Italian islanders worry about their future

Oil recovery experts aboard a dinghy approach the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Residents of Giglio are growing increasingly worried about threats to the environment and the future of the Italian island as bad weather again forced suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Oil recovery experts aboard a dinghy approach the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Residents of Giglio are growing increasingly worried about threats to the environment and the future of the Italian island as bad weather again forced suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

An Italian Coast Guard dinghy sails around the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Rough seas off the Tuscan coast have delayed for a second day the start of operations to remove half a million gallons of fuel from the grounded Costa Concordia. Officials called off both the fuel removal and search operations Sunday after determining the ship had moved 4 centimeters (an inch and a half) over six hours. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Dutch oil recovery technicians take a break during works on the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Residents of Giglio are growing increasingly worried about threats to the environment and the future of the Italian island as bad weather again forced suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

An anti oil floating barrier is pushed on the rocks by sea waves near the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Residents of Giglio are growing increasingly worried about threats to the environment and the future of the Italian island as bad weather again forced suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

A skimmer boat collects waste around the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Residents of Giglio are growing increasingly worried about threats to the environment and the future of the Italian island as bad weather again forced suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

GIGLIO, Italy (AP) ? Residents of the Italian island of Giglio were increasingly worried about threats to the environment and their prized tourism industry as bad weather on Monday delayed crews from pumping oil out of the stricken cruise ship on their shore.

Officials have ruled out finding anyone alive more than two weeks after the Costa Concordia hit a reef, and worries are now focusing on the impact the disaster could have on the environment, especially if fuel and chemical pollutants spill from the ship.

"Let's hope we are able to solve everything without pollution," said Giuseppe De Politi, a fisherman on Giglio, off the Tuscan coast. "That's the main worry."

Authorities set off another blast in an underwater compartment of the ship but held off on removing 500,000 gallons of fuel from the Costa Concordia because of rough seas.

Crews worked to collect tons of ship debris dispersed in the surrounding waters, which are prime fishing grounds and part of a protected area for dolphins and whales.

The search for the missing from the Jan. 13 disaster remained suspended. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, while 16 crew and passengers are listed as missing, with one body not yet identified.

Giglio residents were told over the weekend that it could take 10 months to remove the ship, and were holding an island-wide meeting Monday to discuss how to protect their interests.

"They say there is not going to be any environmental damage, but we are not stupid," said Riccardo Vicchianti, the son of a Giglio resident. "The damage to the environment is strong. If I think of just one cabin, it's like throwing a whole bar into the sea. That alone, I think, can pollute with just what it contains. Imagine a floating town!"

Franco Gabrielli, the head of the national civil protection agency and the official who has overseen the rescue effort, said authorities are now focusing on preventing environmental disaster.

The crash happened when the captain deviated from his planned route, creating a huge gash that capsized the ship. More than 4,200 people were on board.

Experts have said it would take a month to remove fuel from the 15 tanks accounting for more than 80 percent of all fuel on board the ship. The next job would be to target the engine room, which contains nearly 350 cubic meters of diesel, fuel and other lubricants.

Only once the fuel is removed can work begin on removing the ship, either floating it in one piece or cutting it up and towing it away as a wreck.

Gabrielli says the actual removal will take from seven to 10 months ? meaning that the wreck will be visible from the coast of the island of Giglio for the entire summer tourism season.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-30-EU-Italy-Ship-Aground/id-f45aaaf148ed45d0b64194df7bb83d35

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Many Parents Skip Booster Seats When Carpooling (HealthDay)

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Most parents in the United States place their children in a booster seat when they're driving their own car, but many don't enforce this rule when their child is in a car with another driver, a new study indicates.

The researchers at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that more than 30 percent of parents don't require their children to use a booster seat when they carpool, and 45 percent of parents don't make their children use a booster seat when driving other children who don't have one.

The study appears online Jan. 30 ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.

"The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of 4 and 8 use a safety seat when riding in the family car," Dr. Michelle Macy, a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, said in a university news release.

"However, it's alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they're often failing to use life-saving booster seats," she added.

Factors such as limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers can cause parents to do without booster seats when carpooling, the researchers suggested.

U.S. guidelines encourage the use of a booster seat until a child is 57 inches tall, the average height of an 11-year-old. In many states, children are required to use a booster seat until they are 8 years old.

Using an adult seat belt for a child who is too small can result in improper fit of the shoulder and lap belts and nullify the lifesaving benefits of a seat belt, the researchers said.

"Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury," Macy said. "Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip."

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about child passenger safety.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120131/hl_hsn/manyparentsskipboosterseatswhencarpooling

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Occupy Super Bowl 2012: Protesters In Indianapolis March Before Giants Take On Patriots

INDIANAPOLIS -- A mix of union members and Occupy protesters from across Indiana marched through Super Bowl Village on Saturday in opposition to the state's proposed right-to-work legislation.

About 75 marchers weaved through packed crowds at the pre-game street fair in downtown Indianapolis in the first of what could be several such protests before the big game Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The protesters chanted "Occupy the Super Bowl" and carried signs that read "Fight the Lie" and "Workers United Will Prevail."

Saturday was the second straight day of right-to-work protests in the Super Bowl Village. About 40 people picketed the opening of a zip line in the Village. The 800-foot zip line allows participants to clip onto a wire about 100 feet off the ground and glide almost two blocks.

Most onlookers stared in silence as the protesters walked past them, but some like Jason Leibowitz of Jamestown were upset about their outing being interrupted. "There's a place and a time for this," Leibowitz said. "This isn't it."

Organizers of the march say the protests will likely continue if Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signs the divisive bill into law this week.

Supporters of the legislation, mostly Republicans, insist the measure helps create a pro-business climate that attracts employers and increases jobs. Opponents say the measure only leads to lower wages and poorer quality jobs.

Before Saturday's march, Occupy Purdue organizer Tithi Bhattacharya, a professor at Purdue University, led a rally in front of the Statehouse that included union workers, Occupy protesters, two representatives and a state senator among the speakers.

Most emphasized that while the right-to-work legislation appears likely to pass following Wednesday's House vote approving the bill, that doesn't mean an end to protests.

"If the governor signs, I want to shame him out of this state," said Heath Hensley of Occupy Anderson. "He doesn't want us screwing up this Super Bowl."

State Senator Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis, called the bill evidence that Republican legislators are not in touch with the needs of working-class voters. "If you voted Republican in the past, stop," Breaux said.

Hensley, Breaux and other speakers urged protesters to convince their friends and family members to vote out anyone who decided in favor of the bill.

Another Statehouse protest is planned for Monday's Senate hearing on the bill, and Bhattacharya said that if the bill passes, there will be plenty of angry people who may keep protesting through game day.

The Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots is expected to draw more than 150,000 visitors to Indianapolis.

"Upsetting the Super Bowl ? I couldn't care less," protester Lou Feldman of Lafayette said. "This is about my life and my family. Maybe it will make some people notice."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/occupy-super-bowl-2012-protest-indianapolis-village-union_n_1239214.html

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Frenchman killed in armed robbery in Red Sea resort (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? A Frenchman was killed when armed men raided a currency exchange office Saturday in the Egyptian tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea, security officials and the French embassy said.

South Sinai Governor General Khaled Fouda told Reuters that a German national had also been wounded but was in a stable condition in hospital.

The French embassy confirmed a Frenchman had been killed without giving further details.

Sharm el-Sheikh is on the Sinai Peninsula, home to many popular tourist resorts. However, many people own weapons in inland areas of the peninsula, and analysts say the region has become more lawless since an uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year.

(Reporting by Yusry Mohamed in Ismailia; Writing and additional reporting by Edmund Blair in Cairo; editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/wl_nm/us_egypt_france

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NuSTAR spacecraft arrives in California

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2012) ? NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mission arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California this morning after a cross-country trip by truck from the Orbital Sciences Corporation's manufacturing plant in Dulles, Va. The mission is scheduled to launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on March 14.

Once the observatory is offloaded at Vandenberg, it will be moved into a processing hangar, joining the Pegasus XL rocket that is set to carry it to space. Over the weekend, technicians will remove its shipping container so that checkout and other processing activities can begin next week. Once the observatory is integrated with the rocket in mid-February, technicians will encapsulate it in the vehicle fairing, which is also scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg today.

After processing is completed, the rocket and spacecraft will be flown on Orbital's L-1011 carrier aircraft to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll for launch in March.

NuSTAR is a small-explorer mission managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington The spacecraft was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Its instrument was built by a consortium including the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; JPL; Columbia University, New York, N.Y.; NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.; the Danish Technical University in Denmark; the University of California, Berkeley; and ATK, Goleta, Calif. NuSTAR will be operated by UC Berkeley, with the Italian Space Agency providing its equatorial ground station located at Malindi, Kenya. The mission's outreach program is based at Sonoma State University, Calif. NASA's Explorer Program is managed by Goddard. JPL is managed by Caltech for NASA.

For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/nustar and http://www.nustar.caltech.edu/ .

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127172327.htm

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Beijing air pollution soars with fireworks smoke (AP)

BEIJING ? Clouds of smoke from Lunar New Year fireworks sent air pollution readings soaring in the more sensitive measurement system Beijing started using a little more than a week ago, reports said Sunday.

Readings of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 reached 1.593 milligrams per cubic meter on the Jan. 22 eve of the holiday, about 100 times worse than the amount considered good for 24-hour exposure, the city's environmental bureau said.

The reading drew wide publicity in the local media on Sunday. The popular Beijing Youth Daily praised the city government for taking a more critical look at air pollution, while urging residents to consider the environmental effects of setting off fireworks.

The readings moderated under relatively clear skies in recent days. By noon Sunday, before the weeklong holiday ends and people return to work, the level stood at a relatively good 0.039.

Beijing is frequently cloaked in yellow haze that obscures buildings a couple of blocks away. On particularly bad days, schools cancel outdoor activities and hospitals treat more people ? particularly the elderly ? for respiratory complaints.

The city began measuring the small particles in the air and releasing the readings on Jan. 21, as concern has grown over Beijing's air pollution from all sources. PM2.5 ? particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size, or about 1/30th the width of an average human hair ? are believed to be the greatest health risk because their smallness means they can lodge deeply in the lungs.

Beijing previously had only given PM10 measurements of coarser particles, which indicated pollution was "light," leading to accusations the true extent of the problem was hidden.

The U.S. Embassy since last year has released PM2.5 readings from a device on its rooftop and some residents have tested the air in their neighborhoods and posted the results online.

The embassy measured more pollution than the city on Sunday, but the sampling stations are 10 miles apart or more.

Beijing says its PM2.5 measuring station is about 4 miles (7 kilometers) west of central Tiananmen Square.

___

Associated Press researcher Henry Hou contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_as/as_china_air_quality

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Dow slips to first losing week of 2012 (AP)

NEW YORK ? The stock market closed mostly lower Friday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average to its first losing week of 2012, after the government reported that economic growth was slower at the end of last year than economists expected.

The Dow spent the whole day in the red. It ended down 74 points, or 0.6 percent, at 12,660.46. The loss snapped a three-week winning streak for the Dow, which fell 60 points for the week but is still up 3.6 percent for the year.

The Standard & Poor's 500 struggled above even with an hour to go in trading, but it lost the gains and finished down 2.10 points at 1,316.33. The S&P finished the week up a sliver ? 0.95 points.

The Nasdaq composite, which has more than doubled the Dow's gain for the year, edged up 11.27 to 2,816.55. It rose about 30 points this week.

Economic growth for October through December came in at an annual rate of 2.8 percent. That was the fastest of 2011 but lower than the 3 percent that economists were looking for.

Utility companies led the way down with a fall of 1.3 percent. Most of the other nine industries in the S&P also fell, but only slightly, continuing a curious trading pattern this year: Trading has been calm in the past four weeks, a big change from the violent moves up and down that marked much of 2011.

Friday was the 17th day in a row of moves of less than 100 points up or down for the Dow. The last time the index had a longer period of such small moves was a 34-day stretch that started Dec. 3, 2010.

Despite the drift lower, investors displayed some bullishness.

Roughly two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. And the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks rose nearly 2 percent for the week. Investors tend to sell stocks in the Russell when they're worried, not buy them, because smaller firms often don't have much cash and other resources when times get tough.

"Risk-taking is picking up," says Jeff Schwarte, a portfolio manager at Principal Global Equities. He says his firm has been buying small firms since late last year. "We're still finding attractive stocks."

Next week, investors will turn their attention to Facebook, the powerhouse social network, which appears headed for the most anticipated initial public offering of stock in years.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Friday that Facebook could raise as much as $10 billion in an offering that would value the company at $75 billion to $100 billion.

That would vault Facebook into the largest public companies in the world, on par with the likes of McDonald's, Amazon.com and Visa. The Journal said Facebook could file IPO papers as early as Wednesday.

Investors earlier in the week had plenty of reason to hope the indexes would keep moving higher.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced it would likely keep benchmark interest rates near zero through late 2014, more than a year longer than it previously indicated. That helped send the Dow to its highest close since May.

Also lifting spirits: Apple had its best quarter for profits, trouncing expectations.

On Thursday, the Dow kept rising, briefly passing its highest close since the financial crisis three years ago. But the rally faded after news that new home sales in December had dropped, capping a year that ranked the worst for home sales since record-keeping began in 1963.

Among stocks making big moves Friday:

? Chevron fell more than 2 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow average, after its quarterly profit and revenue came in well below what analysts were expecting. Oil and natural gas production declined.

? Ford fell 4 percent after reporting disappointing earnings because of weak sales in Europe. The company said its results were also hurt by problems at parts suppliers in Thailand because of flooding there.

? Starbucks fell 1 percent after reporting late Thursday that that full-year results were likely to come in less than expectations.

? Procter & Gamble, which makes Tide, Crest and other consumer products, fell less than 1 percent after cutting its earnings outlook.

? Legg Mason dropped 5 percent after the investment management company's earnings fell by half as clients pulled money out. Legg Mason posted earnings of 20 cents per share. Analysts expected 25 cents, according to FactSet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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Ne-Yo wants to integrate music as new Motown VP (AP)

NEW YORK ? Ne-Yo has a dream: He believes the record industry is segregated, and has hopes of changing that as the new senior vice president of artists and repertoire for Motown Records.

Even though Motown's legend is rooted in black music, it was music that appealed to everyone, helping to unite a nation in sometimes divisive times. As a top exec at Motown, Ne-Yo wants to unite people musically once again.

"I want to get back to a place where everybody's listening to the same thing no matter what race, color, creed you are," the Grammy-winning singer said in an interview Wednesday after Universal Music made the announcement. "(Now) there's music that's specifically for black people and there's music that's specifically for white people, and I feel like the essence of ... music is lost when you do that."

The 32-year-old Grammy winner, who has multiple hits of his own and has also written smashes for others like Rihanna and Beyonce, says he is looking to sign artists that have a drive and a tremendous work ethic, not just one-hit wonders.

"I definitely plan on making sure the people I bring to the industry are going to be an asset to the industry as opposed to a liability," said Ne-Yo, who also has his own label imprint called Compound Entertainment. "It's more than `She looks good in a short skirt' or `He looks good with his shirt off' ? it's about somebody that has a talent."

Ne-Yo, who is planning to release his fifth album this summer, will also move to the Motown Records roster. He has released his four albums on Island Def Jam Music Group; both Motown and Def Jam are subsidiaries of Universal Music.

He's also an actor: Ne-Yo appears in the new George Lucas film "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first black fighter pilots to serve in the U.S. military. It debuted at No. 2 with $19.2 million last weekend, despite some concerns that a black-themed film would not appeal to a mainstream audience.

"It always feels good to beat the odds," he said.

____

Online:

http://www.neyothegentleman.com/

___

Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicmesfin

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_en_ce/us_music_ne_yo

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Asthma rate and costs from traffic pollution higher: Much higher than past traditional risk assessments have indicated

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? A research team led by University of Massachusetts Amherst resource economist Sylvia Brandt, with colleagues in California and Switzerland, have revised the cost burden sharply upward for childhood asthma and for the first time include the number of cases attributable to air pollution, in a study released this week in the early online version of the European Respiratory Journal.

The total cost of asthma due to pollution is much higher than past traditional risk assessments have indicated and there is growing evidence that exposure to traffic-related air pollution is a cause of asthma and a trigger for attacks, so it should be included, say the authors. They conducted the study in Long Beach and Riverside, Calif., communities with high regional air pollution levels and large roads near residential neighborhoods.

Total additional asthma-specific costs there due to traffic-related pollution is about $18 million per year, almost half of which is due to new asthma cases caused by pollution, they report. Brandt worked with researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, Sonoma Technology, Inc. and the University of Southern California.

Using updated techniques that count asthma cases attributable to air pollution for the first time and including a broader range of health care costs such as parents? missed work days, extra doctor visits and travel time along with prescriptions, the researchers found that a single episode of bronchitic symptoms cost an average $972 in Riverside and $915 in Long Beach. Bronchitic symptoms (daily cough, congestion or phlegm, or bronchitis for three months in a row) are a critical outcome for children with asthma.

Further, people who live in cities with high traffic-related air pollution bear a higher burden of these costs than those in less polluted areas, they say.

Brandt and colleagues say the total annual cost for a typical asthma case was $3,819 in Long Beach and $4,063 in Riverside, and ?the largest share of the cost of an asthma case was the indirect cost of asthma-related school absences.? School absences are an important economic consequence, they add, because ?they often lead to parents or caregivers missing work.?

Overall, Brandt points out that the results are relevant and applicable to many settings and ?families with children who have asthma are bearing a high cost. The total annual estimate between $3,800 and $4,000 represents 7 percent of median household income in our study in these two communities. This is troublesome because that is higher than the 5 percent considered to be a bearable or sustainable level of health care costs for a family.?

Riverside and Long Beach account for about 7 percent of the total population of California, the authors say, which suggests that state-wide costs of asthma related to air pollution are ?truly substantial.?

For this work, Brandt and colleagues analyzed several surveys on health care visits by children with asthma and their previous estimates of the number of asthma cases attributable to pollution to estimate the annual costs of childhood asthma. They also estimated the cost of asthma exacerbation due to regional air pollutants. They feel the new method does a better job of accounting for the full impact of traffic-related pollution and will be widely applicable in urban areas.

She points out, ?Traditional risk assessment methods for air pollution have underestimated both the overall burden of asthma and the cost of the disease associated with air pollution. Our findings suggest the cost has been substantially underestimated and steps must be taken to reduce the burden of traffic-related pollution.?

This work was supported by California?s South Coast Air Quality Management District and its settlement funds from BP, as well as by the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hastings Foundation.

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Journal Reference:

1. S. J. Brandt, L. Perez, N. Kunzli, F. Lurmann, R. McConnell. Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two california communities. European Respiratory Journal, 2012; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00157811

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125202759.htm

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Conservative North Florida voters: Romney's too rich (CNN)

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Making sense of sensory connections

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
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Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges
debwms@caltech.edu
626-395-3227
California Institute of Technology

Caltech researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains

PASADENA, Calif.A key feature of human and animal brains is that they are adaptive; they are able to change their structure and function based on input from the environment and on the potential associations, or consequences, of that input. For example, if a person puts his hand in a fire and gets burned, he learns to avoid flames; the simple sight of a flame has acquired a predictive value, which in this case, is repulsive. To learn more about such neural adaptability, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have explored the brains of insects and identified a mechanism by which the connections in their brain change to form new and specific memories of smells.

"Although these results were obtained from experiments with insects, the components of the mechanism exist also in vertebrate, including mammalian, brains which means that what we describe may be of wide applicability," says Stijn Cassenaer, a Broad Senior Research Fellow in brain circuitry at Caltech and lead author of a paperpublished in the journal Nature on January 25that outlined the findings. The study focused on insects because their nervous systems are smaller, and thus likely to reveal their secrets sooner than those of their vertebrate counterparts.

To home in on sensory memories, the researchers concentrated on olfaction, or the sense of smell. When a person encounters a favorite food or the perfume of a loved one, she will typically experience a recall, usually positive, based on the memories evoked by those smells. Such a recallto a smell, sound, taste, or any other sensory stimulusis evidence of "associative" learning, says Gilles Laurent, a former professor of biology at Caltech and senior author of the study, as learning often means assigning a value, such as beneficial or not, to inputs that were until then neutral. The original, neutral stimulus acquires significance as a result of being paired, or associated, with a reinforcing reward or punishmentin this case, the pleasant emotion recalled by a smell.

"When we learn that a particular sensory stimulus predicts a reward, there is general agreement that this knowledge is stored by changing the connections between particular neurons," explains Cassenaer. The problem, however, is that the biological signals that represent value (positive or negative) are broadcast nonspecifically throughout the brain. How then, are they assigned specifically to particular connections, so that a certain sensory input, until then neutral, acquires its new, predictive value? "In this study, we carried out experiments to investigate how the brain identifies exactly which connections, out of an enormously large number of possibilities, should be changed to store the memory of a specific association."

To get a closer look at these connections, Cassenaer and Laurentwho is now director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Germanymeasured neural activity in an area of the locust brain where olfactory memories are thought to be stored. They found that what allows the brain to identify which synapses should be modified, and thus where the nonspecific reward signal should act, is a very transient synchronization between pairs of connected neurons.

"When pairs of connected neurons fire in quick succession, the strength of their connection can be altered. This phenomenon, called spike-timing dependent plasticity, has been known for many years. What is new, however, is recognizing that it also makes these connections sensitive to an internal signal released in response to a reward," says Cassenaer. "If no reward is encountered, the cells' sensitivity fades. However, if the sensory stimulus is followed by a reward within a certain time window, then these connections are the only ones altered by the internal reward signal. All other connections remain unaffected."

Laurent says that the molecular underpinnings of this phenomenon, as well as the process by which the stored memories are later read out, are an area of much-needed exploration.

"We are currently developing the necessary tools to examine this with sufficient specificity, which will allow us to evaluate animals' behavior as they learn," says Cassenaer.

###

The study, "Conditional modulation of spike-timing-dependent plasticity for olfactory learning," was funded by the Lawrence Hanson Chair at Caltech, the National Institutes on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, Caltech's Broad Fellows Program, the Office of Naval Research, and the Max Planck Society.

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Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges
debwms@caltech.edu
626-395-3227
California Institute of Technology

Caltech researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains

PASADENA, Calif.A key feature of human and animal brains is that they are adaptive; they are able to change their structure and function based on input from the environment and on the potential associations, or consequences, of that input. For example, if a person puts his hand in a fire and gets burned, he learns to avoid flames; the simple sight of a flame has acquired a predictive value, which in this case, is repulsive. To learn more about such neural adaptability, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have explored the brains of insects and identified a mechanism by which the connections in their brain change to form new and specific memories of smells.

"Although these results were obtained from experiments with insects, the components of the mechanism exist also in vertebrate, including mammalian, brains which means that what we describe may be of wide applicability," says Stijn Cassenaer, a Broad Senior Research Fellow in brain circuitry at Caltech and lead author of a paperpublished in the journal Nature on January 25that outlined the findings. The study focused on insects because their nervous systems are smaller, and thus likely to reveal their secrets sooner than those of their vertebrate counterparts.

To home in on sensory memories, the researchers concentrated on olfaction, or the sense of smell. When a person encounters a favorite food or the perfume of a loved one, she will typically experience a recall, usually positive, based on the memories evoked by those smells. Such a recallto a smell, sound, taste, or any other sensory stimulusis evidence of "associative" learning, says Gilles Laurent, a former professor of biology at Caltech and senior author of the study, as learning often means assigning a value, such as beneficial or not, to inputs that were until then neutral. The original, neutral stimulus acquires significance as a result of being paired, or associated, with a reinforcing reward or punishmentin this case, the pleasant emotion recalled by a smell.

"When we learn that a particular sensory stimulus predicts a reward, there is general agreement that this knowledge is stored by changing the connections between particular neurons," explains Cassenaer. The problem, however, is that the biological signals that represent value (positive or negative) are broadcast nonspecifically throughout the brain. How then, are they assigned specifically to particular connections, so that a certain sensory input, until then neutral, acquires its new, predictive value? "In this study, we carried out experiments to investigate how the brain identifies exactly which connections, out of an enormously large number of possibilities, should be changed to store the memory of a specific association."

To get a closer look at these connections, Cassenaer and Laurentwho is now director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Germanymeasured neural activity in an area of the locust brain where olfactory memories are thought to be stored. They found that what allows the brain to identify which synapses should be modified, and thus where the nonspecific reward signal should act, is a very transient synchronization between pairs of connected neurons.

"When pairs of connected neurons fire in quick succession, the strength of their connection can be altered. This phenomenon, called spike-timing dependent plasticity, has been known for many years. What is new, however, is recognizing that it also makes these connections sensitive to an internal signal released in response to a reward," says Cassenaer. "If no reward is encountered, the cells' sensitivity fades. However, if the sensory stimulus is followed by a reward within a certain time window, then these connections are the only ones altered by the internal reward signal. All other connections remain unaffected."

Laurent says that the molecular underpinnings of this phenomenon, as well as the process by which the stored memories are later read out, are an area of much-needed exploration.

"We are currently developing the necessary tools to examine this with sufficient specificity, which will allow us to evaluate animals' behavior as they learn," says Cassenaer.

###

The study, "Conditional modulation of spike-timing-dependent plasticity for olfactory learning," was funded by the Lawrence Hanson Chair at Caltech, the National Institutes on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, Caltech's Broad Fellows Program, the Office of Naval Research, and the Max Planck Society.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/ciot-mso012612.php

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McDonald's 4th-quarter profit beats on December sales strength (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) reported quarterly profit that beat analysts' estimates as sales, which were already outpacing competitors, picked up strength in December.

The company and its franchisees have been pouring money into their restaurants at a time when smaller and financially strapped chains are slashing costs.

Such investments in renovations, longer operating hours and new menu items have helped McDonald's win market share from weaker rivals.

Sales at stores open at least a year rose 9.6 percent in December, with a 9.8 percent increase in the United States and a 10.8 percent increase in Europe.

Analysts on average forecast a 5.9 percent increase overall, with the a 5.4 percent increase in the United States and a 6.4 percent increase in Europe, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The world's biggest hamburger chain reported fourth-quarter profit of $1.38 billion, or $1.33 per share, up from $1.24 billion, or $1.16 a share, a year earlier and beating the average analyst estimate of $1.30 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $6.82 billion, edging above the average analyst estimate of $6.81 billion.

McDonald's shares were up 40 cents at $101.35 in premarket trading on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago, editing by Dave Zimmerman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_mcdonalds

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Target to expand Brooklyn Park campus by ... - Finance & Commerce

Posted: 11:10 am Mon, January 23, 2012
By Chris?Newmarker
Tags: Brooklyn Park, Jason Aarsvold, Target

Target Corp. is planning 700,000 square feet of additional space at its Brooklyn Park campus, and intends to quadruple its workforce in the city to 5,200 by 2014, according to environmental review documents posted on the city?s website.

The Minneapolis-based retail giant presently has 561,000 square feet of office space and 130,600 square feet of technical support space located in four office buildings and two technology buildings at its Target North Campus, which sits on ?330 acres northeast of U.S. 169 and Highway 610.

Target?s initial plans call for a 700,000-square-foot project, but it could construct even more down the road. In total, Target is seeking an environmental review that would examine the effects of a total 1.1 million square feet of extra office space. Future plans also call for 300,000 square feet of commercial space south of 97^th Avenue North and the office campus.

The 700,000-square-foot figure is much larger than the figure of at least 350,000 square feet previously listed in documents filed with the city. Jason Aarsvold, Brooklyn Park?s economic and redevelopment director, says his understanding in the past has been that Target would initially start building something around 350,000 square feet in the first half of 2012, with more construction coming in the next 18 months.

Aarsvold still expects the city to provide Target an initial $1.7 million to $2.5 million subsidy based on the 350,000-square-foot figure. If Target starts building more than that in the next six months, the city would seek to hammer out some kind of property tax abatement arrangement for the additional square footage, he said.

The money for the subsidy comes from $5 million to $6 million in funds that Brooklyn Park has available in its three existing tax increment financing (TIF) districts. Target will then forgo abatements of a similar amount that it would have received for the new construction in coming years under a previous 2006 agreement.

The environmental review plans show three new office buildings at the Target North Campus: two that are four to five stories and 350,000 square feet apiece, and one that is five and a half stories and 439,000 square feet.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 am and is filed under Business & Economy, Construction & Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://finance-commerce.com/2012/01/target-to-expand-brooklyn-park-campus-by-700000-square-feet/

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US women seek long-awaited payback against Mexico

/

By JOSEPH WHITE

updated 12:35 a.m. ET Jan. 24, 2012

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Heather Mitts remembers the feeling walking off the field in Cancun, having been a part of the first and only loss the U.S. women's soccer team has ever suffered in a qualifying match for the World Cup or Olympics.

"It was awful," Mitts said. "It was obviously for us a real wakeup call. We definitely weren't prepared. We weren't prepared, and they came out and they played great against us."

Final score: Mexico 2, United States 1. It was Nov. 5, 2010. Mexico had punched its ticket to the World Cup. The Americans would have to play three more games to get there.

The opportunity for payback has arrived. The U.S. plays Mexico on Tuesday for first place in their group in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the London Olympics.

"That's obviously the game that's been marked on our calendars this entire tournament," forward Abby Wambach said.

And, yes, the teams have met once since the game that many consider to be among the biggest upsets in soccer history, but it was an exhibition in New Jersey last June, a warmup for the World Cup won 1-0 by the U.S.

That hardly counted as revenge.

"No. Absolutely not," Mitts said. "That was a friendly. This is Olympic qualifying. It doesn't matter if we're playing Mexico or not; we still have to win these games to get to the next step. I think it does add to it that we are playing Mexico ? and the revenge factor does help."

Beyond having a score to settle, the game is a vital one. The region only gets to send two teams to London, and four remain in the hunt. The winner of the U.S.-Mexico game will draw an easier match against Costa Rica in the do-or-die semifinals, while the loser has to play the more formidable Canada.

Coach Pia Sundhage and her players spent much time contemplating what went wrong in Cancun 14 months ago. Sure, the Mexicans had home-field advantage ? the rowdy crowd spent the game chanting and throwing cans, bottles, paper and other objects toward the field ? but it's a brutal fact that the Americans were so used to winning that complacency had settled in.

"I definitely think taking a team for granted ? and maybe thinking we were better than what we were ? had a lot to do with it," forward Lauren Cheney said.

Cheney also said many of her a teammates were simply exhausted. The Cancun tournament, and the camp that preceded it, had come at the end of the long Women's Professional Soccer league season.

Sundhage takes the blame for that. She said the team wasn't sharp during the entire tournament.

"When I think back, I made a mistake having them together too long," Sundhage said. "I learned my lesson."

For the Olympic qualifying, the team had a shorter camp in California before arriving in Vancouver. It's hard to judge the results thus far: The Americans have won by scores of 14-0 and 13-0, but their opponents were so overmatched it wouldn't have mattered much how the U.S. prepared. The most helpful result of the blowouts is an overwhelming goal differential that means a draw against Mexico will be enough to win the group.

Mexico also has been cruising through the tournament, winning 5-0 and 7-0 against the same teams the Americans have played. The lopsided scores have allowed both teams to rest key players to keep them fresh for Tuesday's showdown.

While the Americans cite the loss in Cancun as more evidence of a growing parity in women's soccer, Mexico coach Leonardo Cuellar said his country has far to go to catch up with its counterparts to the north.

"They're obviously the best in the world," Cuellar said. "You see the U.S. and Canada, they basically have national teams that if they're not living together, they are dedicated to a national team. For us we still have players that go to school, go to work. We're at a different level, so it's a big challenge for us."

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhite

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46108146/ns/sports-olympic_sports/

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The Science of Cramming [Science]

Many of us don't learn in optimal ways. We know that we forget new material, neglect to review older material, and study in ways that elevate cramming and procrastination to art forms. But there is research about how to be more efficient in these things. For example, dating back to 1885, there is a rich literature that explores how timing our learning of new and old material can affect education. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oQ1vERHMxZw/the-science-of-cramming

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NEC NP-V260X

The back of the NEC NP-V260X ($550 street) is bristling with ports and jacks that make it a good fit for a classroom or conference room?s data projection needs. Though it?s light enough to be easily portable, it?s best suited for use within a school or company rather than being lugged by a road warrior. In our testing, its image quality was decidedly better for data than for video. The DLP-based NP-V260X has an XGA (1,024 by 768) resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio befitting data presentations. Its brightness is rated at 2,600 lumens.

The NP-V260X, a white projector with rounded corners, measures 3.7 by 12.2 by 9.7 inches (HWD) and weighs a reasonably light 5.5 pounds. Two factors make it less portable than it could be. Unlike most projectors in its weight class, it does not come with a carrying case. It also lacks a port for a USB thumb drive, meaning that it can?t run a standalone presentation and you?ll have to have a computer or other image source on hand for it to connect to (or at least access to a network).

As for connectivity, it does have an HDMI-in port, something we?re seeing in XGA as well as higher-resolution projectors. It also has S-Video, and the three RCA jacks for composite video and audio. There are 2 VGA-in ports for connecting to computers (each with its own audio-in jack) and one VGA-out for a monitor (with an audio-out jack). An Ethernet port for LAN connectivity and an RS232 port for PC control round out the picture.

Data and Video Image Testing

Although at 2,600 lumens of rated brightness, the NP-V260X is slightly dimmer than the similar the 3,000-lumen NEC NP-V300X ($779 direct, 3.5 stars), it?s still bright enough so the image, sized to about 65 inches in a diagonal to fill our test screen, stood up well even under considerable ambient light.

In my data image testing using the DisplayMate suite, the NP-V260X showed reasonably good image quality, and should be more than adequate for use in typical business and educational presentations. There was some color fringing at the borders between very bright and very dark areas, and some minor tinting of white areas. White-on-black type was reasonably sharp except at our smallest test size, which is typical of an XGA projector.

All single-chip DLP projectors are potentially subject to the rainbow effect, in which bright areas seem to break up into little red-green-blue rainbows. People vary in their sensitivity to it. I noticed it in the data test images that tend to bring it out, but wasn?t unduly distracted by it.

Video testing was a different matter. Rainbows were readily apparent in high-contrast test scenes, such as the apocalyptic battle scene at the beginning of Terminator 2. The effect was more pronounced than is usual with DLP projector, and was distracting to me?I seem to be about average in my sensitivity to the effect.? The NP-V260X is okay for short video clips as part of a presentation, but I?d hesitate to use it for longer clips, let alone movies.

Other Issues

The projector?s built-in audio system, which employs a single 7-watt speaker, is loud enough to fill a small conference room, with about average sound quality. The NP-V260X is 3D ready, using DLP Link, though you need active shutter glasses (which cost at least $50 a pair) to view content in 3D.

The NEC NP-V260X provides many more connection choices than most of the less expensive XGA business projectors we?ve looked at; the similarly priced Epson EX5210 Multimedia Projector ($549 direct, 3.5 stars) does add a port for a USB thumb drive as well as a USB port for connecting to a PC. The NEC NP-V300X provides similar features to the NP-V260X but at a higher brightness and price. If you need much higher brightness and better data image quality (and no rainbow effect) in an XGA-resolution projector, consider the Editors? Choice Epson PowerLite 1880 MultiMedia Projector ($1,399 direct, 4 stars). But apart from sticker shock, you?ll also pay a price in reduced portability, as it weighs 7.2 pounds?and like the NP-V260X, it lacks a carrying case. The NEC NP64 ($1,099 direct, 4 stars) is far more portable (3.9 pounds), bright at 3,000 lumens, and does come with a case.

More Projector Reviews:

??? NEC NP-V260
??? NEC NP-V260X
??? Epson EX5210 Multimedia Projector
??? Optoma HD8300
??? Sony VPL-HW30ES
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/FlpsQItdV20/0,2817,2399224,00.asp

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9 Digital Ways to Become a Social Good Hero in 2012 (Mashable)

Scott Henderson is managing director of CauseShift and writes about social impact for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, RallytheCause.com and occasionally for the ableBanking blog. January is already half-over, so how?s that New Year's resolution to do more good coming along? If you haven?t made much progress, don?t fret -- changing the world might be easier than you think.

[More from Mashable: iPhotography Calendar: 12 Months Captured in 12 Stunning Snapshots [PICS]]

The web and social media continue to create new opportunities to do good in simple ways. Whether by putting aside some savings or checking-in with an app, you might be surprised how much good you can do with just a few clicks.

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Do What You Already Do

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[More from Mashable: Is It Time to Finally Ditch Your Paper Business Cards?]

• 1. Buy with Confidence: Find out whether the products you already use are healthy, green and socially responsible by consulting the Good Guide. Not happy with what you learn? Search thousands of products to find better ones.
• 2. Swipe Your Card: When you register with Swipe Good, your debit or credit cards will round up all your purchases to the nearest dollar. You choose which charity gets to keep the change.
• 3. Stuff Your Piggy Bank: Open up an online savings account with ableBanking, one of the companies I blog for. Right away, you?ll get $25 to give to your charity of choice. Each year, they?ll give you more money to donate, based on your account balance.

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Baby Steps

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For those feeling adventurous but strapped for time, give these new, simple actions a go.

• 4. Adopt a New Habit: People who track their new habits are more likely to keep them. Thanks to DailyFeats, track them easily while earning points, which you can then redeem for rewards from national brands or donate to a charity.
• 5. Give a Little Each Day: Who doesn?t love a special offer, especially when it helps a worthy cause? KarmaGoat, a local marketplace where you buy and sell items. The proceeds benefit the charity of your choice.
• 7. Give $10, Get Deals: Thanks to The Mutual, you can sign up to pay $10 each month, which is then donated to one of five featured monthly charities or spread evenly among them. In return, you?ll rack up points to use for special deals and offers from local businesses.

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Take a Flying Leap

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Feeling ready for something big? Take on one of these challenges.

• 8. Go Pro Bono: Catchafire matches up professionals with charities that need specific expertise for specific projects. You can build your resume, hone your abilities and help a worthy cause, all at the same time.
• 9. Rally Your Cause: Why wait for a charity to ask you to raise money? Sign up with Crowdrise, set up a fundraising goal, and start asking your friends, co-workers, neighbors and family. You can learn from other cause-promoters, earn reward points and cheer on other do-gooders.

Now that you know about these sites and services, what are you waiting for? Choose a strategy and mark off another New Year's resolution! What are your favorite new everyday ways of doing good? Did we miss one you think others would like?

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mangostock

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120122/tc_mashable/9_digital_ways_to_become_a_social_good_hero_in2012

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iPhone & iPad Live 276: Apple education event, iBooks 2, and iTunes U

Rene, Leanna, and Seth bring you live color, commentary, and analysis of Apple’s New York education event, including iBooks 2, Textbooks, iBooks Author, and iTunes U. What does it mean

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/F6ln_SiTDqw/story01.htm

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Sundance Film Festival Review: 'Wish You Were Here'

Beautifully shot and with a memorable, tough-guy-meets-vulnerable-dad performance from Joel Edgerton, "Wish You Were Here" keeps threatening to become a first-rate mystery tale about secrets, lies and sex.
Its story flits back and forth through time, unspooling a tale about a Cambodian holiday gone bad and the ramifications of an ecstasy-fueled party that leaves one man [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/20/sundance-wish-you-were-here/

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Katy Perry Unfollows Russell Brand on Twitter

Katy Perry is splitting from Russell Brand in more ways than one. The 27-year-old pop star has officially unfollowed her soon-to-be-ex-husband on Twitter.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/katy-perry-unfollows-russell-brand-twitter/1-a-420832?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Akaty-perry-unfollows-russell-brand-twitter-420832

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State Street doesn't own any soveriegn debt from peripheral European countries

News Breaks January 18, 2012 10:10 EDT STT theflyonthewall.com: State Street doesn't own any soveriegn debt from peripheral European countries Says doesn't own any sovereign debt from the peripheral countries of Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, or Ireland in its investment portfolio. :theflyonthewall.com

News For STT From The Last 14 Days Check below for free stories on STT the last two weeks. There are 8 items on the Fly with pertinent information. Sign up for a free trial to see the rest of the stories you've been missing.

Source: http://www.theflyonthewall.com/permalinks/entry.php/STTid1560875/STT-State-Street-doesnt-own-any-soveriegn-debt-from-peripheral-European-countries

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M 2.5, Baja California, Mexico

Magnitude2.5Date-TimeLocation32.390?N, 115.565?WDepth2.4 km (1.5 miles) (poorly constrained)RegionBAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICODistances

• 31 km (19 miles) SSW (197?) from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
• 33 km (20 miles) S (191?) from Calexico, CA
• 38 km (24 miles) S (185?) from Heber, CA
• 137 km (85 miles) E (96?) from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 1.7 km (1.1 miles); depth +/- 2.4 km (1.5 miles)ParametersNph= 33, Dmin=40 km, Rmss=0.33 sec, Gp=234?,
M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=0SourceEvent IDci15098580

Source: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/ci15098580.php

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Ulcer-causing bacteria baffled by mucus: Researchers discover impact of viscoelasticity on collective behavior of swimming microorganisms

ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2012) ? Even the tiniest microscopic organisms make waves when they swim. In fact, dealing with these waves is a fact of life for the ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori.

The bacteria are known to change their behavior in order to compensate for the waves created by other bacteria swimming around in the same aquatic neighborhood. From the relatively simple actions of these individual bacteria emerges a complex, coordinated group behavior.

A new study by engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrates how introducing certain polymers -- like those found in human mucus and saliva -- into the environment makes it significantly more difficult for H. pylori and other microorganisms to coordinate. The findings raise many new questions about the relationship between the individual and group behaviors of bacteria. The study also suggests that human mucus, saliva, and other biological fluid barriers may have evolved to disrupt the ability of harmful bacteria to coordinate.

"In the human body, microorganisms are always moving around in mucus, saliva, and other systems that exhibit elasticity due to the presence of polymers. Our study is among the first to look at how this elasticity impacts the collective behavior of microorganisms like H. pylori," said lead researcher Patrick T. Underhill, assistant professor in the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer. "What we found is that polymers do in fact have a substantial impact on the flows created by the swimming bacteria, which in turn makes it more difficult for the individual bacteria to coordinate with each other. This opens the door to new ways of looking at our immune system."

Results of the study are detailed in the paper "Effect of viscoelasticity on the collective behavior of swimming microorganisms," recently published by the journal Physical Review E.

Underhill's study, based on large-scale computer simulations, leveraged the power of the Rensselaer Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI), one of the world's most powerful university-based supercomputers. These simulations involved creating a computer model of more than 110,000 individual H. pylori bacteria simultaneously occupying a small volume of polymer-infused liquid. The simulations captured all of the individual actions and interactions created as the bacteria swam through the liquid. The most difficult aspect of this kind of simulation, Underhill said, is to identify collective behaviors and extract relevant conclusions from the massive amount of data generated.

See a video of a simulation at: http://youtu.be/Yvc_3xncpME

In addition to computer simulations, Underhill employed theoretical models to understand how the addition of elasticity to liquid impacts the waves created by swimming H. pylori and, in turn, the collective behavior of a large group of the bacteria. Bacteria like H. pylori are known as pushers, as they propel themselves through water by twisting the long helical filaments that trail behind them.

Rensselaer chemical engineering graduate student Yaser Bozorgi is a co-author of the paper.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2010, Underhill received a prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) to support his transport phenomena research.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Yaser Bozorgi, Patrick Underhill. Effect of viscoelasticity on the collective behavior of swimming microorganisms. Physical Review E, 2011; 84 (6) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.84.061901

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111708.htm

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iTunes U Puts Entire College Courses on Your iPad [Apple]

Between coming up with a curriculum, assigning homework, getting important messages to students, teachers have it tough. iTunes U is going to let them do all of that from an iPad. Which means students can basically take their entire course from their tablets. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EnX2gJiKbuA/itunes-u-puts-entire-college-courses-on-your-ipad

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