Looking for a fall graphic design internship? Port Discovery Children's Museum could
    use a hand! Work with our Marketing team and get to know the wonderful world of
    in-house graphic design. Gather real life experience in an imaginative place. Times
    are flexible! Must know Adobe Creative Suite and enjoy color. Illustrators with
    graphic design know-how are also encouraged.
    
    
    Email your info to spearson@portdiscovery.org<mailto:spearson@portdiscovery.org>
    

The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) is looking for a part time student intern for the Fall 2013 semester for 5-10 hours per week in the afternoon.  We are located across Wilkens Avenue on the grounds of the Spring Grove Hospital Center.  Our program conducts research on schizophrenia and substance abuse, while supporting a prior authorization program.  The MPRC provides inpatient and outpatient treatment.  

IF INTERESTED, APPLY VIA UMBCworks today (position 9260688).

CSEE Professor Gymama Slaughter received a two-year research research award from the National Science Foundation to develop and evaluate nanoelectrode probe arrays to better detect and extract intracellular signals. Data from these signals will help in restoring functional loss of limb control of individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke.

Conventional neural interfaces consist of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) that are in close contact with neurons to record extracellular potential or stimulate electrical activity. However, due to the relative large microelectrode size, these MEAs are not capable of extracting intracellular signals, which is of particular interest in restoring functional loss of limb control of individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke. MEAs electrophysiological recordings still faces two major challenges, the inherent noisy data and the limited spatial resolution. These problems especially limit the accuracy and reliability of the movement parameter due to the unreliable spike recording for long durations.

The objective of this research is the fabrication and characterization of independently addressable nanoelectrode arrays (NEAs) and nanoelectrode probe arrays (NEPAs) for high-throughput recording of extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological measurements of neural activity.  These will allow, for the first time, simultaneous extracellular and intracellular characterization of large number of neurons while maintaining high spatial resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio, and excellent selectivity of neural interfaces.

The NSF award,  a novel parallel extracellular and intracellular nanoelectrode and nanoelectrode probe array for high throughput electrophysiological recording, will provide over $150,000 over the next two years to fund Dr. Slaughter and her students research on this project.

When the president of Russia writes an OpEd for one of your country’s preeminent newspapers, you don’t exactly ignore it.

Vladimir Putin, the controversial, conniving, and often-shirtless Russian president authored a piece entitled “A Plea for Caution From Russia” that was published in the New York Times on Wednesday.  

The opinion advocated for diplomacy, strict adherence to international law, and non-intervention.  See the irony?

In the piece, which was directed to the American public, Putin made many controversial remarks that enraged conservatives and liberals alike.  Chief among them was Putin’s denouncement of American exceptionalism.

I would rather disagree with a case [President Obama] made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.

Because of the statement, analysts believe that Putin, and not his press office, authored the OpEd.  After all, what press secretary would write to an American audience with the message “Americans are not special” ?

Perhaps Putin’s most audacious assertion though, was a warning that US intervention would breed more violence:

The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. 

If you didn’t see the irony before, here it is in plain sight.  Russia has consistently sold arms and ammunition to Assad’s regime, including tanks, air defense systems, and military training aircraft since the uprising began more than two years ago- yet warns the American public to do the responsible thing and avoid spreading violence.  

Aye aye, comrade.