Published on Saturday, 30th March, 2013 at 11:00 under the columns category, by Ilan Kelman. Last Updated on 30th March 2013 at 11:11.
Thomas Fuller had a point. Easter holidaymakers in southern Norway are basking in the sunshine, whilst people are losing their lives in the north.
Weather is in the news in Norway. There is a huge temperature difference from this time last year, plus avalanche warnings for the hills. Does this make the weather topsy-turvy?
The extremes do seem to be getting worse across Norway and the weather appears to be more unstable. Simultaneously, we are burning fossil fuels at an alarming rate.
There is no doubt that climate change caused by our actions is affecting the environment. We are heading into a climate regime which humanity has never before experienced.
Permafrost is expected to melt in the Arctic. Sea level is projected to rise to a level which could threaten coastal infrastructure. The Arctic Ocean will have much less sea ice than before.
These changes to the climate (long-term trends) definitely affect the weather (short-term trends). We will experience impacts from both the weather and the longer-term changes, in Norway and around the world.
Some claim that the changes will be advantageous. They want warmer winters. Yet they do not realise that temperature extremes are likely to increase in all seasons. They want an ice-free Arctic Ocean for shipping, yet do not realise that many storms might worsen.
Even if some changes are positive, there will still be immense costs to bear across Norway.
Because simultaneously with a climate regime which is new for humanity, we have a society and technology which humanity has never before experienced.
While humanity has never been immune to severe weather and climate impacts, we have created many vulnerabilities, which climate change will expose further than they are already.
More extreme snowfall will continue to close airports and ground flights. Changes in permafrost, sea-level, and erosion will damage infrastructure. Floods will continue to undermine roads and railways. Increased humidity will damage historic structures.
Is this topsy-turvy, or just trends that increase extremes which we already experience? It does not matter. The changes to the climate which we are causing end up hurting ourselves most.
Dr. Ilan Kelman?is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo (CICERO).
Like this article? Show your appreciation.
Support the Foreigner
If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting the Foreigner by donating using Pay Pal or credit/debit card.
Published on Saturday, 30th March, 2013 at 11:00 under the columns category, by Ilan Kelman. Last updated on 30th March 2013 at 11:11.
The stress and strain of constantly being connected can sometimes take your life -- and your well-being -- off course. GPS For The Soul can help you find your way back to balance.
GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony, or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to look at the GPS Guide below, visit our other GPS Guides here, and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility.
Ready for an instant confidence boost? Check out Sarah DeAnna's GPS Guide below, in which she shares uplifting mantras and photos that will leave you feeling empowered.
Sarah DeAnna is a successful international high fashion model who has appeared in some of the biggest and most influential fashion magazines worldwide, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Amica, L?Official, and Riviera. She has done runway shows and other events for internationally renowned designers, including Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Stella McCartney, and others. She has appeared as a model on various TV segments for such stations and shows as TLC, Bravo, MTV, E!. Hollywood Insider, and Good Morning America. Sarah DeAnna is represented by several agencies worldwide. One of the reasons Sarah DeAnna is so successful in the modeling industry is because of her commitment to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Sarah DeAnna is fascinated with nutrition and health, and is also committed to compassionate living and spreading the message to women and young girls that beauty radiates from within and that self-love, confidence, and a commitment to health are what make every woman just as gorgeous as any supermodel. That?s what her 1st book, Supermodel YOU, is all about.
A group of dog walkers believe there?s something not normal ? and downright scary ? about the coyotes that have been preying on pets along LaSalle?s trail system.
They?ve shared stories of small dogs being plucked up much to the horror of their owners, and of one man?s discovery of a coyote den littered with pet collars. Jan Wilson had heard the stories, but wasn?t afraid of the coyotes she had occasionally seen at a distance, until an encounter March 5 had her screaming in terror.
?I?m not afraid of coyotes, but this was horrifying,? said Wilson.
That morning, while taking her big dog Jake ? a 78-pound Airedale ? on their regular walk on the trails connecting Brunet Park to Malden Road, she spotted two coyotes about 200 feet away on a side trail.
?At first I thought, that?s pretty cool because I expected them to take off into the woods, but they started coming toward me.?
The smaller of the two ? presumably the female ? went into a crouching, pouncing sort of position, then the pair came at her at a trot through the brush.
?I just lost it, I was screaming and crying,? as she ran toward a nearby street where a garbage collector was working. When she reached the man and turned around, the coyotes were gone.
?There was no doubt they were going for my dog, and he?s a big dog,? said Wilson, who?s now nervous about returning to the trail system she has used daily for the last decade.
Jan Wilson and her family along with their dog Jake are very cautious when walking in Brunet Park after being chased by a large coyote or coy wolf. In photo, Wilson walks with jake Thursday evening, March 28, 2013. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)
Another dog walker, Jill Pollen, said one of her friends now carries a knife when she walks her dog. She said another resident was walking two small Bichons, one on a leash and one off, when a coyote attacked and took the off-leash pet.
When Pollen lets her 15-pound Bichon, Ellie, out at night, she stands on the porch until her dog is ready to come back inside. She said there are few feral cats left in the area. The fact they would go after such a large dog as Wilson?s Jake has Pollen concerned about the safety of children using the trails. ?We?re concerned for ourselves, we?re concerned a small child will have to pay the price,? she said.
?And the problem is only going to get worse because they?re breeding.?
Wilson and Pollen have both called the town about their concerns and are urging others who?ve witnessed these attacks to call, so officials can appreciate the seriousness of the problem.
When the situation was described to Brent Patterson, a field research scientist with the Ministry of Natural Resources who specializes in coyotes, he said it sounds like it could be a single pack, or family of coyotes, who are responsible. They?re called nuisance coyotes.
?Most of the coyotes fly under the radar and we don?t really know they?re there, but there are these few bad apples,? said Patterson.
They usually get into the habit of preying on pets by habitualization ? getting food from humans, either intentionally or unintentionally when people leave garbage or pet food lying around their yards, or having small pets running around off the leash.
Jake and owner Jan Wilson of LaSalle are very cautious when walking in Brunet Park after being chased by a large coyote or coy wolf. , 2013. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)
A series of attacks on pets by coyotes is not unprecedented but not common in Ontario, said Patterson. ?Every winter across southern Ontario there are a few of these issues popping up.?
He said the coyote population in Windsor-Essex peaked in late 2010 and there?s no evidence the numbers are currently exploding, which points to a ?problem group of coyotes? being responsible for the LaSalle incidents. They are probably comprised of a breeding pair and their offspring.
He advises people to keep their dogs on leashes (it?s quite rare for coyotes to attack leashed dogs), and keep their yards and the trail system clean of food sources, including apples that fall on the ground.
But if there is a repeated pattern of attacks on dogs, the offending coyotes would probably have to be killed, he said. He said though coyotes are predators and carnivores, the risk of a coyote attacking a child is very slim.
City of Windsor naturalist Paul Pratt said he hears reports of coyote sightings from everywhere in the city, even downtown. Coyotes took down a deer in the woodlot behind his LaSalle house about a month ago. They?re mostly nocturnal and largely go unnoticed, Pratt said.
?If you have small dogs or cats, you shouldn?t let them out at night unattended, even if you?re in a built-up area.?
He said there are more coyotes in Windsor now because there?s more wildlife in Windsor ? skunks, feral cats, groundhogs, possums and deer.
?There?s all this wildlife, something?s got to eat them,? said Pratt. ?We have coyotes.? Find Windsor Star on Facebook
Mar. 29, 2013 ? Canola oil and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers. The researchers also found that consuming certain vegetable oils may be a simple way of reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which affects about one in three U.S. adults and one in five Canadian adults.
"The monounsaturated fats in these vegetable oils appear to reduce abdominal fat, which in turn may decrease metabolic syndrome risk factors," said Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Penn State.
In the randomized, controlled trial, 121 participants at risk for metabolic syndrome received a daily smoothie containing 40 grams (1.42 ounces) of one of five oils as part of a weight maintenance, heart-healthy, 2000-calorie per day diet. Members of the group had five risk factors characterized by increased belly fat, low "good" hdl cholesterol and above average blood sugar, blood pressure and triglycerides that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The researchers repeated this process for the remaining four oils.
The results were presented at the American Heart Association's EPI/NPAM 2013 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
Results showed that those who consumed canola or high-oleic canola oils on a daily basis for four weeks lowered their belly fat by 1.6 percent compared to those who consumed a flax/safflower oil blend. Abdominal fat was unchanged by the other two oils, which included a corn/safflower oil blend and high-oleic canola oil enriched with an algal source of the omega-3 DHA. Both the flax/safflower and corn/safflower oil blends were low in monounsaturated fat.
According to the American Heart Association, many of the factors that contribute to metabolic syndrome can be addressed by a healthy diet, exercise and weight loss, which can significantly reduce health risks of this condition.
"It is evident that further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms that account for belly fat loss on a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids," said Kris-Etherton. "Our study indicates that simple dietary changes, such as using vegetable oils high in monounsaturated fatty acids, may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and therefore heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes."
Other authors on the paper include Peter Jones and Shuaihua Pu of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg; Sheila West, Xiaoran Liu, Jennifer Fleming and Cindy McCrea of Penn State; Ben?it Lamarche and Patrick Couture of Laval University in Quebec; and David Jenkins of the University of Toronto.
The government of Canada, the Canola Council of Canada and Dow Agrosciences funded this research.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Sara La Jeunesse.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
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.
Mar. 29, 2013 ? Although scientific evidence suggests that vaccines do not cause autism, approximately one-third of parents continue to express concern that they do; nearly 1 in 10 parents refuse or delay vaccinations because they believe it is safer than following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) schedule. A primary concern is the number of vaccines administered, both on a single day and cumulatively over the first 2 years of life. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers concluded that there is no association between receiving "too many vaccines too soon" and autism.
Dr. Frank DeStefano and colleagues from the CDC and Abt Associates, Inc. analyzed data from 256 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 752 children without ASD (born from 1994-1999) from 3 managed care organizations. They looked at each child's cumulative exposure to antigens, the substances in vaccines that cause the body's immune system to produce antibodies to fight disease, and the maximum number of antigens each child received in a single day of vaccination.
The researchers determined the total antigen numbers by adding the number of different antigens in all vaccines each child received in one day, as well as all vaccines each child received up to 2 years of age. The authors found that the total antigens from vaccines received by age 2 years, or the maximum number received on a single day, was the same between children with and without ASD. Furthermore, when comparing antigen numbers, no relationship was found when they evaluated the sub-categories of autistic disorder and ASD with regression.
Although the current routine childhood vaccine schedule contains more vaccines than the schedule in the late 1990s, the maximum number of antigens that a child could be exposed to by 2 years of age in 2013 is 315, compared with several thousand in the late 1990s. Because different types of vaccines contain varying amounts of antigens, this research acknowledged that merely counting the number of vaccines received does not adequately account for how different vaccines and vaccine combinations stimulate the immune system. For example, the older whole cell pertussis vaccine causes the production of about 3000 different antibodies, whereas the newer acellular pertussis vaccine causes the production of 6 or fewer different antibodies.
An infant's immune system is capable of responding to a large amount of immunologic stimuli and, from time of birth, infants are exposed to hundreds of viruses and countless antigens outside of vaccination. According to the authors, "The possibility that immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 1 or 2 years of life could be related to the development of ASD is not well-supported by what is known about the neurobiology of ASDs." In 2004, a comprehensive review by the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is not a causal relationship between certain vaccine types and autism, and this study supports that conclusion.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Frank DeStefano, Cristofer S. Price, and Eric S. Weintraub. Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.02.001
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.
Mar. 28, 2013 ? Managing bacteria and other microorganisms in the body, rather than just fighting them, may be lead to better health and a stronger immune system, according to a Penn State biologist.
Researchers have historically focused on microbes in the body as primarily pathogens that must be fought, said Eric Harvill, professor of microbiology and infectious disease. However, he said that recent evidence of the complex interaction of the body with microbes suggests a new interpretation of the relationship.
"Now we are beginning to understand that the immune system interacts with far more beneficial bacteria than pathogens," said Harvill. "We need to re-envision what the true immune system really is."
Harvill said that this reinterpretation leads to a more flexible approach to understanding how the immune system interacts with microbes. This approach should balance between defending against pathogens and enlisting the help of beneficial microbes.
While the role that some bacteria play in aiding digestion is better known, microbes assist in improving body functions, including strengthening the immune system and responding to injuries.
In some cases, attacking pathogens can harm the beneficial effects microbes have on immune system, according to Harvill. For example, patients on antibiotics have an increased risk of contracting yeast infections and MRSA.
"Viewing everything currently considered immunity, including both resistance and tolerance, as aspects of a complex microbiome management system that mediates interactions with the sea of microbes that surround us, many of which are beneficial, can provide a much more positive outlook and different valuable perspectives," Harvill said.
The system that includes bacteria and other microbes in the human body, or the microbiome, is much larger and more integrated into human health than most people suspect, according to Harvill.
"The human body has 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells," said Harvill.
Adding to the complexity is the adaptive capacity of the human immune system. The immune system can develop antibodies against certain pathogens, which it can reuse when threatened by future attacks from the same pathogen.
Harvill, who described his alternative viewpoint in the latest issue of mBio, said that some researchers have not yet accepted this broader approach to the immune system.
"Among immunologists or microbiologists this is an alien concept," said Harvill. "It's not part of how we have historically looked at the immune system, but it's a useful viewpoint."
Other researchers who study plant and nonhuman biology are already starting to embrace the concept. For example, plant biologists are beginning to recognize that viruses can help plants resist drought and heat.
"Within nonhuman immunology, this is not an alien concept because they have seen many examples of beneficial relationships between the host and its microbial commensals," Harvill said.
Harvill said adopting this new perspective could be the first step toward new medical treatments.
"This new viewpoint suggests new experiments and results will published," said Harvill. "And, hopefully, the concept becomes more and more mainstream as supporting evidence accumulates."
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences supported this work.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Matthew Swayne.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
E. T. Harvill. Cultivating Our "Frienemies": Viewing Immunity as Microbiome Management. mBio, 2013; 4 (2): e00027-13 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00027-13
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.
A social network for young Londoners on the busesPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katie Steels press@lshtm.ac.uk 44-020-792-92802 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Free bus travel has improved the social lives and independence of 12-18 year olds in London, according to research published today in the journal Mobilities.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL (University College London) found that free bus travel which all young Londoners are entitled to by registering for a Zip Oyster Card increased young people's ability to travel independently and extended their opportunities through facilitating extra trips, trips further afield and/or exploratory trips with friends.
Travelling together was reported to be a key feature for young people. Researchers discovered that a 'code of honour' for bus travel has developed: travelling as a group is seen as a sign of loyalty and getting on a bus without friends or leaving them on the bus alone seen as a betrayal. While many adult travellers use a range of strategies to avoid others in shared space, young Londoners are embracing free bus travel as a site of sociability.
First author Dr Anna Goodman, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Free bus travel has improved independent mobility by giving young people the freedom to get about without always having to ask their parents for money. This made a particular difference for social or recreational trips, which even more affluent parents might not always be willing to pay for. But to the young people these trips were important, a way to gain travel skills, spend time with friends, and come to feel more 'like a Londoner'.
"One key factor in realising these benefits was the fact that free travel is universally available, rather than means tested. Not only did this ensure free travel was not stigmatised, but it also meant groups of friends could travel together without anyone being left out. As such, free travel increased the independent mobility for whole groups of young people, not just for individuals"
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme, also found that free bus travel improved confidence because young people could take 'practice' journeys and could feel secure that they would not be stranded far from home without money to get back.
More than 100 young Londoners were interviewed in depth to examine how free bus travel has affected young people's independent mobility. The benefits for young people echo benefits of free bus travel for older people which have also recently been described by the same research group. Published in Ageing & Society in late 2012, this second piece of research found that free bus passes for over 60s provided older Londoners with a sense of belonging and visibility in society, improving wellbeing and tackling chronic loneliness.
Professor Judith Green from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and principal investigator of both pieces of research, said: "When funding is tight, free bus travel looks like an easy target for cuts. But we found many important benefits for the wellbeing of young people and older citizens that wouldn't have happened if free transport was means tested. Getting people out of cars, and out and about in public is good for their health, and good for the health of our cities. These schemes appear to do that for two age groups at real risk of social exclusion" Ends
Anna Goodman, Alasdair Jones, Helen Roberts, Rebecca Steinbach, Judith Green. "'We can all just get on a bus and go': rethinking independent mobility in the context of the universal provision of free bus travel to young Londoners". Mobilities. DOI: 10.1080/17450101.2013.782848
###
A copy of the paper is available to media under embargo upon request from press@lshtm.ac.uk.
For further information and interviews, please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine press office on 02079272802 or press@lshtm.ac.uk.
Notes to editors:
Free bus travel was introduced in 2005 for under-17 year olds by Transport for London, and has since been extended to include 17-18 year olds in full-time education. Young people access the free travel by applying for a photo-ID 'Zip card'. This simultaneously functions as a conventional 'Oyster card', the ticket-free electronic card system which all users of London's public transport can pre-load with money for travel.
The research on young people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 118 young Londoners, aged 12-18, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs.
The research on older people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 47 Londoners aged 60 or over, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs. It was published as: Judith Green, Alasdair Jones and Helen Roberts "More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London". Ageing and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X12001110
Both research publications form part of the On The Buses study, which has combined quantitative and qualitative data collection to examine the health impacts of free bus travel in London. For more details, visit http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/hsrp/buses/index.html
The On The Buses study was funded from 2010-2012 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (project code 09/3001/13). Anna Goodman contributed to this work while funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the NIHR. The views in the journal publications and in this press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR, the Department of Health or the National Health Service.
The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme was launched in autumn 2008. It commissions research to evaluate public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider effect of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The scope of the programme is multi-disciplinary and broad covering a range of public health interventions. The PHR Programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.http://www.phr.nihr.ac.uk
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (http://www.nihr.ac.uk)
About UCL (University College London): Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by our performance in a range of international rankings and tables. According to the Thomson Scientific Citation Index, UCL is the second most highly cited European university and the 15th most highly cited in the world. UCL has nearly 25,000 students from 150 countries and more than 9,000 employees, of whom one third are from outside the UK. The university is based in Bloomsbury in the heart of London, but also has two international campuses UCL Australia and UCL Qatar. Our annual income is more than 800 million.
About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with 3,500 students and more than 1,000 staff working in over 100 countries. The School is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, and was recently cited as one of the world's top universities for collaborative research. The School's mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
[ | 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.
A social network for young Londoners on the busesPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katie Steels press@lshtm.ac.uk 44-020-792-92802 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Free bus travel has improved the social lives and independence of 12-18 year olds in London, according to research published today in the journal Mobilities.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL (University College London) found that free bus travel which all young Londoners are entitled to by registering for a Zip Oyster Card increased young people's ability to travel independently and extended their opportunities through facilitating extra trips, trips further afield and/or exploratory trips with friends.
Travelling together was reported to be a key feature for young people. Researchers discovered that a 'code of honour' for bus travel has developed: travelling as a group is seen as a sign of loyalty and getting on a bus without friends or leaving them on the bus alone seen as a betrayal. While many adult travellers use a range of strategies to avoid others in shared space, young Londoners are embracing free bus travel as a site of sociability.
First author Dr Anna Goodman, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Free bus travel has improved independent mobility by giving young people the freedom to get about without always having to ask their parents for money. This made a particular difference for social or recreational trips, which even more affluent parents might not always be willing to pay for. But to the young people these trips were important, a way to gain travel skills, spend time with friends, and come to feel more 'like a Londoner'.
"One key factor in realising these benefits was the fact that free travel is universally available, rather than means tested. Not only did this ensure free travel was not stigmatised, but it also meant groups of friends could travel together without anyone being left out. As such, free travel increased the independent mobility for whole groups of young people, not just for individuals"
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme, also found that free bus travel improved confidence because young people could take 'practice' journeys and could feel secure that they would not be stranded far from home without money to get back.
More than 100 young Londoners were interviewed in depth to examine how free bus travel has affected young people's independent mobility. The benefits for young people echo benefits of free bus travel for older people which have also recently been described by the same research group. Published in Ageing & Society in late 2012, this second piece of research found that free bus passes for over 60s provided older Londoners with a sense of belonging and visibility in society, improving wellbeing and tackling chronic loneliness.
Professor Judith Green from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and principal investigator of both pieces of research, said: "When funding is tight, free bus travel looks like an easy target for cuts. But we found many important benefits for the wellbeing of young people and older citizens that wouldn't have happened if free transport was means tested. Getting people out of cars, and out and about in public is good for their health, and good for the health of our cities. These schemes appear to do that for two age groups at real risk of social exclusion" Ends
Anna Goodman, Alasdair Jones, Helen Roberts, Rebecca Steinbach, Judith Green. "'We can all just get on a bus and go': rethinking independent mobility in the context of the universal provision of free bus travel to young Londoners". Mobilities. DOI: 10.1080/17450101.2013.782848
###
A copy of the paper is available to media under embargo upon request from press@lshtm.ac.uk.
For further information and interviews, please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine press office on 02079272802 or press@lshtm.ac.uk.
Notes to editors:
Free bus travel was introduced in 2005 for under-17 year olds by Transport for London, and has since been extended to include 17-18 year olds in full-time education. Young people access the free travel by applying for a photo-ID 'Zip card'. This simultaneously functions as a conventional 'Oyster card', the ticket-free electronic card system which all users of London's public transport can pre-load with money for travel.
The research on young people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 118 young Londoners, aged 12-18, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs.
The research on older people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 47 Londoners aged 60 or over, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs. It was published as: Judith Green, Alasdair Jones and Helen Roberts "More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London". Ageing and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X12001110
Both research publications form part of the On The Buses study, which has combined quantitative and qualitative data collection to examine the health impacts of free bus travel in London. For more details, visit http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/hsrp/buses/index.html
The On The Buses study was funded from 2010-2012 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (project code 09/3001/13). Anna Goodman contributed to this work while funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the NIHR. The views in the journal publications and in this press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR, the Department of Health or the National Health Service.
The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme was launched in autumn 2008. It commissions research to evaluate public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider effect of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The scope of the programme is multi-disciplinary and broad covering a range of public health interventions. The PHR Programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.http://www.phr.nihr.ac.uk
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (http://www.nihr.ac.uk)
About UCL (University College London): Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by our performance in a range of international rankings and tables. According to the Thomson Scientific Citation Index, UCL is the second most highly cited European university and the 15th most highly cited in the world. UCL has nearly 25,000 students from 150 countries and more than 9,000 employees, of whom one third are from outside the UK. The university is based in Bloomsbury in the heart of London, but also has two international campuses UCL Australia and UCL Qatar. Our annual income is more than 800 million.
About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with 3,500 students and more than 1,000 staff working in over 100 countries. The School is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, and was recently cited as one of the world's top universities for collaborative research. The School's mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
[ | 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.
Sports, art and drama... this week has it all. In fact the only thing it's lacking is a bit of romance. Unless Jamie's love of a student lifestyle counts? Honestly, when you find out what that involves, you'll realize it really doesn't.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are new parents of a baby girl.
The engaged actors took to Twitter Thursday to announce the arrival of their daughter, Lincoln Bell Shepard.
Bell, who stars on Showtime's "House of Lies," tweeted that her "new roommate poops her pants and doesn't pay rent." She closed with, "welcome baby Lincoln."
Shepard is a star of NBC's "Parenthood." He posted that his new daughter "has mom's beauty and dad's obsession with breasts."
Bell is 32 and Shepard is 38. The couple have been engaged since 2009.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc is considering a radical plan to have store customers deliver packages to online buyers, a new twist on speedier delivery services that the company hopes will enable it to better compete with Amazon.com Inc.
Tapping customers to deliver goods would put the world's largest retailer squarely in middle of a new phenomenon sometimes known as "crowd-sourcing," or the "sharing economy."
A plethora of start-ups now help people make money by renting out a spare room, a car, or even a cocktail dress, and Wal-Mart would in effect be inviting people to rent out space in their vehicle and their willingness to deliver packages to others.
Such an effort would, however, face numerous legal, regulatory and privacy obstacles, and Wal-Mart executives said it was at an early planning stage.
Wal-Mart is making a big push to ship online orders directly from stores, hoping to cut transportation costs and gain an edge over Amazon and other online retailers, which have no physical store locations. Wal-Mart does this at 25 stores currently, but plans to double that to 50 this year and could expand the program to hundreds of stores in the future.
Wal-Mart currently uses carriers like FedEx Corp for delivery from stores - or, in the case of a same-day delivery service called Walmart To Go that is being tested in five metro areas, its own delivery trucks.
"I see a path to where this is crowd-sourced," Joel Anderson, chief executive of Walmart.com in the United States, said in a recent interview with Reuters.
Wal-Mart has millions of customers visiting its stores each week. Some of these shoppers could tell the retailer where they live and sign up to drop off packages for online customers who live on their route back home, Anderson explained.
Wal-Mart would offer a discount on the customers' shopping bill, effectively covering the cost of their gas in return for the delivery of packages, he added.
"This is at the brain-storming stage, but it's possible in a year or two," said Jeff McAllister, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. innovations.
Indeed, the likelihood of this being broadly adopted across the company's network of more than 4,000 stores in the United States is low, according to Matt Nemer, a retail analyst at Wells Fargo Securities.
"I'm sure it will be a test in some stores," he added. "But they may only keep it for metro markets and for higher-priced items."
LEGAL BOUNDARIES
Start-ups such as TaskRabbit and Fiverr already let individuals rent out their time and expertise to companies and people looking for small jobs to be completed.
Zipments was founded in 2010 as a crowd-sourced delivery network that allowed anyone over 18 years old with a vehicle, a text-enabled phone, and a PayPal account to bid on courier services for local businesses.
Such online match-making businesses often push legal boundaries - and a Wal-Mart crowd-sourced delivery program would be no different, according to Nemer.
Online packages delivered by customers may never reach their destination, either through theft or fraud, the analyst said.
Such a crowd-sourced delivery service may not be as reliable as FedEx or United Parcel Service, which have insured drivers, he added.
"You are comfortable with a FedEx or UPS truck in your driveway, but what about a stranger knocking on your door?" Nemer said.
ZIPMENTS EVOLVES
While Zipments started out with a pure crowd-sourcing approach, the company now does more screening of drivers before allowing them to be part of its delivery network, Chief Executive and co-Founder Garrick Pohl said in an interview. It now serves big cities including New York and Chicago.
Theft, fraud and late deliveries have never been a problem, but insurance and licenses were an obstacle, Pohl explained.
Drivers often need personal liability insurance to cover package delivery activities. Cargo insurance is also needed. Zipments self-insures this risk up to $250, but the firm encourages its couriers to buy additional coverage for higher-value packages, Pohl said.
In some areas, like downtown Chicago, people also need a courier license to deliver things, he added.
"Zipments now helps people get all these things set up before allowing them to deliver goods," Pohl said.
Still, he said the issues are not insurmountable, citing pizza restaurants, which have used part-time drivers to deliver pies for years.
"It's a great solution for large retailers like Wal-Mart," Pohl said. "We'd like to see them move quicker, but it's great that they are considering it."
Zipments is trying to provide such services to retailers, although Pohl declined to say which companies the start-up is talking to about this.
(Reporting by Alistair Barr and Jessica Wohl; Editing by Jonathan Weber, Martin Howell and Leslie Gevirtz)
New York cop who toured with band charged with disability fraud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York police officer was charged on Tuesday with mail fraud for allegedly claiming disability benefits for two years while at the same time performing and touring with his heavy metal band, "Cousin Sleaze," according to court documents. Christopher Inserra, an officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was the lead singer with the Brooklyn band, whose "Sick Maniacs" album features such songs as "Infection" and "Walk of Shame," according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Battle rages over bones of England's Richard III
LONDON (Reuters) - King Richard III is at the centre of a new fight over the location of his final resting place, just weeks after the remains of the last English king to die in battle were found underneath a council car park. Archaeologists announced one of the most remarkable finds in recent English history last month when they confirmed the discovery of the body of Richard, who was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, during excavations in Leicester.
"Shameful" sexist Ford car ads spark outrage in India
MUMBAI (Reuters) - A series of car ads, including one showing women bound and gagged in the trunk of a Ford driven by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has prompted Internet outrage in India and prompted an apology from Ford India. The ads came just days after India approved a tougher new law to punish sex crimes, following the fatal gang rape of a student in December. That attack sparked unprecedented protests over the treatment of women in the country.
"Panda-monium" as giant pandas arrive in Canada from China
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada got a taste of international panda diplomacy on Monday with the arrival of two "Very Important Pandas" at the start of a 10-year loan to two Canadian zoos. Speaking as the two giant pandas arrived in Toronto from China, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai - who gave the animals the VIP designation - noted that when he started his posting in Canada two years ago, he was greeted only by the Canadian director of protocol.
Punxsutawney Phil charged with fraud for early spring forecast
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - With a snow storm expected to batter the Plains, Midwest and East Coast this weekend, a spring-deprived Ohio prosecutor is taking out his frustration with the long winter on a famous prognosticating groundhog. "I decided it was about time we indicted Punxsutawney Phil afor fraud," said Mike Gmoser, prosecutor in Ohio's Butler County, in an interview Friday.
Harvard stripped of quiz tournament titles
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Harvard University will be stripped of four national quiz championship titles after organizers found a competitor from the Ivy League school inappropriately accessed information about questions used in the tournament. The National Academic Quiz Tournaments said that a security review found that Harvard competitor Andy Watkins accessed pages on its administrative Website just before the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Intercollegiate Championship Tournaments or "Quiz Bowls".
100,000 Portuguese sign petition to keep ex-PM Socrates off TV
LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese state television channel RTP's plan to give former premier Jose Socrates a weekly commentary spot has sparked outrage, with 100,000 people signing a petition citing his "bad management" that led the country to take a bailout in 2011. "We, citizens and tax-payers, declare that we reject the presence of former Prime Minister Jose Socrates on any programme at RTP, television paid for by public funds of taxpayers suffering from the bad management of this gentleman," the Internet petition said.
Swiss court jails "healer" for infecting 16 with HIV
ZURICH (Reuters) - A self-styled healer was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in jail on Friday after a Swiss court found the acupuncturist guilty of infecting 16 people with HIV. A Berne court found the man guilty of causing bodily harm and spreading the virus which can cause Aids, court secretary Rene Graf told Reuters. He did not give any further details.
Tunisian rapper gets jail term for calling police dogs in song
TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court has sentenced a rap singer to two years in jail in absentia for insulting the police in a case likely to fuel debate over free speech under the Islamist-led government. The singer, known as Weld el 15, is on the run. Two of his associates, singers Mohamed Hedi Belgueyed and Sabrine Klibi, were in court when they received suspended sentences of six months each, a Justice Ministry source said on Friday.
Russian serial killer sentenced to life for nine murders
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian serial killer who butchered his nine victims with a knife and hammer, and said he ate the hearts of two of them, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. Prosecutors said Alexander Bychkov targeted alcoholics and the homeless out of disdain for their way of life, lured them into deserted areas, killed them, dismembered them and hid the body parts.
DETROIT (Reuters) - Fisker Automotive, which has not made a vehicle since July, placed its U.S. workforce on furlough this week as part of its effort to keep costs low while it continues to search for a strategic partner, the U.S. automaker said on Wednesday.
"This is a common practice, particularly in the automotive industry, to manage costs and operations based on current activity levels and commercial requirements," Fisker, which has just over 200 U.S. employees, said in a statement.
The move comes about a month before the cash-strapped company, which launched the Karma plug-in hybrid in late 2011, faces a loan payment to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher declined to reveal the amount of the loan payment due in late April. The DOE could not be immediately reached for comment.
The automaker said it continues to seek an investor to help build its second model, the Atlantic plug-in hybrid. But the company has faced many challenges this month, including the abrupt resignation of its founder, Henrik Fisker, over "several major disagreements" with top management.
Fisker's efforts to find a strategic partner in China have also stalled in recent weeks. Fisker had held talks with two Chinese automakers, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the owner of Sweden's Volvo, and Dongfeng Motor Group Co .
The company was founded in 2007 and drummed up about $1.2 billion in private financing. In 2009, Fisker also won a $529 million federal loan as part of an Obama administration program to spur advanced vehicle development.
But Fisker's delay in bringing the Karma to market prompted the DOE to freeze the loan, which Fisker was relying on to pay for Atlantic. The resulting cash crunch was exacerbated by the bankruptcy of its chief battery supplier, A123 Systems, now owned by Wanxiang Group, China's largest auto parts maker.
Fisker's obligations to the U.S. government as part of its federal loan presented a roadblock in its discussions with Geely, people familiar with the matter have said.
(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Bernard Orr)
Search continues to shift away from the desktop toward mobile devices.
That?s one of the conclusions of the just-released Neustar Localeze/15miles/comScore Local Search Study, which is now in its sixth year. This year?s study involves a sample of more than 3,000 U.S. adults that say they use the Internet to search for local businesses. Results aren?t available online yet, but we?ll add a link here when they are.
The total number of U.S. searchers using mobile phones grew 26 percent between March 2012 and December 2012, from 90.1 million to 113.1 million searchers. Search on tablets was up 19 percent between April 2012 and December 2012. (Tablets are commonly counted as ?mobile,? though I?d argue that?s often a misnomer; think of the consumer sitting in front of a TV using his/her iPad ? not very mobile.)
Desktop searches, meanwhile, were down six percent between November 2011 and November 2012.
According to the study, mobile phone searchers are more likely to cite maps, driving directions and distance as key information. Searchers using tablets are more content-focused ? they?re more likely to find consumer reviews and online promotions most helpful.
Local search activity also dropped on desktops. The study says there was an 18 percent decline from 2011 to 2012. The study doesn?t specifically cite a corresponding increase in local searches on mobile devices, but it seems logical that that would be the case.
In fact, the Internet continued to slowly displace print yellow pages as a source of local business information. The study shows that just 19 percent of U.S. adults rely on yellow pages, a number that?s down from 21 percent last year and 30 percent as recently as 2008.
On the other hand, Internet yellow pages websites gained two percentage points with 17 percent now saying that?s their primary source of local business information.
In the chart above, Portal Sites include Google.com, Bing.com, Yahoo.com and others; IYP Sites include SuperPages.com, Yellowpages.com, DexKnows.com and others; and Local Search Sites include Google Local/Maps, Bing Local, Citysearch, Yelp, MapQuest and others.
According to the study, the average searcher uses 2.5 different types of sources when looking for local business information. Portal sites (Google, Bing, Yahoo) are listed as a first or secondary choice by 69 percent of U.S. adults surveyed ? far ahead of IYP Sites and Local Search Sites (2nd and 3rd, respectively).
The survey was conducted between December 4th and 14th, 2012.
Related Topics: Features: Analysis | Search Engines: Maps Local Search Engines | Stats: comScore | Stats: General | Stats: Search Behavior
About The Author: Matt McGee is Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. You can read Matt?s disclosures on his personal blog. See more articles by Matt McGee
Mar. 25, 2013 ? Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria.
Findings published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) show that proteins on the surface of bacteria can produce an electric current by simply touching a mineral surface.
The research shows that it is possible for bacteria to lie directly on the surface of a metal or mineral and transfer electrical charge through their cell membranes. This means that it is possible to 'tether' bacteria directly to electrodes -- bringing scientists a step closer to creating efficient microbial fuel cells or 'bio-batteries'.
The team collaborated with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State in the US.?
Shewanella oneidensis is part of a family of marine bacteria. The research team created a synthetic version of this bacteria using just the proteins thought to shuttle the electrons from the inside of the microbe to the rock.
They inserted these proteins into the lipid layers of vesicles, which are small capsules of lipid membranes such as the ones that make up a bacterial membrane. Then they tested how well electrons travelled between an electron donor on the inside and an iron-bearing mineral on the outside.
Lead researcher Dr Tom Clarke from UEA's school of Biological Sciences said: "We knew that bacteria can transfer electricity into metals and minerals, and that the interaction depends on special proteins on the surface of the bacteria. But it was not been clear whether these proteins do this directly or indirectly though an unknown mediator in the environment.
"Our research shows that these proteins can directly 'touch' the mineral surface and produce an electric current, meaning that is possible for the bacteria to lie on the surface of a metal or mineral and conduct electricity through their cell membranes.
"This is the first time that we have been able to actually look at how the components of a bacterial cell membrane are able to interact with different substances, and understand how differences in metal and mineral interactions can occur on the surface of a cell.
"These bacteria show great potential as microbial fuel cells, where electricity can be generated from the breakdown of domestic or agricultural waste products.
"Another possibility is to use these bacteria as miniature factories on the surface of an electrode, where chemicals reactions take place inside the cell using electrical power supplied by the electrode through these proteins."
Biochemist Liang Shi of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said: "We developed a unique system so we could mimic electron transfer like it happens in cells. The electron transfer rate we measured was unbelievably fast -- it was fast enough to support bacterial respiration."
The finding is also important for understanding how carbon works its way through the atmosphere, land and oceans.
"When organic matter is involved in reducing iron, it releases carbon dioxide and water. And when iron is used as an energy source, bacteria incorporate carbon dioxide into food. If we understand electron transfer, we can learn how bacteria controls the carbon cycle," said Shi.
The project was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the US Department of Energy.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of East Anglia.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Thomas A Clarke, Gaye White, Julea N Butt, David J Richardson, Zhri Shi, Liang Shi, Zheming Wang, Alice C Dohnalkova, Matthew J Marshall, James K Fredrickson and John M Zachara. Rapid electron exchange between surface-exposed bacterial cytochromes and Fe(III) minerals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 25, 2013
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.
Mar. 26, 2013 ? A once-promising approach for using next-generation, ultra-intense lasers to help deliver commercially viable fusion energy has been brought into serious question by new experimental results and first-of-a-kind simulations of laser-plasma interaction.
Researchers at The Ohio State University are evaluating a two-stage process in which a pellet of fusion fuel is first crushed by lasers on all sides, shrinking the pellet to dozens of times its original size, followed by an ultra-intense burst of laser light to ignite a chain reaction. This two-stage approach is called Fast Ignition, and there are a few variants on the theme.
In a recent paper, the Ohio State research group considered the long-discussed possibility of using a hollow cone to maintain a channel for the ultra-intense "ignitor pulse" to focus laser energy on the compressed pellet core. Drawing on both experimental results from studies at the Titan Laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, and massively-parallel computer simulations of the laser-target interaction performed at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) in Columbus, Ohio, the research team found compelling evidence that the cone-guided approach to Fast Ignition has a serious flaw.
"In the history of fusion research, two-steps-forward and one-step-back stories are a common theme," said Chris Orban, Ph.D., a researcher of the High Energy Density Physics research group at Ohio State and the lead theorist on the project. "But sometimes progress is about seeing what's not going to work, just as much as it is looking forward to the next big idea."
Since the ultra-intense pulse delivers energy to the fuel through relativistic electrons accelerated by the laser interaction, the Ohio State study focused on the coupling of the laser light to electrons and the propagation of those electrons through the cone target. Rather than investigating how the interaction would work on a high-demand, high-cost facility like the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which is also based at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and one of the largest scientific operations in the world, the researchers considered experiments just across from NIF at the Titan laser, which is much smaller and easily accessible.
These images from their simulations highlight the trajectories of randomly-selected electrons for a thin cone (left) and thick cone (right), each attached to a copper wire. Background colors show the strength of the electric fields pointing away from the cone and wire. For thin cones, the electric fields act to guide energetic electrons forward into the wire while for thick cones -- a more realistic case -- these fields are too distant to be effective. An animation of the simulation is available online at: http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~orban/cone_wire_final5mJ_4_5ps.avi.
Despite its size and despite having lower total energy, for a brief moment the Titan laser is many thousands of times more intense than NIF, which makes it a decent stand-in as a second-stage ignitor pulse. The OSU-led experimental team focused the Titan pulse on hollow cone targets attached at the tip to copper wires and observed the burst of X-ray photons coming from the copper as a measure of the laser energy to relativistic electron conversion efficiency.
The X-ray signal was much lower from the hollow cones with thicker cone walls. "This was strong evidence to the experimental team that the typical approach to cone-guided Fast Ignition wouldn't work, since thicker cones should be more realistic than thin cones," said Orban. "This is because electrons are free to move around in a dense plasma, much like they do in a normal metal, so the thicker cone target is like a thin cone embedded in a dense plasma."
These intuitions were tested in simulations performed at OSC. Whereas earlier efforts to simulate the laser-target interaction were forced to simplify or shrink the target size in order to make the calculations more feasible, Orban used the LSP code to perform the first-ever, full-scale 2D Particle-In-Cell simulations of the entire laser-target interaction using fully realistic laser fields.
These simulations also included a sophisticated model for the pre-heating of the target from stray laser light ahead of the ultra-intense pulse developed by collaborators at the Flash Center for Computational Science at the University of Chicago.
"We were delighted to help Chris use the FLASH code to provide realistic initial conditions for his Particle-In-Cell simulations," said Don Lamb, director of the Flash Center. "This is an outstanding example of how two groups can collaborate to achieve a scientific result that neither could have achieved alone."
To conduct the simulations, the Ohio State researchers accessed OSC's flagship Oakley Cluster supercomputer system. The HP-built system features 8,300+ Intel Xeon cores and 128 NVIDIA Tesla GPUs. Oakley can achieve 88 teraflops, tech-speak for performing 88 trillion calculations per second, or, with acceleration from the NVIDIA GPUs, a total peak performance of 154 teraflops.
"The simulations pointed to the electric fields building up on the edge of the cone as the key to everything," said Orban. "The thicker the cone is, the further away the cone edge is from the laser, and as a result fewer energetic electrons are deflected forward, which is the crucial issue in making cone-guided Fast Ignition a viable approach."
With both the experiment and the simulations telling the same story, the evidence is compelling that the cone-guided route to Fast Ignition is an unlikely one. While other studies have come to similar conclusions, the group was the first to identify the plasma surrounding the cone as a severe hindrance. Thankfully, there are still many other ideas for successfully igniting the fusion pellet with current or soon-to-be-constructed laser facilities. Any future efforts to spark fusion reactions with these lasers using a two-stage fast-ignition approach must be mindful to consider the neutralizing effect of the free electrons in the dense plasma.
"We could not have completed this project without the Oakley Cluster," Orban noted. "It was the perfect combination of speed and RAM and availability for us. And thanks to the profiling I was able to do, the compute time for our production runs went from two weeks in November 2011 to three or four days as of February 2012."
"Energy and the environment is one of the primary focus areas of the center, and this research fits perfectly into that domain," said Brian Guilfoos, the client and technology support manager for OSC. "Many of our systems were designed and software packages selected to best support the type of computing required by investigators working in fields related to our focus areas."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio Supercomputer Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
K. U. Akli, C. Orban, D. Schumacher, M. Storm, M. Fatenejad, D. Lamb, R. R. Freeman. Coupling of high-intensity laser light to fast electrons in cone-guided fast ignition. Physical Review E, 2012; 86 (6) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.065402
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.
If you're going to engage in KIRF-ology, you could certainly do worse than HTC's lovely 5-inch slab of unibody plastic, the Butterfly. But if you want to sell it for $222.00, certain niceties have to go out the window -- like the signature 1080p screen, for instance. Star's slipped a 720p unit in there instead, while also downgrading the RAM to 1GB and swapping out Qualcomm's 1.5GHz quad-core CPU for a cheaper MediaTek model. The Chinese cloner's at least kept the other specs real, matching the kosher model's 8-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front cameras, dual-sim option, SD card expansion slot and Android 4.2 software. Of course, nothing keeps costs down like not having to pay a designer -- and knowing that most of that pesky marketing's already been done for you.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
Share ] 
Search continues to shift away from the desktop toward mobile devices.
