MIT spin-off Arctic Sand Technologies has raised funding to develop more efficient circuitry for computers and mobile devices, one of a few startups focusing on improved power electronics.
The Cambridge-based company said yesterday it has secured $9.6 million from venture investors Arsenal Venture Partners, Northwater Capital, and Analog Devices co-founder Ray Stata. Funding also came from Dialog Semiconductor and Energy Technology Ventures, an investment vehicle created by ConocoPhilips, GE, and utility NRG Energy.
Arctic Sand says its semiconductor technology reduces power conversion loss in DC-to-DC power converters, which are used in power management integrated circuits, by 50 percent. Its technology is based on switch capacitive techniques and allows for smaller and efficient conductive components, according to Dialog Semiconductor. It can be used in data centers, telecom equipment, or mobile electronics.
DC-to-DC power conversion chips in are in all electrically powered devices, says Arctic Sand CEO and co-founder?Nadia Shalaby. A laptop lithium-ion battery operates at 18 volts but individual components, such as the microprocessor and video display, need power at very specific voltages so each has its own converter. ?A typical smart phone has 30 components that need to be powered?therefore 30 power converters,? she says.
The company says its technology is done using a standard CMOS process on silicon, avoiding higher cost materials and processes. Its approach is different than existing products in that energy is stored electrically during power conversion, rather than with magnetic devices, and there is a constant, rather than impulse, current, according to the company.
Power electronics is a ripe area for reducing wasted energy. Data center operators?billions of dollar a year on electricity so a significant reduction in wasted energy, which manifests itself as heat, could yield significant savings. To improve efficiency, some data and telecom center operators use direct current power distribution equipment to reduce losses from switching between alternating current from the grid to the direct current used by servers.
Advanced power conversion techniques could improve efficiency in many other areas, including LED lighting, solar panels and charging electric cars.
Startup Transphorm, based in Goleta, Calif., ?has developed power converters using gallium nitride, rather than silicon, semiconductors to improve efficiency. Another power electronics company with roots at MIT is Finsix, formerly known as OnChip Power, which is initially making more efficient drivers for LED lighting.?
The Department of Energy?s ARPA-e research agency has a program dedicated to improving power conversion in the electric grid. It estimates that more efficient electric devices could reduce energy use in the U.S. by 30 percent.??
Jacob Taylor of Rim of the World is the San Bernardino Sun's 2013 All-Area Football Player of the Year. (LaFonzo Carter / Staff Photographer)
Jacob Taylor set the bar high. Higher than anyone thought possible. Except for him.
In leading Rim of the World to the CIF-SS East Valley Division title, the senior running back/defensive back had a remarkable record-setting performance.
In becoming the first player in San Bernardino County history to surpass the 4,000-yard rushing mark for the season and only the seventh in the history of high school football according to maxpreps.com, Taylor is the Sun Player of the Year for 2012.
More than a month after finishing off his record-setting season in victorious fashion, Taylor still is in awe.
"It's crazy to do that, and then to win CIF for the first time in 36 years," he said. "It's pretty cool."
Most teams didn't do it in one season, and it's quite an accomplishment for an individual to do it in a career, but Taylor, by himself, rushed 416 times for 4,036 yards and 57 touchdowns in 2012.
In 14 games, Taylor went over 300 yards eight times. He had at least 199 yards and two touchdowns in every game except for one, a Week 3 victory over Twentynine Palms in which he rushed for 67 yards and one touchdown.
"Before Week 3 in practice, I caught my hand in between two helmets," Taylor said.
He didn't miss that Week 3 game, but played with a splint on his right hand after breaking a bone.
"It made me pay attention to holding
onto the ball more," Taylor said. "And I didn't fumble the ball when I had the splint."
Although maxpreps doesn't keep track of times individual players fumble, Taylor said he fumbled twice all season and neither were lost by Rim.
The hand injury wasn't the only one he endured during the season.
"In the Bishop game (in Week 4), I took a hit to the ribs and I got a chipped rib," he said. "It was pretty painful."
In reaching the 4,000-yard milestone, Taylor knew he would have to play through some pain, which he did. He also knew his team would have to at least reach the CIF-SS finals, which it did.
And Taylor also knew he wouldn't be able to do it without the help of his teammates.
So he presented everyone who blocked for him, 15 players in all, including backups, with a plaque, that included a picture of him with teammates, and thanks from Taylor for reaching the milestone.
"I could not have done this all by myself," he said.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Taylor now wants to prove himself to those who believe he compiled statistics against sub-par competition. He hopes to do that at tonight's all-star game against Riverside County, or in college. He has received an offer from West Point.
Just as we have covered there are items not to ask on your interview with the admissions officer, there are items you should ask. Displaying the admissions officer you have a list of questions means your a thoughtful young adult who is prepared for life in the real planet. Beneath, you?ll locate a list of concerns that you might contemplate asking that you have not believed of.
Are your probabilities great of getting accepted into their university? If you have your transcript ready, the admissions officer ought to be capable to look over it relatively swiftly in give you an thought of your probabilities. Make certain to bring a copy of your high school transcript with you.
Are sororities and fraternities large and essential at this college? Asking this question to an admissions officer will be very interesting. Not as well many of them have been asked this question just before. This is an additional window for you to understand what type of college or university you are applying to. Do you want to join? Do you believe it will be a distraction for you while you had been in college? These are items for you to believe about as an applicant.
Ask for a common overview of the dormitories. You might want to know what is obtainable off-campus if you choose not to live in the dormitories. You can ask how to find off-campus housing. Are the dorms coed, or single-sex? Is alcohol permitted in the dorms for students who are of legal age? Are there rules for how loud you can play your music and radios? Do they have a curfew for noises that can be disturbing? Feel free of charge to add any a lot more questions to this list you can believe of about dormitories.
What is the common class size? Are the classes pretty huge or tiny? Is there an chance for individual students to construct rapport and connection with the professor? If there are a lot more than 35 or 40 students in the class, then your probabilities of creating a connection with the professor are slim to none.
How a lot college credit do I get for my AP classes? If you had taken advanced placement classes in high school, then you are entitled to get college credit for them. If there is a minimum score with an AP test to pass in you have passed each, then you want to bring this to their attention. Most AP credits ought to be automatically applied, but do not make assumptions. Trust, but always verify.
What are the chances of graduating in four years? If a college requires on as well numerous students, and some courses might be filled. If courses that are necessary for your main are not accessible, you could have to attend college for more than four years. What is the likelihood of this happening?
These are just a handful of generic queries that you ought to consider asking although on your interview. You ought to come up with a handful of much more or even a lot much more to ask. Committing 4 years or much more of your life, along with lots of funds, must not be taken lightly by you. Do your homework and be prepared.
Native American graffiti on Alcatraz (Wikicommons)Putting graffiti in a national park is a federal offense. So it?s more than a little unusual that the National Park Service is not only allowing, but has actually restored some graffiti left during a protest held by Native Americans inside the former prison site Alcatraz.
"We restored it because it has a social significance," Alcatraz Site Supervisor Marcus Koenen told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It is part of what this park is all about."
The once-notorious prison, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Fransisco, was occupied from the winter of 1969 through the spring of 1971 by a group of Native Americans after the prison had closed.
Hand-painted at the time on a prison water tower were the words, "PEACE AND FREEDOM WELCOME HOME OF THE FREE INDIAN LAND."
The protestors also created a document entitled the Alcatraz Island Proclamation, in which they outlined their hopes to turn the former prison site into a Native American cultural center or university.
"It would be fitting and symbolic,? the proclamation reads, "that ships from all over the world entering the Golden Gate would first see Indian land and thus be reminded of the true history of this nation."
The creatively worded document also offered a "compromise" with the federal government. Proposals included an offer to buy Alcatraz for $24 worth of beads and red cloth, ?a precedent set by the white man's purchase of a similar island about 300 years ago.?
The group also wrote that Alcatraz would be a perfect fit as a reservation because like other lands given to Native Americans by the U.S. government, the island is ?isolated from modern facilities, and without adequate means of transportation ? has no fresh running water ? there are no health care facilities. ... The population has always been held as prisoners and kept dependent upon others.?
Other pieces of graffiti left on the island include inscriptions such as, "Custer had it coming.?
As they worked to restore the sign, the National Park Service consulted with the American Indian Movement and the Indian Treaty Council.
Hired to restore the graffiti was Eloy Martinez, a Ute who lives in Oakland and who was part of the occupation, according to the paper. The restoration project took about a year and cost $1.5 million.
"We all agreed we were doing the right thing. We were honoring an important part of the island's history," David Dusterhoff, project manager for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, told the Chronicle.
The world?s largest offshore oil field has a new landmark. Safaniya Tie-In Platform No. 20, better known as Safaniya TP-20, has been installed using an uncommon installation technique called "float-over installation." The platform, the largest in Saudi Aramco?s offshore fields, weighs 6,000 metric tons (compared with 2,000 tons for normal platforms) and will be the main crude oil gathering and power supply hub for North Safaniya offshore field. The oil field is located about 265 km north of Dhahran. Measuring 50 by 15 km, producing more than 1.2 million barrels per day. According to a Saudi Aramco engineers, the installation of Safaniya TP-20 is part of the first phase of a long-term plan to upgrade the Safaniya offshore field, called the Safaniya Master Plan. Since the early days of 2009, during the project?s planning phase, the team realized the magnitude of the platform due to the piping and electrical power requirements associated with it. Careful measures and plans were developed to ensure successful construction and installation of the platform. Several construction workshops, design analyses and model reviews were conducted to review all aspects of the design and to ensure its safe installation. One factor planners took into particular consideration was weather conditions under which the float installation would take place. The team conducted 10-year, three-year and one-year analyses of the historical weather conditions to select the optimal installation timeframe. Several supports and structures also were installed to ensure no damage occurred during the critical installation. The platform fabrication took 20 months (between February 2011 and October 2012) at the fabrication yard at Jebel Ali. To supply the required electrical power to the North Safaniya offshore field, the platform will receive a 47 km, 3-core 230 kV composite submarine cable (power and fiber) that will be the longest of its kind in the world. The cable manufacturing is currently in its final stages and is scheduled to be installed in February 2013.
Posted: 01/14/2013 - 12:50 am PST | Last Updated: 01/14/2013 - 2:00 am PST ????? 0 Comments
TOP 5 MILITARY POWER?SIZES AND STRENGTH IN THE WORLD 2013. Since we know you all want to know who the top military power sizes and strength are in the world we have decided to put together a list of what we consider top flight.
Because of the secrecy of military capability it is difficult to know for sure who is top rank. However based off of what we do know, we feel as though the following list is a very accurate judgement of the top 5 military powers in the world 2013.
The numbers we are providing for military size are from Wikipedia?s list of countries.
1. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ? Active: 1,458,219 Reserve: 1,458,500 Paramilitary: 11,035 Total: 2,927,754
UNITED STATES MILITARY VIDEO BY RETURNACEGRIZ108.
2. CHINESE MILITARY Active: 2,285,000 Reserve: 800,000 Paramilitary: 1,500,000 Total: 4,585,000
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- An Iowa man and his sister have reunited 65 years after being separated in foster care thanks to a 7-year-old friend's Facebook search.
Clifford Boyson of Davenport met his sibling, Betty Billadeau, in person Saturday. Billadeau drove up from her home in Florissant, Mo., with her daughter and granddaughter for the reunion at a hotel in Davenport.
Boyson, 66, and Billadeau, 70, both tried to find each other for years without success. They were placed in different foster homes in Chicago when they were children.
Then 7-year-old Eddie Hanzelin, who is the son of Boyson's landlord, got involved.
Eddie managed to find Billadeau by searching his mom's Facebook account with Billadeau's maiden name. He recognized the family resemblance when he saw her picture.
"Oh, my God," Boyson said when he saw and hugged Billadeau.
"You do have a sister," Billadeau said.
"You're about the same height Mom was," Boyson said.
Billadeau's daughter, Sarah Billadeau, 42, and granddaughter, Megan Billadeau, 27, both wiped away tears and smiled during the reunion.
"He didn't have any women in his life," Sarah said. "We're going to get that straightened out real fast."
Boyson said he's looking forward to visiting Billadeau near St. Louis and meeting more family.
"I'm hoping I can go and spend a week or two," he said. "I want to meet the whole congregation. I never knew I had a big family."
Eddie, who enjoys messing around with his family's iPad, said he's glad he was able to assist in making the reunion happen and that he learned about helping others at school.
"Clifford did not have any family, and family's important," the boy said.
Near the end of their tearful reunion Boyson and Billadeau presented Eddie with a $125 check in appreciation of his detective work.
Written by Monte A. N. Overton-Weeks ? Asbestos fiber, a much applied design material for the heat and even fire resistant qualities is actually researched by using a sense of shame since it?s the root cause regarding most cancers referred to as mesothelioma cancer. Contact with asbestos airborne dust and fabric is responsible for most cancers inside lots of people up to now millennium. asbestos and cancer is usually completely caused resulting from get in touch with asbestos fiber. Mainly because for this explanation why asbestos fiber can be suspended meant for USAge with development along with mining market a number of nations.
It is found mesothelioma causes mesothelioma cancer that is an aggressive sort of most cancers this affects mesothelial body cells in your system. All these mesothelial skin cells spread all over the overall body being created an important protecting level designed for organs along with the oral cavaties. Mesothelioma staple fibers, dust particles and also allergens split these mesothelial skin cells which often aggravates to help you most cancers. The specific strategy mesothelioma influences mesothelial solar cells leading to mesothelioma cancer continues to be unknown, nonetheless the analysis have subjected dangers because of asbestos.
Irritation and also inflammation of mesothelial tissue translates into permanent hurt plus scarring. This particular finally ends up in asbestos cancer. Asbestos material affect typical mobile split creating cellular alterations. Additionally, these material motivate development of very toxic toxins within the body. Free radicals influence Genetic make-up bringing about abnormal mobile mutation. Mesothelioma moreover will cause over-production with oncoproteins in which overrule usual cellular team restrains.
Forms of Mesothelioma As mesothelial tissue are spread around throughout almost all body bodily organs, cancer is certainly identified based upon exactly where most cancers body cells are found. Pleural mesothelioma cancer is easily the most popular asbestos fibers most cancers impacting pleura part of your lungs. Concerning 75% connected with asbestos individuals suffer from pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma cancer is also located in the abdominal location and is also called because peritoneal mesothelioma. Belly tooth cavity plus abdominal system are influenced by this type of mesothelioma most cancers.
Heart can also be plagued by asbestos fibers fibers and yes it ends up in pericardial mesothelioma which unfortunately has an effect on membrane layer surrounding the heart. A rare type of mesothelioma cancer is found in lining safeguarding testicles. It is called seeing that testicular mesothelioma.
Presence of asbestos material in the body make a difference to any sort of appendage. Intestinal cancer together with colorectal most cancers is likewise discovered to be brought about as a consequence of asbestos exposure. That cancer is additionally located in numerous sufferers within help, wind pipe, neck of the guitar together with gall bladder. Breast cancer, prostrate most cancers and also the leukemia disease are also caused by asbestos exposure. This has been learned that mesothelioma impacts ovarian paving causing ovarian cancer.
Implementation of GAAR, the controversial law against tax avoidance through foreign investments, has been deferred by two years to 1 April 2016, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today.
Following the P Chidambaram?s announcement, the Sensex shot up 155 points to 19829 levels while the Nifty broke 6000. The move is likely to assuage foreign investor sentiments, who are opposed to the controversial rule.
The finance ministry had earlier said it would implement GAAR (General Anti-Avoidance Rules) from April, 2014.
The deferral of General Anti-Avoidance Rules had been expected, but supported markets on a day in which data showed India?s headline inflation rose at its slowest pace in three years.
AFP
Announcing that the government has accepted the major recommendations of? the Parthasarthi Shome committee, which was last year appointed to look into? the concerns of foreign investors, Chidambaram said the tax proposal will not apply to foreign institutional investors run by? by NRIs and will also enure that? the same income is not taxed twice.
He also clarified that that GAAR rules? will override over an existing? tax avoidance agreement.
The assessee shall have an opportunity to prove that the arrangement is not an impermissible avoidance arrangement, added Chidambaram.
GAAR (General Anti-Avoidance Rules), which was proposed in 2012-13 budget with a view to preventing tax evasion, evoked sharp reactions from foreign as well as domestic investors who feared that unbridled powers to taxmen would result in harassment of investors.
Chapter 10A of the Income Tax Act deals with taxation of investments. GAAR became part of the law when the finance bill was passed by Parliament, said Chidambaram today.
?An arrangement, the main purpose of which is to obtain a tax benefit, would be considered as an impermissible avoidance arrangement, Chidambaram added.
Chidambaram asked why GAAR and specific anti-avoidance rules (SAAR) were both in force, and only one of them would apply.
Time limits will be provided for action by various authorities under GAAR, he said.
Here are the highlights of the amendments: ?If a tax structure is impermissible, GAAR will apply ?No treaty override in new provision ? GAAR will ensure same income is not taxed twice in the hands of the same taxpayer in the same year or in the next assessment year ? GAAR will not apply to such FIIs that choose not to take any benefit under section 90 and 90A of the IT Act ?? If there is a tax avoidance arrangement, the existing provisions of the IT act say that GAAR provisions? will prevail
Even Planning Commission chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia termed the GAAR deferral as a step in the right direction as investors had started viewing the controversial tax norms as a negative.
Meanwhile Mukesh Butani, chairman, BMR Advisors, told CNBC-TV18,?The revenue department has not been liking the recommendations of the expert panel. The Finance Minister seems to have done a balancing act. He has to listen both the sides.
VATICAN CITY, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Vatican newspaper on Sunday stressed that children should be raised by a father and a mother after Italy's top appeals court granted a gay mother custody of her son, prompting a debate over gay adoption. Italy's Court of Cassation on Friday rejected an appeal by a father who feared his son would not have a balanced upbringing if he lived with his mother and her female partner. The court ruled it was "mere prejudice" to think that a child could not be brought up normally by homosexual parents. While gay rights group Arcigay hailed the decision as a "historic ruling" in Italy, where it is illegal for gay couples to adopt, Catholic leaders were quick to defend the traditional family unit. L'Osservatore Romano, the 151-year-old mouthpiece of the Holy See, on Sunday ran an editorial which sought to play down the ruling of the court, saying that children often grow up in difficult circumstances without a mother or father. "But no one believes that these situations should be created just because in some cases they don't cause damage," wrote Adriano Pessina, director of bioethics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. "The human is the masculine and the feminine ... the monogamous family is the ideal place to learn the meaning of human relations and is the environment where the best form of growth is possible," he said. He went on to reaffirm the Vatican's view that no one has the "right" to children that he said gay couples who want to adopt are claiming. The debate flared up in Italy as hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Paris for a mass demonstration against President Francois Hollande's planned legalisation of same-sex marriage. The Vatican has become increasingly vocal against gay marriage and adoptions in recent months. The pope strongly reaffirmed the Church's opposition to gay marriage in December, saying heterosexual marriage had an indispensable role in society. (Reporting by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Alison Williams)
One of the most popular activities that take place on the internet is the use of email, which 92 percent of online adult users do every day. The Pew Internet and American Life Project came up with this statistic showing email use being second only to search. Therefore, it shouldn?t be a surprise that Rochester web development companies focus on providing email hosting along with other important marketing services used for generating success on the web. Identifying quality email hosting services is achieved by understanding what elements should be involved. For example, quality email hosting should involve the tools needed to filter spam and viruses.
It?s important to find Rochester web design companies that offer solutions to filter spam and viruses from email. This information is obtained by asking questions or researching Rochester web development companies online. Rochester web development companies offering email hosting solutions should also offer plenty of customizable configurations and the ability to handle multiple accounts. Custom domain names are also commonly used, especially by internet marketers and online business owners. Most people don?t realize the first email was sent in 1971 on a system known as ARPANET. ARPANET is considered the forerunner of our modern internet today.
During Bill Clinton?s presidency, Bill Clinton sent two emails. One email was considered a test email while the other email was sent to John Glenn, who was aboard the space shuttle at that time. Today, email is an important element for communications and advertisements. People should do their research on Rochester web development companies because not all of them offer quality email hosting programs. Your particular need for email hosting will dictate what type of plan to choose. Some plans are designed to handle a significant amount of email and accounts, while other plans are used for smaller business owners that need only a bare minimum of services.
Murphy Oil Corp. of El Dorado announced Tuesday the appointment of R. Andrew Clyde as president and CEO of Murphy Oil USA Inc., the U.S. retail marketing subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp.
Murphy Oil USA Inc. has more than 1,150 U.S. retail locations and recently announced an agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville to provide access to more than 200 new locations in the Midwest and Southeast United States.?
The company is also spinning off the retail unit into a separate publicly traded company. Until the spinoff is complete, Clyde will report to Murphy CEO Steven Cosse.
Tom McKinlay, who had previously led the retail arm, will serve as executive vice president of Murphy Oil Corp. with responsibility for the company's U.K. downstream segment.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ? A judge ruled on Monday that a man accused of killing seven people at a small Northern California Christian college is not mentally fit for trial.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta temporarily suspended the case against One Goh after two psychiatric evaluations reached the conclusion that Goh suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
An initial psychiatric evaluation found that Goh has had the disorder for several years.
Alameda County Assistant Public Defender David Klaus said after Monday's brief hearing that both doctors who examined Goh had similar experiences. Goh's condition causes him to have hallucinations and delusions and distrust people, including those trying to help him, Klaus said.
"He's certainly a deeply troubled man," Klaus said. "He's locked up in shame, remorse and sadness. He's not eating, he's not taking care of himself."
Klaus said he and his co-counsel have trouble talking with their client because of his mental state.
Goh is charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder in the April 2 attack at Oikos University in Oakland.
He has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail.
Authorities have said Goh, a former Oikos student, planned the killing spree at the school that caters to Korean immigrants after becoming angry with school officials over a tuition dispute. He previously decided to drop out of the school's nursing program.
Panetta ordered Goh to return to court on Jan. 28, when Klaus said discussions will likely focus on where his client should be placed in order to regain his competency.
Eventually, Klaus said, the plan would be for Goh to go to a facility where "he is expected to be restored to competency with a combination of medication and therapy."
Klaus said that facility would likely be Napa State Hospital in Napa County.
Victims' family members, including Efanye Chibuko, have suggested Goh may be faking his condition.
In November, Chibuko, whose wife Doris was one of the seven killed, said he believed that Goh was acting and playing the legal system.
Klaus said his client is not trying to avoid anything.
"I just want to make sure it's understood that this is a temporary suspension of proceedings in this case," Klaus said. "This is really about his present mental status and the Constitution demands he be competent and be able to understand and rationally participate in the proceedings.
"And, right now, he can't do that."
After Monday's hearing, Chibuko dashed out of the courtroom into a waiting elevator and declined to comment to a reporter.
There is no timetable on when Goh could stand trial, Klaus said.
Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Stacie Pettigrew, who is seeking murder charges against Goh, declined to comment after Monday's hearing.
FILE - Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, center, holds hands with her husband, Mark Kelly, while exiting Town Hall at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown, Conn. after meeting with Newtown officials in this Jan. 4, 2013 file photo. Giffords also met with families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre that left 26 people dead. Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013 is the second anniversary of the shooting of Giffords. Tucson will mark the anniversary by ringing bells across the city at the moment that Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a supermarket where Giffords was meeting with constituents.(AP Photo/The News-Times, Jason Rearick) MANDATORY CREDIT
FILE - Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, center, holds hands with her husband, Mark Kelly, while exiting Town Hall at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown, Conn. after meeting with Newtown officials in this Jan. 4, 2013 file photo. Giffords also met with families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre that left 26 people dead. Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013 is the second anniversary of the shooting of Giffords. Tucson will mark the anniversary by ringing bells across the city at the moment that Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a supermarket where Giffords was meeting with constituents.(AP Photo/The News-Times, Jason Rearick) MANDATORY CREDIT
FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 file photo, State Rep. DebraLee Hovey, R-112 district, including Newtown, grabs the hand of colleague Rep. Laura Hoydick, R-Stratford, left, after speaking at a memorial service for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting before the House of Representatives and Senate meet for special session the state Capitol. Hovey has apologized after saying in a Facebook post that shooting victim and former Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords should "stay out of my towns." Giffords last week visited Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 young children and six adults at an elementary school last month. The Democrat, who met with families of the victims, was critically wounded two years ago in a deadly mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) ? Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband launched a political action committee aimed at curbing gun violence on Tuesday as her Arizona hometown paused to mark the second anniversary of a deadly shooting rampage that left her with severe injuries.
Tucson residents rang bells at 10:11 a.m. ? the moment a mentally ill gunman opened fire on Giffords as she met with constituents in 2011, killing six people and leaving 12 others injured. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild rang a bell at a fire station 19 times ? one for each victim.
At the same time, two politicians on opposite ends of the gun debate held dueling weapons buy-backs outside a police station. Such events have been held around the country since the shooting at a Connecticut school that revived the gun control debate.
City Councilman Steve Kozachik asked people to turn in their guns for a $50 gift certificate from Safeway ? the grocery store chain that owned the supermarket that was the site of the shooting. He wants to get guns out of people's home and bring pressure on politicians to change gun laws.
About 200 firearms, many of them old, some inoperable, were turned in during the event, Tucson police said. They were set to be destroyed later in the day. Kozachik said he handed out about $10,000 worth of grocery gift certificates.
"We inherited the guns, and we had no use for them," said Jason Munday, who traded in two old rifles. "Figured we'd just get them out of the house."
In response to the event, a Republican outgoing state senator organized a gathering outside the same station where about a dozen people offered cash for guns. Several people waved signs and held up money to approaching drivers to announce that they would buy their weapons.
Giffords also took a prominent role in the gun debate on the anniversary. She and husband Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, wrote in an op-ed published in USA Today that their Americans for Responsible Solutions initiative would help raise money to support greater gun control efforts.
"Achieving reforms to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings will mean matching gun lobbyists in their reach and resources," the couple wrote in the column. They said that it will "raise funds necessary to balance the influence of the gun lobby."
The move was hinted at in Kelly's recent comments that he and Giffords want to become a prominent voice for gun control efforts.
The couple last week visited Newtown, Conn., where a gunman opened fire in an elementary school, killing 20 children and six adults in December. They also met with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who has spent some of his fortune in recent years on gun control efforts.
The couple was expected to discuss the initiative in an interview airing Tuesday on ABC News.
The network offered a preview of the interview Monday and during "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. Kelly described a meeting with a father of a Connecticut victim in which he "just about lost it" after the parent showed him a picture of his child.
When asked by Diane Sawyer about when such violence happens to school children, Giffords responded: "Enough."
In the op-ed piece, Kelly and Giffords discussed what they deem lawmakers' inaction on curbing gun violence.
"In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary ? nothing at all," Giffords and Kelly wrote in the op-ed.
"This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small. Wise policy has conquered disease, protected us from dangerous products and substances, and made transportation safer. But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying ? and for the worst of reasons."
They hope to start a national conversation about gun violence and raise funds for political activity, so "legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby."
As a House member, Giffords was a centrist Democrat who represented much of liberal-leaning Tucson but also?more conservative, rural areas. She voiced support for gun rights and said she owned a Glock pistol. In the editorial, the couple mentioned they own two guns that are locked in a safe at their house.
At the gun events in Tucson, Kozachik said that as the shooting fades from the public's mind, issues like controlling the sale of large-capacity magazines and keeping guns from the mentally ill need attention.
"This gave us the opportunity to keep the conversation going on a very sensitive day in this community," he said after the event.
Frank Antenori organized his own event, offering cash for guns and noting that a $50 gift certificate is way too low of a price for valuable weapons.
Antenori and Kozachik accused each other of acting out of political motivations. Antenori said the councilman was sullying both the Tucson and Connecticut school shooting victims by the timing of the buyback. Kozachik said the outgoing legislator was just trying to keep his name in the news and remain relevant.
Antenori didn't stick around, while Kozachik stayed until the event ended at noon.
He said the cash-for-guns scheme in the police department parking lot only served to bolster his argument that firearms laws need to be enhanced. At his event, police documented each gun turned in, took down names of those dropping them off and checked to be sure they were legal before loading the weapons into a truck for destruction.
Just a few hundred feet away, men holding signs reading "Cash for Guns" bought rifles and handguns with no paperwork, no questions asked.
"We have a fundamental hole in the private sales of guns. You can walk up right in front of a cop and buy a gun, no background check, nothing," Kozachik said. "How much more flawed can the system be?"
Those buying the guns refused to comment, citing fear of retaliation.
Tom Ditsch, who stood watching both events, said neither accomplished anything.
"Every gun that came in was an old gun, no assault weapons," he said with disgust. "They didn't even take any weapons off the streets that they wanted to."
Tucson residents held events over the weekend to mark the anniversary of the Saturday morning when Loughner opened fire with a pistol with a 30-round magazine that he emptied in just 40 seconds. He pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 140 years.
Daniel Hernandez, a former Giffords intern who at the time of the shooting helped save her life by trying to stop her bleeding until an ambulance arrived, criticized lawmakers for not doing enough since the attack. "There's no excuse for standing back and saying we're not going to do anything this time," he said.
"It's been far too long and there have been far too many deaths," he added.
Blink. Blink blink blink. Every minute, we blink our eyes 15 to 20 times. But we only need to blink two to four times a minute for adequate lubrication. So what's happening when we blink those other times? (Blink blink blink)
Violence against teachers spurs urgent call to actionPublic release date: 7-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa Bowen lbowen@apa.org 202-336-5707 American Psychological Association
Expert recommendations address alarming yet often overlooked issue
WASHINGTON Teachers across the United States report alarmingly high rates of personally experiencing student violence and harassment while at school, according to an article published by the American Psychological Association that presents comprehensive recommendations to make schools safer for school personnel as well as students.
"Understanding and Preventing Violence Directed Against Teachers: Recommendations for a National Research, Practice, and Policy Agenda," was published online Jan. 7 in the APA's flagship journal, American Psychologist.
"Violence directed against teachers is a national crisis with far-reaching implications and deserves inclusion in the school violence equation," said the article's lead author, Dorothy Espelage, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "We are proposing that any comprehensive examination of school violence must consider the complex dynamics that affect teachers and other school personnel as well as students, parents and the entire community." Espelage was chair of APA's Task Force on Classroom Violence Directed Against Teachers, which issued a report in 2011.
Educators' perceived threats and experiencing violence at school are important components of a problem that has received surprisingly limited attention, the article states. To date, only 14 published studies have examined violence directed at teachers in schools, according to the authors. Five of the studies involved a total of 3,627 teachers in the United States and nine were conducted internationally with 9,720 teachers.
The APA task force conducted one of the national studies, which found that 80 percent of the teachers surveyed reported being victimized at school at least once in the then-current or prior year. Of those, 94 percent said they had been victimized by students -- 44 percent reported being physically attacked and 72 percent reported harassment, while 50 percent said they experienced theft or property damage at school. The findings were based on survey responses from almost 3,000 K-12 teachers in 48 states.
The article provides detailed recommendations aimed at preventing violence against teachers, including the creation of a national registry maintained by the U.S. Department of Education to track such incidents. While local and state school agencies keep general records of violent acts at schools, a national agency with the authority to require reporting is necessary to estimate the magnitude of the problem more accurately and develop targeted prevention, according to the article. The authors recommend avoiding collection of students' or teachers' names to encourage accurate reporting, to maintain individual privacy and so that the registry can be made available to the public and researchers.
The article also suggests implementing state-by-state consistency in licensure requirements so that all educators are required to master classroom management training before they are licensed to teach.
"Because professional training typically does not prepare teachers to deal with violence at school, most lack the skills to prevent challenging behavior from occurring and to respond effectively when it does occur. As such, many teachers have been shocked by frequent violent occurrences in our nation's schools during recent years and the far-reaching implications of violence," Espelage said.
To address student behavior that can lead to violence against teachers, the recommendations include methods tailored to individual students, focusing on reasons why problem behaviors occur rather than on ways to stop the behavior once it happens.
Psychologists can promote collaboration among community-based organizations, such as after-school programs, social service agencies and neighborhood associations, to create more integrated efforts that provide prevention, early identification, intervention and treatment for a wide range of behavioral and academic problems among youth, the article states.
"Professional psychologists can play a critical role in helping prevent violence against teachers, which in turn can make school a safer place for all concerned," Espelage said. "This is a significant yet under-investigated problem in the United States that has profound implications for schooling, teacher retention and over all student performance."
###
Article: "Understanding and Preventing Violence Directed Against Teachers: Recommendations for a National Research, Practice, and Policy Agenda," American Psychologist, online Jan. 7; Dorothy Espelage, PhD, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign; Eric M. Anderman, PhD, Ohio State University; Veda Evanell Brown, PhD, National Alliance of Black School Educators; Abraham Jones, PhD, National Education Association; Kathleen Lynne Lane, PhD, University of Kansas; Susan D. McMahon, PhD, DePaul University; Linda A. Reddy, PhD, Rutgers University; and Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD, Texas A&M University. (Authors are listed in alphabetical order after the lead author.)
Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office and at
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-ofp-espelage.pdf
Contact: Dorothy Espelage, PhD, espelage@illinois.edu or (217) 766-6413.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 137,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
www.apa.org
If you do not want to receive APA news releases, please let us know at public.affairs@apa.org or 202-336-5700.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
Violence against teachers spurs urgent call to actionPublic release date: 7-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa Bowen lbowen@apa.org 202-336-5707 American Psychological Association
Expert recommendations address alarming yet often overlooked issue
WASHINGTON Teachers across the United States report alarmingly high rates of personally experiencing student violence and harassment while at school, according to an article published by the American Psychological Association that presents comprehensive recommendations to make schools safer for school personnel as well as students.
"Understanding and Preventing Violence Directed Against Teachers: Recommendations for a National Research, Practice, and Policy Agenda," was published online Jan. 7 in the APA's flagship journal, American Psychologist.
"Violence directed against teachers is a national crisis with far-reaching implications and deserves inclusion in the school violence equation," said the article's lead author, Dorothy Espelage, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "We are proposing that any comprehensive examination of school violence must consider the complex dynamics that affect teachers and other school personnel as well as students, parents and the entire community." Espelage was chair of APA's Task Force on Classroom Violence Directed Against Teachers, which issued a report in 2011.
Educators' perceived threats and experiencing violence at school are important components of a problem that has received surprisingly limited attention, the article states. To date, only 14 published studies have examined violence directed at teachers in schools, according to the authors. Five of the studies involved a total of 3,627 teachers in the United States and nine were conducted internationally with 9,720 teachers.
The APA task force conducted one of the national studies, which found that 80 percent of the teachers surveyed reported being victimized at school at least once in the then-current or prior year. Of those, 94 percent said they had been victimized by students -- 44 percent reported being physically attacked and 72 percent reported harassment, while 50 percent said they experienced theft or property damage at school. The findings were based on survey responses from almost 3,000 K-12 teachers in 48 states.
The article provides detailed recommendations aimed at preventing violence against teachers, including the creation of a national registry maintained by the U.S. Department of Education to track such incidents. While local and state school agencies keep general records of violent acts at schools, a national agency with the authority to require reporting is necessary to estimate the magnitude of the problem more accurately and develop targeted prevention, according to the article. The authors recommend avoiding collection of students' or teachers' names to encourage accurate reporting, to maintain individual privacy and so that the registry can be made available to the public and researchers.
The article also suggests implementing state-by-state consistency in licensure requirements so that all educators are required to master classroom management training before they are licensed to teach.
"Because professional training typically does not prepare teachers to deal with violence at school, most lack the skills to prevent challenging behavior from occurring and to respond effectively when it does occur. As such, many teachers have been shocked by frequent violent occurrences in our nation's schools during recent years and the far-reaching implications of violence," Espelage said.
To address student behavior that can lead to violence against teachers, the recommendations include methods tailored to individual students, focusing on reasons why problem behaviors occur rather than on ways to stop the behavior once it happens.
Psychologists can promote collaboration among community-based organizations, such as after-school programs, social service agencies and neighborhood associations, to create more integrated efforts that provide prevention, early identification, intervention and treatment for a wide range of behavioral and academic problems among youth, the article states.
"Professional psychologists can play a critical role in helping prevent violence against teachers, which in turn can make school a safer place for all concerned," Espelage said. "This is a significant yet under-investigated problem in the United States that has profound implications for schooling, teacher retention and over all student performance."
###
Article: "Understanding and Preventing Violence Directed Against Teachers: Recommendations for a National Research, Practice, and Policy Agenda," American Psychologist, online Jan. 7; Dorothy Espelage, PhD, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign; Eric M. Anderman, PhD, Ohio State University; Veda Evanell Brown, PhD, National Alliance of Black School Educators; Abraham Jones, PhD, National Education Association; Kathleen Lynne Lane, PhD, University of Kansas; Susan D. McMahon, PhD, DePaul University; Linda A. Reddy, PhD, Rutgers University; and Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD, Texas A&M University. (Authors are listed in alphabetical order after the lead author.)
Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office and at
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-ofp-espelage.pdf
Contact: Dorothy Espelage, PhD, espelage@illinois.edu or (217) 766-6413.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 137,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
www.apa.org
If you do not want to receive APA news releases, please let us know at public.affairs@apa.org or 202-336-5700.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
We had an opportunity today to take a look at the first Google Glass competitor, Vuzix Glasses. At first glance they look like no more than a large glorified bluetooth headset, but once you look closer you notice that there's a bit more involved with these. The basic idea behind Vuzix is to have a complete device with its own processor and memory -- running Android, of course -- that will interface with your smartphone via bluetooth to display information. It also has a speaker for your year as well as a front-facing camera for stills and video.
The display is not see-through (like Google Glass plans to be,) but rather meant to be out of the normal field of view and glanced at occasionally. The units we looked at today were non-working prototypes, but the expectation is to have the display show a complete mirror of whatever app is running on the tethered phone. We're not so sure how the navigation will work, with only a few buttons on the top of the glasses used for all operations.
There wasn't much information as far as a release date or working prototypes were concerned (welcome to CES,) but the planned retail price is supposed to end up under $500. We've also got several more pictures and a video for you to take a look at after the break.
t accessible, you could have to attend college for more than four years. What is the likelihood of this happening?
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Public release date: 7-Jan-2013
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