Researchers have engineered monkeys with Parkinson’s Disease

Scientists in Japan have successfully bred a set of genetically modified marmosets with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and motor neurone (Lou Gehrig’s) disease, The New Scientist reports today. The development could lead to major breakthroughs in the treatment of neurological disorders.

Professor Hideyuki Okano from the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo presented his team’s finding at the State of the Brain symposium in May, describing the process by which his team gave the marmoset test subjects “faulty” copies of the human gene SNCA. In Parkinson’s patients, the same mutation causes a buildup of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brain, which in turn kills the brain cells that create dopamine. Because dopamine is important for movement and motor control, the end result are the loss of motor control and tremors commonly associated with Parkinson’s.

By the time they were three years old, the marmosets began showing the same symptoms of Parkinson’s as human patients. By their fourth year, the marmoset subjects were showing a buildup of Lewy bodies — a clear indicator of Parkinson’s — in their brain stems. The monkeys’ symptoms could be managed with L-DOPA, the dopamine replacement therapy used to treat human patients.

Okano’s team hopes that by using live primate subjects with brains similar to our own, they can track the disease’s progression at different stages of the monkey’s life and develop new treatments to slow its effects. While regulations and lack of public support generally limit the controversial use of primates as test subjects in Europe and the United States, those same barriers don’t exist for researchers in China or Japan. In the US, most neurological disease research is carried out on mice, which The New Scientist points out has led to some misleading results in the past. Hundreds of potential Alzheimer’s treatments that looked promising in mice, for example, were completely ineffective on human patients suffering from the disease.

Big data shows racial bias in police behavior

Stanford University just delivered further proof that massive, readily available data sets can solve tricky law enforcement problems. School researchers combing through a mix of 28,119 Oakland Police Department stop reports, officer body camera footage and community surveys have learned that there are “significant” racial biases at play. OPD officers are not only more likely to stop a black person, but far more likely to conduct searches of black people, even though they weren’t any more likely to find something incriminating. Officers more frequently handcuffed black people without arresting them, too. And the pattern is the same regardless of the crime rate in a given region.

The dialogue from the body cameras has its own share of insights. Officers more often brought up the subject of parole or probation when stopping black people. However, they were far more likely to mention the reason for a stop to a white person.

Stanford is quick to mention that these gaps in treatment shrink with experience (veterans are less likely to cuff someone without an arrest). It also stresses that there isn’t hard evidence of conscious, overt racism. The police may not be intentionally treating black people differently, but there is an “institutional problem” that leads to unfair treatment.

The good news? Stanford conducted this data study in tandem with the OPD, and it’s implementing the university’s recommendations. That includes improving how the department collects and studies data, making that data more accessible and using body camera footage for audits and training. As you’d hope, the force is also educating officers to both minimize bias and identify troublemakers. These solutions won’t apply everywhere and certainly aren’t guaranteed to end racism in law enforcement, but the very hint of progress suggests that the data collection was worthwhile.

Source: Stanford University

Best shooters and action games of E3 2016: Battlefield 1, Gears 4, COD: Infinite Warfare and more

One of the best-served genres in gaming each year is the good, old fashioned shoot-em-up. From first-person to sideways-scrolling shooters to more esoteric blast-a-thons, there’s always plenty to choose from, and plenty are launched or shown at E3.

Additionally, there are plenty of action games where a gun and bullets aren’t part of the mayhem, but there’s still more than enough viscera and gore to go around.

That’s why we’ve put together a selection of our favourite shooters and action games from this year’s show, along with short reasons why, for you to check out. All of them are worthy contenders for your cash on the build up to Christmas and beyond.

Just flick through the gallery above to find out our faves. They’re listed in no particular order and, bar one or two, are generally multiplatform, for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

We’ll also be adding to this list as we see more on the E3 2016 show floor.

READ: E3 2016: All the launches, games and consoles at the show

And we’ll be putting together similar round-ups of our favourite driving, sports and adventure games, plus RPGs too, which you’ll be able to see on Pocket-lint soon.

This is the new Sony PlayStation VR Aim Controller

At the start of E3 this week, Sony announced a first-person shooter alongside a new controller called PS VR Aim.

The PS VR Aim is shaped so the user can hold it like a rifle pulled into the shoulder or fire from the hip. The controller uses a similar system to the Move controllers, meaning it will mirror your movements in the real world. So, if you point the gun to the side, it’ll move that way (independently of your head movements). Pulling off badass shots without even looking should now be a gaming possibility.

PS VR Aim will work with Farpoint, which is described by its indie developer, Impulse Gear, as an “unnerving space adventure set on a hostile alien world”. After you crash land, you have to fight to survive and explore the planet’s secrets. Your only hope of escape is to keep moving, with the PS VR Aim of course, which is considered “the most realistic and precise way” to control Farpoint.

Pocket-lint

Pocket-lint got a chance to see the VR Aim controller on the showfloor at E3 this week and could see that it has all the same controls found on the standard DualShock 4, including two analogue sticks, four face buttons, two bumpers, two triggers, a directional pad, Share and Options buttons, and another button mapped to the DualShock’s touchpad button (but there’s no touchpad on top).

The two triggers are in different positions, naturally, allowing the controller to be handled like a gun. VR Aim is also ambidextrous, as its R1 button for re-loading is mounted on either side of the trigger and beneath your index finger. Keep in mind Sony’s PlayStation VR headset works with the controller to bring your wrists and arms into VR, adding that extra layer of precision to the experience.

Pocket-lint

Also, this is not Sony’s first gun controller. It developed the Sharpshooter back in 2010. They look similar, but Sony said its VR Aim is more accurate and has less delay. Impulse Gear said it developed Farpoint to work specifically with VR Aim controller, too. Presumably, the controller will come in a bundle with Farpoint. It’ll also, hopefully, be compatible with more games in the future.

We don’t know much else right now. While the PS VR is available for pre-order, there is no sign of the VR Aim just yet.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild preview: Prepare to lose your breath

In among the halls at the E3 gaming expo Nintendo has dedicated a giant space to Zelda. It’s an escape from the bustle outside, with its own real grass and trees, a day-to-night lighting system, sound effects and all Nintendo’s usual quirk running to the maximum. It might sound like someone’s plonked a giant garden centre slap bang in the middle of a gaming exhibition, but Nintendo has pulled it off, the mood is set for us to take a deep breath and dive into 35-minutes of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

We’re excited. After all, this game is a big deal and has been in the making for what seems like forever. Sure, we still have to wait until 2017 before it will actually be released – as the Wii U’s swan song and the opening gambit for Nintendo NX. It is, therefore, a game on which Nintendo is hanging huge hopes. It has to succeed.

It’s clear the game has been in development forever too, because the Wii U immediately shows its age and fidelity limitations: this isn’t the ultra-crisp gaming that many have come accustomed to with new-gen consoles and PC rigs. Even so, Nintendo has dunked Zelda in a bucket load of style and painted a new feel for the game; one that feels at once truly Zelda and sincerely beautiful. Sweeping reeds, a painterly style, lingering backdrops that tease the lands you’ll be exploring later in the game. We can’t wait to see how the NX version will ramp things up – that’s the version everyone will really want to play.

The game begins with Link awaking in a pool, having been in a slumber for 100 years. Calamity Ganon, depicted as a dark force around Hyrule Castle, is about to become all powerful. It’s typical Zelda stuff, as ever. Link doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll be tasked to stop that happening.

Story set, it’s time to get to the controls. Giant GamePad in hand and it’s not the most comfortable setup, plus the odd arrangement of buttons feels awkward – run and jump sit at total opposites as one example. There’s that Nintendo quirk again. But once we’ve got used to shooting arrows, slashing through the undergrowth and clubbing bad guys (whose deaths are realised in a kid-friendly puff of smoke) it’s manageable. The integration of GamePad’s three-dimensional controls are limited too; it can be used to aim arrows by facing the pad itself at the target, but we much preferred to just use the d-pad.

Nintendo

There are heaps of controls to get accustomed, given the breadth of Link’s arsenal this time around. It’s the most RPG-like Zelda ever. For example, clothing plays a more integral role than before, with climate a factor – you can’t go into the icy hills wearing a thin shirt, for example, you’ll need a proper padded top for that. Other items and food can be collected and crafted, too, with cooking playing a role this time around.

Amiibo – Nintendo’s real-world toys that instigate in-game characters – is also compatible. We synched the Wolf Link Amiibo with the Gamepad, a lone wolf who can help with hunting and attacking enemies. It’s not possible to designate tasks to him, which we thought would have added an additional layer of tactics, but then it’s not essential to use Amiibo to play the game, hence keeping the game accessible for all. Wolf Link can only be summoned once a day.

Combat-wise Breath of the Wild feels more free-flowing and less locked-in the some Zelda games before it. The usual shielded defence, timed weapon attacks and skipping about to avoid bad guys is at the game’s core. Weapons wear out, so collecting spare clubs and tree branches might come in handy. But in this Zelda the environment can be used too: we set fire to some bushes, for example, while rocks can be rolled down hills to strike enemies. There are all manner of possibilities, such as explosive lanterns which can be shot down to explode and, we suspect, Nintendo will have gone fully creative on other ways to despatch the bad guys.

Nintendo

The game is huge too. Looking into the distance it’s possible to pick-our mountains and a volcano, all of which will be accessible. Open the map and this giant world makes itself apparent. Big doesn’t always mean best, of course, so we’ll have to see how fast-travel and horseback riding are integrated to expedite travel when it’s needed.

First Impressions

From combat to puzzles, shrines and runes, collectibles and puzzles, Zelda: Breath of the Wild has all the make-up of a classic Zelda title, wrapped into a different, stylised skin. Despite slightly fussy controls (not nearly as bad as StarFox though) it’s certainly shaping-up to be the best Zelda ever. And with the power of NX revealed in 2017 for the game’s launch, we’re doubly excited to find out just how much better it will look.

Best driving and sports games of E3 2016: FIFA 17, Forza Horizon 3, Steep, GT Sport and more

If it’s quality sports games you’re after you are in for a real treat this coming year, whether that be ball, extreme or motorsports. The 2016 E3 videogames convention is jam packed with amazing looking titles that offer conclusive proof the industry has got the hang of this new-generation console malarkey.

From the traditional racers such as Gran Turismo Sport, to open-world online epics such as Forza Horizon 3, and proper rallying in all-new WRC6, there’s driving games catered for different tastes.

READ: E3 2016: All the launches, games and consoles at the show

Other sports titles range from the traditional, such as Madden NFL 17 and NBA 2K17, to the unconventional, such as Ubisoft’s new extreme sports title Steep.

Even FIFA this year has changed things up by adding a story mode, The Journey, to give the game some added extra for action on and off the pitch. The new game from EA is hotly contested by Konami’s PES 2017, which is tipped to be the best footie game of the pair.

We’ve selected our favourites from the show floor and also given our brief thoughts and release date of each game. So without further ado, here are the best  sports and driving games from E3 so far: click on this gallery link (mirrored below) for a full-screen experience.

VIEW: The best sports and driving games from E3 2016 gallery

Alibaba founder: fake goods can be better than the real deal

If you use a contract factory in China to produce your goods, don’t be surprised if high-quality fakes pop up online. That’s the feeling of Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma, who stands accused of effectively endorsing counterfeit goods while speaking at an investor event. The Wall Street Journal quotes the executive as saying that “the fake products today are of better quality and better price than the real names.” It’s a big issue for Alibaba, since its consumer-facing retail portals have something of a reputation for being the place to go when you want a knock-off device.

The paper explains that Alibaba has been under pressure to do something about its piracy problem for a while. An anti-counterfeiting group attempted to include Alibaba amongst its membership, prompting luxury brands like Tiffany, Michael Kors and Gucci America to kick up a stink. The company even received censure from China’s industry regulator, which said that (retail portal) Taobao has “paid insufficient attention to the illegal business activities on Alibaba platforms.” The company derided the claim, saying that the report was “biased” and “malicious,” causing “serious damage” to Chinese businesses that operate online.

We’ve previously reported on the prevalence of Chinese companies that produce knock-off goods, especially in the technology space. Ma is, at least, correct that pirated devices are often made in the same factories and on the same lines, that the real gear uses. For instance, a third-party facility might have a contract to produce 30,000 sets of high-end headphones or microSD cards. But once the run is complete, it could be possible to rush out a further 10,000 with leftover parts and some cunning alterations to the name — Boots by Drew or SpanDisc.

At the same event, Ma said that Alibaba isn’t the villain here, describing his company as the “leading fighter of the counterfeits.” He added that “every fake product we sell, we are losing five customers,” but conceded that it was “human instinct” for people to look for cheaper products. Which means that the folks patrolling our borders for Fakebits and Fauxheisers won’t get any downtime in the near future.

Update: This story has been corrected to reflect that Jack Ma is the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba, but is no longer acting CEO.

Source: WSJ