Public release date: 22-Apr-2008

Contact: Dr. Annette Tuffs
annette.tuffs@med.uni-heidelberg.de
0049-622-156-4536
University Hospital Heidelberg

It can hold a credit card, use a keyboard with the index finger, and lift a bag weighing up to 20 kg – the world’s first commercially available pros-thetic hand that can move each finger separately and has an astounding range of grip configurations. For the first time worldwide a patient at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg has tested both the “i-LIMB” hand in comparison with another innovative prosthesis, the so called ”Fluidhand”. Eighteen-year-old Sören Wolf, who was born with only one hand, is enthusiastic about its capabilities.

The new prosthetic hand developed and distributed by the Scottish com-pany “Touch Bionics” certainly has advantages over previous models. For example, a comparable standard product from another manufacturer al-lows only a pinch grip using thumb, index, and middle finger, and not a grip using all five fingers. This does not allow a full-wrap grip of an object.

Myoelectric signals from the stump of the arm control the prosthesis

Complex electronics and five motors contained in the fingers enable every digit of the i-LIMB to be powered individually. A passive positioning of the thumb enables various grip configurations to be activated. The myoelectric signals from the stump control the prosthetic hand; muscle signals are picked up by electrodes on the skin and transferred to the control electronics in the prosthetic hand. Batteries provide the necessary power.

The “Fluidhand” from Karlsruhe, thus far developed only as a prototype that is also being tested in the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg, is based on a somewhat different principle. Unlike its predecessors, the new hand can close around objects, even those with irregular surfaces. A large contact surface and soft, passive form elements greatly reduce the gripping power required to hold onto such an object. The hand also feels softer, more elastic, and more natural than conventional hard prosthetic devices.

“Fluidhand” prosthetic device offers better finishing and better grip function

The flexible drives are located directly in the movable finger joints and operate on the biological principle of the spider leg – to flex the joints, elastic chambers are pumped up by miniature hydraulics. In this way, index finger, middle finger and thumb can be moved independently. The prosthetic hand gives the stump feedback, enabling the amputee to sense the strength of the grip.
Prosthetic hand “i-LIMB ” from the Scottish company “Touch Bionics. ”
Click here for more information.

Thus far, Sören has been the only patient in Heidelberg who has tested both models. “This experience is very important for us,” says Simon Steffen, Director of the Department of Upper Extremities at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg. The two new models were the best of those tested, with a slight advantage for Fluidhand because of its better finishing, the programmed grip configurations, power feedback, and the more easily adjustable controls. However, this prosthetic device is not in serial production. “First the developers have to find a company to produce it,” says Alfons Fuchs, Director of Orthopedics Engineering at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg, as the costs of manufacturing it are comparatively high. However it is possible to produce an individual model. Thus far, only one patient in the world has received a Fluidhand for everyday use. A second patient will soon be fitted with this innovative prosthesis in Heidelberg.

Heidelberg Orthopedic Workshop provide a unique service in Germany

The workshop at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg has been in existence since 1919 and is unique in Germany. Since the Tha-lidomide tragedy in the 1960s it has had its own research department. Today there are some 60 specialized professionals employed in the orthopedic workshop who have learned their trade in many years of training. Every year, around 5,000 patients are fitted with orthopedic aids.

—

Contact:

Alfons Fuchs
Director of Technical Orthopedics
Stiftung Orthopädische Universitätsklinik
Schlierbacher Landstrasse 200
69118 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +49 6221 / 96 6406
Email: alfons.fuchs@ok.uni-heidelberg.de

Website from „Touch Bionics“ about „i-Limb-Hand“: www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php”section=5

German press release from the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidel-berg on prosthetic arms (”Ein Hauch von Science-Fiction” [A Touch of Sci-ence Fiction]) on September 10, 2007: http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news224826

Requests by journalists:

Dr. Annette Tuffs
Head of Public Relations and Press Department
University Hospital of Heidelberg and
Medical Faculty of Heidelberg
Im Neuenheimer Feld 672
D-69120 Heidelberg
Germany
phone: +49 6221 / 56 45 36
fax: +49 6221 / 56 45 44
e-mail: annette.tuffs(at)med.uni-heidelberg.de

NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ – The YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network was named number one in the Best Companies to Work for in New York for 2007. The New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group, an independent company managing Best Places to Work programs in 26 states around the country, presented the YAI/NIPD Network with the honor in the Large Companies category at an awards dinner on April 10 in Albany.

“By continually identifying ways to improve the work environment for its employees, the YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network has become a nurturing organization where people genuinely love to work,” said Barry R. Manus, Chair, Best Companies New York Initiative for the New York Sate Society for Human Resources Management, announcing the award. “From tuition reimbursement to a state-of-the-art training program, the organization places the utmost importance on supporting its staff growth and development.”

The statewide awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment — including for-profit and not-for-profits — in New York. Companies from across the state were ranked on the results of an employee survey and their workplace policies, benefits and implementation.

“We are enormously proud of this prestigious award,” said Dr. Philip H. Levy, President of the YAI/NIPD Network. “For 50 years, we have created an
environment where people are treated with dignity and respect. We recognize that staff is our greatest resource. And no one benefits more from this than the individuals and their families, whom we proudly serve.”

“We have made it a priority to create programs, policies and partnerships that enhance the lives of our staff members in and outside of work,” said Dr. Joel M. Levy, Chief Executive Officer of the YAI/NIPD Network. “We recognize the importance of the delicate work-life balance.”

The Best Companies to Work for in New York list is made up of 30 companies split into two groups: 15 medium-sized companies (25-250 employees) and 15 large-sized companies (251 or more employees). The YAI/NIPD Network has been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York in the large category.

The following is the rankings for the Best Large Companies to Work for in New York State:

1. The YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network, New York, N.Y.
2. Marcum & Kliegman LLP, Melville, N.Y.
3. The American Cancer Society Eastern Division, New York, N.Y.
4. Digitas, New York, N.Y.
5. Deloitte, New York, N.Y.
6. Independent Health, Buffalo, N.Y.
7. Anchin Block & Anchin LLP, New York, N.Y.
8. Syracuse Research Corporation, North Syracuse, N.Y.
9. Grant Thornton LLOP, New York, N.Y.
10. Sleepy’s LLC, Bethpage, N.Y.
11. Berkeley College, New York, N.Y.
12. The Arc of Steuben, Bath, N.Y.
13. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Lake Success, N.Y.
14. Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.
15. St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center, Roslyn, N.Y.

In addition to the partnership, the program is supported by the following organizations: Major Sponsor-Right Management; Supporting Sponsors — Bernard Hodes Group and Jackson Lewis LLP.

Since 1957, the YAI/NIPD Network has provided a place of hope for people with developmental and learning disabilities. Comprised of seven
not-for-profit, independent health and human service agencies, the YAI/NIPD Network serves people of all ages throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester and Rockland counties. One of the most comprehensive networks of its kind, the YAI/NIPD Network’s more than 5,000 staff members serve over 20,000 individuals in more than 450 community-based programs.

The YAI/NIPD Network also has been recognized with the National Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award from the American Psychological
Association and the New York State Psychological Association’s state-level Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award.

For more information about the YAI/NIPD Network or to obtain services, call 1-866-2-YAI-LINK or visit http://www.yai.org.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York awards program, visit http://www.bestcompaniesNY.com or contact Beth Feltenberger at bethf@journalpub.com or 717-236-4300.

CHICAGO, April 15 /PRNewswire/ — Safeway is conducting its annual in-store fundraising and awareness campaign to bring new hope and opportunities to thousands of people who live with disabilities. Safeway plans to raise millions of dollars to fund Easter Seals’ autism and disability services, provide job training grants, and adopt athletes so they can participate in Special Olympics games throughout the country.

“We continue to be overwhelmed by Safeway’s partnership and commitment to people living with autism and other disabilities,” said James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals. “Safeway is a national leader in providing job opportunities and helping
fund local services that provide training and rehabilitation for millions of people.”

Safeway was Easter Seals’ top corporate donor last year, raising $6.8 million in 2007 alone. All told, the 22-year Safeway and Easter Seals
partnership has raised more than $83 million to support Easter Seals services for children and adults with disabilities across the country.

“Helping people with disabilities has become a passion for Safeway, our employees and our customers,” said Steve Burd, Safeway Chairman, President and CEO. “Our partnerships with Easter Seals and Special Olympics will bring more awareness to this important issue and provide opportunities for people with disabilities through these innovative programs.”

During the campaign, customers at all Safeway stores in North America — including Vons, Tom Thumb, Dominick’s, Randall’s, Genuardi’s, Carrs and
Pavilions — will be asked to donate to Easter Seals at checkout. This year, the funds raised will help Easter Seals provide children and adults
with autism and other disabilities early intervention and educational therapies, job training and employment, and family support services.

“We are excited about this year’s campaign and our ability to reach millions of customers about such an important issue,” said Larree Renda,
Safeway Executive Vice President and Safeway Foundation Chair. “These partnerships with Easter Seals and Special Olympics will help Safeway touch the lives of so many people who live with a disability and we are so proud to make such a positive difference.”

About Easter Seals

Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For nearly 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at http://www.easterseals.com or http://autism.easterseals.com.

About Safeway

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,743 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $42 billion in 2007. Safeway supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and in 2007 donated more than $172 million, the equivalent of 20% of its net income, to causes such as cancer research, education, food banks and programs focused on assisting people with disabilities. To learn more about Safeway’s sustainability initiatives, go to http://www.Safeway.com, click on “About Us” and “Going Green.”

The Dept of Homeland security is hosting a conference to assess and improve the Department of Homeland’s security ability to deal with people with disabilities in the face of disaster.

WASHINGTON, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Council on Disability (NCD) will hear presentations and discuss homeland security and emergency preparedness issues for people with disabilities at the Westin Arlington Gateway, 801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA.

Some of those scheduled to speak are:

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Curt Decker, Executive Director, National Disability Rights Network
11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Mike Starling, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, National Public Radio (NPR), and Executive Director, NPR Labs

1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Chad Colley, Vice Chairperson, NCD

Nicole Francis, Counsel, House Committee on Homeland Security

Andy Weis, General Counsel to Senator Susan M. Collins, Senate Committee on Homeland Security

Scott Spicer, Senior Analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

David Wise, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Team, GAO

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Ted Costin, Director, Preparedness Division, Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Steve Kral, Senior Policy Advisor, Washington, DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency

JoAnne E. Knapp, Director, Emergency Preparedness Policy, Maryland Department of Disabilities

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

In 2003, NCD committed to evaluating government’s developing role in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparedness and disaster relief for people with disabilities. This commitment occurred, in large measure, as a result of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, and the
subsequent creation of DHS. NCD’s first evaluation findings were issued in April 2005 in the report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities
in Emergency Planning.

Under the Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), signed by President Bush on October 4, 2006, NCD was assigned key responsibilities
for disability-related issues in homeland security.

The homeland security and emergency preparedness discussions are part of NCD’s quarterly meeting that begins on Monday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. and concludes on Wednesday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, VA.

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. We provide advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and empower
individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of
society.

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of External Affairs Mark S. Quigley at mquigley@ncd.gov or 202-272-2004 or visit http://www.ncd.gov.

Source: PRN Newswire

The House passed legislation yesterday to extend and improve funding for a range of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs, such as assistance in returning to work, finding a place to live, and obtaining needed support and appropriate rehabilitation services. It also funds an important CDC program to prevent such injuries. The bill will be of major assistance to soldiers with such injuries from combat, and to children, who tend to have a higher incidence of the injuries.

Apr 09, 2008 (Congressional Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX)

WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Orrin Hatch released the following statement today commending the House of Representatives for passing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act Reauthorization. The bill is very similar to the measure passed by the Senate in December, and the Senate is expected to take up the House Bill very soon and send it to the President for his signature.

“Today, we’re a giant step closer to giving our nation’s military, veterans, children, and other citizens with traumatic brain injuries the best rehabilitation services we can provide. Over 5 million Americans are now living with permanent disabilities because of these injuries, and 1.5 million more suffer and survive such injuries every year. Modern medicine is now providing real hope for rehabilitation, and our goal in this legislation is to make it widely available to this vulnerable population. They deserve no less,” said Senators Kennedy and Hatch.

The legislation will extend and improve funding for a range of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs, such as assistance in returning to work, finding a place to live, and obtaining needed support and appropriate rehabilitation services. It also funds an important CDC program to prevent such injuries.

The bill will be of major assistance to soldiers with such injuries from combat, and to children, who tend to have a higher incidence of the injuries.

Summary of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act Reauthorization

What is TBI?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that causes damage to the brain. Common causes include falls and car crashes. Every year, of the 1.5 million people in the United States who sustain a TBI, 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized, and approximately 80,000 to 90,000 will become disabled.

Who would this bill primarily help?

Soldiers: This bill will provide assistance to the millions of children and adults in our nation who are facing an array of problems because of their traumatic brain injury. The programs authorized under this bill can help the thousands of soldiers wounded in the war. As of December, 2007 — 30,327 service members have been wounded in Iraq; brain injuries are approximately two-thirds of the injuries suffered in the war.

Children: There is an extremely high incidence of Traumatic Brain Injuries among children between the birth and age 14 - approximately 475,000 a year - and some of the highest numbers of injuries are among children under the age of five.

What would the bill do?

The Act expands the Public Health Services Act with respect to traumatic brain injury. Reauthorization of the TBI Act is crucial to continue federal funding for a range of traumatic brain injury programs. The bill will reauthorize grants that have been assisting States, Territories, and the District of Columbia in building or enhancing coordinated systems of community-based services and supports for children and adults with traumatic brain injuries. It will extend the ability to apply for these grants to American Indian Consortia.

In addition, when Congress first authorized the Traumatic Brain Injury Act as part of the Children’s Health Act of 2000 it had the foresight to include funding for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury program. This program has played a crucial role because individuals with traumatic brain injury have an array of advocacy needs including assistance with returning to work, finding a place to live, accessing needed supports and services such as attendant care and assistive technology, and obtaining appropriate rehabilitation services.

Often these individuals are forced to remain in extremely expensive institutional settings far longer than necessary because the community-based supports and services they need are not available. Effective protection and advocacy services for people with traumatic brain injury can lead both to reduced government expenditures and increased productivity, independence and community integration. However, the advocate must possess specialized skills and the work is often time-intensive.

The reauthorization:

Extends the authorization of such sums as may be necessary for the CDC research, public education, and state registry programs; NIH research; and HRSA programs through 2012.

Establishes several new studies, including a study through the CDC and NIH to determine the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury, identify common therapeutic interventions, and develop rehabilitation guidelines.

Establishes a CDC/NIH study to identify the best methods of coordinating prevalence data, in order to ensure that national research takes into account the incidence of brain injuries among our nation’s veterans and that current information about diagnostic tools and treatments are shared.

Amends the HRSA demonstration projection program such that American Indian consortia can apply for funding, that the projects are redefined to improve access to rehabilitation, and the grants are limited to 3 years.

Requires the Administrator of HRSA and the ADA Commissioner to coordinate data collection regarding protection and advocacy. It stipulates that, in any year where $6 million is appropriated for the HRSA protection and advocacy services program, 2% is used for a grant providing for training and technical assistance to protection and advocacy systems.

Contact: Melissa Wagoner (202) 224-2633

Microsoft is jumping into the fray, for this, we can thank the baby boomers. Microsoft, for whatever it’s worth, has always been able to drive the cost of acquiring technology down to the level where the common man can afford it. This new developer resource will undoubtedly open the minds and wallets of corporate America, and thus the people, to cheaper, more readily available assistive technology.

REDMOND, Wash., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. today launched a new online resource and released two new open-source accessibility testing tools for developers who want to create accessible and assistive technology products that make it easier for everyone — including people with impairments and disabilities — to see, hear and use computers and other devices.

As the demand for accessibility increases, driven by a rapidly aging work force and an increasing number of people who use accessible technology to customize their computers for greater comfort and productivity, so does the need for more developer resources and better testing tools that have the capacity to evolve.

“We are helping to create a developer community that is focused on accessibility, and to improve the ability of developers around the world to
share their experiences and build more accessible desktop, server and Web applications,” said Norm Hodne, Windows Accessibility lead at Microsoft.
“Microsoft has been a leader in accessibility for over 20 years, making our products more accessible and providing resources that other companies can use to develop their own accessible technology products. Today’s announcement is another example of our long-standing commitment to
accessibility.”

The new Web site, Microsoft Accessibility Labs (http://msdn.microsoft.com/accessibility), is integrated into the Microsoft Accessibility Developer Center in the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). The site is designed to provide developer resources, from technical content to prototypes, and to foster dynamic communication among people who develop accessible technology (AT), conduct accessibility research or rely on AT products.

The two new tools, UI Accessibility Checker (AccChecker) and UI Automation Verify (UIA Verify), enable developers to test accessibility
implementations and functionality in applications that use either Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) or Microsoft User Interface Automation (UIA). Both tools were released through CodePlex (http://www.codeplex.com), a Web site that Microsoft created to host open-source projects and to better serve the developer community.

“By releasing AccChecker and UIA Verify as open-source tools,” Hodne said, “Microsoft enables the developer community to improve and extend the tools so that they keep pace with developers’ changing needs and requirements.”

AccChecker, which enables testers without previous MSAA experience to easily discover and correct problems in MSAA user interface implementations, was designed to fill a gap. Existing tools provided in-depth details about MSAA implementations, but no information about
whether an implementation was correct.

AccChecker comes in three modes: a graphical user interface (GUI) tool for the initial investigations of UIs; a set of simple application programming interfaces (APIs) for easily creating automatic test cases; and a command-line tool for batch processing. Using the GUI tool, testers can easily scan a UI and review a list of errors and warnings. Then, using the per-issue documentation, testers can determine why each issue has occurred, assess the implications for users with impairments or disabilities, and decide how to fix the problem. Once all issues have been addressed, testers can use the APIs to create regression tests. If testers are not skilled enough to use the APIs, they can employ the command-line mode to create tests in a batch file.

UIA Verify is a test automation framework that facilitates ad-hoc and automated testing for Microsoft UI Automation implementations. The
framework provides the basis for tools such as the UI Automation Test Library and Visual UIA Verify, a graphical user interface for the test
framework.

These tools also provide better support for UI Automation working group within the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance
(http://www.accessinteropalliance.org).

“We created these new tools to help developers throughout the industry test their implementations and create better access for all users,” Hodne said. “We want developers to have the tools they need to create the very best accessible technology. We also want them to have the opportunity to modify the tools as their needs evolve.”

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.

As many caregivers know, planning for long term care of a patient can be stressful, both mentally and financially. MassMutual has released a template that helps tame the task into something manageable and less overwhelming, to ensure that the needs of the caregiver and their charge are well met and planned for over the course of a lifetime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today made available on its Web site a free template of a Letter of Intent (LOI) that families can use to begin developing or supplementing life care plans for family members with a disability or other special need.

The template, created with the input of MassMutual professionals with decades of combined experience in special needs planning, is a fillable
Word document that can be customized by parents and/or caregivers to reflect their specific situations. Parents and caregivers can visit http://www.massmutual.com/specialcare/resources to request the template, which is on a compact disc.

A Letter of Intent provides critical caregiving instructions to future guardians, trustees and advocates of the person with a disability in the
event of the death of a parent or caregiver. While not a legal document, the LOI can be an effective supplement to a will or trust because it
attempts to ensure that a family’s wishes will be fully understood.

“A Letter of Intent is a great way for families and caregivers to gather all relevant information in one place, make clear the family’s intentions, and communicate important insights about the unique personality, needs, likes and dislikes of the family member with special needs,” said Randy Cushing, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, and Special Care Planner, whose practice is associated with Commonwealth Financial Group of Boston, a MassMutual general agency.

“Because the template is an electronic document, it can be easily updated or conveniently sent to other family members, caregivers and
advisors,” added Cushing, who uses the Letter of Intent template with his clients who have special needs.

While important for all families with members having a disability, a Letter of Intent is particularly important in the case of children who are incapable of expressing their own needs and wants to caregivers and others, as is the case, for example, with many children with autism.

“The Letter of Intent can help ensure parental intentions and desires are clear to any and all caregivers — even in the event of a parent’s
sudden disability or premature death,” said Joanne Gruszkos, director of the SpecialCare(SM) program at MassMutual, a coordinated program that
provides access to information, specialists and financial products and services that can help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and other special needs and their families. “Often, families understandably become so focused on day-to-day needs that they lose sight
of the larger life-care issues and the costs that loom ahead. A Letter of Intent can help focus the family on the future.”

Although not legally binding, a Letter of Intent offers guidance to the courts and trustees for interpreting care instructions and typically includes emergency contacts, medical history, preferred living arrangements, education or work arrangements, recreational preferences, behavioral challenges, and a summary of family and financial information.

The LOI is a good life planning document for parents/caregivers to share with their team of advisors who can use it as a guide in drawing up
plans, wills, trusts, and other documents. An advisory team may consist of an attorney, CPA and others, such as social workers and caregivers and a Special Care Planner or financial professional. A Special Care Planner has received advanced training in estate and tax planning concepts, special
needs trusts, government programs, and the emotional dynamics of working with people with disabilities and other special needs and their families.
The Special Care Planner certificate program is offered by The American College in Bryn Mawr, PA, exclusively for MassMutual financial professionals.

Friendly’s restaurants continue a 27 year tradition called ‘Cones for Kids’. Each year, the proceeds of a day’s worth of ice cream cone sales are donated to Easter Seals to help Easter Seals provide such comprehensive programs and services as medical rehabilitation, assistive technology, inclusive child care, adult day centers, and even camping and recreation for children and adults living with autism and other disabilities.

CHICAGO, April 4, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Friendly Ice Cream Corporation today announced results of its 27th annual ‘Cones for Kids’ Valentine’s Day fundraiser to benefit Easter Seals. Since the conclusion of last year’s campaign, Friendly’s Restaurants have raised just over $616,000 to help children and adults with disabilities in 16 states. Most of those dollars were raised during the chain-wide ‘Cones for Kids’ program, while a few communities held additional fundraisers to top off the amount. This year’s success brings Friendly’s overall total raised for Easter Seals to more than $25.2 million since 1981.

“‘Cones for Kids’ is a 27-year tradition that makes a real-life difference,” said George Condos, chief executive officer and president of Friendly Ice Cream Corporation. “We are proud of our corporate responsibility to give back to the communities we serve. Our partnership with Easter Seals allows us to do just that, through the funding of localized disability services for people of all ages.”

Each year, the money raised through ‘Cones for Kids’ helps Easter Seals provide such comprehensive programs and services as medical rehabilitation, assistive technology, inclusive child care, adult day centers, and even camping and recreation for children and adults living with autism and other disabilities.

Apr. 2, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) –

NEW YORK (AP) - Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) Inc. unveiled a new version of its mobile Web search service oneSearch on Wednesday, oneSearch 2.0, that includes the ability to search by voice.

At the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based search engine said the function allows users to search by speaking what they’re looking for, and can also switch between talking and typing at any time to refine their searches.

The feature became available Wednesday for some BlackBerry smart phones, including the 8800 series, Curve and Pearl devices in the U.S., Yahoo said.

The company anticipates rolling out search with voice on more devices and in other countries in the coming months.

Yahoo also said it intends to open oneSearch up to publishers so they can integrate content with it, and expects open search results will start in the second quarter.

Yahoo added that it is adding a feature called Search Assist to oneSearch that includes predictive text to speed up the search query typing process. The feature became available for Apple Inc.’s iPhone on Wednesday and is expected to become available on some devices in upcoming months.

The company will also release out a mobile search feature that makes searching instantly accessible on many cell phone’s idle screens. This is expected to be available in the second quarter.

Yahoo shares fell 70 cents to $27.80 in afternoon trading.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Public release date: 2-Apr-2008
Contact: Marla Paul
Marla-Paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University

CHICAGO — A spinal cord injury often leads to permanent paralysis and loss of sensation below the site of the injury because the damaged nerve fibers can’t regenerate. The nerve fibers or axons have the capacity to grow again, but don’t because they’re blocked by scar tissue that develops around the injury.

Northwestern University researchers have shown that a new nano-engineered gel inhibits the formation of scar tissue at the injury site and enables the severed spinal cord fibers to regenerate and grow. The gel is injected as a liquid into the spinal cord and self -assembles into a scaffold that supports the new nerve fibers as they grow up and down the spinal cord, penetrating the site of the injury.

When the gel was injected into mice with a spinal cord injury, after six weeks the animals had a greatly enhanced ability to use their hind legs and walk.

The research is published today in the April 2 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

“We are very excited about this,” said lead author John Kessler, M.D., Davee Professor of Stem Cell Biology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “We can inject this without damaging the tissue. It has great potential for treating human beings.”

Kessler stressed caution, however, in interpreting the results. “It’s important to understand that something that works in mice will not necessarily work in human beings. At this point in time we have no information about whether this would work in human beings.”

“There is no magic bullet or one single thing that solves the spinal cord injury, but this gives us a brand new technology to be able to think about treating this disorder,” said Kessler, also the chair of the Davee Department of Neurology at the Feinberg School. “It could be used in combination with other technologies including stem cells, drugs or other kinds of interventions.”

“We designed our self-assembling nanostructures — the building blocks of the gel — to promote neuron growth,” said co-author Samuel I. Stupp, Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and Medicine and director of Northwestern’s Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine. “To actually see the regeneration of axons in the spinal cord after injury is a fascinating outcome.”

The nano-engineered gel works in several ways to support the regeneration of spinal cord nerve fibers. In addition to reducing the formation of scar tissue, it also instructs the stem cells –which would normally form scar tissue — to instead to produce a helpful new cell that makes myelin. Myelin is a substance that sheaths the axons of the spinal cord to permit the rapid transmission of nerve impulses.

The gel’s scaffolding also supports the growth of the axons in two critical directions — up the spinal cord to the brain (the sensory axons) and down to the legs (the motor axons.) “Not everybody realizes you have to grow the fibers up the spinal cord so you can feel where the floor is. If you can’t feel where the floor is with your feet, you can’t walk,” Kessler said.

Now Northwestern researchers are working on developing the nano-engineered gel to be acceptable as a pharmaceutical for the Food & Drug Administration.

If the gel is approved for humans, a clinical trial could begin in several years.

“It’s a long way from helping a rodent to walk again and helping a human being walk again,” Kessler stressed again. “People should never lose sight of that. But this is still exciting because it gives us a new technology for treating spinal cord injury.”