Australian PM stumbles before rowdy protest crowd (AP)

Saturday, January 28, 2012

CANBERRA, Australia ? Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stumbled and was caught by a security guard as riot police helped her force a path through a crowd of rowdy protesters following a ceremony to mark Australia’s national day Thursday.

She appeared distressed as she was pulled away from the protesters but was unharmed. She later remarked that she was made of “pretty tough stuff” and commended police for their actions.

Some 200 supporters of indigenous rights had surrounded a Canberra restaurant and banged its windows while Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were inside officiating at an award ceremony.

Around 50 police escorted the political leaders from a side door to a car. Gillard stumbled, losing a shoe. Her personal security guard wrapped his arms around her and supported her to the waiting car, shielding her from the angry crowd.

The protesters had been demonstrating for indigenous rights nearby at the so-called Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a ramshackle collection of tents and temporary shelters in the national capital that is a center point of protests against Australia Day.

Australia Day marks the arrival of the first fleet of British colonists in Sydney on Jan. 26, 1788. Many Aborigines call it Invasion Day because the land was settled without a treaty with traditional owners.

Abbott appeared to be the target of protesters, who chanted “shame” and “racist” outside the restaurant.

The Tent Embassy celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday. Abbott had earlier angered indigenous activists by saying it was time the embassy “moved on.”

Gillard was unharmed and later hosted another Australia Day function for foreign ambassadors at her official residence.

“The only thing that angers me is that it distracted from such a wonderful event,” Gillard told reporters.

“I am made of pretty tough stuff and the police did a great job,” she added.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_indigenous_protest

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Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production

Friday, January 27, 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The technique builds on previous research in which microbubbles were used to improve the way algae is cultivated.

Algae produce an oil which can be processed to create a useful biofuel. Biofuels, made from plant material, are considered an important alternative to fossil fuels and algae, in particular, has the potential to be a very efficient biofuel producer. Until now, however, there has been no cost-effective method of harvesting and removing the water from the algae for it to be processed effectively.

Now, a team led by Professor Will Zimmerman in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Sheffield, believe they have solved the problem. They have developed an inexpensive way of producing microbubbles that can float algae particles to the surface of the water, making harvesting easier, and saving biofuel-producing companies time and money. The research is set to be published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering on 26 January 2012.

Professor Zimmerman and his team won the Moulton Medal, from the Institute of Chemical Engineers, for their earlier work which used the microbubble technology to improve algae production methods, allowing producers to grow crops more rapidly and more densely.

“We thought we had solved the major barrier to biofuel companies processing algae to use as fuel when we used microbubbles to grow the algae more densely,” explains Professor Zimmerman.

“It turned out, however, that algae biofuels still couldn’t be produced economically, because of the difficulty in harvesting and dewatering the algae. We had to develop a solution to this problem and once again, microbubbles provided a solution.”

Microbubbles have been used for flotation before: water purification companies use the process to float out impurities, but it hasn’t been done in this context, partly because previous methods have been very expensive.

The system developed by Professor Zimmerman’s team uses up to 1000 times less energy to produce the microbubbles and, in addition, the cost of installing the Sheffield microbubble system is predicted to be much less than existing flotation systems.

The next step in the project is to develop a pilot plant to test the system at an industrial scale. Professor Zimmerman is already working with Tata Steel at their site in Scunthorpe using CO2 from their flue-gas stacks and plans to continue this partnership to test the new system.

Dr. Bruce Adderley, Manager of Climate Change Breakthrough Technology at Tata, said, “Professor Zimmerman’s microbubble-based technologies are exactly the kind of step-change innovations that we are seeking as a means to address our emissions in the longer term, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to extend our relationship with Will and his team in the next phase of this pioneering research.”

###

University of Sheffield: http://www.shef.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Sheffield for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117089/Microbubbles_provide_new_boost_for_biofuel_production

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Obama turns attention to energy in key states

Friday, January 27, 2012

President Barack Obama waves as he exits Air Force One in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/John Gurzinski)

President Barack Obama waves as he exits Air Force One in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/John Gurzinski)

President Barack Obama speaks about manufacturing and jobs during a visit to Intel Corporation’s Ocotillo facility Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Chandler, Ariz. In 2011 Intel announced a more than $5 billion investment to build the new chip manufacturing facility, called the Fab 42, bringing thousands of construction and permanent manufacturing jobs to Intel’s Arizona site.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? President Barack Obama is announcing the sale of oil and gas drilling leases for nearly 38 million acres in the Gulf Coast and promoting the completion of a highway corridor for vehicles that run on liquefied natural gas, a response to critics who say his policies have stifled domestic energy production.

Obama was making his announcements in Nevada Thursday, just days after drawing Republican criticism for rejecting a cross-country oil pipeline that would have delivered Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Texas.

Obama was to speak at a Las Vegas UPS center to showcase a refueling station that will permit vehicles that use liquefied natural gas to travel from the Port of Long Beach to Salt Lake City. The station was built with help from Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus plan.

By highlighting the natural gas refueling station and the sale of energy leases on the Gulf, Obama is drawing attention to two aspects of his energy policy ? greater domestic energy production and investment in cleaner energy sources.

The nearly 38-million-acre parcel the Obama administration is putting up for lease is part of an offshore drilling plan for 2007-12 put in place by President George W. Bush. But after the massive BP oil spill led to an overhaul of the government’s oversight of offshore exploration and production, some of those areas had to be re-evaluated for the environmental risks associated with drilling.

Combined with other parts of Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy pitch, the White House is portraying the president as willing to seek the middle ground on energy after Republicans and the industry criticized him for the moratorium put in place after the Gulf disaster, the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, and other policies they say have hampered production, jobs and national energy security.

The lease proposal includes Obama administration measures designed to encourage oil and gas exploration companies to develop the leases. The Interior Department has increased the minimum bid for deepwater leases to $100 an acre from $37.50. Administration officials said Wednesday that the increase was designed to give leaseholders incentives to invest in acreage they would be more likely to explore. Escalating rental rates are also designed to encourage faster exploration and development.

Later, speaking at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Obama was expected to highlight the expanded use of clean energy by the Defense Department. The Air Force is installing a one-megawatt solar array on the base and it tested jets last year that are powered by advanced biofuels.

In choosing Nevada and Colorado, Obama is returning to two states that are important to his re-election.

Obama last visited both states in late October, using that trip to launch a phase of his campaign to jumpstart the economy. With economic indicators improving, Obama this time visits on a higher note.

Both states hold their presidential caucuses within the next two weeks ? events that have grown in importance since the Republican contest for the White House continues to shift and narrow to a choice between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

On Wednesday, Obama traveled to Iowa and Arizona to push for tax incentives for manufacturers. His three-day, post-State of the Union trip concludes Friday in Michigan.

Offering a preview of his energy agenda, Obama said Wednesday he was pushing for a renewed economy. “It’s an economy built on American energy, fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that make us more secure and less dependent on foreign oil,” he told workers at a Cedar Rapids manufacturing plant that specializes in conveyor screws.

Obama won both Nevada and Colorado in 2008. Nevada has had the nation’s highest unemployment, in excess of the national average. But a poll in December by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed Obama with a 6-percentage-point lead over Romney and a 12 point lead over Gingrich.

Colorado offers an example of a state with a mix of energy programs, from a booming solar-energy industry to natural gas extraction that is a result of a compromise between energy companies and environmentalists.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-26-Obama/id-581ec478c1fc4cfaa76f25405113eb1e

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Muslims call for NYPD chief to resign over movie (AP)

Friday, January 27, 2012

NEW YORK ? Muslim groups are calling for New York’s police commissioner to step down because of his appearance in a film they say puts their religion and its adherents in a bad light.

About 20 activists held a news conference on the steps of City Hall on Thursday and criticized Ray Kelly for giving an interview to the producers of the movie “The Third Jihad.”

The movie uses dramatic footage to warn against the dangers of radical Islam and shariah, or Islamic law. Muslim groups say it encourages Americans to be suspicious of all Muslims.

“Terrorism is an evil that must be eliminated, but one cannot fight wrong with wrong,” said Talib Abdur-Rashid, a Muslim cleric.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday he stood by Kelly and the commissioner’s spokesman, Paul Browne. Activists had also demanded Browne’s resignation.

However, the mayor said Kelly would have to redouble his outreach efforts to Muslims.

“Anything like this doesn’t help credibility, so Ray’s got to work at establishing, re-establishing or reinforcing the credibility that he does have,” Bloomberg said.

Kelly appears for about 30 seconds of the 72-minute movie, which was made by the conservative Clarion Fund. He originally said he was not involved but on Wednesday acknowledged he had given a 90-minute interview to the filmmakers in 2007.

Browne he had initially forgotten details of Kelly’s involvement in the film until asked about it again this week.

“This goes back five years,” he said. “There’s some suggestion that, `Gee, I suddenly remembered.’ I didn’t suddenly remember ? I went through five years of emails to try and figure out did I get request by this guy who’s connected with the foundation.”

The movie was later shown to police trainees. The police department said it was played in a continuous loop in the sign-in area of counterterrorism training sessions between October and December 2010. As many as 1,489 trainees may have seen the movie, according to documents released under New York’s public records law.

Kelly apologized Wednesday for his appearance and for the playing of the movie.

The Clarion Fund and its supporters say “The Third Jihad” is balanced.

“I don’t see why they’re so upset by people seeing it,” said Stuart Kaufman of The United West, a group that opposes shariah. “Shariah law is a danger to western civilization and it’s up to police to understand the nature of Shariah law so they can prevent this.”

The Muslim leaders said they are worried that the police department is teaching officers to treat all Muslims as suspects. They demanded the resignation of Kelly and Browne, and a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry into the showing of the film.

The activists also want retraining of all 1,489 officers “that are walking this city with poison in their brains,” said Cyrus McGoldrick, civil rights director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New York. CAIR is one of the organizations that “The Third Jihad” accuses of being soft on terrorist groups.

Bloomberg said he doubted the movie had swayed any of the trainees and said he saw no need for retraining.

“I think any retraining is probably being done by the press right now,” Bloomberg said.

Kelly has said the department does surveillance only when it is following leads. But an investigation by The Associated Press has revealed a secret intelligence program, set up with the aid of the Central Intelligence Agency, aimed at infiltrating religious groups and monitoring neighborhoods even when there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

The CIA has since decided to pull its officer from the NYPD after an internal investigation criticized poor oversight of the collaboration.

___

Associated Press reporters Samantha Gross and Tom Hays contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_us/us_nypd_intelligence_movie

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Tim Cook: ?There Will Come A Day When The Tablet Market Is Larger Than The PC Market?

Thursday, January 26, 2012

ipad 2One of the big questions hanging over Apple this quarter was whether or not iPad sales would continue its rapid growth. Last quarter Amazon introduced the Kindle Fire at $200 (well below the iPAd’s entry-level $500 price) and there was concern that even Apple diehard fans might delay their purchase of a tablet until the iPad 3 comes out?rumored for later this year. But iPad sales came in well above expectations at 15.4 million units. During the conference call today, Tim Cook predicted: “I think there will come a day that the tablet market is larger than the PC market.”

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/kuqvX0KH7_Q/

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Summary Box: Stocks end lower on shaky Greece talk (AP)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

GREECE, REVISTED: Stocks fell Tuesday on concerns that a deal to prevent a default by Greece might fall through. A slew of U.S. corporate earnings did little to bolster investors’ confidence.

THE NUMBERS: The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 33 points at 12,676. It has risen or fallen less than 100 points in 13 trading sessions, the longest calm stretch since March and April of last year.

MOSTLY GREEN: It’s only the third time the S&P has ended lower this year, and all those declines have been less than 7 points. So far this year, it’s up 4.5 percent.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_wall_street_summary_box

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Young Breast Cancer Survivors Face Psychological Distress | Psych …

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 23, 2012

Young Breast Cancer Survivors Face Psychological Distress A new study discovers that cancer treatments can significantly hinder the quality of life of younger breast cancer survivors.

Researchers discovered younger women with breast cancer experience a decrease in their health-related quality of life. They also may experience increased psychological distress, weight gain, a decline in their physical activity, infertility and early onset menopause.

The study is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in women, and is the leading cause of death in women under 50 in the U.S.

Researchers note that although the survival rate for younger women with breast cancer has improved over the last two decades, their cancer treatments, despite their effectiveness, can seriously affect quality of life and other health outcomes.

In the study, researchers sought to determine the impact of cancer treatment on the quality of life of younger breast cancer survivors. Patricia A. Ganz, M.D., and colleagues reviewed studies that focused on overall quality of life, psychosocial effects, menopause and fertility-related concerns, and behavioral outcomes related to weight gain and physical activity.

The studies were published between January 1990 and July 2010. Of the 840 titles and abstracts reviewed, they focused on 28 with the most relevant data.

Investigators found that overall quality of life was compromised in younger breast cancer survivors, with the mental issues more severe than the physical problems.

Depression was also a problem as young women were also more depressed compared to the general age-matched population of women without cancer or women over 50 with breast cancer.

Premature menopause, infertility and menopause-related symptoms were more common and contributing factors to the level of distress in women 50 or younger after treatment.

Weight gain and physical inactivity were common health outcomes in younger women, although exercise rates generally increased after treatment.

Researchers believe the findings demonstrate the need for personalized treatment for breast cancer, especially among young women.

?By tailoring [treatment] and giving cytotoxic therapy only to those who may benefit, we can mitigate some of these side effects, but the long life expectancy for these younger women also provides a window of opportunity for cancer prevention and health promotion activities.?

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute


APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2012). Young Breast Cancer Survivors Face Psychological Distress. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 23, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/01/23/young-breast-cancer-survivors-face-psychological-distress/33987.html

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