How trained literacy coaches can improve student reading comprehension

Jan. 25, 2013 ? The language and reading comprehension skills of low-income upper elementary-school students -- especially English-language learners -- can improve markedly if trained literacy coaches engage teachers in conducting interactive text discussions with students, according to a three-year University of Pittsburgh study.

The Pitt researchers report in the journal Learning and Instruction that language and reading comprehension showed measurable improvement for young students when their teachers had worked "at-elbow" with content-specific literacy coaches to foster a more interactive learning environment during class reading assignments.

In the study -- one of the first of its kind -- the coaches were trained using a professional development system designed at Pitt's Institute for Learning called the Content-Focused Coaching Model? that has coaches provide teachers with the tools they need to implement rigorous, standards-based lessons. Teachers can then use the knowledge they've gained to train other teachers in their schools.

"Our goal was to create a method for closing the literacy gap between more privileged and low-income students," said study principal investigator Lindsay Clare Matsumura, a research scientists in Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center and an associate professor in Pitt's School of Education. "We found that a well-structured and content-specific approach to literacy coaching shows strong evidence of being able to really make an impact on classroom text discussion and reading achievement in these upper elementary grades -- a critical time for students to develop their higher-level reading skills."

This content-specific method, developed at Pitt's Institute for Learning within the University's Learning Research and Development Center, also lends itself to adherence of the Common Core State Standards, a national campaign aiming to increase the quality of the country's education system.

"Changing discussion patterns in classrooms is a big undertaking," said Donna DiPrima Bickel, a fellow in Pitt's Institute for Learning and codeveloper and leader of the Content-Focused Coaching Model?. "The Common Core State Standards require a broader and deeper level of comprehension from students at all grade levels beyond first grade. It's imperative that teachers learn ways of supporting students to interact effectively with a range of different types of texts. Teachers engaged with coaches trained in the Content-Focused Coaching Model? valued the support they received in helping them learn to facilitate text discussion on rigorous texts."

In a group-randomized trial, Matsumura -- along with Helen Garnier, a consultant with Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center, and Jessaca Spybrook of Western Michigan University -- investigated the effects of the Content-Focused Coaching Model?, zeroing in on the quality of text discussions in the classroom.

The researchers worked with 29 schools in a Texas school district that serves a high percentage of low-income and English-language-learning students. Half of the schools adopted the Content-Focused Coaching Model?, which entailed highly trained coaches entering schools and providing professional development training to upper elementary school teachers. The other half continued in their previously assigned literacy plan, which included the involvement of literacy coaches untrained in the coaching model.

"Many literacy coaches don't receive a lot of training on how to work effectively with teachers," said Matsumura. "So our goal was to work intensively with these coaches by teaching them how to model instructional strategies and work with teachers to better plan reading lessons. We provided them with effective strategies to share with teachers so they could boost their engagement with students."

During the study's first year, Pitt researchers collected baseline data on the quality of classroom discussions, teachers' participation in professional development, and students' reading achievement. Soon after, the coaches were placed in schools and began working with teachers on "Questioning the Author," one approach to the Content-Focused Coaching Model? in which students answer critical questions about the author and text. "Questioning the Author" was developed at Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center by Emeritus Professor Isabel Beck and Research Scientist Margaret McKeown.

Under this literacy approach, students are asked to stop throughout the reading of a book and answer thought-provoking questions. If a text is written unclearly, said Matsumura, the teacher will pause to make sure students understand what is happening and also review any unknown vocabulary. The approach is meant to result in more interactive discussions leading to better comprehension and retention, and it entails "quite a bit of planning" on the part of teachers for it to be effective, Matsumura said.

In the Pitt study, the coaches began by leading a classroom discussion while teachers observed. After several months of observation, the teachers adopted the technique into their classroom for the rest of the study. Students' reading scores were evaluated through a series of tests throughout the three years.

The team found that schools participating in the coaching intervention had a positive effect on students' reading achievement -- specifically for English-language learners, who made up 40 percent of the study's sample. English-language learners with trained teachers scored .48 of a standard deviation higher on the state reading rest than those in the comparison schools. A standard deviation is the average distance between any score in a distribution and the mean of the distribution.

"One of our suppositions is that in having these kinds of interactive discussions, you're really getting kids to talk and learn to use new vocabulary actively," said Matsumura. "Nevertheless, our study highlights the need for usage of literacy-coaching programs -- like the Content-Focused Coaching Model? -- to promote student reading achievement."

In addition to improving students' literacy at an individual level, the study had a larger, across-the-board success.

"Anyone can provide you with an anecdote about how one coach has helped one teacher but the real story here is in the systematic results," said Bickel. "Lindsay and her team retrieved data that clearly show that schools with coaches trained in the Content-Focused Coaching Model? improved literacy skills far beyond those where teachers worked with coaches who were not trained in this method. And, as a result of this study, we are able to better describe the components of an effective coaching program."

As is the case with most large-scale projects, widespread implementation of these interventions may prove to be a challenge. Therefore, Matsumura and her colleagues are now working towards delivering this coaching online.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pittsburgh.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Lindsay Clare Matsumura, Helen E. Garnier, Jessaca Spybrook. Literacy coaching to improve student reading achievement: A multi-level mediation model. Learning and Instruction, 2013; 25: 35 DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2012.11.001

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/Z4sMaIksWqE/130125111335.htm

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2014 Subaru Forester Test Drive

On Sale Date: March 2013

Price: $22,820-$28,820

Competitors: Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Buick Encore, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sorento, Nissan Rogue, VW Tiguan

Powertrains: 2.5-liter H-4, 170 hp, 174 lb-ft; turbocharged 2.0-liter H-4, 250 hp, 258 lb-ft; six-speed manual (2.5-liter only), CVT; AWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 22-24/29-32 2.5-liter; 23/28 turbocharged 2.0-liter (manufacturer estimates)

What's New: The Forester is hardly gorgeous, but the wider, longer, and consequently roomier Forester is certainly a lot sleeker than its predecessor, yielding a quieter and nearly 12 percent more slippery shape. More important to most hardcore Subie buyers is the fact that the base motor gets bolted to either a new, crisp-shifting, six-speed gearbox, replacing the not-so-crisp five-speed, or a CVT that's much more efficient than the ancient four-speed automatic. This switch gets the most credit for a 5-highway-mpg gain on the Forester 2.5X.

For more context, consider that the new turbocharged XT model with 250 hp achieves the same fuel economy as the outgoing 170-hp 2.5X. And with a 0-to-60 time of 6.2 seconds, the XT is the fastest crossover in its class, hands down. That lovely 2.0-liter mill in the XT has direct injection and is based on the 200-hp BRZ engine, though here it's delightfully turbocharged, of course. The extra 50 hp helps move the Forester's nearly 900 pounds of additional heft. We should see this engine in the next-generation WRX as well.

Tech Tidbit: X-Mode is a clever take on typical off-road programming, and encompasses a lot more variables you'll engage on washboard dirt roads. First, the CVT holds a low gear ratio longer, essentially simulating first gear as long as the going is slow, and throttle tip-in is muted, enabling more nuanced control on our test drive along desert back roads outside Tucson, Ariz. Second, the default on-demand front/rear AWD power distribution is recalibrated to something closer to a simulation of a completely locked 4x4, and the traction control fights wheelspin more aggressively. Third, there's an auto hill-descent program that engages as long as the vehicle is in X-Mode.

Driving Character: The latest Forester is a better planted, more composed, and quieter vehicle for the complete range of duties that most Subaru buyers are looking for?fetching groceries in a snowstorm, or chasing that snowstorm to the nearest ski resort. And nobody in your neighborhood has to know that the XT model hides an intercooled, turbocharged monster under the hood, a beefed-up suspension, and stouter brakes. But chuck this Forester around some apexes and you'll be pleasantly relieved to find that just a little of the mad scientist behind the WRX and BRZ has crept into this oh-so-benign-looking family crossover, especially when attempting highway passing maneuvers. And its steering is well calibrated despite being electronically assisted, so path adjustments are simple and feedback is direct. Best of all, the chassis is a heck of a lot stiffer and free of even the slightest hint of rattles.

Just because the Forester can be driven hard doesn't make it darty. It's just that unlike far too many crossovers, the Forester gets more engaging, not more terrifying, when the road starts to curl up the shoulder of a mountain.

Favorite Detail: Subaru has a knack for thinking about and improving upon subtle details (it helps when you don't make a lot of models). The latest Forester's front doors have essentially no sill. You don't step up and out of the car, over a sort of transom. Removing the sill removes a place that collects dirt?and one that typically transfers it directly to your pant leg.

Driver's Grievance: The interior has all the style and panache of a chain-restaurant banquet space. This is Subaru's biggest weakness. Yes, the business-case thinking has worked to tremendous success (increased sales of 70,000 units over 2011), and the driving quarters for this vehicle has great sight lines, a comfortable seating position, and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel even on the base model. But for a car clearly reengineered with extraordinary zeal, there's not a single tell to let customers know there's something fun going on inside a Forester. Compared to a Mazda CX-5, a Ford Escape, or the Kia Sorento, that lack of sex appeal makes the Forester a tougher buying proposition.

Bottom Line: The 2014 Forester is pretty darned great by many metrics. It's one of very few crossovers you can take on a muddy two-track without trepidation. With 8.7 inches of ground clearance, as long as you're on some kind of actual road, the Forester will get you there and back in one piece. We also love the fact that you can still get one with a manual gearbox?although the new CVT makes that a less logical choice from a fuel-economy perspective.

This is also a really roomy rig, with nearly 42 inches of rear-seat legroom and better overall cargo volume than the Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4. It's arguably a more engaging drive than any of those, too; the Ford or the Mazda CX-5 are exceedingly close but neither has the Subaru's ground clearance. What might make a buyer hesitate to buy the Subie is a plain-vanilla cockpit and, in some markets, the lack of a higher-mileage 2WD option like the base CX-5.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2014-subaru-forester-test-drive?src=rss

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Depression-era drainage ditches emerge as sleeping threat to Cape Cod salt marshes

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Cape Cod, Massachusetts has a problem. The iconic salt marshes of the famous summer retreat are melting away at the edges, dying back from the most popular recreational areas. The erosion is a consequence of an unexpected synergy between recreational over-fishing and Great Depression-era ditches constructed by Works Progress Administration (WPA) in an effort to control mosquitoes.

The cascade of ecological cause and effect is described by Tyler Coverdale and colleagues at Brown University in a paper published online this month in ESA's journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

"People who live near the marshes complain about the die-off because it's not nice to look at," said Coverdale. "Without cordgrass protection you also get really significant erosion, retreating at sometimes over a meter a year." The die-back is ugly, but it is also a substantial loss of a valuable ecological resource.

When fishermen hook too many predatory fishes out of the marsh's ecosystem, the fishes' prey go on fruitfully multiplying, unchecked. The reverberations down the food chain can result in uncomfortable environmental changes for human residents. The problem for Cape Cod is the native purple marsh crab (Sesarma reticulatum), which burrows in the mud along the inner shorelines of the marshes, and dines almost exclusively on the tall and fast-growing low marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) that lines the marsh edges.

The tall and sturdy cordgrass is an essential buffer against the friction of tides and storms. Without it, soft banks erode out from under the other plants and the water line retreats farther and farther back into the marsh. The unchecked multitudes of purple marsh crabs have taken a visible toll on the developed areas of the Cape. By 2008, 50 percent of the creek banks in the marsh had worn back. Old drainage ditches have expanded from nearly invisible threads to open channels -- some nearly 30-40 meters wide -- with muddy, exposed edges.

The purple marsh crabs need tidal creek edge habitat to thrive, and do not venture into the inner heart of the marsh, where a shorter cordgrass species (the closely related, but squattier Spartina patens) and other high marsh plants dominate. The old WPA mosquito ditches also fulfill the crabs' habitat requirements. Once benign, the ditches nucleated dramatic reconstruction of the landscape with the loss of blue crab, striped bass, and smooth dogfish, and the subsequent boom of purple marsh crabs.

One of the remarkable features of the cordgrass die-off is its tight locality. Some areas of undeveloped marsh as close as a kilometer to the denuded banks around private residences and public docks appear healthy and unaffected. Mosquito ditches that can only be reached by a hard slog through undeveloped marshland do not display the striking die-off and bank erosion. The pattern cued the researchers to the possibility that recreational fishing was the trigger, Coverdale says. Few people wade into the swamp to fish.

Marshes are excellent model systems for observing the intersection of human impacts that can trigger environmental degradation, the authors say, because they have been exploited by humans for centuries, if not thousands of years, and are easily studied from aerial and satellite images.

"Marshes are one of the most heavily utilized resources worldwide," said Coverdale. "They are easily accessible, and provide shellfish, fuel, baitfish and opportunities for recreational anglers. A lot of those harvests are probably sustainable."But he is interested in the tipping points at which use of the marsh becomes unsustainable. The revelation of the slumbering menace of the mosquito ditches raises the prospect of other submerged impacts that may surface under the influence of new, contemporary pressures.

In the early twentieth century, Cape Cod was a very different place from the summer vacation destination it is today. As land use shifted from agriculture toward tourism, the local chamber of commerce funded an effort to draw off standing water through drainage ditches to suppress the mosquito population. The program was probably not very effective at controlling mosquito-borne disease, Coverdale says, but it did put a lot of people to work, and they were industrious. Over 2400 kilometers of old ditches stripe the marshes of the long, low-lying peninsula. The Cape Cod Mosquito Control Project continues ditch-dredging under the Barnstable County Department of Health and the Environment.

The ditching program had a relatively minor impact on the marshes compared to other forms of development, however. Following the Second World War, Cape Cod developed rapidly, nearly tripling in permanent human population between 1940 and 1976, when a new awareness of the ecological and economic benefits of the marsh brought strict limitations on further development. Ditches claimed only 2 percent of the marsh, compared with the 70 percent affected by roads, houses, restaurants, marinas, and other hallmarks of a modern coastal community. Alone, the ditches did not fundamentally alter the marsh ecosystem. The species that colonized the ditches were already present in the marsh; the WPA's remodeling project just moved them around. The additional pressure of recreational fishing changed that equilibrium.

How do Cape Cod residents and local fishing enthusiasts feel about this news? Coverdale says the area has a strong conservation ethic. People remember what the Cape looked like when their parents lived there, and are unhappy with the changes. As a fishing enthusiast himself, Coverdale does not see ecologists and fishermen as opposing forces.

"People enjoy catching fish today, but they come back year after year. They want to see the fish there tomorrow," Coverdale said. He has faith that the tendency of residents and long-time visitors to take the long view will make a solution possible. A system of catch and release could make fishing the Cape sustainable and allow the local community to retain its fishing heritage.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ecological Society of America. The original article was written by Liza Lester.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Tyler C Coverdale, Nicholas C Herrmann, Andrew H Altieri, Mark D Bertness. Latent impacts: the role of historical human activity in coastal habitat loss. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2013; : 130117050902007 DOI: 10.1890/120130

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/most_popular/~3/XV9qna5jpG8/130125104228.htm

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Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates Endorses Chuck Hagel

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates - who served under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama - has signed on to a letter with a bi-partisan group of 12 other former top national security officials expressing his "strong endorsement" of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense.

The list also includes several top national security officials for Republican presidents: Brent Scrowcroft (Bush 41), Mel Laird (Nixon), George Schultz (Reagan), Colin Powell (Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43), Robert McFarlane (Reagan).

It's a pretty impressive list.

Here's the letter:

--Original Message--

Today, a distinguished group of former Secretaries of State, Defense, and National Security Advisors sent the following letter to the Members of the United States Senate to strongly endorse the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense.

###

January 24, 2013

To Members of the United States Senate:

We, as former Secretaries of State, Defense, and National Security Advisors, are writing to express our strong endorsement of Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense.

Chuck Hagel has an impeccable record of public service that reflects leadership, integrity, and a keen reading of global dynamics. From his time as Deputy Veterans Administrator managing a quarter of a million employees during the Reagan presidency, to turning around the financially troubled World USO, to shepherding the post-9/11 GI Bill into law as a United States Senator, and most recently through his service on the Defense Policy Board at the Pentagon and as co-Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, Chuck Hagel is uniquely qualified to meet the challenges facing the Department of Defense and our men and women in uniform. As President Obama noted in announcing the nomination, this twice-wounded combat veteran "is a champion of our troops and our veterans and our military families" and would have the distinction of being the first person of enlisted rank and the first Vietnam veteran to serve as Secretary of Defense.

His approach to national security and debates about the use of American power is marked by a disciplined habit of thoughtfulness that is sorely needed and these qualities will serve him well as Secretary of Defense at a time when the United States must address a range of international issues that are unprecedented in scope. Our extensive experience working with Senator Hagel over the years has left us confident that he has the necessary background to succeed in the job of leading the largest federal agency.

Hagel has declared that we "knew we needed the world's best military not because we wanted war but because we wanted to prevent war." For those of us honored to have served as members of a president's national security team, Senator Hagel clearly understands the essence and the burdens of leadership required of this high office. We hope this Committee and the U.S. Senate will promptly and favorably act on his nomination.

Sincerely,

Hon. Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State

Hon. Samuel Berger, former National Security Advisor

Hon. Harold Brown, former Secretary of Defense

Hon. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor

Hon. William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense

Hon. Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense

Hon. James Jones, former National Security Advisor

Hon. Melvin Laird, former Secretary of Defense

Hon. Robert McFarlane, former National Security Advisor

Hon. William Perry, former Secretary of Defense

Hon. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor

Hon. George Shultz, former Secretary of State

Hon. Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor

###

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-defense-secretary-robert-gates-endorses-chuck-hagel-233518560--abc-news-politics.html

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NBA All-Star Reserves 2013: Tim Duncan Gets 14th NBA All-Star Nod, 2 Bulls Chosen

NEW YORK -- Tim Duncan was selected to his 14th All-Star game, Spurs teammate Tony Parker is joining him, and the Chicago Bulls also had two reserves chosen Thursday for next month's game in Houston.

Joakim Noah and Luol Deng were picked from the Bulls, who have stayed in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race despite the season-long absence of point guard Derrick Rose. Noah is one of five first-time All-Stars for the East, along with New York's Tyson Chandler, Indiana's Paul George, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, and Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday.

Miami's Chris Bosh, picked for his eighth All-Star team, rounded out the East squad.

West forwards David Lee (Golden State), LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland) and Zach Randolph (Memphis) all were picked for the second time. Houston's James Harden was chosen for the first time and joins former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook, headed to his third straight All-Star game.

Duncan wasn't chosen last year for the first time in his career but has bounced back with a terrific season at age 36, averaging 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots, his best statistics since 2009-10.

The co-MVP of the 2000 All-Star game joined a group that includes Michael Jordan for fifth-most selections. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, both voted to start, and Shaquille O'Neal all were picked 15 times. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the career leader as a 19-time All-Star.

The reserves were voted by the head coaches from each conference, who had to select two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. They were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.

With centers Chandler and Noah, East coaches passed on Brooklyn's Brook Lopez, the leading scorer for a resurgent team that is right behind the Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead. Perennial All-Stars Deron Williams and Joe Johnson of the Nets also missed out, as did Boston's Paul Pierce.

Lee gave the Warriors their first All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, but coach Mark Jackson and his team hoped for more. However, Stephen Curry wasn't selected despite averaging 20.9 points. He's the league's eighth-leading scorer and the highest one who won't be in Houston for the Feb. 17 showcase.

Lee called his selection "bittersweet" because Curry ? the first person to send him a congratulatory text ? wasn't picked.

"In our practice facility, there's that All-Star chart and it stops at '97 and there hasn't been any since. So the whole team was really excited with the improved record this year and to get one or both of our guys on there," Lee said. "I'm really excited to be the one that goes and represents our team. I wish Steph could be a part of it and maybe he'll still be able to. I'm just very, very excited. It's been a long time for the Bay Area fans. Not only to have an All-Star, but to be winning games."

Voted as East starters by fan voting along with Garnett were Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, New York's Carmelo Anthony and Boston's Rajon Rondo.

The West starting five is Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard of the Lakers, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, and Clippers teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

The Clippers were hoping for a third All-Star, but sixth-man Jamal Crawford wasn't picked.

Commissioner David Stern would choose the replacement if any players are injured.

Randolph leads the NBA with 27 double-doubles and becomes the first Grizzlies player with multiple selections.

"It is truly an honor to be named by the NBA's coaches to the 2013 Western Conference All-Star team," he said in a statement. "I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to playing with the best players in the world."

The leaders of the teams with the best winning percentage in their conference through games of Feb. 3 will be the coaches. Miami's Erik Spoelstra has the inside track on the East spot, while San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and the Clippers' Vinny Del Negro are battling for the West honor since Scott Brooks, whose Thunder have the league's best record, is ineligible after coaching last year.

Irving, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Holiday were rewarded for outstanding individual seasons even though their teams are well below .500. The 22-year-old Holiday, the youngest All-Star in franchise history, is averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 assists but feared the 76ers' 17-25 mark would work against him.

"I thought so. I definitely thought so. I think anybody else probably would, too," he said while watching a Philadelphia Flyers game. "We're not getting on a winning streak or anything like that. I just tried to stay positive and not talk about it."

___

AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston in Philadelphia and Antonio Gonzalez in Oakland, Calif., contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/nba-all-star-reserves-2013-rosters_n_2546493.html

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Quantum communication: Each photon counts

Jan. 25, 2013 ? Ultrafast, efficient, and reliable single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after components in photonics and quantum communication, which have not yet reached maturity for practical application. Physicist Dr. Wolfram Pernice of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in cooperation with colleagues at Yale University, Boston University, and Moscow State Pedagogical University, achieved the decisive breakthrough by integrating single-photon detectors with nanophotonic chips. The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate.

The results have been published by Nature Communications.

Without reliable detection of single photons, it is impossible to make real use of the latest advances in optical data transmission or quantum computation; it is like having no analog-digital converter in a conventional computer to determine whether the applied voltage stands for 0 or 1. Although a number of different single-photon detector models have been developed over the past few years, thus far, none have provided satisfactory performance.

Several new ideas and advanced developments went into the prototype developed within the "Integrated Quantum Photonics" project at the DFG Center of Functional Nanostructures (CFN). The new single-photon detector, tested in the telecommunications wavelength range, achieves a previously unattained detection efficiency of 91%.

The detector was realized by fabricating superconducting nanowires directly on top of a nanophotonic waveguide. This geometry can be compared to a tube that conducts light, around which a wire in a superconducting state is wound and, as such, has no electric resistivity. The nanometer-sized wire made of niobium nitride absorbs photons that propagate along the waveguide. When a photon is absorbed, superconductivity is lost, which is detected as an electric signal. The longer the tube, the higher is the detection probability. The lengths involved are in the micrometer range.

A special feature of the detector is its direct installation on the chip, which allows for it to be replicated at random. The single-photon detectors built thus far were stand-alone units, which were connected to chips with optical fibers. Arrangements of that type suffer from photons being lost in the fiber connection or being absorbed in other ways. These loss channels do not exist in the detector that is now fully embedded in a silicon photonic circuit. In addition to high detection efficiency, this gives rise to a remarkably low dark count rate. Dark counts arise when a photon is detected erroneously: for instance, because of a spontaneous emission, an alpha particle, or a spurious field. The new design also provides ultrashort timing jitter of 18 picoseconds, which is 18 times 10-12 seconds.

The novel solution also makes it possible to integrate several hundreds of these detectors on a single chip. This is a basic precondition for future use in optical quantum computers.

The detector demonstrated in this study was designed to work at wavelengths in the Telekom bandwidth. The same detector architecture can also be used for wavelengths in the range of visible light. This would allow the principle to be employed in analyses of all structures that emit little light, i.e., photons, such as single molecules or bacteria. ?

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

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. W.H.P. Pernice, C. Schuck, O. Minaeva, M. Li, G.N. Goltsman, A.V. Sergienko, H.X. Tang. High-speed and high-efficiency travelling wave single-photon detectors embedded in nanophotonic circuits. Nature Communications, 2012; 3: 1325 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2307

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/computers_math/information_technology/~3/ow-KbzYPjFA/130125104056.htm

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Green Blog: E.P.A. Directs New York to Act on Muddy Waterway

After a public comment period, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has decided that the lower portion of the Esopus Creek in New York?s Catskills region must be classified as an ?impaired? waterway.

The agency notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in a letter that it must take action to reduce the turbidity levels of the water, which violate federal water quality standards. The pollution ? silt, sediment and other particles ? has been worsened by discharges from a reservoir that helps supply drinking water to New York City, the E.P.A. said.

The muddying of the Lower Esopus, which the region relies on for recreation, has long been a point of contention between local residents and New York City. The city mostly blames nature, saying that more frequent rains have been stirring up sediment?and sending it down to the Ashokan Reservoir, necessitating the discharges into the Lower Esopus.

City and state officials had worked out an agreement to try to alleviate the problem, but E.P.A. officials say the parties need to go back to the drawing board to seek a satisfactory solution.

In a written statement, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said it would continue its work with the communities throughout the Lower Esopus to improve water quality. Officials said they were planning an environmental study of the water releases from the Ashokan and that the state?s agreement with the city on the Lower Esopus was under review.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/e-p-a-directs-n-y-to-act-on-muddy-waterway/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Linda Pugach, blinded in infamous NYC crime, dies

FILE - This handout photo provided by Magnolia Pictures shows Linda and Burt Pugach in 1974. The two are the subject of the movie, "Crazy Love." Linda Pugach, who was blinded in 1959 when her lover hired hit men to throw lye in her face and became a media sensation after later marrying him died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 in New York. She was 75. (AP Photo/ Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Shoot the Moon Productions, file)

FILE - This handout photo provided by Magnolia Pictures shows Linda and Burt Pugach in 1974. The two are the subject of the movie, "Crazy Love." Linda Pugach, who was blinded in 1959 when her lover hired hit men to throw lye in her face and became a media sensation after later marrying him died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 in New York. She was 75. (AP Photo/ Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Shoot the Moon Productions, file)

File -- In an April 25, 1997, file photo Burt Pugach laughs with his wife, Linda, in the hallway of the Queens Criminal Court in New York, where Pugach was on trial for threatening another, younger woman, after she left him. Linda Pugach, who was blinded in 1959 when her future husband hired men to throw lye in her face, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 in New York. She was 75. (AP Photo/Emile Wamsteker, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Linda Pugach, who was blinded in 1959 when her lover hired hit men to throw lye in her face ? and became a media sensation after later marrying him ? has died, her husband said Thursday. She was 75.

The infamous New York City crime was detailed in the 2007 documentary "Crazy Love."

Pugach, who hid behind dark glasses for the rest of her life, died Tuesday at the Long Island Jewish Hospital in Queens. The cause was heart failure, said her husband, Burton Pugach, who spent 14 years in prison for hiring the thugs to attack his then-girlfriend Linda Riss after she spurned him. He was married at the time, and the heinous attack became an instant tabloid sensation.

After his release, Pugach divorced his first wife and convinced Riss to marry him in 1974. He proposed to her on live television.

"This was a very fairy tale romance," a sobbing Pugach told The Associated Press on Thursday.

After the release of "Crazy Love," Pugach praised filmmaker Dan Klores for revealing a story that for the first time "has colors ? it was no longer black and white."

Two decades after his release from prison, Pugach was accused in another case with chilling similarities but acquitted of the charges in 1997. He had been accused of threatening and harassing another lover after she tried to end their five-year affair. That woman testified that he threatened to make it "1959 all over again."

He told the AP in an interview at the time: "Haven't you ever threatened to kill your husband? Did you mean it? Of course not. ... This has been blown out of proportion like I've never seen."

Linda Pugach testified at that trial, describing her husband as a good man. Under cross-examination by Pugach, a disbarred lawyer who defended himself, she said couldn't have sex with him after undergoing heart surgery in 1990.

"He was a naughty little boy and he was caught," she said as she left the courtroom on his arm. She said he was an adulterer, not a criminal.

Pugach said his wife went into the hospital on Dec. 26, 2012, two days before they had scheduled a trip to Florida to buy a property in Boca Raton.

"I don't know how I'm going to go on without her," he said.

On Thursday he again denied that he was ever involved in the attack.

"If I had told anyone to throw lye at her, would she have married me? A monster does that," he said.

Linda Pugach was being laid to rest in a crypt in Paramus, N.J. on Thursday.

"There's a place for me there. We'll be together," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-24-Obit-Pugach/id-a7157413b82e422ca78c3c6191ba1c34

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Encyclopedia of NMR

Public release date: 23-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michelle Martella
201-748-6145
Wiley

Published by Wiley, this new 10-volume set captures every aspect of the interdisciplinary nature of magnetic resonance and provides the most complete and up-to-date source in the field. It includes many articles from the print editions of Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and recent EMR Books, as well as new and updated articles published online in the Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance.

The Encyclopedia of NMR covers all relevant areas for NMR technologies and applications in physics, chemistry and biology. In developing the successor to the Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1996) the Editors concentrated on new articles in developing areas, such as protein structures, dynamics of molecular processes, characterization of materials, polymers and nanomaterials, NMR crystallography, solid biological samples such as membranes where NMR techniques are expanding at a rapid rate and enhancing knowledge especially in interdisciplinary areas.

All articles published in Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1996) were replaced by new articles, updated if necessary or deleted. Overall, more than half of the articles have been newly commissioned or updated.

Find out more about the online edition here: www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/ref/emr

To speak to the editors or for sample chapters, online access or a review copy of Encyclopedia of NMR please contact: Michelle Martella at Wiley Tel: +1 201-748-6145/email: mmartella@wiley.com

Encyclopedia of NMR
December 2012 6442pp
978-0-470-05821-3
$3750.00; CAN $4125.00; 3000.00; 2500.00

###

About Wiley

Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.

Wiley is a global provider of content and content-enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional development; and education. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.

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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.

Public release date: 23-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michelle Martella
201-748-6145
Wiley

Published by Wiley, this new 10-volume set captures every aspect of the interdisciplinary nature of magnetic resonance and provides the most complete and up-to-date source in the field. It includes many articles from the print editions of Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and recent EMR Books, as well as new and updated articles published online in the Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance.

The Encyclopedia of NMR covers all relevant areas for NMR technologies and applications in physics, chemistry and biology. In developing the successor to the Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1996) the Editors concentrated on new articles in developing areas, such as protein structures, dynamics of molecular processes, characterization of materials, polymers and nanomaterials, NMR crystallography, solid biological samples such as membranes where NMR techniques are expanding at a rapid rate and enhancing knowledge especially in interdisciplinary areas.

All articles published in Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1996) were replaced by new articles, updated if necessary or deleted. Overall, more than half of the articles have been newly commissioned or updated.

Find out more about the online edition here: www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/ref/emr

To speak to the editors or for sample chapters, online access or a review copy of Encyclopedia of NMR please contact: Michelle Martella at Wiley Tel: +1 201-748-6145/email: mmartella@wiley.com

Encyclopedia of NMR
December 2012 6442pp
978-0-470-05821-3
$3750.00; CAN $4125.00; 3000.00; 2500.00

###

About Wiley

Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.

Wiley is a global provider of content and content-enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional development; and education. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.

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[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/w-eon012313.php

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Randomness: Rules for computing classical probabilities might depend on quantum randomness

By Tom Siegfried

Web edition: January 23, 2013

For all the deference to ?laws? of nature that supposedly govern everything that happens, the truth is that randomness rules the world.

Everywhere you look, randomness is at work, in all the processes described by the mathematics of probability. The temperature of the air and the capriciousness of the weather all depend on random collisions of molecules. Computers operate on the principles of information theory, which is rooted in quantifying probabilities. Time rushes onward and disorder replaces order by virtue of the probabilistic second law of thermodynamics. Randomness determines everything from who gets real medicine in clinical trials to which team gets the ball first at football games.

Yet despite its pervasive importance, randomness has always remained rather mysterious. It?s not easy to define, and nobody has ever articulated very clearly exactly where randomness comes from ? at least not to every scientist?s satisfaction.

There is one surefire source of randomness, though: quantum physics. For atoms and molecules, quantum physics requires randomness that cannot be evaded. An electron might be found in any of a number of locations; quantum physics can?t tell you where it will be, but does permit computing the odds for the various possibilities.

But it?s hard to see what quantum randomness has to do with randomness in the macroscopic world. Quantum uncertainty in the location of a penny is much smaller than one of the hairs on Lincoln?s head. It doesn?t seem likely that randomness in the quantum world is relevant to the realm of coins and dice and Wheel of Fortune. For things like that, ?classical? probability theory seems to work well enough. Quantum considerations are ignored.

Unfortunately, though, classical probability has no real claim to validity, except perhaps its success in keeping casinos in business.

?There has not been any systematic validation of purely classical probabilities,? write physicists Andreas Albrecht and Daniel Phillips. Classical probability theory, they say, just quantifies ignorance about all the factors that determine exactly where the ball will fall in the roulette wheel or when your hand will catch a flipped penny. It doesn?t tell you why that ignorance exists.

So suppose, argue Albrecht and Phillips, that the ignorance quantified by classical probability theory is ?rooted in specific physical properties of the world around us.? In that case, ?the things we call ?classical probabilities? can be seen as originating in the quantum probabilities that govern the microscopic world.?

Large-scale fluctuations in gases and liquids, for instance, can be traced back to quantum randomness on the molecular level, Albrecht and Phillips contend in a new paper, online at arXiv.org. They calculate how tiny quantum uncertainties can propagate upward in a larger system. Even in billiards, these calculations show, after only eight collisions quantum uncertainty becomes a factor in determining which balls will collide next.

Similarly, in flipping a coin, quantum uncertainties at the molecular level can influence why heads and tails turn up at random. If you flipped a coin with a perfect machine, imparting precisely the same amount of momentum each time, you?d always get the same result. But when you flip a penny with your thumb, you can?t control exactly how many times the coin spins before you catch it. Precise timing of the initial flip and the catch is limited by your brain?s control of your muscles, which in turn depends on protein molecules operating in nerve cells. Those protein molecules are buffeted by water molecules with fluctuating frequency stemming from quantum randomness.

?We have a plausibility argument that the outcome of a coin flip is truly a quantum measurement,? write Albrecht and Phillips, of the University of California, Davis. ?The 50-50 outcome of a coin toss may in principle be derived from quantum physics ? with no reference to classical notions of how we must ?quantify our ignorance.? ?

Albrecht and Phillips are concerned with probability because of its role in theories that picture the universe as only one in a multiplicity of spaces known as the multiverse. In analyzing multiverse theories, physicists frequently encounter circumstances where quantum math does not permit probabilistic computation (as with questions such as how many of all possible universes could support life). In situations where quantum math does not permit probabilities to be computed, physicists resort to classical probability theory. But if classical probabilities are actually quantum in origin, then it makes no sense to use them, either, if the quantum math says probabilities can?t be calculated.

?Our claim is that probabilities are only proven and reliable tools if they have clear values determined from the quantum state,? Albrecht and Phillips write.

Consequently current theories of the multiverse should be regarded with suspicion, Albrecht and Phillips remark. And if quantum physics really is the basis for all real-life probabilities, no doubt there will be further ramifications of this realization. It might even be a good idea to replace football referees with quantum physicists.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347709/title/Rules_for_computing_classical_probabilities_might_depend_on_quantum_randomness

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Refreshing Your Marketing Plan for 2013

by Randy Duermyer on January 23, 2013

Guest post by: Dave Thomas

In a time when the economy is still trying to sail a steady course, it isn?? uncommon for business owners to wonder if they are doing all they can to attract business. This is especially true at the start of a new year.

There never seems to be enough entrepreneurs can do to promote their companies to waiting consumers. When the economy is on shaky ground, that challenge becomes even more taxing, meaning business owners must find the right message to deliver in the right venue.

So, what are some of your goals to improve your marketing effectiveness in 2013? If you haven?t given it any thought yet, it?s about time you did before you find yourself in a downward spiral. Consider some of these options going forward:

1. Traditional advertising. It isn?t uncommon to hear that some companies have cut back on traditional methods of promoting their businesses like radio, television and newspaper ads. Traditional media costs a lot, and consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to browse and shop. As a result, advertisers need to look long and hard before spending big dollars on traditional advertising tools. Newspaper readership is in decline, and TV advertising needs to zero in on specific markets that will likely provide the best returns.
2. Online advertising. It is hard to go wrong with advertising on the Internet these days thanks to the relatively low cost, ease of measurability, and potentially broad reach of online ads. However, some types of ads ? like pop-ups for example ? can backfire by annoying your strongest prospects. If you are planning a banner ad campaign, keep in mind that placement is always key. Look for sites that would traditionally be visited heavily by your prospects. Finally, make sure the data you need to measure your effectiveness is being recorded, and analyze that data on a regular basis to learn what works best and what doesn?t work at all.
3. Blogging. Whether you have your own company blog or write guest posts on other relevant sites ? or do both ? blogging can be an effective, ?free? tool to promote your business. Find other sites relevant to your business that will allow you to guest post, and you can pull in some extra visits back to your site. Do some keyword research when preparing your guest posts, and analyze the traffic you?re getting from your posts to see what?s working best. Also, make sure that your own company blog is updated regularly, as you don?t want to turn off potential visitors as soon as they arrive.
4. Social networks. If you do not already have company pages on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, decide which social networks best meet your needs and get it done. Social networks allow you to engage with customers and prospects in real-time, providing them with relevant and timely information. Their strongest point may be the ease with which your posts can be shared. If you do not have the time to manage your social accounts, consider getting help from an outside source. The most important tasks for managing your social presence are regular updates and prompt responses to questions and comments visitors may post on your social pages.

The effort you put into marketing will go a long way in determining how successful you are in 2013 and beyond. We?ve touched on just a few ideas here. When you are looking at ways to refocus your marketing efforts, the sky?s the limit.

How are you refocusing (or hoping to refocus) your marketing efforts for 2013? Please leave a comment.

With 23 years? writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business and consumer topics, including physician reviews.

Would you like to guest post on Market it Write?s blog? Please see our Guest Posting Guidelines.

Tagged as: blogging, marketing plan

Source: http://marketitwrite.com/blog/2013/01/does-your-marketing-plan-need-a-refresher-course/

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Leonardo DiCaprio to Take "Long, Long Break" from Acting

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/leonardo-dicaprio-to-take-long-long-break-from-acting/

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Raise Your Credit Score ? How Credit Repair Solutions Can Aid ...

Credit Repair or credit monitoring solutions such as those offered by TransUnion, Experian, Equifax and FreeCreditReport, can aid you recognize what requirements repairing with your credit. Nonetheless, keep in thoughts they can?t perform miracles, such as magically erasing your genuine debt.

Websites marketing credit repair offer a range of solutions, such as credit counseling, credit monitoring, totally free credit reports and FICO scores, identity theft services and more. Most people do not even think about their credit score till they apply for a line of credit such as for a house, vehicle or company loan and are rejected. At that point they wonder how to improve their score and typically look online for aid.

What can a credit repair service NOT do?
Repair or counseling for credit scores can?t erase or relieve you from your legitimate debt. You may see a blurb on the internet or on tv that claim to do issues like ?erase your bad debt,? ?remove bankruptcies,? or ?develop a new identity,? ? these are not things on which they can in fact provide. In addition, several of these services can be rather expensive, which may make your financial scenario worse as an alternative of much better.

What CAN they do?
Legitimate services that advertise rehab of credit can help you get a realistic view of your specific situation and pinpoint areas that can be improved. Most will commence by providing you with free credit reports by means of the three significant reporting agencies (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax). As soon as you view your reports you can appear for discrepancies and most repair solutions will help you dispute the claims and remove them or have them corrected on your report. They can also advise you on how greatest to pay off your debt and some help you negotiate with debt collectors.

Totally free Credit Repair Solutions
In the previous, you could only request a totally free report right after becoming declined for a line of credit nevertheless, now by law you can request one free of charge credit report per year through annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. In either situation they will mail you a type to total and submit. When you obtain your report you can dispute claims or inaccuracies with creditors on your own, which takes time, effort and patience, but it is effectively worth it.

If you select to perform with a credit counselor or a credit repair service, make certain they clearly express to you in writing precisely what they can do for you and steer clear of organizations that make extreme claims. Also ask them exactly how significantly the method will price and how extended it will take to accomplish your preferred results. You will benefit from shopping about.

Source: http://www.bnr.co/finance-2/credit-tips/raise-your-credit-score-how-credit-repair-solutions-can-aid/

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Who's Coping With the Break-Up Better-Selena or Justin?

It's been a few weeks since Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez called it quits for good (or so it seems). After two years as teen pop's golden couple, the single life must be quite an adjustment for Biebomez -- er, Justilena. (Maybe their lack of a good portmanteau, a la Robsten or Brangelina, was the final straw.) So how are Justin, 18, and Selena, 20, weathering the break-up? We decided to look at what both performers have been up to lately, and determine who's bouncing back faster.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/whos-coping-break-better-selena-or-justin/1-a-516603?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Awhos-coping-break-better-selena-or-justin-516603

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'Rock dissolving' method of geoengineering to mitigate climate change would not be easy

Jan. 18, 2013 ? The benefits and side effects of dissolving particles in our ocean's surfaces to increase the marine uptake of carbon dioxide (CO₂), and therefore reduce the excess amount of it in the atmosphere, have been analysed in a new study.

The study, published Jan. 22 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, assesses the impact of dissolving the naturally occurring mineral olivine and calculates how effective this approach would be in reducing atmospheric CO₂.

The researchers, from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany, calculate that if three gigatonnes of olivine were deposited into the oceans each year, it could compensate for only around nine per cent of present day anthropogenic CO₂ emissions.

This long discussed 'quick fix' method of geoengineering is not without environmental drawbacks; the particles would have to be ground down to very small sizes (around one micrometre) in order to be effective. The grinding process would consume energy and therefore emit varying amounts of CO₂, depending on the sort of power plants used to provide the energy.

Lead author of the study Peter K?hler said: "Our literature-based estimates on the energy costs of grinding olivine to such a small size suggest that with present day technology, around 30 per cent of the CO₂ taken out of the atmosphere and absorbed by the oceans would be re-emitted by the grinding process."

The researchers used a computer model to assess the impact of six different olivine dissolution scenarios. Olivine is an abundant magnesium-silicate found beneath Earth's surface that weathers quickly when exposed to water and air -- in its natural environment it is dissolved by carbonic acid which is formed from CO₂ out of the atmosphere and rain water.

If olivine is distributed onto the ocean's surface, it begins to dissolve and subsequently increases the alkalinity of the water. This raises the uptake capacity of the ocean for CO₂, which is taken up via gas exchange from the atmosphere.

According to the study, 92 per cent of the CO₂ taken up by the oceans would be caused by changes in the chemical make-up of the water, whilst the remaining uptake would be down to changes in marine life through a process known as ocean fertilisation.

Ocean fertilisation involves providing phytoplankton with essential nutrients to encourage its growth. The increased numbers of phytoplankton use CO₂ to grow, and then when it dies it sinks to the ocean floor taking the CO₂ with it.

"In our study we only examined the effects of silicate in olivine. Silicate is a limiting nutrient for diatoms -- a specific class of phytoplankton. We simulated with our model that the added input of silicate would shift the species composition within phytoplankton towards diatoms.

"It is likely that iron and other trace metals will also impact marine life if olivine is used on a large scale. Therefore, this approach can also be considered as an ocean fertilisation experiment and these impacts should be taken into consideration when assessing the pros and cons of olivine dissolution," continued K?hler.

The researchers also investigated whether the deposition of olivine could counteract the problem of ocean acidification, which continues to have a profound effect on marine life. They calculate that about 40 gigatonnes of olivine would need to be dissolved annually to fully counteract today's anthropogenic CO₂ emissions.

"If this method of geoengineering was deployed, we would need an industry the size of the present day coal industry to obtain the necessary amounts of olivine. To distribute this, we estimate that 100 dedicated large ships with a commitment to distribute one gigatonne of olivine per year would be needed.

"Taking all our conclusions together -- mainly the energy costs of the processing line and the projected potential impact on marine biology -- we assess this approach as rather inefficient. It certainly is not a simple solution against the global warming problem." said K?hler.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Physics (IOP), via AlphaGalileo.

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. Peter K?hler, Jesse F Abrams, Christoph V?lker, Judith Hauck, Dieter A Wolf-Gladrow. Geoengineering impact of open ocean dissolution of olivine on atmospheric CO2, surface ocean pH and marine biology. Environmental Research Letters, 2013; 8 (1): 014009 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014009

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/~3/_bDac1BReJ8/130121192017.htm

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As GOP splinters, "purple" Texas on the horizon, Castro predicts (cbsnews)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278316077?client_source=feed&format=rss

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49ers Beat Falcons: Score, Highlights, Video - Business Insider

The Atlanta Falcons stunned the San Francisco 49ers with a flurry of early points in the NFC Championship Game, but San Francisco came storming back to win 28-24 and advance to the Super Bowl.

It was an epic comeback.

The 49ers went down 17-0 and had -2 yards of offense in the first quarter, but they had 161 yards in the second quarter and saved this thing from turning into a blowout.

Atlanta scored all 24 of their points in the first half. Still, they had a chance to win it with the ball at the San Fran 15-yard-line with two minutes left, but they turned it over on downs.

Here's how the rest of the game unfolded:

1. On the first drive of the game, Matt Ryan connected on a 46-yard TD throw to a wide open Julio Jones to make it 7-0. The pass protection for Atlanta was a big key coming in, and it was impeccable on that first drive.

2. Atlanta tacked on a field goal to make it 10-0, and then Jones made another amazing TD catch to make it 17-0:

3. The 49ers responded to that TD with a really important 80-yard touchdown drive of their own. LaMichael James got the touchdown on a nifty 15-yard run.

4. San Francisco made it 17-14 with a short Vernon David TD catch.

5. Atlanta pulled out their signature two-minute drill, and scored a touchdown right before half to make it 24-14. Tony Gonzalez scored it on an easy TD catch, and then dunked:

6. The 49ers stormed down the field on the first drive of the third quarter and scored a touchdown on a short Frank Gore run. 24-21 Falcons now:

7. The 49ers had a chance to tie it, but David Akers missed a 38-yard field goal after getting trashed-talked by Asante Samuel right before the kick (via Bleacher Report):

8. In the fourth quarter, Michael Crabtree was going in for the go-ahead TD when he fumbled at the one-inch line:

9. The 49ers finally grabbed the lead with a short Frank Gore run to make it 28-24:

10. The Falcons had the ball at the 49ers 15-yard line with two minutes left. But they couldn't convert a 4th and 4, and they turned it over on downs.

The other highlight came from Thomas DeCoud, who danced like this after a totally routine play.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/live-falcons-49ers-score-highlights-2013-1

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Crafts, Hobbies & Home 2018: How To Knit - A Guide For Newbies

Buy on the merchant's on-line shopping and read reviews. If you're making an attempt to seek out How To Knit - A Guide For Newbies with discount deals. This is the simplest deals for you. Where you could notice these item is by on-line searching stores? Read the review on How To Knit - A Guide For Newbies Now, it's special price. Thus don't lose it.

How To Knit - A Guide For Newbies
Sarah Taylor (Author)
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Download: $3.99 (as of 01/20/2013 05:41 PST)

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

The art of knitting is now popular with all age groups. You are fortunate if, like me, you were taught by someone in person (my Mother taught me, with never-ending patience), but if you don't have a knitter in the family or within your circle of friends there's no reason for you to miss out on learning this fun and relaxing craft.

The aim of this book is to teach you the absolute basics of knitting so that you can be up and running as soon as possible and make a start on your first knitting project.

I have included 6 knitting patterns in this book which are all quick and easy to knit. They include a striped scarf, slouchy hat, kindle cover, cup cozy, cowl and a toy bear.

Does this book cover everything you could possibly want to know about knitting? No, absolutely not. It covers the basics so that complete newbies to knitting can learn the basics and complete simple knitted projects.

Scroll up to the top and click on the link to "Buy Now" to deliver almost instantly to your Kindle or other reading device; remember, even the most talented knitters were beginners at the outset and there's no reason why you can't become as proficient as they are!

• Rank: #4882 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-01-15
• Released on: 2013-01-15
• Format: Kindle eBook
• Number of items: 1

Source: http://hotcraftshobbieshome102.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-knit-guide-for-newbies.html

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Celestial Wonder Looks Uncannily Like a Manatee

A watery-looking nebula in deep space is being renamed after the sea creature it strongly resembles: a manatee.

The nebula is the leftovers from a star that died in a supernova explosion about 20,000 years ago. Before it died, the giant star puffed out its outer gaseous layers, which now swirl in green-and-blue clouds around the dead hulk of the star, which has collapsed into a black hole.

Known officially as W50, the celestial object is being?dubbed the Manatee Nebula ?by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), during a ceremony today (Jan. 19) at the Florida Manatee Festival in Crystal River, Fla. The NRAO will also unveil a new photo of the nebula taken by the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope network in New Mexico.

"When the VLA's giant W50 image reached the NRAO director's office, Heidi Winter, the director's executive assistant, saw the likeness to a manatee, the endangered marine mammals known as 'sea cows' that congregate in warm waters in the southeastern United States," NRAO officials wrote in a statement."

At Winter's suggestion, NRAO decided to collaborate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to confer the new nickname on the nebula. [Gallery: Strange?Nebula?Shapes, What?Do You See?]

Manatees are huge mammals that average about 10 feet (3 meters) long and tend to weigh over 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms). These gentle giants propel themselves with flippers, and spend up to eight hours a day munching on sea plants.

The new photo shows the manatee nebula seemingly mimicking a trademark pose of the animal, which is often seen floating on its back, with flippers crossed over belly.

Manatees are endangered, in part because boat propellers often cut deep gashes into the herbivores' sides, injuring or killing many manatees every year.? The nebula, too, bears streaky scars carved out by particles in the two protruding jets emitting from the black hole at its core. ?

Crystal River Refuge, established in 1983 to protect the endangered West Indian manatee, is the home of the largest natural concentration of manatees in Florida.

The Manatee Nebula, which lies 18,000 light-years away in the constellation of Aquila, isn't the only celestial object named after an Earthly creature: It is joined in the cosmos by the Crab Nebula, the Eagle Nebula, and the Pelican Nebula, among others.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/celestial-wonder-looks-uncannily-manatee-144544052.html

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