Featured Articles

Brandon Spear Named Chief Operations Officer Of Quadrem

Brandon Spear Named Chief Operations Officer Of Quadrem

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands and DALLAS, November 18 /PRNewswire/ --

Quadrem, a global provider of supply management solutions, has promoted Brandon Spear to Chief Operations Officer. In his new role, Brandon will continue to oversee Quadrem's operations for eight regional offices on six continents. Additionally, Brandon will lead Quadrem's research and development team as they build next-generation systems to enable customers to operate reliable, efficient supply chains.

TANDBERG Wins Annual Frost Sullivan Market Share Growth Leadership Award

TANDBERG Wins Annual Frost Sullivan Market Share Growth Leadership Award

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

LONDON, November 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Visual Communications Specialist Grows 58.4% in EMEA

TANDBERG has received the 2008 Frost Sullivan Market Share Growth Leadership Award for the European videoconferencing endpoints market by capturing a major share of the market (49.7%) and growing by 58.4 percent in 2007: more than any other provider.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO)

Stress Hinders Decision-Making In Rats (And Maybe You Too)

Stress Hinders Decision-Making In Rats (And Maybe You Too)

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

A little bit of stress apparently lasts a long time, say neuroscientists from the University of Washington.  They have found that a single exposure to uncontrollable stress impairs decision making in rats for several days, making them unable to reliably seek out the larger of two rewards. 

The research was presented  at a press conference on "Our Stressed Out Brains" during the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting by Lauren Jones, a UW psychology doctoral student. 

Jones, working with Jeansok Kim, a UW associate professor of psychology, found that stressed rats took significantly longer to respond to a change in rewards given to them in a maze and their performances never matched those of other rats not exposed to stress. 
Optometrists Say They Can Make Athlete Brains React Over 50 Percent Faster

Optometrists Say They Can Make Athlete Brains React Over 50 Percent Faster

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

Great athletes know that it takes more than physical ability to do well - it takes brain power in the form of speed and efficiency in decision-making as well.   Two researchers from the School of Optometry, Professor Jocelyn Faubert and postdoctoral student David Tinjust, of the Université de Montréal say they have discovered how to train the brain of athletes to improve their overall athletic performance.
Nearly A Quarter Of Workers Living Paycheck To Paycheck, Finds Jobbguiden.se Survey

Nearly A Quarter Of Workers Living Paycheck To Paycheck, Finds Jobbguiden.se Survey

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, November 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Fifteen Percent of Workers Save Nothing Each Month -

As the country faces an economic slowdown amidst global market uncertainty, workers are stretching their paychecks more than ever. Nearly a quarter of workers (23 percent) say they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet, according to a new survey of more than 550 workers by Jobbguiden.se.

Two-Thirds Of Workers Living Paycheck To Paycheck, Finds Kariera.gr Survey

Two-Thirds Of Workers Living Paycheck To Paycheck, Finds Kariera.gr Survey

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

ATHENS, Greece, November 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Nearly Half of Workers Save Nothing Each Month -

As the country faces an economic slowdown amidst global market uncertainty, workers are stretching their paychecks more than ever. Two-thirds of workers (66 percent) say they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet, according to a new survey of more than 608 workers by Kariera.gr.

The struggle from pay period to pay period makes planning for the future difficult. Nearly half (48 percent) of workers say they don't put any money aside for savings each month. Of those who do save, 25 percent of workers set aside less than 160 Euros a month for savings, and 13 percent save 65 Euros or less.

Christmas Shopping On A Budget

Christmas Shopping On A Budget

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

Not much money this year?   Concerned that GM and Ford and all the big banks won't give out huge bonuses to CEOs if you spend too much?   Jan Brakefield, assistant professor of consumer sciences, offers a psychological tip sheet to follow during the holiday shopping season.

*Make a spending plan and stick to it.

*Shop early, before Thanksgiving. Eliminates last minute panic buying.

*Be prepared each time you leave home to shop. Carry a list of who you are buying for and how much you can spend. Be specific. Get agreements from family members.

*Pay cash. Credit card users typically spend twice as much money as others.
Detected - Matter Shredded By Sagittarius A* Black Hole

Detected - Matter Shredded By Sagittarius A* Black Hole

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

The team of European and US astronomers used ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope, both in Chile, to study light from Sagittarius A* at near-infrared wavelengths and the longer submillimetre wavelengths respectively. This is the first time that astronomers have caught a flare with these telescopes simultaneously. The telescopes' location in the southern hemisphere provides the best vantage point for studying the Galactic Centre.

"Observations like this, over a range of wavelengths, are really the only way to understand what's going on close to the black hole," says Andreas Eckart of the University of Cologne, who led the team.
Can Renewable Sustainable Energy Be Viable?

Can Renewable Sustainable Energy Be Viable?

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

Engineers and entrepreneurs are rushing to explore alternative sources of efficient and renewable energy in New Jersey and elsewhere in the country. A Rutgers School of Business—Camden professor has strong words of caution as projects involving wind farms and photovoltaic cells proliferate.

With the electric-power industry poised for its most dramatic changes in decades, too little thought is being devoted to coordinating these piecemeal initiatives, warns Richard Michelfelder in a recent edition of The Electricity Journal, the leading policy journal for the electric industry. 

The consequence, he fears, might well be a disastrous overload of the nation's electrical grid.
Hope Or Hype? 'Green Collar' Job Growth

Hope Or Hype? 'Green Collar' Job Growth

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama suggested his economic plan would create 5 million jobs in environmental industries - easy enough to do when taxpayers are subsidizing even more federal workers but will these so-called "green collar" jobs present the next frontier for U.S. manufacturing?   A new report led by a sociologist from Duke University is backing up Obama's claim. 

Their report, "Manufacturing Climate Solutions," provides a detailed look at the manufacturing jobs that already exist and would be created when the U.S. takes action to limit global-warming pollution. A copy of the study is available at http://www.cggc.duke.edu/environment/climatesolutions/. 
The Psychology Of Déjà Vu

The Psychology Of Déjà Vu

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

All of us have experienced being in a new place and feeling certain that we have been there before. This mysterious feeling, commonly known as déjà vu, occurs when we feel that a new situation is familiar, even if there is evidence that the situation could not have occurred previously. For a long time, this eerie sensation has been attributed to everything from paranormal disturbances to neurological disorders. However, in recent years, as more scientists began studying this phenomenon, a number of theories about déjà vu have emerged, suggesting that it is not merely a glitch in our brain’s memory system. A new report by Colorado State University psychologist Anne M.
Science Comes Up With A Smarter Way To Study

Science Comes Up With A Smarter Way To Study

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

"Practice makes perfect" and "timing is everything" are cliches are for a reason; they are mostly correct.   According to the findings published in this month's issue of Psychological Science, proper spacing of lessons  can dramatically enhance learning and larger gaps between study sessions result in better recall of facts.

Conversely: Cramming – whether it's math for a midterm or a foreign language in anticipation of a trip abroad – is not effective in the long haul.   Hal Pashler and John Wixted, professors of psychology at UC San Diego who led the study, say this can change how we think about education.
Gore-Tex Can Do Anything - Now It Can Even Help Stop Strokes

Gore-Tex Can Do Anything - Now It Can Even Help Stop Strokes

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

Need excellent boots?  W. L. Gore&Associates is the way to go.   Guitar strings?   Yep, they make those too.   Medical devices, electronics and now researchers at Rush University Medical Center are even using a small, soft-patch device made of a Gore-tex-type material to close a common hole found in the heart called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in order to prevent recurrent strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in adults. 

The randomized, multinational clinical research trial may determine if repairing a PFO using this device, also known as the GORE HELEX Septal Occluder, is more effective in preventing strokes than medical management alone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted approval to use the device for PFO closures.
The Results Are In, Says The Wildlife Conservation Society, And You Love ... Buffalo?

The Results Are In, Says The Wildlife Conservation Society, And You Love ... Buffalo?

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

The American bison(buffalo) is in trouble, says a survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society, though there are many more of them now than there were a hundred years ago, and we love them - as a symbol of the old West and occasionally to eat, so something should be done to make sure we get more of them home on the range.


These sentiments were found in a public survey released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at a national conference on restoring bison populations in the North America.

The survey is part of an effort spearheaded by the American Bison Society to lobby government agencies, conservation groups, ranchers, and others to do all they can to restore the bison's ecological role as an important species to North America.

Sometimes A Lack Of Radioactivity Is A Bad Thing

Sometimes A Lack Of Radioactivity Is A Bad Thing

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

When Ohio State glaciologists failed to find the expected radioactive signals in the latest core they drilled from a Himalayan ice field, they knew it meant trouble for their research.   Those missing markers of radiation, remnants from atomic bomb tests a half-century ago, could mean a much greater threat to the half-billion or more people living downstream of that vast mountain range.

It may mean that future water supplies could fall far short of what's needed to keep that population alive.
Will Genetic Researchers Avoid Studies Because Of Concerns About Being Labelled Racist?

Will Genetic Researchers Avoid Studies Because Of Concerns About Being Labelled Racist?

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

People are different, both physically and mentally, but genetically everyone is very similar, scientists have said for decades. But with population research becoming more and more common, the University of Alberta's Tim Caulfield is concerned that genetic research could awaken racist attitudes.

Just last year Nobel Prize winning geneticist James Watson claimed there are genes responsible for creating differences in human intelligence. These comments made international headlines, Watson was vilified and he later apologized.

GSMA Calls For Pay-Buy-Mobile Handsets

GSMA Calls For Pay-Buy-Mobile Handsets

Nov 18 2008 | comment(s)

MACAU, China, November 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Nine operator trials underway

- Device requirements finalised

The GSMA, the global trade group for the mobile industry, today called for full NFC functionality -- including the standardised 'Single Wire Protocol' interface -- to be built into commercially available mobile handsets from mid-2009, in order to ensure that consumers can reap the benefits of mobile payment services as soon as possible.

Kapton E Polymide Will Keep The James Webb Space Telescope Chilly

Kapton E Polymide Will Keep The James Webb Space Telescope Chilly

Nov 17 2008 | comment(s)

If every beachgoer could have one, we'd never need sunscreen again. The new sunshield for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, designed by Northrop Grummann  in Redondo Beach, California, is capable of rejecting nearly all of the approximately 250,000 watts of energy the spacecraft will be receiving from the Sun while in orbit - the equivalent to applying sunscreen with an SPF of 1.2 million.
Sponsorship Of Indy Racing League By Brazil's Export Development Agency Seen As Positive Step To Consolidate Ethanol As A Global Commodity By The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association

Sponsorship Of Indy Racing League By Brazil's Export Development Agency Seen As Positive Step To Consolidate Ethanol As A Global Commodity By The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association

Nov 17 2008 | comment(s)

SAO PAULO, Brazil, November 17 /PRNewswire/ --

A decision by Brazil's trade promotion agency, APEX-Brasil, to sponsor the top ethanol-powered auto racing category, the Indy Racing League (IRL), contributes to consolidate ethanol as a global commodity and is in the spirit of a Memorandum of Understanding on biofuels signed between the governments of Brazil and the United States in 2007.

The House Drinking Game!

The House Drinking Game!

Nov 17 2008 | comment(s)

If you are like me, then you are excited for Tuesdays because you look forward to watching House every week. If you shout your own diagnosis at the TV screen and marvel in awe when they finally figure out the ailment (and more so because you have an idea what it means) then you will appreciate this higher level of House fandom.

My friends and I call it The House Drinking Game.  You see, as creative and different as House is, there are some things you can predict about it.   And if you can predict it, you can make a game of it.