a year ago. With limited choices and multiple bidding, the median price in the West rose to $237,700, which is 22.7 percent above February 2012.
For more information, visit www.realtor.org, www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com.
Ruskies wedding ceremonies involve intensive pre-planning and preparations. A traditional style wedding usually continues for two days. The majority of Russians generally prefer holding a traditional wedding at St . Petersburg or perhaps the countryside. Russian brides search for the most fancy dress outfits that their budget can allow to put on during this huge ? day of the bride?. Russia? s wedding traditions happen to be rooted in the history and culture of the area. Most Russian women for marriage usually do not mind deviating from a traditional marriage and also having a more contemporary or ? westernized? kind of wedding ceremony.
Depending on tradition, Ruskies women and grooms along with their respective families engage in an extended series of conventional activities during the amazing reception party. The wedding ceremony ceremony is not as involved with Russia since it is in many other places on earth. Based on Russian legislation, women for relationship and grooms must have a civil relationship, which customarily consists of a small routine involving a few very near and important relatives and friends of the couple. This service is an extremely private and personal affair and is quite different from expansive church wedding ceremonies.
However , it will not stop right now there. The wedding wedding ceremony is dominated by traditions and cultural practices carried out by the Ruskies women for relationship, the grooms and their respective families. The Russian brides and grooms having a wedding start the day in a typical traditional style separated through each other. They both have the business of friends and family during this time. What follows is an fascinating ? movie? because the bride gets kidnapped and the groom begins a mission to rescue her and also bring her back again. During this period, the actual bride? s friends and family participate in evasive tactics and also pranks to distract him or her from reaching his objective.
They are able to hide the keys to his car or block the halls associated with his apartment to draw attention away from him. The groom has to solution trivia questions correctly to acquire past this particular. This is symbolic of the fact that the actual groom depends on the challenging tasks of marrying and can do anything in his power to safeguard his woman. When the groom causes it to be to his woman the whole wedding heads towards the site of their civil ceremony by train. The quickly to be couple trips in different train autos with each of them surrounded by loved ones. Many traditions are carried out throughout and after the wedding ceremony including lounging flowers on the graves of deceased Russian troops.
It has become a cheerful time as the bride and groom attend their reception celebration which normally is a two-day action packed festive event. It starts with their mother and father toasting them and after that everyone else joining in. It? s the sweetest romance scene ever with the couple kissing after each toast as a sign associated with ? sweetening the actual wine? for any to take pleasure from. Single women and men really enjoy this because they are the long run brides and grooms. As the toasting carries on, wild dancing starts and the party begins. There are also unique conventional games, including one particular in which the groom? s friends playfully kidnap the actual wife and make the actual groom pay a ransom to get her back.
During the first night in typical Russian culture, the party is actually open to anyone that wishes to go to and is a huge event. Individuals drink, consume, dance, perform games and wish their blessings to the bride and groom. On the second day, still it becomes a lot more intimate and is reserved for good friends and family. These impressive number of traditions allows the actual newlyweds to begin their life in an exceedingly memorable style. When they marry in such a gorgeous wedding ceremony, they are going to try their finest to have their relationship gorgeous.
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awards nearly $4 million in new NARSAD grantsPublic release date: 21-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sally Corbett scorbett@bbrfoundation.org 516-829-0091 x242 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
40 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator grantees selected for cutting-edge mental illness research
(Metro New York City/Great Neck, NY) The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) has announced approximately $4 million in new research grants. Since 1987, the Foundation has invested close to $300 million in research to identify the causes, improve treatments and develop prevention strategies for mental illness. From about 500 applicants, forty research scientists were selected to receive up to $100,000 over two years in NARSAD Independent Investigator Grants. These mid-career scientists from 10 countries and 34 institutions will pursue innovative research related to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders.
NARSAD Grant selections are made by the Foundation's all-volunteer Scientific Council, a group of 138 brain and behavior research leaders. Scientific Council Member and Chair, Independent Investigator Grant Selection Committee, Robert M. Post, M.D., George Washington University, said: "The range of project proposals this year was exceptional in its variety of new approaches to understand and treat mental illness. Tackling the illnesses of the brain remains science's most daunting challenge and requires these cutting-edge approaches that the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has been supporting for 25 years with its NARSAD Grants. Each year we build upon the growing body of knowledge about the brain and its functioning and come closer to finding cures."
"The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation salutes the impressive 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grantees and extends gratitude to our donors and Scientific Council for their support," says Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., Foundation President & CEO. "All of our grants are funded through private contributions by people passionate about and committed to improving the lives of those with mental illness. As researchers increasingly face funding challenges, Foundation support is more important than ever."
NARSAD Grants support research across disciplines in these categories:
Diagnostic Tools / Early Interventionto recognize early signs of mental illness and treat it as early as possible
New Technologiesto advance or create new ways of studying and understanding the brain
Next Generation Therapiesto reduce symptoms and retrain the brain
Basic Researchto understand what happens in the brain to cause mental illness
The list of 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grantees and their project summaries by research category and type of illness follows.
DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS / EARLY INTERVENTION
Bipolar Disorder
Mark A. Ellenbogen, Ph.D., of Concordia University and a Canada Research Chair, will test a program aimed at heading off mental illness in children of parents with bipolar disorder. These children show high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and are more biologically sensitive to stress. The study will apply a program called Reducing Unwanted Stress in the Home (RUSH), developed in the Ellenbogen lab, which includes stress management techniques for the children and family-based interventions.
Michael F. Grunebaum, M.D., of Columbia University, hopes to lower the high rate of suicide risk in people with bipolar disorder. Studies have demonstrated rapid improvement in suicidal ideation in patients after infusion of the anesthetic ketamine. To learn how ketamine works to curtail suicide, Dr. Grunebaum proposes a pilot study to compare ketamine's effects versus midazolam, a similarly sedative medication not known to reduce suicidal thoughts.
Vivian Kafantaris, M.D., of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, is seeking an early biomarker of response to lithium in adolescents with bipolar disorder to sort out those who will and will not benefit from lithium treatment. Increased volume in specific brain regions following lithium use suggests that one of lithium's effects is to increase the volume of cell connections. Dr. Kafantaris is investigating volume increases in the hippocampus, the most neuroplastic brain area.
Depression
Heather C. Abercrombie, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, will examine the role of the stress hormone cortisol in women with depression. Early life experience can alter gene expression into adulthood, through so-called epigenetic changes caused by non-genetic, environmental factors such as stress. Dr. Abercrombie wants to determine whether childhood adversity is predictive of epigenetic changes related to altered cortisol functioning in depressed women, a potentially reversible process.
James E. Swain, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, will conduct a trial to identify hormonal biomarkers of risk for and resilience to postpartum depression and anxiety. His lab has identified regional brain responses in depression, during parenting behaviors and in responses to the stress hormone cortisol. The lab will now focus on responses in trial participants at one month postpartum, and their mood and behavior at three and six months postpartum.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Ananda B. Amstadter, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University, will test a form of psychotherapy called Risk Reduction Family Therapy to treat adolescents who have been exposed to sexual abuse and suffer from subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder and drug abuse. The study aims to examine the biological mechanisms of response to the treatment, results of which may then inform other treatment approaches to trauma-induced illness.
Schizophrenia
Deepak C. D'Souza, M.D., of Yale University, Deepak C. D'Souza, M.D., of Yale University, is interested in the consequences of chronic cannabis exposure and schizophrenia. Evidence suggesting a link between marijuana use and psychosis has relied mostly on self-reporting. Participants in this study will be members of a group whose early, unrestricted use of cannabis is central to their beliefs. Preliminary data show that these subjects underperform non-cannabis using controls on cognitive tests and have higher measures of schizophrenia symptoms.
Stephen J. Glatt, Ph.D., of the State University of New York, will study a risk gene for schizophrenia, DRD2, which encodes receptors for the brain chemical dopamine. How variant forms of DRD2 impart susceptibility to schizophrenia remains unclear. Dr. Glatt is focused on answering that question to gain further insight of the underlying pathology of schizophrenia and to identify better targets for new medications and earlier interventions.
Christine I. Hooker, Ph.D., of Harvard University, hopes to improve the future of young people at risk for psychosis as it affects their cognitive skills. Research has shown that intensive cognitive and social skills training improve functioning in people with schizophrenia. In the proposed project, a group of youths at high risk will participate in a randomized trial of a computerized intervention targeting functions compromised in schizophrenia such as attention, memory and problem solving.
Oliver D. Howes, M.D., Ph.D., of King's College London, wants to determine whether changes in behavior of the brain chemical dopamine occur with the onset of psychosis. Dopamine dysfunction is linked to schizophrenia, but only a third of those thought at risk develop psychosis. Confirming a dynamic process of dopamine deregulation would advance understanding of the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and could lead to interventions targeted on dopamine synthesis regulation to prevent onset of psychosis.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Bipolar Disorder
Manon H.J. Hillegers, M.D., Ph.D., of Utrecht University, is looking for biomarkers for bipolar disorder in adolescence, which is peak time for bipolar onset. The project will apply magnetic resonance imaging studies to compare the brains of un-medicated adolescents at high genetic risk with healthy controls to observe how vulnerability for bipolar disorder affects brain function.
Beny Lafer, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Sao Paulo, proposes to conduct a trial of creatine monohydrate, a medication that boosts energy metabolism, as a treatment strategy for bipolar depression, based on the hypothesis that creatine improves depressive symptoms through changes in the brain levels of metabolites of energy production. Via a technology called phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the trial will examine relevant brain events before and after creatine treatment.
Depression
Christopher G. Beevers, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, wants to determine the role of genetic variation in how individuals respond to treatment for depression. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced "snips"), are variations in the DNA sequence of a gene. Dr. Beevers will apply a newly developed technique, genome-wide complex trait analysis, to assess 500,000 SNPs associated with rare and common genetic variations as predictors of treatment response.
Schizophrenia
Dost ngr, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard University, is investigating reduced brain energy production in people with schizophrenia. Mitochondria are the energy-producing factories within cells. Dr. ngr and colleagues have developed a specialized MRI tool that can follow changes in levels of energy molecules within the living brain. To rule out the influence of medication or chronic psychosis, the research will examine brain mitochondrial processes in un-medicated patients undergoing their first psychotic episode.
NEXT GENERATION THERAPIES
Depression
Charles L. Raison, M.D., of the University of Arizona, will conduct a trial of whole body hyperthermiaraising the body temperatureto treat depression. A preliminary trial showed rapid, lasting improvement after a single session. Animal research suggests hyperthermia affects a neural pathway from the skin to specific brain cells. The research will try to confirm whole body hyperthermia as a safe, fast-acting new antidepressant and evaluate the relevance of peripheral neural pathways.
Jonathan P. Roiser, Ph.D., of the University of London, will examine the neural mechanisms affected by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a brain stimulation treatment for depression, and its ability to boost the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Treatment with tDCS stimulates the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region of the brain, which is involved in higher cognitive functions.
Gabrielle Rudenko, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, will explore a protein, known to regulate the expression of specific genes in brain reward pathways, as a target for treatment of intractable depression. In normal responses to stress, the targeted protein accumulates in specific brain regions and spurs resilience mechanisms. Levels appear dramatically reduced in postmortem brain tissue of depressed patients. By clarifying its mechanisms and function, Dr. Rudenko hopes to exploit its natural antidepressant action.
John A. Wemmie, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Iowa, will explore the contribution of a particular ion channel, ASIC1a, to mood and behavior, and its potential as an antidepressant target. Ion channels are proteins on cell membranes that control ion flow into and out of the cell. The lab's prior animal research showed that disturbed ASIC1a contributes to depression and anxiety behaviors and that inhibiting the ASIC1a gene in the brain reduced these behaviors.
Schizophrenia
Christopher R. Bowie, Ph.D., of Queen's University, Ontario, will test a new online application of cognitive remediation for people with schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation is psychotherapy that improves schizophrenia-associated deficits in cognitive functions such as attention, memory and planning, but many patients lack access to it. Online delivery, if effective, may provide patients the ability to achieve even better, more consistent skill development than is achievable with weekly face-to-face psychotherapy.
Ariel Graff-Guerrero, M.D., Ph.D., of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, will conduct a pilot trial to see whether levels of the brain chemical glutamate are increased in schizophrenia patients who do not respond to antipsychotic medications. If increased glutamate can be linked to lack of treatment response, it should facilitate development of new treatments aimed at normalizing glutamate levels.
Gregory A. Light, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, is working to improve cognitive ability in people with schizophrenia. The cognitive impairments that affect schizophrenia patients are not helped by current medications, but are helped by cognitive training. One promising approach, Targeted Cognitive Training, sharpens auditory information processing. The study will ascertain utility of this intervention and provide possible biomarkers to predict which individuals are most likely to respond to it.
Alessandro Usiello, Ph.D., of Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, will explore the possible role of an amino acid, D-aspartate, in schizophrenia and its potential as a schizophrenia treatment. Amino acids are small compounds that can perform as chemical messengers in the brain. Postmortem brain studies suggest altered metabolism of D-aspartate in schizophrenia and animal research has shown that D-aspartate can induce effects similar to those of the antipsychotic haloperidol.
Xiang Yang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., of the Baylor College of Medicine, will conduct a trial to see if the apparent cognitive benefits of smoking for people with schizophrenia can be pharmacologically mimicked. Nicotine appears to improve cognitive function through nicotinic receptors in the brain, but the effect is short-lived and has toxic consequences. The antiemetic drug tropisetron also interacts with a nicotinic receptor and Dr. Zhang's preliminary studies indicate that tropisetron also improves cognitive deficits.
Multiple Disorders
Elizabeth W. Twamley, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, hopes to develop and test a mobile application of a quick, low-tech intervention that improves cognitive impairment, which is a common feature of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. If the method, called Compensatory Cognitive Training, can be adapted for smartphones and tablets, it would greatly increase access to therapy while decreasing cost.
Analia Bortolozzi Ph.D., of the Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pii Sunyer, is seeking new therapeutic targets for mood and cognitive disorders. Potassium channels are structures on cell membranes that regulate the flow of substances in and out of cells. This study will test the hypothesis that selective suppression of the activity of two potassium channels in the brain's hippocampal region induces resilience to stress, evoking antidepressant-like effects and improved cognitive function.
BASIC RESEARCH
Bipolar Disorder
Anabel Martinez-Aran, Ph.D., of the University of Barcelona, will conduct a clinical trial to examine the role of the growth factor BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in cognitive impairment and long-term functioning in bipolar disorder to determine the efficacy of cognitive remediation. The study will compare BDNF levels in 100 patients in a euthymic (nondepressive, nonmanic) state after half received a neurocognitive intervention and half received a pharmacological treatment-as-usual.
Depression
Robert C. Thompson, Ph.D, of the University of Michigan, will investigate how stress affects gene expression in different brain cell types to contribute to depression. Using animal models, the research will begin by determining the impact of stress on cells called astrocytes, based on findings that reduced astrocyte cell density is seen in several brain regions in postmortem studies of depression. The resultant findings may be applicable to other cell types as well.
Qin Wang, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will explore the link between depression and a molecule that is a key receptor involved in regulating brain neurotransmitter systems thought to be disrupted in depressive disorders. The research will use transgenic mice to observe cellular and molecular alterations in the brain associated with the receptor's overexpression in depressive behaviors, and the possibilities for corrective therapy targeting the molecule.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Julia A. Chester, Ph.D., of Purdue University, is exploring the role of stress in genetic risk for co-occurring (co-morbid) post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse toward the goal of developing new treatments. Utilizing mice bred for high or low alcohol preference she has found that high-alcohol preference mice show greater anxiety-related behavior than low-alcohol preference mice, suggesting that common genetic mechanisms influence the two behaviors.
Schizophrenia
Alessandro Bertolino, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bari, is studying epigenetic risk for schizophrenia. Epigenetics refers to environmentally-induced events that alter gene activity. Having demonstrated that methylation of the gene COMT (Catechol-O-methyltransferase) affects the functioning of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in schizophrenia, the Bertolino lab plans to now evaluate DNA methylation interaction with genes controlling dopamine pathways.
Peng Jin, Ph.D., of Emory University, proposes to expand testing his hypothesis that malfunction of a genetic regulator of neurodevelopment called microRNA-137 (miR-137) contributes to the development of schizophrenia. Postmortem brain-tissue studies suggest that miR-137 is down-regulated in schizophrenia. To explore its activity in a living organism, Dr. Jin and colleagues have bred mice with a disabled miR-137 gene.
Carsten Korth, M.D. Ph.D., of the University of Dsseldorf, is examining the interaction of DISC1, a key risk gene for schizophrenia, and dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter of messages between nerve cells. The Korth lab has identified a novel function of DISC1 in modulating the dopamine transporter, the molecule critical to reuptake of released dopamine following neural communication. The lab will now conduct animal studies to characterize DISC1 and dopamine transporter interaction.
Antonieta Lavin, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina, will explore the underlying mechanisms of the decreases in release of the brain chemical glutamate and the role of the protein dysbindin in relation to the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Brain tissues from schizophrenia patients show decreases in both glutamate and dysbindin, and decreases in glutamate release also appear in dysbindin-deficient mice that the Lavin lab will use as experimental models.
Todd Lencz, Ph.D., of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, aims to identify rare genetic variants associated with schizophrenia by utilizing DNA from an Ashkenazi Jewish population, in which there is much less genetic variation than in the general public. Preliminary testing of a small number of Ashkenazi subjects with schizophrenia identified a set of possible candidate genes that Dr. Lencz now intends to pursue in a larger number of participants.
Daniel J. Mueller, M.D., Ph.D., of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is exploring the genetics of the weight gain caused by antipsychotic medications. Commonly prescribed drugs for schizophrenia like clozapine and reserpine induce substantial weight gain in up to half of patients, posing risks for serious illness and for treatment noncompliance. Dr. Mueller and colleagues are working to identify the responsible gene variants and their role in antipsychotic-induced weight gain and possibly in obesity generally.
Brien P. Riley, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University, proposes to sequence all protein-coding DNA in the genomes of a group of Irish patients with schizophrenia in multiple affected families in order to identify rare, damaging genetic variations. Such families have a substantially higher risk of illness than the general population, and likely harbor gene variations with greater impact in the causation of a disease in which hundreds of variants have been implicated.
Multiple Disorders
Alon Chen, Ph.D., of the Weizmann Institute of Science, is studying the role of microRNAs, molecules that repress gene expression, in regulating the brain chemical serotonin in depression and anxiety. Levels of brain microRNAs are affected by behavioral and pharmacological manipulations. In-depth understanding of mechanisms regulating serotonin function may contribute to more effective, faster-acting antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs with fewer negative side effects than now available.
Todd Denton Gould, M.D., of the University of Maryland, will study changes in a gene called CACNA1C that appear to confer susceptibility to mental illness, primarily bipolar disorder and depression. The goal is first to identify CACNA1C variants expressed in adult and fetal brains to assess whether the mechanism regulating gene expression is specific to developmental stages, and then to determine the mechanisms of gene expression that lead to illness susceptibility.
Andrew L. Gundlach, Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne, will investigate the involvement in anxiety and depressive disorders of a molecule called RXFP3. Acute RXFP3 activation reduces levels of anxiety-like behavior in genetically-engineered "anxious" mice and increases their social interactions. The proposed study will elucidate the targets of RXFP3, which may uncover new targets for treatment.
Yasushi Nakagawa, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, will examine interactions in the brain between the thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. Defects in these interactions are implicated in many psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism. Projections from the thalamus to the cortex play a central role in conveying visual and auditory information. Projections from the mediodorsal area are important for learning and memory.
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About the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has been awarding NARSAD Grants for more than 25 years. The Foundation has invested close to $300 million in NARSAD Grants to more than 3,300 scientists worldwide since 1987, leading to thousands of scientific achievements to improve the lives of those with mental illness.
Note: Photographs and interviews available upon request.
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Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awards nearly $4 million in new NARSAD grantsPublic release date: 21-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sally Corbett scorbett@bbrfoundation.org 516-829-0091 x242 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
40 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator grantees selected for cutting-edge mental illness research
(Metro New York City/Great Neck, NY) The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) has announced approximately $4 million in new research grants. Since 1987, the Foundation has invested close to $300 million in research to identify the causes, improve treatments and develop prevention strategies for mental illness. From about 500 applicants, forty research scientists were selected to receive up to $100,000 over two years in NARSAD Independent Investigator Grants. These mid-career scientists from 10 countries and 34 institutions will pursue innovative research related to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders.
NARSAD Grant selections are made by the Foundation's all-volunteer Scientific Council, a group of 138 brain and behavior research leaders. Scientific Council Member and Chair, Independent Investigator Grant Selection Committee, Robert M. Post, M.D., George Washington University, said: "The range of project proposals this year was exceptional in its variety of new approaches to understand and treat mental illness. Tackling the illnesses of the brain remains science's most daunting challenge and requires these cutting-edge approaches that the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has been supporting for 25 years with its NARSAD Grants. Each year we build upon the growing body of knowledge about the brain and its functioning and come closer to finding cures."
"The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation salutes the impressive 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grantees and extends gratitude to our donors and Scientific Council for their support," says Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., Foundation President & CEO. "All of our grants are funded through private contributions by people passionate about and committed to improving the lives of those with mental illness. As researchers increasingly face funding challenges, Foundation support is more important than ever."
NARSAD Grants support research across disciplines in these categories:
Diagnostic Tools / Early Interventionto recognize early signs of mental illness and treat it as early as possible
New Technologiesto advance or create new ways of studying and understanding the brain
Next Generation Therapiesto reduce symptoms and retrain the brain
Basic Researchto understand what happens in the brain to cause mental illness
The list of 2013 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grantees and their project summaries by research category and type of illness follows.
DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS / EARLY INTERVENTION
Bipolar Disorder
Mark A. Ellenbogen, Ph.D., of Concordia University and a Canada Research Chair, will test a program aimed at heading off mental illness in children of parents with bipolar disorder. These children show high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and are more biologically sensitive to stress. The study will apply a program called Reducing Unwanted Stress in the Home (RUSH), developed in the Ellenbogen lab, which includes stress management techniques for the children and family-based interventions.
Michael F. Grunebaum, M.D., of Columbia University, hopes to lower the high rate of suicide risk in people with bipolar disorder. Studies have demonstrated rapid improvement in suicidal ideation in patients after infusion of the anesthetic ketamine. To learn how ketamine works to curtail suicide, Dr. Grunebaum proposes a pilot study to compare ketamine's effects versus midazolam, a similarly sedative medication not known to reduce suicidal thoughts.
Vivian Kafantaris, M.D., of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, is seeking an early biomarker of response to lithium in adolescents with bipolar disorder to sort out those who will and will not benefit from lithium treatment. Increased volume in specific brain regions following lithium use suggests that one of lithium's effects is to increase the volume of cell connections. Dr. Kafantaris is investigating volume increases in the hippocampus, the most neuroplastic brain area.
Depression
Heather C. Abercrombie, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, will examine the role of the stress hormone cortisol in women with depression. Early life experience can alter gene expression into adulthood, through so-called epigenetic changes caused by non-genetic, environmental factors such as stress. Dr. Abercrombie wants to determine whether childhood adversity is predictive of epigenetic changes related to altered cortisol functioning in depressed women, a potentially reversible process.
James E. Swain, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, will conduct a trial to identify hormonal biomarkers of risk for and resilience to postpartum depression and anxiety. His lab has identified regional brain responses in depression, during parenting behaviors and in responses to the stress hormone cortisol. The lab will now focus on responses in trial participants at one month postpartum, and their mood and behavior at three and six months postpartum.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Ananda B. Amstadter, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University, will test a form of psychotherapy called Risk Reduction Family Therapy to treat adolescents who have been exposed to sexual abuse and suffer from subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder and drug abuse. The study aims to examine the biological mechanisms of response to the treatment, results of which may then inform other treatment approaches to trauma-induced illness.
Schizophrenia
Deepak C. D'Souza, M.D., of Yale University, Deepak C. D'Souza, M.D., of Yale University, is interested in the consequences of chronic cannabis exposure and schizophrenia. Evidence suggesting a link between marijuana use and psychosis has relied mostly on self-reporting. Participants in this study will be members of a group whose early, unrestricted use of cannabis is central to their beliefs. Preliminary data show that these subjects underperform non-cannabis using controls on cognitive tests and have higher measures of schizophrenia symptoms.
Stephen J. Glatt, Ph.D., of the State University of New York, will study a risk gene for schizophrenia, DRD2, which encodes receptors for the brain chemical dopamine. How variant forms of DRD2 impart susceptibility to schizophrenia remains unclear. Dr. Glatt is focused on answering that question to gain further insight of the underlying pathology of schizophrenia and to identify better targets for new medications and earlier interventions.
Christine I. Hooker, Ph.D., of Harvard University, hopes to improve the future of young people at risk for psychosis as it affects their cognitive skills. Research has shown that intensive cognitive and social skills training improve functioning in people with schizophrenia. In the proposed project, a group of youths at high risk will participate in a randomized trial of a computerized intervention targeting functions compromised in schizophrenia such as attention, memory and problem solving.
Oliver D. Howes, M.D., Ph.D., of King's College London, wants to determine whether changes in behavior of the brain chemical dopamine occur with the onset of psychosis. Dopamine dysfunction is linked to schizophrenia, but only a third of those thought at risk develop psychosis. Confirming a dynamic process of dopamine deregulation would advance understanding of the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and could lead to interventions targeted on dopamine synthesis regulation to prevent onset of psychosis.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Bipolar Disorder
Manon H.J. Hillegers, M.D., Ph.D., of Utrecht University, is looking for biomarkers for bipolar disorder in adolescence, which is peak time for bipolar onset. The project will apply magnetic resonance imaging studies to compare the brains of un-medicated adolescents at high genetic risk with healthy controls to observe how vulnerability for bipolar disorder affects brain function.
Beny Lafer, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Sao Paulo, proposes to conduct a trial of creatine monohydrate, a medication that boosts energy metabolism, as a treatment strategy for bipolar depression, based on the hypothesis that creatine improves depressive symptoms through changes in the brain levels of metabolites of energy production. Via a technology called phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the trial will examine relevant brain events before and after creatine treatment.
Depression
Christopher G. Beevers, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, wants to determine the role of genetic variation in how individuals respond to treatment for depression. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced "snips"), are variations in the DNA sequence of a gene. Dr. Beevers will apply a newly developed technique, genome-wide complex trait analysis, to assess 500,000 SNPs associated with rare and common genetic variations as predictors of treatment response.
Schizophrenia
Dost ngr, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard University, is investigating reduced brain energy production in people with schizophrenia. Mitochondria are the energy-producing factories within cells. Dr. ngr and colleagues have developed a specialized MRI tool that can follow changes in levels of energy molecules within the living brain. To rule out the influence of medication or chronic psychosis, the research will examine brain mitochondrial processes in un-medicated patients undergoing their first psychotic episode.
NEXT GENERATION THERAPIES
Depression
Charles L. Raison, M.D., of the University of Arizona, will conduct a trial of whole body hyperthermiaraising the body temperatureto treat depression. A preliminary trial showed rapid, lasting improvement after a single session. Animal research suggests hyperthermia affects a neural pathway from the skin to specific brain cells. The research will try to confirm whole body hyperthermia as a safe, fast-acting new antidepressant and evaluate the relevance of peripheral neural pathways.
Jonathan P. Roiser, Ph.D., of the University of London, will examine the neural mechanisms affected by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a brain stimulation treatment for depression, and its ability to boost the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Treatment with tDCS stimulates the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region of the brain, which is involved in higher cognitive functions.
Gabrielle Rudenko, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, will explore a protein, known to regulate the expression of specific genes in brain reward pathways, as a target for treatment of intractable depression. In normal responses to stress, the targeted protein accumulates in specific brain regions and spurs resilience mechanisms. Levels appear dramatically reduced in postmortem brain tissue of depressed patients. By clarifying its mechanisms and function, Dr. Rudenko hopes to exploit its natural antidepressant action.
John A. Wemmie, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Iowa, will explore the contribution of a particular ion channel, ASIC1a, to mood and behavior, and its potential as an antidepressant target. Ion channels are proteins on cell membranes that control ion flow into and out of the cell. The lab's prior animal research showed that disturbed ASIC1a contributes to depression and anxiety behaviors and that inhibiting the ASIC1a gene in the brain reduced these behaviors.
Schizophrenia
Christopher R. Bowie, Ph.D., of Queen's University, Ontario, will test a new online application of cognitive remediation for people with schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation is psychotherapy that improves schizophrenia-associated deficits in cognitive functions such as attention, memory and planning, but many patients lack access to it. Online delivery, if effective, may provide patients the ability to achieve even better, more consistent skill development than is achievable with weekly face-to-face psychotherapy.
Ariel Graff-Guerrero, M.D., Ph.D., of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, will conduct a pilot trial to see whether levels of the brain chemical glutamate are increased in schizophrenia patients who do not respond to antipsychotic medications. If increased glutamate can be linked to lack of treatment response, it should facilitate development of new treatments aimed at normalizing glutamate levels.
Gregory A. Light, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, is working to improve cognitive ability in people with schizophrenia. The cognitive impairments that affect schizophrenia patients are not helped by current medications, but are helped by cognitive training. One promising approach, Targeted Cognitive Training, sharpens auditory information processing. The study will ascertain utility of this intervention and provide possible biomarkers to predict which individuals are most likely to respond to it.
Alessandro Usiello, Ph.D., of Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, will explore the possible role of an amino acid, D-aspartate, in schizophrenia and its potential as a schizophrenia treatment. Amino acids are small compounds that can perform as chemical messengers in the brain. Postmortem brain studies suggest altered metabolism of D-aspartate in schizophrenia and animal research has shown that D-aspartate can induce effects similar to those of the antipsychotic haloperidol.
Xiang Yang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., of the Baylor College of Medicine, will conduct a trial to see if the apparent cognitive benefits of smoking for people with schizophrenia can be pharmacologically mimicked. Nicotine appears to improve cognitive function through nicotinic receptors in the brain, but the effect is short-lived and has toxic consequences. The antiemetic drug tropisetron also interacts with a nicotinic receptor and Dr. Zhang's preliminary studies indicate that tropisetron also improves cognitive deficits.
Multiple Disorders
Elizabeth W. Twamley, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, hopes to develop and test a mobile application of a quick, low-tech intervention that improves cognitive impairment, which is a common feature of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. If the method, called Compensatory Cognitive Training, can be adapted for smartphones and tablets, it would greatly increase access to therapy while decreasing cost.
Analia Bortolozzi Ph.D., of the Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pii Sunyer, is seeking new therapeutic targets for mood and cognitive disorders. Potassium channels are structures on cell membranes that regulate the flow of substances in and out of cells. This study will test the hypothesis that selective suppression of the activity of two potassium channels in the brain's hippocampal region induces resilience to stress, evoking antidepressant-like effects and improved cognitive function.
BASIC RESEARCH
Bipolar Disorder
Anabel Martinez-Aran, Ph.D., of the University of Barcelona, will conduct a clinical trial to examine the role of the growth factor BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in cognitive impairment and long-term functioning in bipolar disorder to determine the efficacy of cognitive remediation. The study will compare BDNF levels in 100 patients in a euthymic (nondepressive, nonmanic) state after half received a neurocognitive intervention and half received a pharmacological treatment-as-usual.
Depression
Robert C. Thompson, Ph.D, of the University of Michigan, will investigate how stress affects gene expression in different brain cell types to contribute to depression. Using animal models, the research will begin by determining the impact of stress on cells called astrocytes, based on findings that reduced astrocyte cell density is seen in several brain regions in postmortem studies of depression. The resultant findings may be applicable to other cell types as well.
Qin Wang, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will explore the link between depression and a molecule that is a key receptor involved in regulating brain neurotransmitter systems thought to be disrupted in depressive disorders. The research will use transgenic mice to observe cellular and molecular alterations in the brain associated with the receptor's overexpression in depressive behaviors, and the possibilities for corrective therapy targeting the molecule.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Julia A. Chester, Ph.D., of Purdue University, is exploring the role of stress in genetic risk for co-occurring (co-morbid) post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse toward the goal of developing new treatments. Utilizing mice bred for high or low alcohol preference she has found that high-alcohol preference mice show greater anxiety-related behavior than low-alcohol preference mice, suggesting that common genetic mechanisms influence the two behaviors.
Schizophrenia
Alessandro Bertolino, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bari, is studying epigenetic risk for schizophrenia. Epigenetics refers to environmentally-induced events that alter gene activity. Having demonstrated that methylation of the gene COMT (Catechol-O-methyltransferase) affects the functioning of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in schizophrenia, the Bertolino lab plans to now evaluate DNA methylation interaction with genes controlling dopamine pathways.
Peng Jin, Ph.D., of Emory University, proposes to expand testing his hypothesis that malfunction of a genetic regulator of neurodevelopment called microRNA-137 (miR-137) contributes to the development of schizophrenia. Postmortem brain-tissue studies suggest that miR-137 is down-regulated in schizophrenia. To explore its activity in a living organism, Dr. Jin and colleagues have bred mice with a disabled miR-137 gene.
Carsten Korth, M.D. Ph.D., of the University of Dsseldorf, is examining the interaction of DISC1, a key risk gene for schizophrenia, and dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter of messages between nerve cells. The Korth lab has identified a novel function of DISC1 in modulating the dopamine transporter, the molecule critical to reuptake of released dopamine following neural communication. The lab will now conduct animal studies to characterize DISC1 and dopamine transporter interaction.
Antonieta Lavin, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina, will explore the underlying mechanisms of the decreases in release of the brain chemical glutamate and the role of the protein dysbindin in relation to the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Brain tissues from schizophrenia patients show decreases in both glutamate and dysbindin, and decreases in glutamate release also appear in dysbindin-deficient mice that the Lavin lab will use as experimental models.
Todd Lencz, Ph.D., of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, aims to identify rare genetic variants associated with schizophrenia by utilizing DNA from an Ashkenazi Jewish population, in which there is much less genetic variation than in the general public. Preliminary testing of a small number of Ashkenazi subjects with schizophrenia identified a set of possible candidate genes that Dr. Lencz now intends to pursue in a larger number of participants.
Daniel J. Mueller, M.D., Ph.D., of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is exploring the genetics of the weight gain caused by antipsychotic medications. Commonly prescribed drugs for schizophrenia like clozapine and reserpine induce substantial weight gain in up to half of patients, posing risks for serious illness and for treatment noncompliance. Dr. Mueller and colleagues are working to identify the responsible gene variants and their role in antipsychotic-induced weight gain and possibly in obesity generally.
Brien P. Riley, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University, proposes to sequence all protein-coding DNA in the genomes of a group of Irish patients with schizophrenia in multiple affected families in order to identify rare, damaging genetic variations. Such families have a substantially higher risk of illness than the general population, and likely harbor gene variations with greater impact in the causation of a disease in which hundreds of variants have been implicated.
Multiple Disorders
Alon Chen, Ph.D., of the Weizmann Institute of Science, is studying the role of microRNAs, molecules that repress gene expression, in regulating the brain chemical serotonin in depression and anxiety. Levels of brain microRNAs are affected by behavioral and pharmacological manipulations. In-depth understanding of mechanisms regulating serotonin function may contribute to more effective, faster-acting antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs with fewer negative side effects than now available.
Todd Denton Gould, M.D., of the University of Maryland, will study changes in a gene called CACNA1C that appear to confer susceptibility to mental illness, primarily bipolar disorder and depression. The goal is first to identify CACNA1C variants expressed in adult and fetal brains to assess whether the mechanism regulating gene expression is specific to developmental stages, and then to determine the mechanisms of gene expression that lead to illness susceptibility.
Andrew L. Gundlach, Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne, will investigate the involvement in anxiety and depressive disorders of a molecule called RXFP3. Acute RXFP3 activation reduces levels of anxiety-like behavior in genetically-engineered "anxious" mice and increases their social interactions. The proposed study will elucidate the targets of RXFP3, which may uncover new targets for treatment.
Yasushi Nakagawa, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, will examine interactions in the brain between the thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. Defects in these interactions are implicated in many psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism. Projections from the thalamus to the cortex play a central role in conveying visual and auditory information. Projections from the mediodorsal area are important for learning and memory.
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About the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation has been awarding NARSAD Grants for more than 25 years. The Foundation has invested close to $300 million in NARSAD Grants to more than 3,300 scientists worldwide since 1987, leading to thousands of scientific achievements to improve the lives of those with mental illness.
Note: Photographs and interviews available upon request.
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Outsourcing to an outside web design agency can bring substantial benefits to your business?
Outsourcing is more cost effective for small projects where the cost of hiring, salaries, training and equipment would be prohibitive for an in-house team.
An outside agency brings new ideas and solutions that an internal team does not offer. Outside agencies have a broader vision of the digital landscape, rather than what is just happening within one company.
Outside agencies need to ensure they are cutting-edge to stay competitive. This ensures that the quality of work is delivered at the highest level. Outside agencies tend to be bigger than in house teams and they have more specialized and crews with higher skill levels. For small and midsize businesses, I recommend outsourcing and here?s why:
?Outsourcing Will Save You Money!!!?
Which is exactly why we use Content OffShore for all our graphic needs.
As you may?remember?I talked about them in January?as well.
When outsourcing web design, you only pay for the time spent on the project or a flat-fee for the project.
The result is cost savings since using in-house resources for your web programming produces a necessary financial commitment to the web designer. This can be in the form of salary, equipment, bonuses, education, company benefits, and more.
The Competitive Drive of Outside Agencies Helps your Website
The web design business is very competitive by nature. So the best outside agencies stay competitive in order to thrive in this sector. There is a lot of pressure on outside design agencies to be current with the latest technology, web design techniques, innovations, and software developments. Outside agencies are often better staffed and use the latest technology to produce impressive, cross platform website designs.
Outsourcing Means New Ideas
Which is one aspect that I truly enjoy. It is very easy to start to become?repetitive?and boring if you are stubborn and stuck in your ways. This can really start to hurt your business if you are not producing something the customers like.
That?s why is it nice to bring in someone with an outside view of your company and how they picture your brand. I can say without a doubt?Content Offshore has brought back some fresh life to the ShoeMoney brand.
Here is an example of what they did for my book release.
?
I am not the only one who has found success with them however..
?After designing the layout for a website for one of our clients, we sent out designs to Content Offshore, and the results could not have been more spectacular! With constant communications through digital platforms, Content Offshore made sure they were on top of the project and followed through with detailed precision. I look forward to working with them on future projects and continuing to showcase their creative and intelligent solutions! They are the ?go-to? digital partner for Bleick Studio now.? -?Jason Bleick ? CEO of?Bleick Studio
?Content Offshore has been a pleasure to work with!? They will work with you until you are satisfied and then ask for more. The very first job we gave them was completed within a few hours and they were right on target with the design. The team is knowledgeable, responsive, and fast! You won?t find a better creative design studio.? -?Chad French -?President/Founder of PeerFly, Inc.
?After using Content Offshore for projects for over a year, we were so impressed by the quality of the product as well as projects always being done on time (which never happens in the real world), we decided they earned the right to be our Exclusive Digital Design Agency.? They have been our exclusive design agency for the past 6 months and we could not be happier.? Jonathan is an absolute pleasure to work with and makes life ?easier? on us daily.? -?Graham Gochneaur ? President/CEO of Pristine Media Group
?Jonathan Marshall and Content Offshore have consistently shown themselves to be ahead of the competition in execution of interactive design, development while clearly demonstrating strategic and forward thinking. We are impressed by the expertise and dedication set forth to build products, which were delivered on time and superseded all expectation. ?Content Offshore? and ?delivering on promise? should be considered synonymous.? -Brian Lisi -?CEO of Qello
?We have been using Content Offshore for design services for quite some time.? They are really a pleasure to work with.? Projects are completed on time and beyond our expectations.? They really make our company look amazing. I would consider them our secret weapon? ? Carl A. Saling III- Director of Awesome ? TheMobileTitans
DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado's governor will sign three gun control bills into law on Wednesday, including one banning ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds in a state that has experienced two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
The measures that Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper will sign also include a bill requiring universal background checks for gun buyers, and another that requires gun buyers to pay for their own background checks, said the governor's spokesman, Eric Brown.
The bills passed both chambers of the Colorado state legislature last week as part of a package of gun control legislation that followed months of heated discussion and pushed Colorado to the forefront of a national gun control debate.
State lawmakers have also approved legislation banning online certification for concealed-carry permits. Another measure could bar gun purchases by domestic violence offenders, although Hickenlooper had previously said he was undecided about that measure until he sees the final wording.
The passage of those bills comes as the nation reels from several mass shootings last year, including the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.
That followed a mass shooting in Colorado in July when a gunman opened fire in a crowded premiere of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.
Former University of Colorado neuroscience graduate student James Holmes, 25, has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder in that case.
Colorado was also the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide. Several of the guns used in that attack were bought at gun shows.
Following Columbine, the state closed a loophole that allowed firearms purchases at gun shows without a background check.
The Colorado legislature's action follows the passage in New York state in January of a sweeping gun-control law that bans assault weapons and magazines that hold more than seven rounds of ammunition, requires gun owners to register most guns with the state and requires universal background checks.
President Barack Obama has put forward a number of federal gun-control proposals following the Newtown killings.
(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)
Join us for a conversation with three companies that are reshaping the future of gaming: Senior Associate Editor Ben Gilbert will sit down with Ujesh Desai, Vice President of Product Marketing at NVIDIA; Nate Mitchell, Vice President of Product at Oculus Rift and John Wilson, Vice President of Systems Product Group at Razer.
March 17, 2013 5:30 PM EDT
Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!
An elderly man passes by a cooperative bank in Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, March 16, 2013. Many rushed to the cooperative banks which are open Saturdays in Cyprus, after learning that the terms of a bailout deal that the cash-strapped country hammered out with international lenders, includes a one-time levy on bank deposits. The move, decided in an extraordinary meeting of the finance ministers of the 17-nation euro zone in the early hours Saturday, is a major departure from established policies. (AP Photo/Pavlos Vrionides)
An elderly man passes by a cooperative bank in Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, March 16, 2013. Many rushed to the cooperative banks which are open Saturdays in Cyprus, after learning that the terms of a bailout deal that the cash-strapped country hammered out with international lenders, includes a one-time levy on bank deposits. The move, decided in an extraordinary meeting of the finance ministers of the 17-nation euro zone in the early hours Saturday, is a major departure from established policies. (AP Photo/Pavlos Vrionides)
People queue to use an ATM machine outside of a Laiki Bank branch in Larnaca, Cyprus, Saturday, March 16, 2013. Many rushed to cooperative banks which are open Saturdays in Cyprus after learning that the terms of a bailout deal that the cash-strapped country hammered out with international lenders includes a one-time levy on bank deposits. The move, decided in an extraordinary meeting of the finance ministers of the 17-nation eurozone in the early hours Saturday, is a major departure from established policies. Analysts have warned that making depositors take a hit threatens to undermine investors' confidence in other weaker eurozone economies and might possibly lead to bank runs. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
People queue to use an ATM machine outside of a Laiki Bank branch in Larnaca, Cyprus, Saturday, March 16, 2013. Many rushed to cooperative banks which are open Saturdays in Cyprus after learning that the terms of a bailout deal that the cash-strapped country hammered out with international lenders includes a one-time levy on bank deposits. The move, decided in an extraordinary meeting of the finance ministers of the 17-nation eurozone in the early hours Saturday, is a major departure from established policies. Analysts have warned that making depositors take a hit threatens to undermine investors' confidence in other weaker eurozone economies and might possibly lead to bank runs. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
An elderly man holds his bank passbook as he looks through the windows of a closed cooperative bank shop in Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, March 16, 2013. Many rushed to cooperative banks which are open Saturdays in Cyprus, after learning that the terms of a bailout deal that the cash-strapped country hammered out with international lenders, includes a one-time levy on bank deposits. The move, decided in an extraordinary meeting of the finance ministers of the 17-nation eurozone in the early hours Saturday, is a major departure from established policies. (AP Photo/Pavlos Vrionides)
Cyprus? Central Bank chief Panicos Demetriades, right, leaves the meeting with president Nicos Anastasiades at the presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, March 17, 2013. Cyprus? parliament had postponed the debate and vote on the controversial levy on all bank deposits that the cash-strapped country?s creditors demanded in exchange for euro10 billion (US$13 billion) in rescue money, officials said. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Cyprus' parliament on Sunday postponed a debate and vote on a controversial levy on all bank deposits that the cash-strapped country's creditors had demanded in exchange for ?10 billion ($13 billion) in rescue money.
The vote, which had been expected later Sunday, has been pushed back to Monday afternoon, parliamentary official Antonis Koutalianos said.
The announcement set off an immediate scramble among top European officials, with reports that the European Central Bank was pressuring Cypriot authorities to hold the vote without delay.
The stakes are high for the tiny island nation of one million people, because a rejection of the levy by lawmakers could push Cyprus into bankruptcy and possibly out of the common euro currency. Officials also fear a massive run Tuesday on Cypriot banks ? after a national holiday on Monday ? no matter which way the voting goes.
The state-run Cyprus News Agency said President Nicos Anastasiades had personally requested the postponement, but no reason was given.
The decision by Cyprus' 16 eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund to impose a one-time tax of 6.75 percent on all deposits under ?100,000 ($131,000) and 9.9 percent over that amount has enraged Cypriot politicians, who have condemned it as unfair and disastrous. That brings into sharp doubt its approval in the 56-seat parliament.
It marks the first time that the IMF and the 17 eurozone nations have dipped into people's savings to finance a bailout, a move that analysts worry may roil international markets and jeopardize Europe's fragile economy.
"There are two choices, voting in favor which allows the country to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy, or rejection, which will have us face a disorderly bankruptcy with all that that entails," said Averof Neophytou, deputy chief of the ruling Democratic Rally party.
It's not only Cypriot depositors who will take a hit but foreign nationals as well, including many Russians who are estimated to have some ?20 billion ($26.2 billion) sitting in Cypriot banks.
At their peak, Cypriot banks had assets totaling eight times the country's ?17.5 billion economy. Those numbers have prompted accusations from some European countries, primarily Germany, that Cypriot banks serve as money laundries for dirty Russian cash.
"It's a lose-lose situation. There will be a huge deposit withdrawal from Cypriot banks with or without a (levy)," said Cyprus Greens lawmakers Giorgos Perdikis. "We should have the courage to make the right decisions that will restore the public's confidence which was drastically shaken."
To counterbalance their cash loss, depositors will receive Cypriot bank bonds. Neophytou said there are efforts to back up those bonds ? which have little value now ? with Cyprus' newfound offshore gas reserves, although extraction is still several years away.
"Now the faith in Cyprus as a place where it is convenient to keep one's money will be undermined,"? Anatoly Aksakov, president of the Association of Regional Banks of Russia, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
Aksakov also suggested some of the Russian money now deposited in Cypriot banks will move back to Russia.
Meanwhile, Britain's Treasury chief said the government will compensate about 3,500 U.K. troops who will lose money to Cyprus's bailout tax.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said Sunday the government would compensate troops and civil servants. But those among the 59,000 British residents of Cyprus who not working for the U.K. military or the government could still be out of pocket.
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Public release date: 21-Mar-2013
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