Bounce house-related injuries on the rise in U.S

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The number of U.S. children hurt while using inflatable bouncers, such as bounce houses and moonwalks, is 15 times higher than in 1995, according to a new study.

Researchers, who published their findings in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, said there are about five bounce house-related injuries per 100,000 U.S. children every year.

That's far less than the estimated 31 trampoline-related injuries per 100,000 U.S. children reported in 2009, but the study's lead author says the new findings should make people take notice.

"Groups should take a look at these data, help us get the word out and make sure parents are making informed decisions," said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The number of kids being brought into emergency rooms (ERs) for the injuries increased from 702 in 1995 to 11,311 children in 2010.

Broken bones and sprains were the most common types of injuries with each accounting for about a quarter of the ER visits. Cuts, concussions and bruises made up the rest.

Smith suggested that parents limit the use of bouncers to children about 6 years old and older, limit the number of children using them at one time, and always have a parent present.

Until now, according to the researchers, there had only been one other study looking at bouncer-related injuries, and that only looked at broken bones in a small number of patients at one hospital.

For their new study, the researchers used information from a database of injuries related to consumer products that were treated at about 100 U.S. ERs between 1990 and 2010.

From that database, Smith and his colleagues were able to estimate that about 65,000 children and teens were treated for bouncer-related injuries during that time.

About a third were under five years old, half were between six and 12 years old, and the rest were between 13 and 17 years old.

They found that the rate grew toward the end of the study with the annual number of injured children more than doubling from 2008 to 2010.

The most likely explanation for the increase is more children using inflatable bouncers.

"We tried really hard to get those numbers," said Smith. "We generally got the feedback that the usage was going up but we couldn't get any firm numbers."

Dr. Tigran Avoian, the author of the previous study on bouncer-related broken bones, said it could also be attributed to other factors, such as better reporting by hospitals.

"I don't think it's related to an epidemic," said Avoian of the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, who was not involved in the new study.

In an email to Reuters Health, John Carr, of the American Inflatable Alliance, warns that the new study does not say how many children who use inflatable bouncers got injured.

He added that - by his calculations - children may use bouncers as many as 643 million times per year.

"When utilization is factored in, injury rates are actually quite small," he writes.

SIMILAR TO TRAMPOLINES

The researchers point out that -- aside from the frequency -- inflatable bouncer-related injuries were similar to previous findings on trampoline injuries.

Specifically, arm injuries decreased, while leg injuries increased, as children got older.

Also, the number of children needing to be hospitalized -- about 3 percent -- in the new study was about the same as for trampoline-related injuries.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised against the use of trampolines at homes and playgrounds. (see Reuters Health article of Sep. 24, 2012. http://reut.rs/OPn4z5)

But Smith told Reuters Health that a similar recommendation for bouncers is probably not wise.

"My personal philosophy is that we need to try to get children off the couch so that they are physically active and develop a healthy and active lifestyle, but understand any activity comes with risks... So the purpose was not to be an alarmist, but to make sure parents understand the risks," he said.

In his previous study, Avoian and his colleagues suggested that children playing in bouncers be supervised and broken into groups by size.

"They should know kids can get serious injuries, but it could be prevented," said Avoian.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/HjQ8dI Pediatrics, online November 26, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bounce-house-related-injuries-rise-u-051715580.html

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Pentagon's message to Lockheed: Stay focused on F-35

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday said Pentagon officials had underscored their support for Marillyn Hewson, named to take over as chief executive in January after an ethics scandal, and urged the company to stay focused on its flagship program the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Current Chief Executive Bob Stevens, who will stay on as executive chairman when he retires at the end of the year, told analysts that the Defense Department was understanding about the management changes, but also reiterated the importance of keeping such programs such as the F-35 fighter on track.

Hewson and Stevens spoke with analysts on Monday morning in an effort to reassure investors that the company's leadership changes would not alter its focus on cutting costs, delivering programs and expanding international sales.

Lockheed shares were trading slightly lower on Monday morning dropping 44 cents to trade at $89.54.

Stevens said Lockheed informed the Pentagon after the close of the stock market that its president and chief operating officer, Chris Kubasik, had been forced out after admitting to an inappropriate personal relationship.

Kubasik had been set to replace Stevens as chief executive officer in January. The news on Kubasik emerged hours after CIA Director David Petraeus resigned after admitting to an extramarital affair.

"The initial response has been an understanding of the situation that we faced here and an understanding of the actions that we've taken and a full measure of support for Marillyn in her new position," Stevens said on Monday.

He said officials also told the company: "Don't lose focus on the commitments that you've made on the F35 specifically and on other programs."

Stevens said Hewson was very familiar with the breadth and depth of Lockheed's operations and had been deeply immersed over nearly 30 years in many of the company's key programs, including the F-35 fighter program over the past nine months.

Hewson, who was already slated to become president and chief operating officer in January, said she had taken part in high-level talks with the Pentagon about a contract for a fifth batch of F-35 jets, and would remain closely engaged in the process.

Those talks have been under way for nearly a year, prompting one of the Pentagon's top F-35 officials to describe ties between Lockheed and the government as the worst he'd ever seen.

Hewson said she was committed to securing a contract for those planes, which is needed to free up funds for a sixth batch of planes, and said the company would deliver all the airplanes it was committed to this year, despite a strike that slowed production earlier in the year.

Lockheed last month warned investors that it faced a potential termination liability of $1.1 billion on the F-35 fighter program unless it received additional funding for work on a sixth batch of airplanes by year end.

"We are going to meet our commitments this year on delivering the aircraft that we committed to, the support for the customer is strong and so we'll continue to be very much engaged and we won't miss a beat on F-35," Hewson said.

Stevens said Hewson was well suited for the top job because of her long years of experience in running various company divisions, as well as what he described as her "remarkable" people skills.

"I know you're going to find this extraordinarily hard to believe, people seem to like Marillyn more than they like me," Stevens joked, adding that he had learned "a lot from her in our ability to work together over the years."

For her part, Hewson said she was focused on clearly communicating the company's priorities, fostering innovation, listening to customers, and continuing to develop its workforce.

"I think it's also important that a leader put in place an environment where people can do their best work, where they feel comfortable to bring their best ideas forward," Hewson said.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; editing by Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagons-message-lockheed-stay-focused-f-35-162928708--finance.html

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Ireland to vote on expanding rights for children

DUBLIN (AP) ? Ireland's leaders issued last-minute appeals Friday for voters to amend the constitution to include stronger rights for children, making it easier for state agencies to protect children from abuse and for neglected kids to be adopted.

But the campaign to secure a "yes" vote in Saturday's referendum took a surprise hit from the Irish Supreme Court.

The five-judge court ruled that the government's information booklet backing the amendment, mailed to every household in this country of 4.6 million, was not fully accurate and violated laws requiring the government not to fund only one side of a referendum argument.

The government apologized, resisted calls to postpone the vote, and urged voters to approve the measure regardless of the strong possibility that the amendment would face legal challenge if passed.

The court ordered the government to take down the bulk of material from its campaign website, which had a similar presentation of facts and arguments, but said it would be impossible to recall the booklets. The court had no power to order a postponement of the vote.

"If we've made a mistake, we accept that, but don't take it out on the children," said Leo Varadkar, a government minister leading the campaign for approval.

"This amendment is 20 years overdue. There are children in long-term foster care relying on us to vote yes. There are also thousands of people who are victims of abuse whose voices aren't being heard," he said.

Ireland's 1937 constitution can be amended only through national referendums. Such votes typically involve polarized debates, with opposition parties often attacking the government on divisive issues such as divorce, abortion and Ireland's neutrality.

Not this time. Every party and every child-welfare charity supports the proposed amendment, while only one of parliament's 166 members says he will vote no. All opinion polls indicate voter approval for the measure, in part because of Ireland's scandal-plagued record on child protection to date.

Opposition has been confined to fringe pressure groups and a few iconoclasts, notably Irish Times columnist John Waters, who argues that state agencies are so incompetent in intervening in family matters that they should be given no new powers.

Waters seized on the Supreme Court ruling, which faulted the government for spending ?1.1 million ($1.45 million) to produce and distribute the booklet summarizing why the amendment is needed.

Waters said the government had been found guilty of "misappropriating public funds in order to sell propaganda."

Some on the "no" side have gone much further, asserting that the new Article 42 of the constitution would allow social workers to seize children from happy families. The vast majority on the other side decry such claims as paranoid nonsense.

Reform-minded judges and social workers for decades have called for changes to Ireland's legal framework for protecting the welfare of children. A series of incest and abuse cases have highlighted how care workers and agencies have identified children in wretched conditions and yet failed for years to extract them from horrific situations, partly because judges found that the law favored the rights of their parents.

The Irish Times called for a "yes" vote in Friday's lead editorial. It argued that rejection "would mark a step backwards towards a more rigid, forbidding society where children were frequently treated as legal 'chattels' within sometimes dysfunctional families."

Typically in Ireland's secretive divorce courts, with no spectators permitted and no transcripts kept, the views of children are recorded only sometimes and second-hand via court-appointed experts, and the rights of the mother are paramount.

The proposed amendment commits the courts to hear direct testimony from children and ensure their views are "given due weight having regard to the age and maturity of the child."

Adoption laws are stranger. Children in long-term foster care cannot be adopted at all if their abusive Irish parents are married. It's incredibly difficult to adopt an Irish child at all, spurring thousands of couples to adopt children from Asia, Africa or Central America instead, sometimes illegally.

The government plans to pass a trove of legislation if the amendment passes, chiefly to make it easier for many of the 6,250 children in care homes to be adopted. Some 2,000 of those kids have lived with the same foster family for the past five years.

One bill would explicitly make it a crime to hide information on a suspected child abuser. That measure appears particularly designed to combat the kind of systematic cover-up of child rape in Ireland's Catholic Church, the subject of several fact-finding inquiries over the past decade.

Those investigations have determined that Irish bishops often shielded pedophiles in the priesthood from prosecution, but such acts of concealment are not yet defined as a crime.

___

Online:

Children Referendum, http://www.referendum2012.ie/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ireland-vote-expanding-rights-children-173921115.html

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Data storage: How magnetic recording heats up

ScienceDaily (Nov. 8, 2012) ? Characterization of the thermal processes involved in heat-assisted magnetic recording paves the way for commercial devices.

Most electronic data is stored on magnetic hard drives that spin at many thousands of revolutions per minute. To keep pace with ever-growing storage demand, however, achieving greater storage capacities by simply increasing the size of disks is infeasible. The required spinning speed would put immense physical strain on the components, particularly on the writing 'head' -- a small needle-like object used to write data at particular points on the disk.

An alternative technology, heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), is now a significant step closer to commercial realization, thanks to the efforts of Baoxi Xu and his co-workers at the A*STAR Data Storage Institute, Singapore1. In a system using HAMR, laser light is emitted from a diode on the write head to locally heat the disk during data writing. This technique has the potential to increase a standard disk's recording density by as much as two orders of magnitude. However, the additional heat can cause components such as the write head to destabilize and fall out of alignment.

By studying the temperature increase of the head, the thermal effects on the disk and the thermal response of the lubricant in HAMR, Xu and his co-workers discovered how to maximize the recording density of the medium. They began by establishing the three major heat sources present in the device: the laser diode, the optical transducer, which concentrates the incident light into a nanometer-sized spot, and the write pole, which performs the physical recording.

They found that the temperature of the transducer depends on both its size and distance from the write pole -- both of which can be easily controlled in a commercial device. They also found that the temperature rise in the HAMR head does not significantly inhibit the performance of the laser diode, which is important.

Xu and his team's results showed that the recording density of the medium can be maximized by reducing the number of layers through which the heat energy must pass before it can dissipate. This will be of prime importance for achieving the required high-density data storage goals of commercial devices. This study therefore represents an important breakthrough in our understanding of HAMR, and will be essential in bringing this technology closer to commercial fruition.

"Our work indicates the seriousness of the problems in the HAMR head, which gives a reference for HAMR design, and also provides a direction for improving thermal structures for high-density HAMR recording," Xu says.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), via ResearchSEA.

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. B. X. Xu, Z. J. Liu, R. Ji, Y. T. Toh, J. F. Hu, J. M. Li, J. Zhang, K. D. Ye, C. W. Chia. Thermal issues and their effects on heat-assisted magnetic recording system (invited). Journal of Applied Physics, 2012; 111 (7): 07B701 DOI: 10.1063/1.3671421

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/qtsUUiHhedw/121108140853.htm

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Driving Web Traffic With Google Plus | Business 2 Community

Even if you are getting what you think is an extremely high volume of traffic, you can always use more traffic. The more, the better, in fact! Google+ can make a big difference to how much traffic comes to you.

Google+ is a powerful and effective tool (and always has been) and new enhancements are now available that will help to increase your online traffic even more and you won?t have to make too much effort to make that happen. If done correctly, you may be astounded at the results.

Your search capabilities with Google+

Google has come out with an enhanced version of their search tool. Instead of simple search capabilities, Google+ now allows you to customize your search to obtain results that are based on your online profile. Google now gives you Google+ updates and their version of Facebook?s ?like,? which is called ?+1s.? This allows you to really deepen your search and you will probably uncover some amazing pieces of information. The changes are much more geared toward the individual and his or her needs when it comes to searching. When you search Google+, you can easily obtain a posting from people you know or who knows you. This will be indicated as part of your search results. It is called ?social proof? and it will really make your experience of working with Google+ much more rewarding.

Your use of keywords and key phrases

If you have been writing and posting content for a while, you most likely understand the importance of keywords and key phrases. They are critical to your success (at least your successful online content). The whole idea is to attract people and search engines with those keywords and key phrases. Not only is it important to use keywords and key phrases but it is also to choose the most effective ones so that they will have the most impact and really boost your success. If there are keywords and key phrases that you are certain will get people to pay attention as well as earning high rankings with the search engines, you should use them and use them often. Of course, it is also important that you don?t overuse them because you may end up having a result that you are not interested in.

Volume is very important

It is very important that your online traffic is of the highest quality; however, it is also important that you obtain as much traffic as possible. If you are communicating effectively, the traffic that is drawn to your online presence will be high quality and high volume. In fact, you can never have too much traffic. You should aim for as large of a Google+ audience as possible. The more traffic you have, the higher your rankings will appear in the search engines. That is, of course, one of the goals that drives you on a regular basis. There are several ways to increase your traffic with Google+:

• Inform people that you have a page on Google+: You can put a badge on your website and ask your online connections to put you in their circles. When you make that request, you should include a link (in both your print and Email communications, if applicable).
• Syndicate your brand page posts through your Google+ profile: You can only follow people who follow you first. If you syndicate your posts through your profile, you will be gaining a lot more exposure. Increased exposure means increased traffic.

Use Google to its fullest potential

The way that Google works is by consistently indexing and categorizing information. Not only does Google have great search capabilities but it can also link people and places to your searches, which is a wonderful feature. You can set up? your Google+ page so that it categorizes your page by topic, using the most effective keywords possible.

Highlighting you as the author

You have the capability to tag your content so that it will show up as yours across the Internet. It will also show up when other people are searching for you. This feature may take a little effort to set up but it will yield wonderful results and is definitely worth the time and effort that you will put into it up front.

Make good use of buttons

In your Google searches, you will be able to see a button for ?+1.? Google will use the results of that search in their rankings. It will be a major factor in how you rank in the search engines and, subsequently, how much traffic is drawn to you.

Use images and make it attractive

Even if the concepts of what you are saying with your words may be fascinating and very compelling, images are still going to catch the attention of your traffic. With that in mind, you need to make everything that you post as appealing as possible. Of course, you don?t want to have an unreasonable ratio of graphics to words but peppering graphics throughout your posts can be an extremely effective approach.

Engage as often as possible

If you really want people to come to you,? you must communicate consistently and persistently. It is a very bad idea to ignore people when they reach out to you online. People will catch on very fast that you don?t regard them as important and drop you very quickly. You should dedicate a specific amount of time each week (or each day if you have such a volume of communications from people) and reach out. Your responses can be brief but you must respond.

Conclusion

Google+ offers you and other people tremendous capability to find extremely valuable information much more easily than ever before. The search feature is very strong and many people are starting to understand and use its other features as well. The connections that you make will be valuable and advantageous to your business. Remember, it is always about relationships when it comes to any involvement with social media. Google+ will enhance your experience and the results that you get will bring even more success in your business.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a free assessment of your online presence, let?s have coffee.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/google-plus/driving-web-traffic-with-google-plus-0326960

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Google and Globe Telecom Launch FreeZone for Free Mobile Web ...

Globe Telecom?in the Philippines?is offering access to the Web and select Google services on Internet-enabled mobile phones without any data charges.

The telco has launched ?Free Zone? powered by Google for Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers, giving them easy and instant access to Google Search, Gmail, and Google+ on feature phones and smartphones at no cost via libre.ph. Users need a Google account to sign up.

The service is aimed at first-time mobile Internet users who often find basic services like e-mail, mobile web browsing and social applications expensive. The service limits their subscription to mobile surfing plans and bundles.

In places where data is expensive users with basic Internet-enabled devices can use the Web to grow their?businesses or keep in touch with friends and family without the fear of unknown data costs.

With the new mobile Internet promo, Globe is initially offering access to around 30 million Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers nationwide until?March 31, 2013.

The versions of Google Search, Gmail and Google+ on Free Zone are?designed to work well with feature phones that lack the ?tech?of a smartphone. Google built the software and Globe became?the first operator to make it work on its network. This means that the?Philippines the first place in the world to use this new product.

?The open Web is only as open as it is affordable. We wanted to make?search available to as many people as possible. But a free search?result isn?t much good if you can?t then go to the Web site,? said?AbdelKarim Mardini, Product Manager at Google.

?So we decided to make?all those Web sites available as part of the package as well. We?re?hoping Free Zone will make the mobile Internet feel like a necessity?that everyone can use rather than a luxury,? he says.

Users can search the Web and access the first page of websites?from the results without getting charged. If they click further, users?are directed to a page where they can subscribe to a data plan to?continue. But for as long as they stay within the Free Zone, charging?will not take place.

Even without a data plan, users can still send and receive text?emails while on the go via Gmail. Uploading and downloading attachments carry corresponding data charges.

Methods of getting costs down for mobile Internet access and creating simpler ways for inexperienced users to get online are spreading. Earlier today we reported that Opera has launched its Web Pass to lower the barrier to entry and of course Facebook Zero is designed to free up critical bandwidth for mobile networks and reduce the amount of data consumed.

Those Globe subscribers who are interested in signing up, can text LIBRE to 8888 or visit the Libre website?for more details.

Image Credit: Jay Directo / Getty Images

Source: http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/11/08/google-and-globe-telecom-launch-freezone-for-mobile-access-to-web-and-select-google-sites/

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Green Throttle wants to turn smartphones into games consoles ...

Guitar Hero co-creator, Charles Huang, is hoping to bring out the console potential of Android smartphones thanks to the Green Throttle games system.

Huang has partnered with electronics executive Matt Crowley and Handspring and Palm Treo co-creator Kevin Townsend to create the system which can transform an Android smartphone or tablet into a gaming console capable of supporting up to four controllers.

"When you look down into your phone you shut off the entire world around you," says Huang. "The mission of Green Throttle is to create great gaming experiences that bring people together."

"The big idea is you already bought a console -- it's in your pocket. It's a smartphone," adds Townsend.

Gamers can use the system by plugging their mobile device into a compatible HDTV and play by pairing the Green Throttle controllers via Bluetooth. Games are selected by navigating the system's Arena app.

In terms of what there is to play, Green Throttle is already working with nWay, Free Range Games, Mercenary and Monstrous to develop a number of titles for the system as well as encouraging third-party developers to explore Green Throttle's capabilities via the software development kit.

Greeen Throttle is currently compatible with the Asus Transformer Pad, Galaxy Nexus, Samsung SII, Samsung SIII, Galaxy Note, and HTC One X. The company are also working on an iOS development kit.

The system is expected to ship 12 December, 2012 and is available for pre-order with the Developer 2 Player Bundle listed at $89.95 (around ?56).

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-11/08/green-throttle-mobile-console

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The Civil Wars Cancel Tour, Hint at Split

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/the-civil-wars-cancel-concert-hint-at-split/

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Stretchy electronics moves closer: Wearable sensing technology

ScienceDaily (Nov. 8, 2012) ? Researchers from the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a new technology that allows electronics to drape around our body comfortably. The researchers have engineered a new fabric that can conduct electricity, paving the way for stretchable electronics.

Sensors and other electronics are usually made of rigid and stiff material such as metals and plastics. They cannot be stretched, twisted or thrown, and should be handled with care. But that is about to change. Researchers from the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at PolyU have developed a new technology that allows electronics to drape around our body comfortably. Defying our imagination, the researchers have engineered a new fabric that can conduct electricity, paving the way for stretchable electronics.

The pressure sensitive fabric is made of flexible polymers and nano-carbon materials. Through advanced fabrication process, conductive nano-carbon materials were laced onto polymer to create a thin layer that can transfer electricity. When stretched or pressed, the thickness of this layer changes, which leads to a change in the electric current and the resistance. The fabric will react to a pull or compression with an increase in resistance so that strain and pressure can be measured.

To transform this novel idea into reality, Prof. Xiaoming Tao and her team have to overcome a challenge: a loss of conductivity under a high degree of deformation. Employing novel textile engineering techniques, they have developed a highly conductive polymer that can withstand significant stretching. This material is also highly sensitive and reliable for touch sensing. Principal investigator Prof. Tao explained, "Our new fabric can be stretched like a rubber band and has high sensitivity to strain. We've also made another one that can withstand and respond to very high pressure up to 2000kPa. They are water-proof, washable and excellent in resistance to fatigue."

In the future, pressure sensors can be bent and stretched. More importantly, the flexible material is soft, light and breathable, and therefore is well tolerated by human skins. As it will work better and longer on human body, it opens up new possibilities for health care and medical applications such as wearable health monitoring devices. For example, a stretchy fabric sensor can measure intensive body movements and then send information wirelessly to a computer. Such electronics can adapt to any bent and moving body parts for health monitoring or remote control.

This novel technology has been applied and presented as a pair of smart shoes for round-the-clock health watch without a single wire or electrode on a person. Fellow researcher Dr Aaron Wang illustrated, "The pressure-sensitive fabric is made into a touch sensor in the shape of a sole. When fitted into the shoes, the sensor can detect when an elderly falls over and then send alerts or track down a missing person with dementia when he is out and about." The research team is anticipating a future where medical devices can integrate seamlessly into the human body to track a patient's vital signs and transmit the signals to his/her doctor.

Dr Wang suggested more innovative possibilities in entertainment business, "Our stretchable sensors will be useful in fabric push buttons, game controllers and dance pads. Computer games will be more fun and edgy than ever."

"Our ultimate goal is to develop a deformable system integrated with computer power, wireless technologies and environmental power sources, which I believe will have a profound impact on telemedicine, health care delivery and sports training," said Prof. Tao.

This breakthrough was licensed to a start-up called AdvanPro Limited for further development and production. The University is keen in putting laboratory science into good use and in fact this company was set up by the researchers with the support from the Micro-fund program organized by the University's Institute for Entrepreneurship . In pursuit of knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship, the Institute is dedicated to give professional services and coordination support to help the aspiring entrepreneurs transform PolyU's innovations into applications which can make the world a better place.

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/iTBKiJqy474/121108140845.htm

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This week in Charleston real estate

It was another busy week in the Charleston real estate market. The 261 homes that were reported sold this week brought October home sales to 896, well above last October?s 690 sales. What was surprising this year is that there were more home sales in October than in September because last year there were over 100 more sales in September than October.

Now I sure hope I didn?t confuse anyone with the above sentence but to clarify, sales usually trend down in the 4th quarter of the year as the focus turns toward the holidays rather than buying or selling a home. The strength of the Charleston real estate market is continuing to surprise everybody, buyers, sellers and?Charleston?real estate agents.

And for those of you who like to keep track of the backlog of homes under contract, as of this morning in the Charleston MLS, there were 1808 homes that are listed as contingent and 662 homes that are pending so that number just slipped a little bit below the 2500 + we?ve been seeing for a while now.

This week in Charleston real estate:

• 292 new listings came on the market at an?average price of $309,158
• 211 homes went under contract at an average price of $269,342
• 261 homes were reported as sold this week in the Charleston MLS at an average price of $252,178

Statistics compiled by Howard Arnoff using the Charleston MLS as the source of data, information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Source: http://charlestononlinehomes.com/2012/11/05/week-charleston-real-estate-58/

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Cockatoo shows tool-making skills

6 November 2012 Last updated at 02:23 By Michelle Warwicker BBC Nature

Watch a Goffin's cockatoo using a "tool" to reach food

A captive-bred Goffin's cockatoo has surprised researchers by spontaneously making and using "tools" to reach food.

The species is not known to use tools in the wild.

Researchers in Austria recorded the cockatoo - named Figaro - repeatedly breaking off splinters from a wooden beam and using them to reach nuts on the other side of his wire enclosure.

The team believe Figaro's feat is the first recorded instance of tool-making among parrots.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, was carried out at an aviary near Vienna by scientists from the University of Oxford; the University of Vienna and the Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology in Germany.

"No-one has ever reported [a parrot] sculpturing a tool out of shapeless wood in order to use it later with great sophistication," said Professor Alex Kacelnik of Oxford University, an author of the study.

While birds from the corvid family, such as New Caledonian crows, are known to make tools in the wild, this specialised ability is very rarely reported in other bird species.

Researchers were unexpectedly alerted to Figaro's tool-using ability while he was playing with a pebble and accidentally dropped it out of reach on the other side of his wire mesh enclosure.

After some unsuccessful attempts to reach his toy with his claw, Figaro used a stick from the aviary floor to try to fish for the object, levering it with his beak.

The team then carried out a series of tests that involved placing nuts outside the cockatoo's enclosure, and video-recorded the results.

In the first test, Figaro tried unsuccessfully to reach the nut with a stick that was too short.

He then made his own tool by biting large splinters from a wooden beam. When they were the right size and shape to use as a "raking" tool, he would use them to successfully collect the nuts.

The team repeated the exercise in 10 trials over three days. Figaro was successful each time in making and using tools to retrieve the nut.

The time that it took the cockatoo to manufacture suitable tools also improved over the course of the tests.

"It's almost as if he discovered a solution and then managed to apply it," Prof Kacelnik told BBC Nature.

But he added: "Nobody yet understands in what sense tool-use requires a very high level of intelligence."

While Figaro is alone among Goffin's cockatoos to have been recorded making and using tools, Prof Kacelnik says that his behaviour could display a "level of intelligence for solving a new problem" in the species.

Join BBC Nature on Facebook and Twitter @BBCNature.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20170195

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Video: Candidates wrap up campaign marathon sprint

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49691606/

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Carbon buried in the soil rises again

ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2012) ? A research team that includes a University of California, Davis, plant scientist has identified a source of carbon emissions that could play a role in understanding past and future global change.

While earlier studies have found that erosion can bury carbon in the soil, acting as a carbon sink, or storage, the new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that part of that sink is only temporary.

"It's all part of figuring out the global carbon cycle," said co-author Johan Six, professor of plant sciences at UC Davis. "Where are the sources, and where are the sinks? Erosion is in some ways a sink, but, as we found out, it can also become a source."

The researchers estimated that roughly half of the carbon buried in soil by erosion will be re-released into the atmosphere within about 500 years, and possibly faster due to climate change. Climate change can speed the rate of decomposition, aiding the release of the buried carbon.

As a case study, the researchers used radiocarbon and optical dating to calculate the amount of carbon emissions captured in soils and released to the atmosphere during the past 6,000 years along the Dijle River in Belgium.

The study's long time scope -- from 4000 BC to AD 2000 -- allowed the researchers to notice the gradual reintroduction of buried carbon to the atmosphere. Significant agricultural land conversion -- historically the largest source of global erosion -- began primarily in the past 150 years, well under the researchers' time frame of 500 years. Therefore, most carbon sequestered in the soil during the past 150 years of agricultural history has not been released yet but may become a significant carbon source in the future, with implications for soil management, the study said.

"Our results showed that half of the carbon initially present in the soil and vegetation was lost to the atmosphere as a result of agricultural conversion," said study co-author Gert Verstraeten, a professor at KU Leaven, Belgium.

Six noted that erosion could be minimized by no-till and low-till agricultural methods, as well as by cover cropping, which can ensure that soil is not left bare.

"We need to know where and how much carbon is being released or captured in order to develop sensible and cost-effective measures to curb climate change," said lead author, Kristof Van Oost, of the Universite catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/xWVxDJN04RI/121105151340.htm

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Hybrid taxi drivers find fuel efficiency paying off after Sandy

One of the major side effects of the power outrages in New York and New Jersey following hurricane Sandy is gas stations' difficulty getting fuel to customers. Shortages have led to seemingly endless gas lines, and in all of this, hybrids have shown their inherent value.

Business Insider says that hybrids are proving to be advantageous for many New York City taxi drivers. The NYC cab fleet is currently a mix of hybrid vehicles and comparatively fuel-hungry Ford Crown Victoria sedans. According to the report, at many taxi companies, cars are assigned to drivers first-come, first-serve, so what they're driving on a given day comes down to the luck of the draw.

One cab driver said that refueling a the V8-powered Ford costs about $45 a day, while the the hybrid taxis can go a couple days before needing to gas up. It's suspected that the Crown Vic drivers, forced to go to great lengths to refuel, will not be reimbursed for their efforts.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/03/hybrid-taxi-drivers-find-fuel-efficiency-paying-off-after-sandy/

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Aspirin & Colorectal Cancer | Saturday Morning Diet

Posted on 03. Nov, 2012 by admin in Uncategorized

A medicine in everybody?s medication cabinet may well be a new weapon in the

fight against Colorectal Cancer malignancy.

New research studies:

Aspirin among the and most ancient medicines could be Very successful in opposition to

Colorectal Cancer malignancy. Earlier studies had demonstrated that Aspirin suppresses an molecule

referred to as P13K, that performs a major role in causing many forms of cancer.

The research implies that those who have the mutation of the P13K

molecule could reap the benefits of frequent aspirin use.

Decreased Deaths:

Affected individuals with the P13K mutation who claimed frequent usage of aspirin

subsequent to their analysis experienced a 46% decrease in total fatalities

as well as an 82% decrease in deaths exclusively associated with colorectal

cancer, when compared with sufferers with the mutation who failed to use

aspirin.

It is actually considered that affected individuals with this particular mutation will probably

reap the benefits of aspirin treatment compared to those who do not have it.

Consult your physician about the P13K test.

Colorectal cancer:

Colorectal cancer malignancy is definitely the 2nd leading source of cancer death within the

America, it impacts both males and females plus it typically

commences in a not cancerous growth referred to as a polyp. Polyps develop within the

interior cellular lining in the intestinal tract, in which they can be observable through the

well-known testing examine generally known as colonoscopy.

The best time to get examined and just how frequently.

The advice for colorectal cancer testing for men and women of ordinary

probability would be to have one sort of assessment examine performed at the age of fifty. When you

decide to undertake a colonoscopy and the outcomes are normal, it is best to

do it again just about every Few years.

To maintain your Colon in good health, we have been recommending that you

use a fiber supplement like metamucil. Psyllium husk dietary fiber eliminates waste materials,

helps bring about digestive system wellness, helping to reduce cholesterol levels to enhance

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Source: http://www.joanbars.com/weight-loss-2/uncategorized/aspirin-colorectal-cancer/

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GOP pursues last chances to upend Senate Dems

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans vigorously pursued their last, longshot chances for taking control of the Senate ? Pennsylvania topped their list ? as Democrats remained cautiously optimistic that they'd retain their narrow majority after Tuesday's suspense-filled elections.

In the final days of a caustic campaign marked by negative ads, more than $1 billion in spending and the direct impact of a close White House race between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, Democrats who were once considered a sure-fire bet to lose the Senate were upbeat about flipping Republican seats in Maine and Massachusetts and holding most of the 23 seats they're defending this year.

GOP candidates' statements on rape and abortion proved to be self-inflicted political wounds that could cost the party Indiana and undermined its chances of taking down a vulnerable Democrat in Missouri. Incumbent Democrats considered in jeopardy at the start of the election cycle managed to counter a barrage of outside spending and were on track to keep their seats in Michigan and Florida.

Democrats hold a 53-47 Senate edge but Republicans are defending only 10 seats Tuesday. Retirements in 10 states proved the most vexing for both parties.

Democrats were counting on holding the open seat in Hawaii, were unsure whether former Sen. Bob Kerrey's late surge would work in Nebraska and considered Virginia, Wisconsin and North Dakota toss-ups. New Mexico leaned Democratic but was a bit uncertain after the national parties left the two candidates ? Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich and former GOP Rep. Heather Wilson ? to fend for themselves.

Among the GOP open seats, Republicans had written off Maine, chalked up Texas and warily but confidently counted Arizona.

In Connecticut, Republican and former wrestling executive Linda McMahon spent more than $42 million of her own wealth on the race for retiring independent Sen. Joe Lieberman's seat, but it looked like it would be insufficient against the number of Democratic votes. On the final weekend, Obama stepped in with his first campaign ad appeal for Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy.

The ever-tight presidential race, the possibility of a Romney win and the potential boost or drag of the candidates on down-ballot races meant few were offering predictions on Senate control. Both parties grabbed at newfound opportunities like Nebraska and Pennsylvania.

First-term Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania wasn't on anyone's lineup of vulnerable Democrats six months ago, especially after Republicans nominated little-known businessman Tom Smith. But the coal executive spent more than $17 million of his own money and cut into Casey's edge. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce jumped in with money and ads in the final week.

"I think a race that everyone here in Pennsylvania assumed was safe for Sen. Casey no longer is," said Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. "It probably leans Democratic. The Casey name here is well-known for decades. His father was governor and Sen. Casey has run statewide before, but it is one that has clearly tightened up."

Some Democrats suggested that Casey has run a lackluster campaign, a notion his campaign manager emphatically dismissed.

"That is one of the ridiculous phony narratives that have been written," said Larry Smar. "When the press, pundits thought that this wouldn't be a race and weren't covering the race, we were the ones pointing out that Smith had lot of money and he was going to spend it. It's pretty ridiculous when they weren't paying attention to the race all year to try to push the blame on us."

Casey's latest ad appeals directly to the state's millions of seniors, promising to strengthen Medicare and "never stop fighting for Pennsylvania."

A look at the competitive races that will decide Senate control:

?Maine: In a rare case of bipartisanship, Democrats and Republicans agree that independent Angus King likely will win the three-way race against Republican Charlie Summers and Democrat Cynthia Dill. It will be a loss for Republicans who had expected Sen. Olympia Snowe to sail to a fourth term, but the moderate had enough of Washington's rancor and gridlock. King has not said whether he would caucus with Democrats or Republicans and the outcome of the presidential election is certain to have a bearing on any decision. However, the expectation has been that he would side with the Democrats after Republicans such as Karl Rove's group and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent hundreds of thousands of dollars criticizing him.

?Massachusetts: Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren has the edge against Republican Sen. Scott Brown in one of the most expensive races in the country ? $68 million and it's all candidate spending as the two agreed to ban outside money. With the backing of the tea party, Brown won a special election in January 2010 to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Brown has vowed to be an independent voice in the Senate, but he's up against some hard numbers. Obama will win the state handily and there will be 700,000 to 800,000 more voters than in 2010, many of them Democrats and independents who favor Democrats.

?Indiana: Tea party-backed state treasurer Richard Mourdock stunned the GOP in May when he easily knocked out six-term Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary. He is giving Republicans fits again because he could lose on Tuesday even as Romney wins the state and Rep. Mike Pence likely emerges as the next governor. Mourdock had limited goodwill after suing in 2009 to stop the federal government's bailout of Chrysler. He further damaged his hopes when he said in a debate that pregnancy resulting from rape is "something God intended." Public and internal polls show conservative Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly with a lead in the high single digits. The question is whether he can overcome the state's Republican trend. Libertarian Andrew Horning could affect the outcome.

?Virginia: Former governors, Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen, are locked in a close race. Allen is trying to reclaim the seat he lost to Democratic Sen. Jim Webb six years ago. Webb decided to retire. Kaine has run slightly ahead of Obama in the battleground state, where the presidential outcome could weigh on the Senate results. The race that has attracted some $50 million in outside spending.

?Montana: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is fighting for political survival against Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg in a state that narrowly went for John McCain in 2008 but is expected to solidly back Romney. The former music teacher, butcher and current farmer was a surprise winner in 2006. Democrats hope his solid campaign this year will tip the balance.

?North Dakota: Both parties give high marks to the campaign Democrat Heidi Heitkamp has run this year, but it may not be enough against Republican Rep. Rick Berg in the strong Republican state and the race to fill the seat held by Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad.

?Wisconsin: Former four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson is a familiar name to many in Wisconsin. The question is whether the 70-year-old Republican who last ran statewide in 1998 is seen as history. Liberal Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin is counting on a strong turnout in her hometown of Madison. If elected, Baldwin would be the first openly gay senator.

?Missouri: Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, once considered the most vulnerable incumbent, could be back in Washington if she can hold off Rep. Todd Akin. The Republican severely damaged his candidacy in August when he said women's bodies have ways of avoiding pregnancy in "legitimate rape," and GOP leaders, including Romney, called on him to abandon the race. Akin stayed in and is counting on support from evangelicals to lift his prospects in a state that will vote Republican.

?Nevada: Republican Sen. Dean Heller secured the seat after a sex scandal sunk GOP Sen. John Ensign. Ethics questions have dogged his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley, in a race flooded by outside cash and ads. The race is a test of whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's vaunted political operation can push Berkley to victory. In final push, she loaned her campaign $250,000 last month.

?Ohio: Republican groups swamped Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown with some $30 million in negative ads, helping to lift the candidacy of Josh Mandel. The state treasurer who just took office in January 2011 equivocated for months over the 2009 auto bailout, critical in the state, before finally saying he opposed it. The outcome of the closely fought presidential race will affect the Senate race.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-pursues-last-chances-upend-senate-dems-174240293--election.html

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With offices out, NY Daily News keeps publishing

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Daily News got its Plan A and its Plan B eviscerated by Hurricane Sandy. The storm knocked out of commission the newspaper's Manhattan main office and the place where it planned to work during emergencies ? its Jersey City, N.J., printing plant.

Help from other news outlets let the Daily News keep publishing its daily print edition and its frequently updated website throughout Monday's storm. On Thursday evening, a Daily News editor said the newspaper would resume printing at the Jersey City plant within hours.

But it was unclear how long the main office would be out of use. The office, in an evacuation zone near the Staten Island Ferry, was flooded and lost power.

Ted Young, editor of Daily News Online, went into work at the main office at 6 a.m. Monday dragging an air mattress, expecting to spend the night. He did, but it wasn't quite how he imagined.

At about 8:45 p.m., the lights went out, he said. Another hour later, the computers were down. The phones went out, and so did most cellphone coverage. Young and about 15 other staffers waited through the night, smelling gas and watching the front lobby fill with 3 feet of water.

But even then, the newspaper kept updating, Young said. That's because Lauren Johnston, an editor who had gotten stuck in Pittsburgh, updated the website as reporters throughout the city sent her updates.

Back at the darkened main office, a few staffers made an escape through the lobby around 2 a.m. The rest trekked out around 7 a.m., through a lobby that was wet but no longer flooded.

Young said that website traffic surged on Monday evening, making the ordeal worthwhile.

"Our main concern," he said, "was how do we keep letting New Yorkers know what's going on."

He never did get to use the air mattress: He neglected to inflate it before the power went out.

On Tuesday, he and a few other staffers moved into borrowed space in The Associated Press' newsroom in midtown. Others worked from other temporary offices or spread out around the city and worked from wherever they could find wireless signals.

While the Daily News printing press was down, rival newspapers including The New York Times, Newsday and Newark, N.J.'s The Star-Ledger agreed to help print copies and perform some of the company's other commercial printing work, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Daily News, a pugnacious tabloid that has one of the highest circulations among U.S newspapers, is owned by American Media Inc., which also owns fitness and celebrity magazines including Shape and OK!

The newspaper was responsible for one of the most famous headlines in journalism. "Ford to City: Drop Dead," it wrote after President Gerald Ford wavered on a bailout for the struggling city in 1975.

On Thursday, the Daily News ran a front-page photo of firefighters hoisting an American flag in a flooded part of Queens under the headline "Stormin' Back."

Young said that the Jersey City plant was to print Friday's newspaper Thursday night.

The main office, meanwhile, was still deserted except for a clean-up crew. Hoses pumped water from the front lobby onto the street. The front doors were covered in yellow caution tape, but a supervisor there said that Daily News staffers might be allowed in Friday to pick up belongings.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-02-Sandy-Daily%20News/id-4e606b4fe5c84c5fbcfdce5dda034363

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Frigid cold in NY, NJ; snow next with nor'easter?

Justin Lane / EPA

Collins Wimbish and Margaret Girgaud turned a barrel into a barbecue in order to cook food in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Saturday. The Rockaways will dip to around 28 degrees overnight.

By NBC News staff and wire reports

FEMA and Red Cross officials ordered more resources ahead of a potential nor?easter next week, while New York City saw a shortage of fuel oil and steam to heat buildings as temperatures began dipping into the 20s and power remained out for hundreds of thousands.

Power was restored to nearly all of lower Manhattan on Saturday, but it was still lights out for 2.3 million homes in other parts of New York City and the rest of the Northeast, especially Long Island and the New Jersey shore.

In addition, "tens of thousands are without steam power and therefore heat," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday.

"We want to get as many people into shelters as we can," he said, given the cold and the potential for a new storm that computer models now show being even stronger than forecast on Friday.

---

Bloomberg also blasted the Long Island Power Authority, saying the utility "has not acted aggressively enough" to restore power, especially in the Rockaways.?

Overnight lows will be around 28 degrees F in the?Rockaways, 38 in New York City and 33 on parts of Long Island, NBCNewYork.com reported. Even in areas with temps above 30, 15-20 mph winds will make it feel like it's in the 20s.

Temperatures Sunday and Monday were expected to be even colder just as critical heating oil supplies dwindle.

"There's no heating oil around," said Vincent Savino, the president of Statewide Oil and Heating, which usually supplies some 2,000 buildings across New York City. "I don't know how much fuel we have left: maybe a day or two."?

Chances for a slow-moving nor'easter, meanwhile, are "increasing," the National Weather Service's prediction center said in a Saturday morning update.

"If the storm tracks close enough to the coast," it added," it appears the airmass may be sufficiently cold for snow to fall, even in the lower elevations."

Expected to be felt in the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday, the storm would not be anywhere as destructive as Superstorm Sandy, but could cause some new erosion and hinder recovery efforts.

Moreover, computer models are tending "toward a more powerful storm system for the East Coast Wednesday through Thursday," said?weather.com expert?Tom Niziol.?

Potential impacts, he said, include:

• Strong winds possibly topping 45 mph along the coast.
• High surf, which will cause additional coastal erosion.
• Significant snowfall from the Poconos through Catskills to Interior New England and Upstate New York.
• Continued cold temperatures with overnight lows in the Thursday time frame down to the low to mid 30s, even near the coast.

He expected 1-2 inches of rain in coastal areas and 25-30 mph gusts on Wednesday, adding that the forecast could change.

FEMA and Red Cross officials said Saturday they were mobilizing even more resources to prepare for the storm.

The Home Depot has sent 5,000 truckloads of supplies into the East Coast since last Tuesday. Getting essentials to stores in ravaged communities takes a team of people working in what they call a "War Room." NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie on Saturday visited crews repairing the berm in Little Ferry, saying a push was being made to seal it up before the new storm.?Sandy tore up the berm, causing widespread flooding there.

The U.S. death toll reached 109 on Friday, after Sandy killed 69 people as a hurricane in the Caribbean. It struck the New Jersey coast on Monday as a rare hybrid after the hurricane merged with a powerful storm system in the north Atlantic.

Consolidated Edison, a utility battling what it called the worst natural disaster in its history, restored electricity to New York City neighborhoods such as Wall Street, Chinatown and Greenwich Village in the pre-dawn hours.

But some 11,000 customers in Manhattan were still without power.

"There's enough light and activity to get a lot of people on the street and get rid of that movie-set look as if we're in some kind of ghost town or horror movie," Con Ed spokesman Bob McGee told NY1 television.

With collapsed roads and destroyed homes along the New York area shore, the changes have altered the coastline and accelerated beach erosion. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.

In New Jersey, the utility PSE&G said 612,000 customers were still without lights after power to 1 million had been restored.

Con Ed said it had restored power to 70 percent of the 916,000 customers in the New York City area who were cut off. The company was still busy assisting tens of thousands more without power in New York City's outer boroughs, where some people complained of being ignored.

Read more Sandy coverage on NBCNews.com

"We have nobody down here with video coverage," said Grace Lane, a grandmother who defied evacuation orders and rode out the storm in her second-story bedroom as water rushed through the first floor of her house in Broad Channel, a community in Queens.

Eight people -- Lane, her husband, their two daughters, their husbands and her two grandchildren -- were sleeping on air mattresses on the floor of the upstairs bedroom, the last usable room in the house.

"At least my children are OK," she said.

In a city devastated by Sandy, holding a race through five battered boroughs just seemed like the wrong idea, according to officials. "I think there's a thin line between demonstrating resilience and being insensitive," one runner said. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

Many houses were gutted by 5 feet of floodwater that raced through Broad Channel, where residents hauled broken furniture and soggy belongings out of their homes on Friday.

In a sign of security worries in the neighborhood, one garage full of debris stood open with a sign next to it reading: "LOOTERS WILL BE CRUCIFIED - GOD HELP YOU."

Moving to ease fuel shortages, the Obama administration directed the purchase of up to 12 million gallons of unleaded fuel and 10 million gallons of diesel, to be trucked to New York and New Jersey for distribution.

With hundreds displaced by the storm, crucial necessities are being supplied to those hit hardest by Sandy by FEMA, the Red Cross and the National Guard. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.

The government announced it would tap strategic reserves for diesel for emergency responders and waived rules that barred foreign-flagged ships from taking gas, diesel and other products from the Gulf of Mexico to Northeast ports.

The moves could help to quell anger triggered by growing lines -- some of them miles long -- at gas stations. Less than half of the stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey were operating on Friday.

New Jersey Gov. Christie ordered gas rationing in 12 counties to begin on Saturday under an "odd-even" system in which motorists with license plates ending in odd numbers would be able to buy gas on odd-numbered days.

Experts say flooding in the Big Apple can be prevented in the future by building seawalls, levees or gigantic surge barriers. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated Sandy caused up to $20 billion in insured losses and $50 billion in economic losses.

At the high end of the range, it would rank as the fourth costliest U.S. catastrophe, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the September 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/03/14902263-freezing-temps-in-sandy-areas-snow-next-along-with-noreaster?lite

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Texture of foods may impact how full people feel - Fisher Scientific

by Tania

The texture of food may impact how full a person feels after consumption, so adapting the consistency of low-calorie foods may help to target a lack of hunger satisfaction.

In order to see how accurately people could detect differences in the texture of food products, University of Sussex researchers added tara gum, a thickening agent, to yoghurt drinks. This substance is a natural additive which is mainly composed of polysaccharides.

Most participants were able to accurately identify texture differences ? even small increases to thickness and creaminess ? in the yoghurt drink. This shows that humans are sensitive to the consistency of foods and drinks they consume.

The experimenters then wanted to discover whether thicker drinks would be portrayed by people as more filling than those without the tara gum agent. They asked people to choose the portion size of pasta ? a carbohydrate-rich and therefore filling food ? which they feel would offer the equivalent hunger satisfaction as the yoghurt drink.

Results showed that people were more likely to choose larger pasta servings in association with thickened yoghurts, whereas they seemed to think those drinks with the thinner consistency would not combat hunger as effectively.

This has interesting implications for the development of healthier foods. Many people looking to lose weight will opt for low-calorie equivalents of regular meals which taste extremely similar. However, many people can find themselves still feeling hungry after consumption.

Some people suggest that this is due to cues that the brain sends to the stomach when people look at their meal. A person?s body may be expecting a calorific, high-fat dish, but is then greeted with a low-calorie version. This could then mean that the person does not feel as full as they usually would.

However, people?s expectation that thicker drinks will be more filling can be manipulated, so that those consuming healthier products will be less likely to turn to other calorific foods afterwards due to a lack of satisfaction. Food developers may therefore consider adding thickening agents to popular health milkshakes, yoghurt drinks or fruit smoothies to help combat the growing problem of obesity.

Source: http://www.fisher.co.uk/science-news/industry-news/texture-of-foods-may-impact-how-full-people-feel/

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Video: Election night: When will we know the winner? (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/259914108?client_source=feed&format=rss

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