News, including science, technology, business and culture.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Germany: Something For Everyone
It may not have the immediate cache of Britain or France, but for many, many people Germany represents a perfect family destination in Europe.
That's simply because Germany has so many different things to offer, from heritage for German-Americans and genology buffs, to the castles of Bavaria, snow-capped mountains, romantic cruises on the Rhine and much more.
Now you can get deals on hotels, even last-minute accommodations, for Hotels in Berlin. Whatever your budget or taste, this site has something to offer in Berlin.
If you're visiting Germany, consider a side trip to Austria, and that excursion will be easier with some help finding Hotels in Vienna. Check the offers on this site because they often come with free extras.
Of course, Austria is a perfect destination for history buffs looking to dig a little more into the life of Mozart. But did you know that six diverse ethnic groups are officially recognized in Austria (Burgenlandic Croatians, Roma, Slovaks, Slovenians, Czechs and Hungarians) who are concentrated in the east and south of the nation.
NASA Selects 38 Partnerships to Advance Key Technologies
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program Seed Fund has announced the selection of 38 partnerships that will advance key technologies to meet critical needs for NASA's mission. These Seed Fund projects will address technology barriers with cost-shared, joint-development programs.
The partnerships span 30 states and include nine universities, 23 small to medium-sized businesses, 17 large corporations and participation by all 10 NASA field centers.
For a complete list of selected organizations and information about NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program Seed Fund, see this page.
The one-year projects will involve collaboration among three principal partners: a NASA partnership manager at a field center; a co-principal investigator within a NASA program or project office; and an external co-principal investigator from the private sector, academia or other government laboratory.
Examples of selected partnership research areas include the pursuit of improved engine performance and reduced emissions in support of NASA aeronautics research; high-temperature materials for lunar lander engines to support NASA's exploration goals to return to the moon; optics to lower error rates of future space telescopes to support agency science technology needs; and a glass bubble insulation demonstration for cryogenic tanks of interest to NASA's space operations team.
An important element of the fund is the leveraging of financial resources because of contributions from all three partners. NASA's Innovative Partnership Program at NASA headquarters in Washington is contributing $9 million in funding from its Technology Transfer Partnerships budget, $13 million is being provided by NASA sources in programs, projects, or field centers, and $12 million from external partners for a total combined financial commitment of $34 million.
Iowa State Researchers Develop Technology for Early Detection of Viruses
Iowa State University researchers have developed a technology that detects a single molecule of the virus associated with cervical cancer in women.
That's a significant improvement over the current test for the human papillomavirus, said Edward Yeung, an Iowa State distinguished professor and the Robert Allen Wright Chair in Chemistry who led the research team that developed the new test. The current test, the Nobel Prize-winning polymerase chain reaction technique, requires 10 to 50 virus molecules for detection.
"We are always interested in detecting smaller and smaller amounts of material at lower and lower concentrations," Yeung says. "Detecting lower levels means earlier diagnosis."
The discovery by Yeung, who's also a senior chemist and deputy program director for the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory at Iowa State; Jiangwei Li, an Iowa State doctoral student; and Ji-Young Lee, a former Iowa State doctoral student; will be published in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry. Their work was funded by a five-year, $950,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health with additional support from The Robert Allen Wright Endowment for Excellence at Iowa State.
The project advanced just as human papillomavirus made national headlines. In June of 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous lesions and genital warts caused by four types of the virus. The vaccine has been approved for females ages 9 to 26.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. The agency estimates about 6.2 million Americans are infected every year and over half of all sexually active Americans are infected at some time in their lives.
Yeung says single molecule detection of the virus could help women and families decide to get vaccinated. He said vaccines administered after such early detection could still have time to stop the virus.
The new detection technology improves current technology by eliminating a step to amplify DNA samples for testing. Although the current test is efficient and well understood, the amplification can cause small contaminants to create test errors.
Yeung's single molecule spectroscopy technique involves creating chemical reagents that recognize and fluorescently tag the genetic sequence of the human papillomavirus. Test samples pass through a laser beam that lights the tags. Cameras capture the images for computer analysis.
The research team tested the technique using samples from normal Pap smears. They also spiked some of those samples with the virus to make sure the tests picked up known amounts of the virus.
Although this test concentrated on detecting the human papillomavirus, Yeung said it should detect HIV, avian flu and other viruses as well.
The CDC says that every year, more than 90,000 people contract MRSA, a drug-resistant staph infection. Most people contract MRSA in a healthcare setting.
Workshop Calls for Greater Research Focus on Environmental Causes of Autism
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) last Friday released a report from the April 18-19 workshop Autism and the Environment, demonstrating a marked shift in the research agenda from heritability factors to toxic environmental exposures in the development of autism.
The National Autism Association (NAA) and SafeMinds have long called for a paradigm shift from children with autism are genetically defective to children with autism are sick and their illness is treatable. The groups hope that the recognition of environmental factors (including vaccines and heavy metals) in autism will lead to effective treatments for those with autism and prevention for susceptible infants.
In response to a request from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the two-day workshop included the nation's leaders in autism research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Autism community advocates from SafeMinds, NAA and Autism Speaks were also invited participants of the workshop, plus scientists from Harvard, the MIND Institute, Columbia University, and more. The experts discussed strategies for developing a broad research agenda focusing on autism and environmental exposures.
Presentations emphasized the urgency to combat the growing national health crisis of autism and focused on the mechanisms by which environmental factors (including vaccines, chemicals, infectious agents, or physiological or psychological stress) can affect children's neurodevelopment. In addition, discussions addressed the infrastructure needs of identified research opportunities -- tools, technologies, and partnerships.
In his introductory remarks, William Raub, science advisor to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, expressed his hopes that the workshop would "prove to be an important milestone in autism research." He states: "The planning committee recognized that vaccine constituents, especially organic chemicals used as preservatives or adjuvants, obviously qualify as environmental agents that warrant attention. . . . . Other aspects of the autism challenge deserve similar attention, especially the paucity of effective treatments."
Autism experts identified a broad range of research priorities, including: biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of differing subtypes of autism; rigorous analysis of effective treatments; a comparison of the health outcomes of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children, immune system and anti-viral therapies, and the need for more effective chelators.
Vehicle's Air and Cabin Filters Offer Critical Protection from Soot, Smoke
The soot and smoke from wildfires can be a serious concern for both vehicles and passengers, unless the air filters and cabin filters are in optimum working condition. The Car Care Council suggests that these filters be checked to ensure they provide maximum protection during this difficult time.
The vehicle's air filter traps dirt particles, including soot, which can cause damage to engine cylinders, cylinder walls, pistons, piston rings and bearings. The air filter also plays a critical role in keeping smoke and soot from contaminating the airflow sensor on fuel-injected cars.
Air filters are a normal wear item that requires regular checks and replacement. As a rule of thumb, air filters should be inspected at each oil change and replaced annually or when showing other signs of contamination.
The cabin air filter is responsible for cleaning the air entering the passenger compartment. Under normal circumstances, it helps trap pollen, bacteria, dust and exhaust gases that may find their way into a vehicle's heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The filter also prevents leaves, bugs and other debris from entering the HVAC system, which could also cause problems.
More than 80 percent of new domestic and import vehicles sold in the U.S. today come equipped with cabin air filtration systems or a slot where one can be installed. Most filters are accessed through a panel in the HVAC housing, which may be under the hood or placed within the interior of the vehicle.
A cabin air filter should not be cleaned and reinstalled. Instead, it should be replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or per the owner's manual. In areas with heavy airborne contaminants, it should be changed as often as necessary.
New NASA Satellite Images Show Vast Size of California Wildfires
NASA satellites have obtained new images of the California wildfires, illustrating the scale of the blazes. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that 12 large, uncontained fires have burned more than 335,000 acres in Southern California.
The latest images are accessible on NASA's Web site and new images will be posted as they become available. A video file will air on NASA TV at 2 p.m. EDT, during mission coverage of STS-120.
These new NASA satellite images of the wildfires show the area between Los Angeles and San Diego. Fire activity is indicated by red pixels. Vast plumes of thick smoke can be seen blowing out over the Pacific Ocean.
The first image was captured by NASA's Terra satellite at 2:25 p.m. EDT on October 23. The second image was acquired by NASA's Aqua satellite at 5:40 p.m. EDT, just over three hours later.
With the fires spreading in southern California, the Motel 6 chain is offering its services as a pet-friendly sanctuary to those who must evacuate their homes.
The motel chain is encouraging fire evacuees to go to Motel6.com or call 1-800-4Motel6 (800-466-8356) to find room availability. Motel 6 is also offering tips on how to prepare for your pet in case of an evacuation.
"The first priority is to make sure everyone who evacuates has a safe place to go with their pets, which is why we are encouraging anyone evacuating with animals to look out for a Motel 6 or other pet-friendly accommodations," says Sue MacGregor, vice president of risk for Accor North America, Motel 6's parent company. "Many people are facing evacuation in Southern California, and it is important that they know how to prepare themselves and their pets for this unexpected disaster."
If possible, do not leave your pet behind. If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for your pet. Make sure your pet is a part of the family disaster plan. Keep in mind that most disaster shelters do not take animals, except for service dogs. Contact or surf the web for your local animal shelter, veterinarian or emergency management office regarding information on sheltering pets during an emergency. Be sure to identify pet-friendly hotels, like Motel 6, along your evacuation routes. Plan with your neighbor to ensure all pets are taken care of if one of you is not home during a disaster.
Keep emergency supplies readily available to house and feed your pets. Each pet needs a sturdy crate to keep safe. Keep a two-week supply of water and food with bowls for each pet as part of your family's emergency provisions. If your pet is on medication, make sure you have enough medicine to last your pet for several weeks. A pet first aid kit, plastic bags, disinfectant, pooper scoopers, kitty litter and a small litter tray are also useful items to have on-hand.
Be prepared in case you get separated from your pet. Get up-to-date identification that can easily trace your pet back to you. Take a current photo of each animal showing any distinguishing marks. Be sure each pet's shots are current, and know where records are for each animal.
Monitor your pet's behavior. Animals can be easily frightened when stressed and may become aggressive or defensive in a disaster situation. Remember to put safety first: keep your pet in its carrier or crate, and watch for any changes in behavior. If you do take your pet outside, keep it on a leash. Give your pet extra reassurance and attention to help keep them calm.
Watch Love & Money columnist Jeff Opdyke and his wife Amy discuss -- and debate -- some of the readers' solutions to their son's homework-overload problem.
If you're like me, you enjoy watching all of the travel shows on television, but when it comes to actually using them to plan a vacation of your own, it never quite works out as it did on TV.
Fortunately, there's a travel guide for the rest of us at RealTravel.com. You'll find blogs full of helpful tips from real travelers like yourself.
Use their useful online Trip Planner to make the most of your vacation. It's a great place to build a personalized itinerary and store all of your trip research in one central location.
RealTravel.com is easy to navigate through their various free blogs.
And when your trip is done, log on one more time to share your tips and experiences for the benefit of the next traveler.
This post was sponsored by your friends at RealTravel.com.
Sunlight May Cut Risk of Advanced Breast Cancer by half
A research team from the Northern California Cancer Center, the University of Southern California, and Wake Forest University School of Medicine has found that increased exposure to sunlight – which increases levels of vitamin D in the body -- may decrease the risk of advanced breast cancer.
In a study reported online this week in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the researchers found that women with high sun exposure had half the risk of developing advanced breast cancer, which is cancer that has spread beyond the breast, compared to women with low sun exposure. These findings were observed only for women with naturally light skin color. The study defined high sun exposure as having dark skin on the forehead, an area that is usually exposed to sunlight.
The scientists used a portable reflectometer to measure skin color on the underarm, an area that is usually not directly exposed to sunlight. Based on these measurements, they classified the women as having light, medium or dark natural skin color. Researchers then compared sun exposure between women with breast cancer and those without breast cancer. Sun exposure was measured as the difference in skin color between the underarm and the forehead.
In women with naturally light skin pigmentation, the group without breast cancer had significantly more sun exposure than the group with breast cancer. The fact that this difference occurred only in one group suggests that the effect was due to differences in vitamin D production – and wasn’t just because the women were sick and unable to go outdoors. In addition, the effect held true regardless of whether the cancer was diagnosed in the summer or in the winter. The difference was seen only in women with advanced disease, suggesting that vitamin D may be important in slowing the growth of breast cancer cells.
“We believe that sunlight helps to reduce women’s risk of breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight,” says Esther John, lead researcher on the study from the Northern California Cancer Center. “It is possible that these effects were observed only among light- skinned women because sun exposure produces less vitamin D among women with naturally darker pigmentation.”
These new findings about breast cancer risk and sun exposure based on skin color measurements are consistent with previous research by John and colleagues that had shown that women who reported frequent sun exposure had a lower risk of developing breast cancer than women with infrequent sun exposure.
The researchers stressed that sunlight is not the only source of vitamin D, which can be obtained from multivitamins, fatty fish and fortified foods such as milk, certain cereals and fruit juices. Women should not try to reduce their risk of breast cancer by sunbathing because of the risks of sun-induced skin cancer, they said.
“If future studies continue to show reductions in breast cancer risk associated with sun exposure, increasing vitamin D intake from diet and supplements may be the safest solution to achieve adequate levels of vitamin D,” says Gary Schwartz, a co-researcher from the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Whether you're a student, recent grad, or parent, one thing from college that you likely have in common is student loans.
Maybe those loans are weighing you down. That debt may be keeping you from taking the next step in your life -- buying a car, a home, or (for parents) planning your retirement.
The Student Loan Consolidation bundles all of your federal student loans into one managable loan with one monthly payment, and you can lock in your payments with a fixed rate.
How much could you save? Visit the NextStudent.com website and use their online loan calculator to see how you would benefit in your particular situation.
After that, you can apply right online. See how this unique service could free you financially and unlock more of your future today.
NextStudent also offers Private Student Loans, where you can qualify for your full cost of education in as little as 15 minutes. It's another source of educational funds and it could be tax-deductable.
This post was sponsored by your friends at NextStudent.com.
When Less Is More: Too Much Happiness May Be Too Much of a Good Thing
Are you happy? Well don't try to be happier; you might become less happy. That is the gist of a multi-cultural study published this month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The study by University of Virginia psychology professor Shigehiro Oishi and colleagues at three other institutions found that, on average, European-Americans claim to be happy in general – more happy than Asian-Americans or Koreans or Japanese – but are more easily made less happy by negative events, and recover at a slower rate from negative events, than their counterparts in Asia or with an Asian ancestry.
On the other hand, Koreans, Japanese, and to a lesser extent, Asian-Americans, are less happy in general, but recover their emotional equilibrium more readily after a setback than European-Americans."We found that the more positive events a person has, the more they feel the effects of a negative event," Oishi says. "People seem to dwell on the negative thing when they have a large number of good events in their life. "It is like the person who is used to flying first class and becomes very annoyed if there is a half-hour delay. But the person who flies economy class accepts the delay in stride."
Oishi, a social psychologist who grew up in Japan and then moved to the United States at 23, is interested in comparing how people from East Asia and the United States respond to the daily events of life.He and his colleagues surveyed more than 350 college students in Japan, Korea and the United States over a three-week period. The students recorded daily their general state of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life, as well as the number of positive and negative events they had during the course of each day.
The researchers found that the European-Americans needed nearly two positive events (such as getting complimented or getting an A) to return to their normal level of happiness after each negative event, such as getting a parking ticket or a lower grade than expected. The Koreans, Japanese and Asian-Americans generally needed only one positive event to make up for each negative event.
Oishi says that people who become accustomed to numerous positive or happy events in their life are more likely to take a harder fall than people who have learned to accept the bad with the good. And because negative events have such a strong effect when occurring in the midst of numerous positive events, people find it difficult to be extremely happy. They reach a point of diminishing returns.This is why the extreme happiness people may feel after buying a new car or a house, or getting married, can be rapidly diminished when the payments come due or the daily spats begin. It becomes a problem of ratio, or perspective.
"In general, it's good to have a positive perspective," Oishi says, "But unless you can switch your mindset to accept the negative facts of everyday life — that these things happen and must be accepted — it becomes very hard to maintain a comfortable level of satisfaction."
An ever-changing U.S. consumer who enjoys the convenience of ready-to-eat produce and seasonable fruits during the dead of winter has brought new challenges to food import safety, experts say.
With U.S. food imports set to top more than $2 trillion this year and expected to triple by 2015, a panel on food safety commissioned by President Bush met at Texas A&M University to discuss ways to strengthen the national and global import infrastructure.
Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Food and Drug Administration commissioner, says the nation’s consumer is one who “expects to eat strawberries in February.”
That has led to more change and complexity among how food is processed and delivered into the U.S. “This nation and the people we serve, and their health that’s so critically important, is threatened - not that we haven’t been doing a good job,” he says. “In fact, we’ve been doing an incredibly good job. But the world is rapidly changing around us. Although we have been the gold standard (in food safety), we must respond and be prepared for new challenges that are emerging from radical changes.”
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says “consumers’ tastes and preferences are changing. “They are demanding specialty products from around the world, seasonal products such as fruits and vegetables,” he says.
The working group, comprised of senior officials from 12 federal departments and agencies, is charged to report an action plan by mid-November. Additional information on the panel’s activities can be found at http://www.importsafety.gov.
Social networking is rapidly making the Internet less about facts, figures and databases and more about people -- finding people, connecting people and learning about people.
That's making the Web a more dynamic place, but with so many social networking options, how can you make sense of it all? You could spend all day searching a dozen different sites, not knowing who or what you'll find.
That's where Spock.com comes in. It's not another social network -- but rather it's a new people search concept that makes finding people you care about easier. That could either celebrities, politicians and such that simply interest you, or drilling down to people you actually know.
You can search by name or simply attributes and descriptors, like "Syracuse alum" or "web designer."
For instance, try this search for web designers from San Francisco. See what comes up. The search isn't entirely perfect but you'll see a variety of good hits that are well organized with information on each entry that is presented pretty clearly, including relevant links to go next for further information or to contact individuals.
The beauty of a site like Spock.com, however, is how open-ended it is. Try experimenting for yourself. Try entering several different types of searches and see what comes up for you. You may find Spock.com to be another online tool that really adds up to helping your life.
This post was brought to you by your friends at Spock.com.
WSJ's Jeffrey Trachtenberg interviews Shaun Assael, author of Steroid Nation, about high profile steroid use in the U.S. and the hyped negative effects of the drug.
Blood Donations in U.S. Testing Positive for Chagas' Disease
In the 10 months since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed the first blood-screening test for Chagas' disease, some 241 blood donations in the United States have tested positive, indicating donor exposure to the parasite known to cause this serious and potentially fatal parasitic infection, according to data released today at the annual meeting of American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). The test is manufactured by Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc.
Chagas'-positive donations have been reported in 34 states with the highest concentration in California, Florida and Texas, according to data compiled by the AABB.
Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas' disease is an infection caused by the blood-borne parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, or T.cruzi. The disease is endemic to most countries in Central and South America, as well as Mexico. Transmission occurs through insect bites, blood transfusions, organ transplants and via infected pregnant women to children in utero.
Early infection is usually mild and unrecognized, but persists lifelong and may lead to organ damage, particularly of the heart and esophagus, causing an estimated 50,000 deaths annually worldwide. Infection also can be severe in people whose immune systems are suppressed, such as organ transplant recipients.
During presentations at the conference today, blood safety experts also say they are investigating new cases of transmissions of Chagas' disease that may have occurred through blood transfusions and via insect bites from bugs known to carry the parasite. Such cases have been extremely rare, or have gone undocumented, in the United States. Dr. Susan Stramer, executive scientific officer for the America Red Cross, says blood safety experts are investigating 20 cases of possible insect-to-human transmissions with strong evidence suggesting that nine cases may have occurred in the U.S. Also, the Red Cross is investigating four possible transmissions via blood transfusions. Details of these cases were not disclosed.
"While we have known that Chagas' disease was present in North America, the numbers of Chagas'-positive blood donations, as well as new reports of transmission of infection to persons from bugs, are surprising," says Dr. James Maguire, M.D., director, International Health Division, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Maguire is the former chief of the parasitic diseases branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The American Red Cross was among the first blood collection agencies in the U.S. to begin testing donations for Chagas' in late January, following FDA approval of Ortho's blood-screening test in December 2006. Today, approximately 70 percent of all blood donations in the U.S. are now being screened for Chagas'.
In additional developments, public health authorities in the state of Arizona have made Chagas' a "reportable" disease. Three southern states are considering similar action. A reportable disease is one that must be reported to federal, state, or local health officials when diagnosed -- like active tuberculosis, hepatitis, gonorrhea and HIV, for example.
According to the CDC, as many as 8 to 11 million people in Mexico, Central America and South America have Chagas' disease. Most do not know they are infected. Chagas' disease can be treated successfully if detected soon after the infection occurs, but there is no cure once the disease has entered the chronic stage.
World's Smallest Radio: Nano-Sized Detector Turns Radio Waves Into Music
Researchers in California report development of the world’s first working radio system that receives radio waves wirelessly and converts them to sound signals through a nano-sized detector made of carbon nanotubes. The “carbon nanotube radio” device is thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. The development marks an important step in the evolution of nano-electronics and could lead to the production of the world’s smallest radio, the scientists say. Their findings appeared online today and are scheduled for publication in the Nov. 14 print edition of ACS’ Nano Letters, a monthly journal.
Peter Burke and Chris Rutherglen developed a carbon nanotube “demodulator” that is capable of translating AM radio waves into sound. In a laboratory demonstration, the researchers incorporated the detector into a complete radio system and used it to successfully transmit classical music wirelessly from an iPod to a speaker several feet away from the music player.
Although other researchers have developed nano-sized radio wave detectors in the past, the current study marks the first time that a nano-sized detector has been demonstrated in an actual working radio system, the scientists say. The study demonstrates the feasibility of making other radio components at the nanoscale in the future and may eventually lead to a “truly integrated nanoscale wireless communications system,” they say. Such a device could have numerous industrial, commercial, medical and other applications.
Do you dream about relocating to a foreign country, living there and really experiencing day to day life there?
Making that jump over all of that distance may sound too difficult to overcome, but a website may be able to help you turn that dream to reality. It can help you find jobs in london.
Whether you're seeking work in sales, hospitality, IT, or practically any other field, Gumtree.com can connect you to london jobs. The site is totally up to date, with postings of jobs in london listed as late as today.
And Gumtree.com can help even more with your big adventure because the site also contains volumes of listings for flats to rent or share and even listings to buy the things you need.
It's another great use of the Internet that brings the world closer to you and to help you make your life even larger.
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Center for Identity Management and Information Protection to Release Landmark Study
On Monday (Oct. 22), Utica College's Center for Identify Management and Information Protection (CIMIP) will release the results of a landmark study of closed U.S. Secret Service cases involving identity theft.
The study, which will reveal new findings about identity theft perpetrators, victims, and methods, marks the first time the U.S. Secret Service has allowed review of its closed case files on identity theft and fraud. The research will be of particular value to government, law enforcement and corporate entities whose mission is to prevent, detect, investigate or prosecute identity theft crimes, says Gary Gordon, executive director of CIMIP and professor of economic crime at Utica College. Information on insider threats, points of compromise, and vulnerabilities will be of specific interest to chief security and chief information officers across many industries, including financial services and retail corporations, Gordon says.
The results will be released at the 18th annual ECI Conference. This year's event, "Identity Management and Information Protection: Research to Action" will be held October 21-23 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Tysons Corner, McLean, Va.
Flood waters may be approaching. Wild fires could be closing in. Yet 47 percent of Americans surveyed would refuse rescue assistance if it meant leaving without their family pet.
The statistic is perhaps the most eye-opening finding in a new study from the American Humane Association that sought to gauge the strength of the human-animal bond and public attitudes toward the rescue of animals during times of crisis.
The study also found that nearly three out of four people surveyed (72 percent) agree that there should be formal evacuation plans for pets. Not surprisingly, the support for formal disaster plans for pets and companion animals was strongest in the South (74 percent) and West (76 percent), areas most closely associated with hurricanes and wildfires.
"After Hurricane Katrina, American Humane and other groups rescued nearly 10,000 animals," says Marie Belew Wheatley, president and CEO of American Humane. "We have been first-hand witnesses to the power of the animal-human bond since our founding in 1877, but there's nothing more powerful than seeing a man or woman refuse rescue efforts because there is not a rescue lined up for their family pet. This survey brings to light that rescue coordinators need to have plans in place for animal rescue. If they don't, more people could be left in harm's way."
The study surveyed 1,000 adults to gauge their attitudes and level of preparedness surrounding disasters. Areas of research included determining the public interest in formal evacuation plans for pets, policy surrounding ownership of pets that become lost in a disaster, and the steps people have taken to prepare their pet for a disaster.
Smiths Detection to Launch Portable Diagnostic System For Foot-and-mouth disease, Avian Flu
Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces it is to launch a portable detection system that will enable veterinarians to carry out on-site diagnosis of animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth and avian flu. This new technology means vets will be able to diagnose diseases in livestock and birds in the field in less than 90 minutes rather than having to send samples for laboratory analysis.
The initial focus of the technology will be on identifying foot-and-mouth disease and avian flu with a wide range of tests for other diseases to be made available after the initial systems are deployed. Smiths Detection has been working with the global reference center for foot-and-mouth disease – the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) – to develop and validate the system. The new portable device is specifically designed to be used by vets wherever livestock are kept and comprises a simple-to-use sample preparation cartridge and a rugged portable instrument. The technology employed is a novel form of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a well established technique for the detection and analysis of infectious diseases.
Smiths Detection has been supplying field-based PCR systems for bioterrorism applications for many years. The new generation of instruments, building on this experience, is designed to run in harsh environments and, unlike typical laboratory PCR machines, requires no setting up by the operator between each test.
A wide variety of veterinary sample types can be analysed by the instrument and up to five independent tests can be run simultaneously. An analysis of the infection is available in under 90 minutes, enabling the vet to take swift action. The instrument can be decontaminated at the location, a critical feature in the control of disease outbreaks.
For the last three years, Smiths Detection has worked closely with the laboratory of Larry Wangh at Brandeis University, near Boston, Massachusetts, that invented a novel DNA amplification and analysis technique called Linear After The Exponential PCR (LATE PCR).
Smiths Detection holds an exclusive license to this technology. LATE PCR provides significant improvements over traditional PCR techniques, in particular in its ability to identify multiple types of bacteria or virus in a single test and to determine accurately the strain of an individual infection. This latter characteristic is critical in Avian Influenza where discrimination between the pathogenic strain of H5N1 and more common forms of the disease, is vital.
Donald King, Group leader of molecular characterisation and diagnostics at the UK Institute for Animal Health (IAH), says: “Smiths Detection is actively collaborating with the Institute for Animal Health's global reference laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease to develop an assay to allow the rapid detection of FMD-infected animals in the field. This work has involved the development of a suitable assay format which will be validated when Smith's new platform technology is available in the near future. The results of this early pilot work have been presented at international conferences.”
Job Seekers Continue to Shift Towards Internet, Conference Board Reports
Job seekers are steadily increasing their use of the internet as a key part of their job search, The Conference Board reports. In the most recent survey of workers who searched for a job between January and September 2007, 73 percent reported using the internet compared to 66 percent of job seekers in the same time period in 2005.
"The Internet has become the most popular method of job searching," says Gad Levanon, economist at The Conference Board. "Newspapers are still popular as a major job search method, but job seekers reported using them less, dropping from 75 percent to 65 percent between 2005 and 2007."
Most job seekers continue to use more than one method in searching for a job. Online and print ads were not mutually exclusive and are still the most frequently used methods of exploring job openings. However, over half (51%) of job seekers reported networking through friends and colleagues as part of their job search. About one quarter (24%) responded that they used other methods, such as employment agencies.
The research shows that the Internet is being used for a variety of job search functions, from gathering employer/job information (59 percent of job seekers), submitting resumes and applications (57 percent), to posting resumes on a website (40 percent), and signing up for email notifications (30 percent).
In September, there were 4,270,000 online advertised job vacancies according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series (HWOL). There were 2.78 advertised vacancies online for every 100 persons in the labor force in September. The HWOL data series reports monthly on the sum of the number of unduplicated online job vacancies.
The data on job search methods is based on a nationally representative sample of 5,000 households surveyed monthly for The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index and is conducted on behalf of The Conference Board by TNS.
First Woman Station Commander Arrives for Historic Spaceflight
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson arrived at the International Space Station Friday to begin her tenure as the first woman to command a station mission.
Whitson, Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. ET. The crew launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Whitson officially will become the station commander after a ceremony Friday, Oct. 19, at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET. This change of command event will mark the formal handover of the station to Whitson and Malenchenko, just days before the Expedition 15 crew members and Shukor depart.
"I think it's special that I get the opportunity to play that role," Whitson says when asked about being the first woman station commander. "But I think it's also special to have an opportunity to demonstrate how many other women also work at NASA."
Another female astronaut, space shuttle Discovery Commander Pam Melroy, will reach another milestone in late October when she and her crew arrive at the station. It will mark the first time two women have led space missions at the same time.
To familiarize themselves with station systems and procedures, Expedition 16's Whitson and Malenchenko will conduct more than a week of handover activities with Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov and Expedition 15 and 16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. Whitson and two other crew members will perform three spacewalks during Expedition 16 to prepare the station for the activation of the Harmony node. The Expedition 16 spacewalks also will prepare for the relocations of Harmony and Pressurized Mating Adapter-2, a docking port.
This is Whitson's second six-month rotation aboard the orbiting complex. She previously served as a flight engineer on Expedition 5 in 2002, when she became NASA's first station science officer, conducting 21 investigations in human and life sciences. During that mission, she also used the station's robotic arm to help add two truss segments to the station's backbone and performed a spacewalk to install debris shielding.
Whitson was born and raised in Iowa, where at an early age she was inspired by the men who walked on the moon. "I thought 'what a cool job!'"
She decided she wanted to fly in space after graduating from high school, which was the same year they picked the first set of female astronauts. Whitson knew she wanted to work for NASA, if not as an astronaut, then as a scientist.
Whitson received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981 and a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University in 1985. From 1989 to 1993, Whitson worked as a research biochemist in the Biomedical Operations and Research Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. For the next several years, she held a number of senior positions within NASA until her selection as an astronaut in 1996.
When Whitson returns home in April 2008, she will hold yet another distinction, that of having spent more time in space than any other woman.
More Than 80 Percent of Community College Presidents Will Soon Retire
Two recent reports from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) shed new light on the leadership of higher education's largest sector. Data showed that a significantly higher percentage of community college presidents are looking into retirement as the average age rose from 56 in 2001, to 58 in 2006. More than 80 percent of community college presidents plan to retire in the next 10 years.
"The Community College Presidency: 2006" and the "Compensation and Benefits of Community College CEOs: 2006" present research ranging from average salary to average age of community college presidents from all over the nation. AACC also published The CEO Contract, a book which is based upon the same surveys and research.
The "Compensation and Benefits" report shows variances in community college presidents' pay based on region, college type, enrollment size and whether or not the school was in an urban environment. Salaries, however, did not vary significantly with race/ethnicity or gender.
"The Community College Presidency," a research collaboration between AACC and Vaughan and Weisman, shows that the majority of community college presidents have earned doctorate or professional degrees, and before achieving their presidency, most community college presidents were academic administrators.
The two briefs are a culmination of data gathered from surveys sent to a total of 1,186 community college presidents. About 550 presidents responded to each of the surveys.
NASA Selects 120 Small Business Innovation Research Projects
NASA has selected 120 proposals for negotiation of Phase 2 contract awards in the Small Business Innovation Research program, known as SBIR. The selected projects have a total value of approximately $72 million. NASA will award the contracts to 102 small high technology firms in 27 states.
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program - with offices at NASA headquarters in Washington and all of the agency's field centers - collaborates with U.S. industry to develop pioneering technologies, infuse them into agency missions and transition them into commercially available products and services.
The SBIR program supports NASA's mission directorates by working with them to competitively select ventures that address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The effort addresses specific technology gaps in mission programs and strives to complement other agency research investments. Program results have benefited NASA efforts, including modern air traffic control systems, Earth observing spacecraft, the space shuttle, the International Space Station and rovers on Mars.
One of the strongest debuts of the fall lineup is NBC's "Bionic Woman," a redux of the 1970s classic. Watch this WSJ interview with the star of the new series.
Survey Finds Three-Quarters of Americans Celebrate - and Spend on - Halloween
A new survey released by Visa Inc. shows that seventy three percent of Americans celebrate -- and spend on -- Halloween. According to the survey, among those who celebrate Halloween, the average will spend $40 on candy and decorations. Parents with children under 18 will spend $54 on candy and decorations while those without children under 18 will spend $32. Of mention, Dads tend to go all out, spending $63, while moms are more conservative, spending $46.
"You wouldn't think you'd have to budget for something as 'fun' as Halloween. But I believe all expenditures, large and small, are better planned for in advance," said personal finance expert and best-selling author Jean Chatzky. "Whether you are buying candy or a car, planning a budget is critical to staying in overall good financial health."
Additional findings in the survey include:
Men ($46) who celebrate Halloween report spending $12 more than women ($34).
Younger people ($44) say they spend more than those 55 and over ($31).
Those who live in rural areas ($49) spend $10 more on average than people living in urban areas ($39) and $13 more than suburbanites ($36).
Films based on existing properties such as the Indiana Jones, Batman and Chronicles of Narnia installments and Iron Man are of greatest interest, with only American Gangster and I Am Legend as the only original films breaking into the top 10, according to a poll conducted among 2,000 active moviegoers to determine which films scheduled for release over the next 12 months are generating the most interest.
The MovieTickets.com poll results reveal early, valuable insight into which movies scheduled for release over the next year are generating the most interest among active moviegoers, the Internet ticketing service says.
Each poll respondent purchased at least one ticket to a film in August or September, and more than 50% of those surveyed saw six or more films in a theater this past summer, according to MoveTickets.com.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft provided a new bird's-eye view of the dynamic Jupiter system as it traveled through the planet's orbit on Feb. 28.
New Horizons used Jupiter's gravity to boost its speed and shave three years off its trip to Pluto. Although the eighth spacecraft to visit Jupiter, New Horizons' combination of trajectory, timing and technology allowed it to explore details never before observed.
The spacecraft revealed lightning near the Jupiter's poles, the life cycle of fresh ammonia clouds, boulder-size clumps speeding through the planet's faint rings, the structure inside volcanic eruptions on its moon Io, and the path of charged particles traversing the previously unexplored length of the planet's long, magnetic tail.
"The Jupiter encounter was successful beyond our wildest dreams," says Alan Stern, principal investigator for the New Horizons mission, NASA headquarters, Washington. "Not only did it prove our spacecraft and put it on course to reach Pluto in 2015, it was a chance for us to take sophisticated instruments to places in the Jovian system where other spacecraft could not go. It returned important data that adds tremendously to our understanding of the solar system's largest planet and its moons, rings and atmosphere."
The New Horizons team presented its latest, most detailed analyses of those data Tuesday at the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Orlando, Fla. Results also will appear in a special section of the Oct. 12 issue of the journal Science.
From January through June, New Horizons' seven science instruments made more than 700 separate observations of the Jovian system. Jupiter's weather was high on the list, as New Horizons' visible light, infrared and ultraviolet remote-sensing instruments probed the planet's atmosphere for data on cloud structure and composition.
Instruments saw clouds form from ammonia welling up from the lower atmosphere. Heat-induced lighting strikes in the polar regions also were observed. This was the first polar lighting ever seen beyond Earth, demonstrating that heat moves through water clouds at virtually all latitudes across Jupiter.
New Horizons made the most-detailed size and speed measurements yet of "waves" that run the width of the planet and indicate violent storm activity below. Additionally, New Horizons snapped the first close-up images of the Little Red Spot, gathering new information on storm dynamics. The spot is a nascent storm about half the size of Jupiter's larger Great Red Spot, or about 70 percent of Earth's diameter.
The spacecraft captured the clearest images to date of the tenuous Jovian ring system, showing clumps of debris that may indicate a recent impact inside the rings or some more exotic phenomenon. Movies made from New Horizons images offer an unprecedented look at ring dynamics, showing the tiny inner moons Metis and Adrastea shepherding the materials around the rings. A search for smaller moons inside the rings, and possible new sources of the dusty material, found no bodies wider than a mile.
The mission's investigations of Jupiter's four largest moons focused on Io, the closest to Jupiter, which has active volcanoes that blast tons of material into the Jovian magnetosphere and beyond. New Horizons spied 11 different volcanic plumes of varying size, three of which were seen for the first time. One, a spectacular 200-mile-high eruption rising above the volcano Tvashtar, provided a unique opportunity to trace plume structure and motion. New Horizons' global map of Io's surface confirms the moon's status as the solar system's most active body, showing more than 20 geological changes since the Galileo Jupiter orbiter provided the last close-up look in 2001.
Hot Wheels: Vehicle Theft in Third Year of Decline
Hot Wheels, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's companion study to its annual Hot Spots auto theft report examines data reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2006.
For 2006, the most stolen vehicles in the nation were:
In 2006, 1,192,809 motor vehicles were reported stolen which is 42,417 fewer than in 2005. Using the FBI's average valuation of $6,649 per stolen vehicle, this amounts to over $7.9 billion in losses in 2006 -- just in vehicle value alone.
"The decrease in vehicle thefts is certainly welcome news to law enforcement, the insurance industry and vehicle owners nationwide," says Robert Bryant, NICB's president and chief executive officer. "At NICB, we have been providing the latest technology in auto theft detection and recovery equipment to law enforcement agencies from California to Florida. Through the support of our member insurance companies, NICB acquires and deploys License Plate Recognition systems and bait vehicles in an effort to reduce vehicle theft."
Although overall thefts are down for the third consecutive year, only 59% of stolen vehicles were recovered last year -- the lowest recovery rate in over a decade. Thus, the question becomes, what happens to the over 700,000 vehicles still outstanding? The short answer is that they fuel a number of related insurance fraud and vehicle theft activities, the insurance organization says.
Computing Change: Researcher Traces History of the Personal Computer
Carbon paper? Punch cards? What are those?
The Internet, personal computers, word processing and spreadsheets are so embedded in today’s society that it’s hard to remember that just 35 years ago they didn’t exist.
Thomas Haigh, assistant professor of information studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), is among a very small number of computer experts in the world who are also historians, studying the role of technology in broader social change. These new experts are tracing how computers have changed business and society.
Researching late 20th century technology has given Haigh the opportunity to talk to many pioneers who developed both computers and the software that powers them. He conducted a series of oral history interviews for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and has written about the history of word processing and the development of databases.
One constant Haigh has found in the “froth of change” in technology is that businesses and employees are constantly trying to figure out how to make the new gadgets and processes work for them.
“There’s this feeling that anything more than five years old is irrelevant, but one of the things I’ve found is that people are facing the same types of problems now as they did in the mid-1950s – projects using new technology are usually late and filled with bugs, the return on investment is hard to measure and computer specialists are expensive and speak an alien language.”
Specializing in the history of computers Haigh is one of a growing number of historians tackling the story of 20th century computer technology.
“We’re a small, chummy group,” he says. His special interest group on computers, information and society within the Society for the History of Technology has only 150 members, and that includes graduate students, interested non-academics and computer history teachers as well as researchers.
After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science, a Fulbright fellowship brought the British Haigh to America, where he earned his doctorate in the history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania.
While most computer histories focus on the hardware – Univac and inventors tinkering in garages – Haigh also looks at the software – from word processing to spreadsheets to databases – that has changed the modern world.
Among other research projects, Haigh is currently working on a social history of the personal computer.
“Despite the shelves of books on the history of the personal computer there has been no serious historical study of how people used their computers or why they bought them.”
The first computer books quickly followed the development of the programmable computers in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
“The authors of these pieces wasted few superlatives in celebrating the unprecedented speed and power of these machines,” Haigh writes in an article for the Business History Review published by the Harvard Business School. “Indeed, the earliest and most influential of the books was entitled ‘Giant Brains, or Machines That Think,’ a title that more sober computer experts spend decades trying to dispel from the public imagination.”
Those science fiction-like promises didn’t accurately reflect the reality, leading to inevitable disappointment, Haigh adds. “People would ask why they spent three years building it and writing computer code and it still made mistakes.”
Haigh’s research has shown that while new computer technology has been sometimes oversold as a complete solution for all business programs, it has also often been brushed aside as too newfangled or expensive for practical use.
“Firms tried to build enormous computer systems, into which they would place information on every aspect of their operations, and from which would flow exactly the information (including models and simulations) required by each manager,” he writes in the Business History Review.
At the same time, managers were often reluctant to invest in new technology. Charles Bachman, creator of IDS, the first data base management system and winner of the ACM Turing award, the top prize in computer science, told Haigh one such story in an oral history interview.
Bachman comments on an early data management project that a department manager discontinued. “Maybe, (it was) because he thought it was too risky and was going to cost him too much money.”
In the 1960s and 1970s, says Haigh, people viewed computers as just another business machine, like an adding machine. Computers also were seen as big central processors and nobody really foresaw today’s iPods and MP3 players.
Haigh says he studies the history of technology and computers for the same reason any historian researches the past. “It’s a platitude, but if we don’t understand who we are and where we’re coming from, how can we understand where we’re going. That’s true of religion, culture, Iraq and it’s equally true of science and technology.”
Minivan owners and those that simply appreciate the vehicle are attending the three day "International VW Minibus" meeting to celebrate the vehicle's 60th anniversary.
Consumers Will Still Buy China-Made Toys, Online Poll Says
Consumers say they will buy toys this holiday season- including toys made in China, despite recent safety-related recalls of popular toys made there by leading manufacturers.
A recent consumer survey by online toy retailer, eToys.com, finds that 37% plan to spend the same amount or more on toys this holiday season compared to previous years. While 59% of those surveyed believe toys made outside the U.S. are less safe than those made in America, 43% of respondents say they will purchase toys this holiday season regardless of the country of origin. Only 32% indicated they won't buy toys made in China. Just 25% of those surveyed say they will buy only toys made in America.
Additional findings from the 2007 eToys.com consumer toy safety survey include:
-- Do consumers associate familiar brand names with toy safety? Fifty-three percent of respondents believe toys from major toy manufacturers are generally safer than toys from smaller ones, and 56% say they will purchase toys only made by companies they know this holiday season.
-- Who's responsible for toy safety and who will pay the cost? When asked by eToys.com who bears the responsibility for ensuring toy safety in the U.S., 43% of those polled think a federal agency has the primary responsibility for guaranteeing toy safety, followed by 31% who think it's the job of U.S.-based toy companies. Only 2% of those polled think an overseas factory is responsible for the safety of toys sold in the U.S.
-- Is money an issue when it comes to toy safety? Forty-five percent of consumers responding to the eToys.com poll say they are willing to pay more for toys made in America, with 35% of respondents willing to pay up to 10% more than the current retail price. Slightly more than a third of participants, however, said they are not willing to pay more for toys made in the U.S.
-- Consumers reflect on the current state of toy safety. Consumers polled by eToys.com perceive toys made in the U.S., Canada and Europe to be the safest. Conversely, they feel toys made in China are the least safe, followed by Southeast Asia and India. Also, despite the recent toy recalls -- 69% of those surveyed say toys are safer now than when they were children.
-- Are parents' concerns in the right place? The eToys survey respondents ranked hazardous chemicals as the greatest threat posed by toys to the health and safety of children, followed by lead paint and toys containing sharp pieces. Choking hazards from small parts, which according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) pose the greatest safety risk, ranked fourth on the list of potential hazards, followed by "breaks easily" and "contains small magnets."
-- Are toy labels taken seriously? When asked by eToys.com to interpret age labeling on toy packages, a majority of parents -- 59% -- correctly stated that age labels indicate the toy is safe for play by children in the indicated range. However, more than a third of those surveyed incorrectly stated that age labels indicate the intellectual capacity required to play with the toys. Watch more breaking news now on our video feed:
Consumers often use the length of time a service takes as a measure of its quality. The longer a session lasts, the better the value. Indeed, a new study shows that this holds true even when judging something primarily by its duration can backfire – for example when a longer exercise program is actually less effective than a shorter regimen or for a lock-picking service. In a series of real-world and lab studies, the researchers reveal how consumers misjudge situations in which longer isn’t necessarily better.
“This research demonstrates that consumers tend to use the duration of a service as a basis for their evaluation of the service,” write Catherine W. M. Yeung (University of Singapore) and Dilip Soman (University of Toronto). “Although consumers may understand that the duration of the service in itself does not determine its value, they tend to believe in a positive correlation between the two.”
For example, in a real-world study with surprising results, the researchers found that consumers evaluated the price of a lock-picking service as a better value when the service took longer than when the lock was picked faster. When paired with price information, longer service periods were viewed more favorably than shorter service periods – even if duration should have nothing to do with quality or if faster service might be considered more efficient.
“We propose that consumers rely on the duration heuristic [judgment based on time] because it simplifies the evaluation process,” Yeung and Soman explain. “In particular, the duration heuristic is most likely to be seen when the duration of the service experience is evaluable relative to other features and when duration is considered in relation to price.”
Crucially, when no price information is given, time is not a factor in consumer evaluations, the researchers found. A consumer who does not know what to expect from a 60-minute physical training program will be unlikely to judge the program based on its duration. However, introducing a dollar amount allows consumers to make a price-per-minute assessment – and leads many consumers to prefer the longer session, even when there is no benefit to taking more time.
“Our position is that in general, the use of heuristics should not be regarded as irrational. . . . Human beings use heuristics because they are smart – they come up with shortcuts to simplify decisions that are less important so that they can spend more resources on decisions that are more important,” the researchers write.
They continue: “Marketers who plan to improve the efficiency of their services should, therefore, make it very explicit to their customers that the shorter duration of their services is an effort to improve the efficiency of their services.”
$58 Billion Damage, 373,000 Jobs Lost in U.S. Due to Copyright Piracy
Pandemic theft of copyright-protected products, including motion pictures, video games, sound recordings as well as business and entertainment software, has cost the U.S. $58 billion in annual economic output and 373,375 jobs, according to a report released by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).
The report, "The True Cost of Copyright Industry Piracy to the U.S. Economy," sheds light on the injuries from copyright piracy to the national economy as a whole, not just to U.S. copyright producers and industries.
Because of global and U.S.-based piracy of copyrighted material:
The U.S. economy loses $58 billion annually;
U.S. workers lose 373,375 jobs;
U.S. workers lose $16.3 billion in earnings annually, including $7.2 billion in earnings from workers in the copyright industry or "downstream" retail industries, and $9.1 billion in earnings by workers in other U.S. industries; and
The U.S. government loses at least $2.6 billion in tax revenues annually, including $1.8 billion in personal income tax and $800 million in lost corporate income and production taxes.
"As policy makers turn their attention to the competitiveness of the U.S. economy in the global marketplace, it is clear that the problem of copyright piracy should be afforded a prominent place on the policy agenda," says Stephen Siwek, author of the report and principal with Economists, Inc.
New 'Connected Vehicle' Proving Center Opens in Ann Arbor
Michigan state government officials and executives from the transportation, manufacturing, automotive and telecommunications sectors were on hand for the dedication of the Connected Vehicle Proving Center (CVPC) in Ann Arbor.
The CVPC, funded by the state of Michigan, has been created through a strategic alliance between the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA). The CVPC will be a proving ground for testing, evaluating, and showcasing connected vehicle systems.
The center will integrate connected vehicles, smart roadway infrastructure and a broad range of telecommunication technologies. In addition, the CVPC will provide expertise in evaluation design, data storage and analysis, and information sharing.
Once fully operational, the CVPC will serve as an incubator that offers an advanced test and evaluation environment the can be accessed by original-equipment manufacturers, automotive suppliers, transportation agencies, and communications companies. Ultimately, the center will serve as a catalyst for growing the connected vehicle industry, thereby attracting related technical and engineering jobs to Michigan, the center says in a statement.
"Michigan's economic plan is all about building on our heritage to create cutting-edge jobs," says Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. "This project is an excellent example of how innovation can fuel economic growth in our state."
Newman's Own, Ford Donate Trucks and Food to Feed Hungry
The Newman's Own Foundation and Ford Motor Company today donated seven refrigerated trucks to members of America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network. The trucks were filled with an assortment of Newman's Own products.
The refrigerated trucks will help deliver fresh and nutritious food to hard-to-reach communities that are often underserved. Donated produce, meat and dairy products usually cannot be delivered to remote areas unless refrigerated trucks are available for long delivery routes.
This is the seventh consecutive year of the "Partnership for Hunger Relief." A total of 75 vehicles have been donated since the partnership's founding in 2001. The trucks have traveled a combined total of more than 3 million miles and have distributed more than 74 million pounds of food to rural areas in need.
The seven food banks receiving trucks this year are the Baton Rouge Food Bank, Louisiana; Food Bank of South Central Michigan, Battle Creek; FoodBank of the Virginia Peninsula, Newport News; Foodbank of Santa Barbara, California; Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver, Colorado; Island Harvest, Long Island, New York; Mississippi Food Network, Jackson.
According to the USDA report Food Security in the United States: 2005, 12 percent of all rural households are food insecure, an estimated 2.3 million households. The America's Second Harvest report, Hunger in America 2006, found that 42.6 percent of the adult clients they serve live in suburban or rural areas.
Actor and activist Paul Newman says, "Food is available in this country - it just needs to find its way to our neighbors living in remote areas. Ford, America's Second Harvest and the Newman's Own Foundation are helping to do just that."
Consumer Inventory Pinpoints Surge in Nanotech Use in Health & Fitness Products
Say "nanotechnology," and geeks imagine iPhones, laptops and flash drives. But more than 60 percent of the 580 products in a newly updated inventory of nanotechnology consumer products are such "un-geeky" items as tennis racquets, clothing, and health products.
Maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the updated inventory includes Head NanoTitanium Tennis Racquets, Eddie Bauer Water Shorts with Nano-Dry technology, Nano-In Foot Deodorant Powder/Spray, and Burt's Bees sunscreen with "natural Titanium Dioxide mineral ... micronized into a nano sized particle."
Nanotechnology is the engineering of devices and materials at the atomic level.
Since the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies launched the world's first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006, the number of items has increased 175 percent -- from 220 to 580 products. There are 356 products in the health and fitness category -- the inventory's largest category -- and 66 products in the food and beverage category. One of the largest subcategories is cosmetics with 89 products. All are available in shopping malls or over the Internet.
The list includes merchandise from such well-known brands as Samsung, Chanel, Black & Decker, Wilson, L.L. Bean, Lancome and L'Oreal.
The nanomaterial of choice appears to be silver -- which manufacturers claim is in 139 products or nearly 25 percent of inventory -- far outstripping carbon, gold, or silica.
"The use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in consumer products and industrial applications is growing rapidly, and the products listed in the inventory are just the tip of the iceberg," says Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies science advisor Andrew Maynard. "How consumers respond to these early products -- in food, electronics, health care, clothing and cars - - will be a bellwether for broader market acceptance of nanotechnologies in the future. This is especially true given that the Project's recent poll shows seventy percent of the public still knows little or nothing about the technology."
In an effort to jumpstart a conversation with consumers about the possible benefits and risks of nanotechnology, the Project -- in collaboration with Consumers Union, the publishers of Consumer Reports magazine and Consumer Reports Online -- recently announced ConsumersTalkNano. This online dialogue will take place over two days, Oct. 23-24.
Any interested member of the public will be able to communicate online throughout the two days (Oct. 23-24) with panelists from the Project, Consumers Union and others.
Part of vacations is to travel in style -- and travel in luxury if at possible -- to take a break from our day to day lives.
When the economy, soaring fuel prices and a weakening dollar all conspire to squeeze us, is that still a realistic goal?
It is, when you book vacation rentals online. This website offers a place where owners and managers can list their vacation rentals and travelers can inquire directly and book their rental in some top-quality destinations, including a Lake Tahoe vacation and Orlando vacation rentals.
The key here is to cut out the middleman and save you money.
You want luxury? You even have the opportunity to rent a deluxe villa, a castle -- even an island!
NASA Satellite Sees Solar Hurricane Detach Comet Tail
A NASA satellite has captured the first images of a collision between a comet and a solar hurricane. It is the first time scientists have witnessed such an event on another cosmic body. One of NASA's pair of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory satellites, known as STEREO, recorded the event April 20.
The phenomenon was caused by a coronal mass ejection, a large cloud of magnetized gas cast into space by the sun. The collision resulted in the complete detachment of the plasma tail of Encke's comet. Observations of the comet reveal the brightening of its tail as the coronal mass ejection swept by and the tail's subsequent separation as it was carried away by the front of the ejection. The researchers combined the images into a movie.
"We were awestruck when we saw these images," says Angelos Vourlidas, lead author and researcher at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington. "This is the first time we've witnessed a collision between a coronal mass ejection and a comet and the surprise of seeing the disconnection of the tail was the icing on the cake."
Encke's comet was traveling within the orbit of Mercury when a coronal mass ejection first crunched the tail then ripped it completely away. The comet is only the second repeating, or periodic, comet ever identified. Halley's comet was the first.
Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory made the observations using the Heliospheric Imager in its Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation telescope suite aboard the STEREO-A spacecraft. The results will be published in the Oct. 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Coronal mass ejections are violent eruptions with masses greater than a few billion tons. They travel from 60 to more than 2,000 miles per second. They have been compared to hurricanes because of the widespread disruption they can cause when directed at Earth. These solar hurricanes cause geomagnetic storms that can present hazards for satellites, radio communications and power systems. However, coronal mass ejections are spread over a large volume of space, mitigating their mass and power to create an impact softer than a baby's breath.
Scientists have been aware of the disconnection of the entire plasma tail of a comet for some time, but the conditions that lead to these events remained a mystery. It was suspected that coronal mass ejections could be responsible for some of the disconnected events, but the interaction between a coronal mass ejection and a comet never had been observed.
Preliminary analysis suggests the disconnection likely is triggered by what is known as magnetic reconnection, in which the oppositely directed magnetic fields around the comet are crunched together by the magnetic fields in the coronal mass ejection. The comet fields suddenly link together, reconnecting, to release a burst of energy that detaches the comet's tail. A similar process takes place in Earth's magnetosphere during geomagnetic storms, powering the aurora borealis and other phenomena.
Comets are icy leftovers from the solar system's formation billions of years ago. They usually reside in the cold, distant regions of the solar system. Occasionally, the gravitational tug from a planet, another comet or a nearby star sends a comet into the inner solar system, where the sun's heat and radiation vaporizes gas and dust from the comet to form its tail. Comets typically have two tails: one of dust and a fainter one of electrically conducting gas called plasma.
"Even though STEREO is primarily designed to study coronal mass ejections, particularly their impact on Earth, we hope this impact will provide many insights to scientists studying comets," says Michael Kaiser, STEREO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
As global economic competition intensifies, more countries are deliberately using public policy to shape national systems that allow firms to access innovations that can give them a leg up, according to a special section on global innovation policy in the fall edition of Issues in Science and Technology.
The section focuses on national innovation systems in Mexico, Belgium, India, Korea, Japan, and the United States, and includes articles by R. Chidambaram, the principal scientific adviser to the government of India, Sungchul Chung, president of Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute, and Fientje Moerman, vice-minister-president of Flanders and minister for economy, enterprise, science, innovation, and foreign trade.
Managing a national innovation system is a constant challenge -- and struggle, according to Charles Wessner, deputy director of the National Research Council's Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy.
"What works in one context will not necessarily work in another," Wessner writes. "What works in one decade will not necessarily work in the next. And with the global economic system in flux, every country must be ready to reexamine and revise its policies.
"These articles contain no easy answers," Wessner continues. "They offer something much more useful: candid and perceptive discussion of the successes and failures that are slowly leading all of us to a better understanding of how innovation can be tapped and directed to achieve human goals."
In the United States, substantial changes in the national innovation system will be needed, argues Christopher Hill of George Mason University. In his article, The Post-Scientific Society, Hill writes that although science and technology will continue to play a vital role in innovation, the critical ingredients for continued U.S. economic success are likely to come from other disciplines.
