If you?ve been injured on the job and your injury is accepted by the insur?ance com?pany, unless you agree to set?tle your case with them, Geor?gia work?ers? com?pen?sa?tion law enti?tles you to med?ical care for that job injuries for the rest of your?life.
Your income ben?e?fits can stop but as long as you require med?ical care for your job injury, the med?ical por?tion of your case will not close unless you settle.
There is no law that says that at some point in time in the future your work?ers? com?pen?sa?tion case will auto?mat?i?cally ?close? and thus relieve the insur?ance com?pany of any and all future respon?si?bil?ity for your med?ical?care.
How?ever, the real?ity is that the fur?ther away in time that you get from your injury date, the more likely it is that the insur?ance com?pany will fight to avoid pay?ing for your med?ical?care.
My expe?ri?ence is that the insur?ance com?pany will start to deny your treat?ment, and try to say you need it now for some?thing new that hap?pened to you unre?lated to your job injury.
For exam?ple, if you have had an unre?lated fall or a car wreck after your work?ers? com?pen?sa?tion acci?dent, the insur?ance com?pany will try to say some or all of your cur?rent issues are because of the unre?lated fall or car wreck and not related to your job injury.
Never mind the fact that they don?t actu?ally have any proof that your cur?rent prob?lem is not related. If they can try to pin your cur?rent prob?lems on some?thing else, they will and they will deny your treat?ment and they will make you have to fight to get your med?ical care restarted.
Look, I?ve been doing this well over 20 years and I?ve seen this hap?pen time and?again.
There are statutes you need to be aware of that can stop your income ben?e?fits, but there are no statutes that ever stop your enti?tle?ment to med?ical care related to your job injury or ever close your case unless you agree to know?ingly and vol?un?tar?ily set?tle your?case.
If the adjuster tells you that your case is closed and you still have med?ical prob?lems related to your job injury, insist that the insur?ance com?pany pay to send you back to the doc?tor. It?s your right under Geor?gia?law.
EPA Recognizes SCE&G with 2013 ENERGY STAR? Award of Excellence
Mar 29, 2013
SCE&G Earns Award for Protecting the Environment through Superior Energy Efficiency
CAYCE, SC - March 28, 2013 -? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented SCE&G with the 2013 ENERGY STAR Award of Excellence for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by sponsoring significant consumer education efforts that promote superior energy-efficient products. SCE&G?s accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 26.
Specifically, SCE&G was recognized for its Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program that launched in April 2011. The program takes a ?whole house? approach to home improvement for customers and participating contractors in South Carolina to help improve the comfort, energy efficiency, safety and durability of a home. By participating in the program, customers can receive rebates up to $2,500 for making home energy improvements recommended by a Building Performance Institute certified contractor.
??? Above Photo: Salim Khalil, SCE&G - Residential Program Manager, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR; Angie Webb, SCE&G - Director of Demand Side Management; Beth Craig, EPA Director of Climate Protection Partnership Division; David Lee, Department of Energy Residential Program Supervisor, Building Technologies Program with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
?We have been very pleased with customer participation in our overall portfolio of energy efficiency programs,? said Salim Khalil, program manager for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. ?Home Performance is a great option for SCE&G?s electric customers who want to implement more comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades in their home and helps offset the out-of-pocket expenses associated with these types of investments.?
Khalil added, ?One of the best features of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR includes the blower door test, an advanced diagnostic tool that helps the participating contractor to pinpoint the problem areas in a home. This test helps to ensure the recommended energy efficiency improvements offer customers maximum savings and benefits throughout their home.?
Over the last 20 years, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
?By creatively promoting ENERGY STAR products, SCE&G has led the way in helping consumers easily find energy-efficient products in the marketplace,? said Bob Perciasepe, acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ?SCE&G?s innovative programs make it easier for Americans to save money and protect the environment.?
The 2013 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award is given to a variety of organizations in recognition of their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners are selected from the nearly 20,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
To learn more about SCE&G?s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, visit www.sceg.com/homeperformance. About SCE&G
SCE&G is a regulated utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 670,000 customers in South Carolina. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 323,000 customers throughout the state. More information about SCE&G is available at www.sceg.com.??
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. Nearly 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
Mar. 28, 2013 ? Swarms of robots acting together to carry out jobs could provide new opportunities for humans to harness the power of machines.
Researchers in the Sheffield Centre for Robotics, jointly established by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, have been working to program a group of 40 robots, and say the ability to control robot swarms could prove hugely beneficial in a range of contexts, from military to medical.
The researchers have demonstrated that the swarm can carry out simple fetching and carrying tasks, by grouping around an object and working together to push it across a surface.
The robots can also group themselves together into a single cluster after being scattered across a room, and organize themselves by order of priority.
Dr Roderich Gross, head of the Natural Robotics Lab, in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield, says swarming robots could have important roles to play in the future of micromedicine, as 'nanobots' are developed for non-invasive treatment of humans. On a larger scale, they could play a part in military, or search and rescue operations, acting together in areas where it would be too dangerous or impractical for humans to go. In industry too, robot swarms could be put to use, improving manufacturing processes and workplace safety.
The programming that the University of Sheffield team has developed to control the robots is deceptively simple. For example, if the robots are being asked to group together, each robot only needs to be able to work out if there is another robot in front of it. If there is, it turns on the spot; if there isn't, it moves in a wider circle until it finds one.
Dr Gross said: "We are developing Artificial Intelligence to control robots in a variety of ways. The key is to work out what is the minimum amount of information needed by the robot to accomplish its task. That's important because it means the robot may not need any memory, and possibly not even a processing unit, so this technology could work for nanoscale robots, for example in medical applications."
This research is funded by a Marie Curie European Reintegration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Programme. Additional support has been provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e12RicAy1Q
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SOWETO, South Africa (Reuters) - South African former President Nelson Mandela is in good spirits and making progress, doctors said on Friday, after the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero was taken to hospital for the third time in four months for a lung infection.
The medical report was a relief to South Africans who had been anxiously praying and waiting for an update on the health of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, hospitalised before midnight on Wednesday. Global leaders sent their best wishes.
President Jacob Zuma's government had already reported Mandela was responding well to treatment, and Zuma had sought to reassure the nation, recalling that the revered statesman's advanced age meant he required frequent medical checks.
"President Nelson Mandela is in good spirits and enjoyed a full breakfast this morning," Zuma's office said in a statement.
"The doctors report that he is making steady progress. He remains under treatment and observation in hospital," it added.
Mandela became South Africa's first black president after winning the country's first all-race election in 1994.
A former lawyer, he is revered at home and abroad for leading the struggle against white minority rule - including spending 27 years in prison on Robben Island - and then promoting the cause of racial reconciliation.
In churches across South Africa, many included Mandela in their prayers on Good Friday, one of the most important days in the Christian calendar.
At the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in the Soweto township outside Johannesburg where Mandela once lived, churchgoers lit candles for him. "He's an icon today and we are free because of him," parishioner Oupa Radebe said.
"I hope this time God will have mercy on him to give him the strength and courage to continue to be an icon for our country," Father Benedict Mahlangu said at the service.
U.S. President Barak Obama sent Mandela his best wishes.
"When you think of a single individual that embodies the kind of leadership qualities that I think we all aspire to, the first name that comes up is Nelson Mandela. And so we wish him all the very best," he said.
"LIKE A FATHER"
Mandela's fragile health has been a concern for years as he has withdrawn from the public eye and mostly stayed at his affluent homes in Johannesburg and in Qunu, the rural village in the destitute Eastern Cape province near where he was born.
President Zuma has urged the nation to remain calm.
"Of course I have been saying to people, you should bear in mind Madiba is no longer that young and if he goes for check-ups every now and again, I don't think people must be alarmed about it," Zuma told the BBC on Thursday.
"In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has 'gone home'. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about."
Madiba is the clan name by which many South Africans refer to Mandela, whose face adorns the country's new bank notes.
Despite his absence from the political scene for the past decade, he remains an enduring and beloved symbol of the struggle against racism.
"He's like a father to me ... There is no more apartheid, black and white can go to the same places," said Princess Nopuhle, a student, aged 18, in Johannesburg's Mandela Square.
As he has receded from public life, critics say his ruling African National Congress (ANC) has lost the moral compass he bequeathed it when he stepped down as president in 1999.
Under such leaders as Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, the ANC gained wide international respect when it battled white rule.
LEADER OF "GOLDEN PERIOD"
Once the yoke of apartheid was thrown off in 1994, it began governing South Africa in a blaze of goodwill from world leaders who viewed it as a beacon for a troubled continent and world.
Almost two decades later, this image has dimmed as ANC leaders have been accused of indulging in the spoils of office, squandering mineral resources and engaging in power struggles.
Mandela has been criticised for not doing enough to prevent an HIV/AIDS epidemic and for making political compromises in the transition from apartheid that led to the black majority being still largely excluded from the benefits of the country's mineral wealth.
But his achievement in leading South Africa out of apartheid and averting all-out racial war is seen as eclipsing this.
"Amongst most South Africans, he is associated with a so-called ?golden period' of the end of apartheid and the beginning of the new democratic state. He represents all of the best of that, including the reconciliation," said Nic Borain, an independent political analyst.
Mandela was in hospital briefly earlier this month for a check-up and spent nearly three weeks in hospital in December with a lung infection and after surgery to remove gallstones.
That was his longest stay in hospital since his release from prison in 1990 after serving almost three decades for conspiring to overthrow the apartheid government.
Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner.
Many South Africans said they felt the country's problems had worsened since Mandela withdrew from active politics.
"There was more peace and freedom when he was running it. Now the splits have come back again," said Natascha Roberts, taking pictures of her family in front of a towering statue of Mandela at the Sandton City mall in suburban Johannesburg.
"If he can go on for another few years, it would be great."
These microwave images show how an object looks in normal view (top row) and oblique view (bottom row) when it's uncloaked, and when it's cloaked by a metascreen. A free-space view of the scene is included as well.
By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News
If you liked last year's bulky invisibility cloaks, you'll love this year's fashionable ultra-thin invisibility wrap ? which is just a tenth of a millimeter thick but can still make the objects inside undetectable to microwave scans.
"This is the first time an ultra-thin cloak has been realized, much thinner than the wavelength," Andrea Alu, a materials-science researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, told NBC News in an email. "The approach is unique."
Invisibility cloaks have been the stuff of science-fiction stories ranging from the "Star Trek" TV series to the Harry Potter sorcery saga, but they're also becoming the stuff of science fact. The first real-life invisibility cloak was created in 2006, and they've gotten a lot better since then.
Alu and his colleagues describe what they call a "3-D stand-alone mantle cloak" this week in the New Journal of Physics. The research builds on past work with bulkier kinds of cloaking devices. The first invisibility cloaks guided light waves around hidden objects. Last year, Alu's group showed how a shell of plasmonic materials?could cancel out the scattering of light waves by an object, rendering it invisible. This week's research paper features a new kind of wave-canceling cloak that's much thinner than the shell.
The University of Texas researchers took a 18-centimeter-long cylindrical ceramic rod and wrapped it in what they call a "metascreen," a layer of flexible plastic film overlaid with a fishnet pattern of copper tape. In the visible spectrum, the wrapped-up object looked like a tube of kitchen plastic wrap. But when the researchers beamed microwaves at the object, their microwave imagers couldn't pick up the object's signature.
"The wave can pass through the object, if it is penetrable," Alu explained.
Alu et al. via New Journal of Physics
This image shows the experimental set-up for far-field microwave observations. The cylinder at the center of the scene is a ceramic rod wrapped in an invisibility cloak that's just a tenth of a millimeter thick.
Alu et al. via New Journal of Physics
A near-field experiment demonstrated that the rod wrapped in a copper-and-plastic metascreen was invisible to microwaves, even when the rod was inclined at an angle.
The researchers reported that invisibility effect was present over a moderately broad bandwidth, with optimal performance at a wavelength of 3.6 gigahertz. The same technique could be used to produce invisibility in different wavelengths.
"In terms of applications, radar camouflaging is one," Alu said. He said the technique could defeat advanced countermeasures for stealth radar detection, such as looking for the radar "shadow" of a stealth-concealed object. Alu and a colleague also have proposed a method for terahertz-wave invisibility, which could theoretically make objects invisible to airport security scanners.
Alu said the potential applications aren't limited to stealth and spycraft. "The main civil applications we have suggested for this technology are in the area of non-invasive sensing, biomedical and optical nanodevices for computing, and energy harvesting," he said.
Harry Potter might not want to give his old cloak of invisibility cloak to Goodwill just yet, though. The metascreen constructed by Alu and his colleagues will work only for microwaves, and not for the visible-light wavelengths that our eyes can see.
"In principle, this technique could also be used to cloak light," Alu said in a news release. "In fact, metascreens are easier to realize at visible frequencies than bulk metamaterials, and this concept could put us closer to a practical realization. However, the size of the objects that can be efficiently cloaked with this method scales with the wavelength of operation, so when applied to optical frequencies, we may be able to efficiently stop the scattering of micrometer-sized objects."
That means Harry will still have to keep the bulky old cloak in his closet ? unless he can use the "Decresplitudo" spell to shrink himself to a millionth of a meter in size. And if he can do that, who needs a cloak?
More about invisibility:
In addition to Alu, the authors of "Demonstration of an Ultralow Profile Cloak for Scattering Suppression of a Finite-Length Rod in Free Space" include J.C. Soric, P.Y. Chen, A. Kerkhoff, D. Rainwater and K. Melin.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
It is not a coincidence that happy couples share many of the same behavioral patterns. Often, we think that being happy means we have fun sharing the same hobbies or doing everything as a couple. While sharing activities enhances relationships, the most important components to successful relationships are found in how individuals within a relationship treat each other. In large part it relies on communication and behavior.
Some of the most important aspects of having a successful relationship with your significant other include:
Friendship: Being friends and genuinely liking your partner is one of the most important components of a happy and successful relationship. If you don?t like the other person, how can you truly love them?
Enjoying your partner?s company: Laughter is not only good medicine but it is also the glue that binds relationships and creates memories. Laughing together and even crying together are meaningful in good relationships.
Being spontaneous: All of us have preferences, likes and dislikes. When you?re spontaneous about trying new food, travel plans, places to visit and other novel experiences, you expand your personal horizons and show respect for your partner?s preferences as well. Life is more interesting if we can be spontaneous together.
Having your own life: Developinga healthy relationship is about two independent and emotionally mature individuals joining company to share their lives together. Sometimes, our needs can become interjected into our relationship in a way that creates a co-dependent dynamic. This can derail happiness in an intimate relationship.
Being fully, purely present to your partner: It has been said that there is no greater gift than our full, complete presence to another. Being authentically interested and attentive to the other person is a hallmark of a healthy, happy relationship.
Showing and expressing affection: Physical touch is an important part of happiness and fulfillment in relationships. Couples can often express that just by holding hands or sharing affection with their partner. This is a very important part of feeling loved and cared for.
Being caring and kind: Kindness is one of the most attractive things about another person. When we are kind, not only do we feel good about our behavior, but our significant other feels good about our behavior as well.
Being honest: If we give our partners a sense that we are devoted and loyal to them and they provide that for us, we create the foundation of a truly lasting and loving relationship. Marriages or relationships often break up because of trust issues. Trust is the foundation of all good interactions.
Being committed: When we are committed to someone, it means that we are there for them and can be counted on to support them in times of need. This is what we all want from our relationships. In order to depend on this benefit, we need to provide it as well.
Communicating: By actively communicating with your partner on an ongoing basis, you can avoid many of the problems that arise in relationships before they even get started. Being proactive and checking in with each other on a regular basis to see how things are for the other person goes a long way in preventing difficulties with conflicts and unmet needs.
Sustaining A Relationship
Creating and sustaining a loving, trusting and lasting relationship is one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can long for and look forward to. While this is not a complicated process, it does require awareness and cultivation similar to what you need in raising a child or growing a garden.
If you keep disruptive weeds from infiltrating the flower beds of your relationships, you can enjoy the uninterrupted beauty of longed-for interactions and reduce the work, wear and tear that neglect can produce. Relationships take time, caring and commitment; but they are truly worth it. For a free download on communication skills for enhanced relationships, visit http://www.changingbehavior.org/
Cedars-Sinai study: Obesity may be linked to microorganisms living in the gutPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nicole White nicole.white@cshs.org 310-423-5215 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Organism may cause people to reap more calories from their food, contributing to weight gain
LOS ANGELES (EMBARGOED UNTIL 12 A.M. EST ON MARCH 26, 2013) How much a person eats may be only one of many factors that determines weight gain. A recent Cedars-Sinai study suggests that a breath test profile of microorganisms inhabiting the gut may be able to tell doctors how susceptible a person is to developing obesity.
The study, published online Thursday by The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, shows that people whose breath has high concentrations of both hydrogen and methane gasses are more likely to have a higher body mass index and higher percentage of body fat.
"This is the first large-scale human study to show an association between gas production and body weight and this could prove to be another important factor in understanding one of the many causes of obesity", said lead author Ruchi Mathur, MD, director of the Diabetes Outpatient Treatment and Education Center in the Division of Endocrinology at Cedars-Sinai.
The study, which will also appear in JCEM's April 2013 issue, analyzed the breath content of 792 people. Based on the breath tests, four patterns emerged. The subjects either had normal breath content, higher concentrations of methane, higher levels of hydrogen, or higher levels of both gases. Those who tested positive for high concentrations of both gases had significantly higher body mass indexes and higher percentages of body fat.
The presence of methane is associated with a microorganism called Methanobrevibacter smithii. This organism is responsible for the majority of methane production in the human host.
"Usually, the microorganisms living in the digestive tract benefit us by helping convert food into energy. However, when this particular organism M. smithii becomes overabundant, it may alter this balance in a way that causes someone to be more likely to gain weight," Mathur said.
These organisms scavenge hydrogen from other microbes and use it to produce methane which is eventually exhaled by the host. Researchers theorize this interaction helps neighboring hydrogen-producing bacteria thrive and extract nutrients from food more efficiently. Over time, this may contribute to weight gain.
"Essentially, it could allow a person to harvest more calories from their food," Mathur said.
In an ongoing study funded by the American Diabetes Association, Mathur is working to confirm the link between M. smithii, obesity and pre-diabetic conditions by determining how efficiently people digest food before and after eliminating the microorganism with a targeted dose of antibiotic. Participants who have evidence of methane on their breath are given a standard diet over three days, undergo an oral glucose challenge, and swallow a "smart pill" to track how fast the food moves through their bodies. In addition, their stool is collected and sent for calorie analysis allowing researchers to determine how many calories are being harvested during digestion. Participants then repeat the same tests after taking the antibiotic regimen to see if elimination of the organism results in measureable changes.
"This should let us know just how energy balance is affected by M. smthii," Mathur said, "We're only beginning to understand the incredibly complex communities that live inside of us. If we can understand how they affect our metabolism, we may be able to work with these microscopic communities to positively impact our health."
###
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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.
Cedars-Sinai study: Obesity may be linked to microorganisms living in the gutPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nicole White nicole.white@cshs.org 310-423-5215 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Organism may cause people to reap more calories from their food, contributing to weight gain
LOS ANGELES (EMBARGOED UNTIL 12 A.M. EST ON MARCH 26, 2013) How much a person eats may be only one of many factors that determines weight gain. A recent Cedars-Sinai study suggests that a breath test profile of microorganisms inhabiting the gut may be able to tell doctors how susceptible a person is to developing obesity.
The study, published online Thursday by The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, shows that people whose breath has high concentrations of both hydrogen and methane gasses are more likely to have a higher body mass index and higher percentage of body fat.
"This is the first large-scale human study to show an association between gas production and body weight and this could prove to be another important factor in understanding one of the many causes of obesity", said lead author Ruchi Mathur, MD, director of the Diabetes Outpatient Treatment and Education Center in the Division of Endocrinology at Cedars-Sinai.
The study, which will also appear in JCEM's April 2013 issue, analyzed the breath content of 792 people. Based on the breath tests, four patterns emerged. The subjects either had normal breath content, higher concentrations of methane, higher levels of hydrogen, or higher levels of both gases. Those who tested positive for high concentrations of both gases had significantly higher body mass indexes and higher percentages of body fat.
The presence of methane is associated with a microorganism called Methanobrevibacter smithii. This organism is responsible for the majority of methane production in the human host.
"Usually, the microorganisms living in the digestive tract benefit us by helping convert food into energy. However, when this particular organism M. smithii becomes overabundant, it may alter this balance in a way that causes someone to be more likely to gain weight," Mathur said.
These organisms scavenge hydrogen from other microbes and use it to produce methane which is eventually exhaled by the host. Researchers theorize this interaction helps neighboring hydrogen-producing bacteria thrive and extract nutrients from food more efficiently. Over time, this may contribute to weight gain.
"Essentially, it could allow a person to harvest more calories from their food," Mathur said.
In an ongoing study funded by the American Diabetes Association, Mathur is working to confirm the link between M. smithii, obesity and pre-diabetic conditions by determining how efficiently people digest food before and after eliminating the microorganism with a targeted dose of antibiotic. Participants who have evidence of methane on their breath are given a standard diet over three days, undergo an oral glucose challenge, and swallow a "smart pill" to track how fast the food moves through their bodies. In addition, their stool is collected and sent for calorie analysis allowing researchers to determine how many calories are being harvested during digestion. Participants then repeat the same tests after taking the antibiotic regimen to see if elimination of the organism results in measureable changes.
"This should let us know just how energy balance is affected by M. smthii," Mathur said, "We're only beginning to understand the incredibly complex communities that live inside of us. If we can understand how they affect our metabolism, we may be able to work with these microscopic communities to positively impact our health."
###
[ | 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.
Mar. 25, 2013 ? Two forthcoming European Physical Journal D papers challenge established wisdom about the nature of vacuum. In one paper, Marcel Urban from the University of Paris-Sud, located in Orsay, France and his colleagues identified a quantum level mechanism for interpreting vacuum as being filled with pairs of virtual particles with fluctuating energy values. As a result, the inherent characteristics of vacuum, like the speed of light, may not be a constant after all, but fluctuate.
Meanwhile, in another study, Gerd Leuchs and Luis L. S?nchez-Soto, from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen, Germany, suggest that physical constants, such as the speed of light and the so-called impedance of free space, are indications of the total number of elementary particles in nature.
Vacuum is one of the most intriguing concepts in physics. When observed at the quantum level, vacuum is not empty. It is filled with continuously appearing and disappearing particle pairs such as electron-positron or quark-antiquark pairs. These ephemeral particles are real particles, but their lifetimes are extremely short. In their study, Urban and colleagues established, for the first time, a detailed quantum mechanism that would explain the magnetisation and polarisation of the vacuum, referred to as vacuum permeability and permittivity, and the finite speed of light. This finding is relevant because it suggests the existence of a limited number of ephemeral particles per unit volume in a vacuum.
As a result, there is a theoretical possibility that the speed of light is not fixed, as conventional physics has assumed. But it could fluctuate at a level independent of the energy of each light quantum, or photon, and greater than fluctuations induced by quantum level gravity. The speed of light would be dependent on variations in the vacuum properties of space or time. The fluctuations of the photon propagation time are estimated to be on the order of 50 attoseconds per square meter of crossed vacuum, which might be testable with the help of new ultra-fast lasers.Leuchs and Sanchez-Soto, on the other hand, modelled virtual charged particle pairs as electric dipoles responsible for the polarisation of the vacuum.
They found that a specific property of vacuum called the impedance, which is crucial to determining the speed of light, depends only on the sum of the square of the electric charges of particles but not on their masses. If their idea is correct, the value of the speed of light combined with the value of vacuum impedance gives an indication of the total number of charged elementary particles existing in nature. Experimental results support this hypothesis.
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Journal References:
Marcel Urban, Fran?ois Couchot, Xavier Sarazin, Arache Djannati-Atai. The quantum vacuum as the origin of the speed of light. The European Physical Journal D, 2013; 67 (3) DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2013-30578-7
Gerd Leuchs, Luis L. S?nchez-Soto. A sum rule for charged elementary particles. The European Physical Journal D, 2013; 67 (3) DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2013-30577-8
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.
Joe LaCugna, director of analytics and business intelligence at Starbucks, spoke at the?Big Data Retail Forum?in Chicago last week and explained how the coffee chain uses loyalty card data to track customers.
"We know who you are. We know how you're different from others," he said during the session, according to Kate Kaye at AdAge.
A quarter of all transactions at Starbucks are made with loyalty cards. That's a lot of data being collected, and Starbucks still isn't entirely sure what to do with all of it.
Right now, Starbucks segments its customers with the data, then sets up rules based on their purchase behavior.?Then, the customers get offers, usually on their smartphones.
These deals are targeted at customers whose purchasing habits show that they may not be coming back soon.?Loyalists who constantly go to Starbucks don't get the deals, since the coffee-seller isn't worried about losing them.
There's a total of 6 million registered loyalty program members and Starbucks has profiled half of them so far. Currently, about 80,000 new members join each week, according to Starbucks chief digital officer Adam Brotman.
Starbucks is now expanding its loyalty program to grocery stores and its Teavana chain of stores, but there's no word yet on recently-acquired bakery chain La Boulange, noted Lisa Jennings at Nation's Restaurant News.
Execs expect to have 9 million registered members by the end of FY 2013.
"The appeal in expanding the program is clear: Starbucks will have even more data about consumers? buying habits," wrote Susan Berfield at Bloomberg Businessweek. "The question remains whether the multistep process will test customers? patience as much as it rewards their loyalty."?
As we?ve highlighted in our recent social customer service posts, while most brands have now grasped the value of social media marketing, very few are investing properly in genuine social customer service.?It?s timely, then, that with The Social Customer 2012?(London) just days away, immediate future?have published a free white paper highlighting the costs and benefits of implementing social customer service.
Adam Lewis, Managing Consultant at the London social media agency, put it this way:??There?s often a fear that social will open up Pandora?s Box for customer service teams- an unquantifiable wave of hard-to-handle customer interactions?.
While there are lots of reasons why organisations haven?t adopted social customer services, scalability, or the feared lack of it, may well be the #1 reason why ? as?Frank Eliason?is quoted as saying in the Holmes Report today ? ?social customer service has been a complete failure?.
So is this fear well-founded?
At my?Monitoring Social Media Boot-camp in 2010 Giles Palmer, MD of the UK monitoring company, Brandwatch, explained how, out of 100,000 mentions that they monitored for a client over 6 months, they highlighted about 4,500 and the client ended up responding to less than 2,000. Anyone who understands social media listening will echo this finding. If you?ve got smart analysts, you don?t need to deal with noise.
I suspect, though, the fear is more about attracting, or even generating, thousands more social media queries simply by offering a social media customer service channel. Yet this smacks of brands putting their head in the sand. As immediate future point out ?In this multichannel world [customers] expect more support through channels that are convenient to them, not you?. And to hammer this message home, they add ?The fastest growing age group of social media users between now and 2015 will be 65-75 year olds?.
You can download a free copy of immediate future?s white paper here.
immediate future?s Managing Director, Katy Howell, will be speaking at The Social Customer 2012 in London this Thursday. Our impressive speaker line-up features Frank Eliason (Citibank), plus senior executives from Spotify, BT, British Gas, First Direct, Expedia, Everything Everywhere, Telefonica and ACCA. Follow the Tweet stream @ #scrm12.
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Schwarzman pointed to real strength in the automobile industry and housing as reasons to be bullish on the U.S. economy, citing increasing production in autos and average home prices heading higher in the last year.
(Read More: Wall Street Looks to Worker Upturn to Boost Profits)
Schwarzman also said that U.S. energy independence would be a major boon for the domestic economy.
"Everywhere I travel, [U.S. energy potential] is about the first thing that people talk about. If we can create energy in very large amounts at some of the lowest prices in the world, it's very logical that people from outside the United States are going to start businesses in the United States."
Schwarzman also predicted that there would be a "dramatic increase" in companies that utilize the energy chain, "if you can foresee a world in the future with natural gas powered automobiles, the savings would be absolutely huge and that would go into consumers' pockets," he said.
(Read More: 'Major Political Storms' Holding Back US: GE's Immelt)
Schwarzman's company is also looking to support entrepreneurship in the U.S. through the Blackstone Charitable foundation and the Blackstone "LaunchPad" program, which this week was extended to the University of Central Florida.
"It's quite an interesting way to engage people with a wide range of outcomes," Schwarzman said. "A good idea can still overcome [regulations]. Some of the regulations are needed and some are creating difficulty for businesses," he said, in response to Subway founder Fred Deluca's comments on CNBC earlier this month that Subway 'would not exist' if similar regulations were in place when the company started.
(Read More: Subway 'Wouldn't Exist' If Started Today Due to Regulations: Founder Deluca)
The company is offering a $1.4 million grant as part of a $50 million entrepreneurship initiative. The company says that 60,000 students will have access to the program and estimates a potential to create 300 new ventures over the next 5 years.
? By CNBC's Paul Toscano. Follow him on Twitter and get the latest stories from "Squawk on the Street" @ToscanoPaul
BEIJING (AP) ? Alibaba Group, one of the world's biggest e-commerce companies, said Monday its executive vice president will succeed founder Jack Ma as chief executive.
Ma, 48, announced in January he was stepping down as CEO to make way for younger leaders. He stayed on as chairman.
Jonathan Lu Zhaoxi, a 13-year veteran of the company, will take over in May as CEO, said the company, based in the eastern city of Hangzhou.
"He is passionate about and familiar with the group's various businesses," said Ma in the announcement. "Not only has he contributed to building our culture and organization and developed many talented people, he also possesses a unique leadership style and charisma."
Ma, a former English teacher, founded Alibaba in 1999 to link Chinese suppliers with retailers abroad. It has expanded in consumer e-commerce with its Taobao and Tmall platforms, which are among the world's busiest online outlets.
Ma is part of a generation of Chinese Internet entrepreneurs who built successful businesses in e-commerce, entertainment, search and other fields. In addition to Ma, several others have become billionaires, including Robin Li of search giant Baidu and Ma Huateng of Tencent, an entertainment and Web portal company.
Lu, who joined Alibaba in 2000, was the founding president of its online payment service Alipay and worked in Taobao, the company said.
Alibaba announced a reorganization in January to transform its seven business units into 25 smaller divisions to compete more effectively in China's turbulent Internet market.
China has the world's biggest population of Internet users, with 564 million people online at the end of 2012, according to an industry group, the China Internet Network Information Center.
The country trails the United States and Japan in total e-commerce spending but is forecast by the Boston Consulting Group to take the No. 1 position by 2015.
ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ Read the latest research in child development including how newborns learn to think, how sleep patterns emerge, problems with toddlers and more.en-usSat, 09 Mar 2013 15:17:29 ESTSat, 09 Mar 2013 15:17:29 EST60ScienceDaily: Child Development Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Mom's sensitivity helps language development in children with hearing losshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htm Psychologists demonstrate the impact sensitive parenting has on language growth for children who receive cochlear implants.Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103414.htmUsing human brain cells to make mice smarterhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htm What happens when human brain cells that surround and support neurons are implanted into the brains of newborn mice? Researchers recently found that such mice had enhanced learning and memory when compared with normal mice that hadn't received the transplanted human cells. The findings indicate that these supportive cells, called glia, play an important role in human cognition.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htmWhen food is scarce, a smaller brain will dohttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htm A new study explains how young brains are protected when nutrition is poor. The findings reveal a coping strategy for producing a fully functional, if smaller, brain. The discovery, which was made in larval flies, shows the brain as an incredibly adaptable organ and may have implications for understanding the developing human brain as well, the researchers say.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123944.htmExercise shields children from stress, research indicateshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htm Exercise may play a key role in helping children cope with stressful situations, according to a recent study.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307091552.htmFlip of a single molecular switch makes an old mouse brain younghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htm The flip of a single molecular switch helps create the mature neuronal connections that allow the brain to bridge the gap between adolescent impressionability and adult stability. Now researchers have reversed the process, recreating a youthful brain that facilitated both learning and healing in the adult mouse.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134226.htmSolving the 'Cocktail Party Problem': How we can focus on one speaker in noisy crowdshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htm In the din of a crowded room, paying attention to just one speaker's voice can be challenging. Research demonstrates how the brain homes in on one speaker to solve this "Cocktail Party Problem." Researchers discovered that brain waves are shaped so the brain can selectively track the sound patterns from the speaker of interest while excluding competing sounds from other speakers. The findings could have important implications for helping individuals with a range of deficits.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134218.htmFamily intervention improves mood symptoms in children and adolescents at risk for bipolar disorderhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htm Psychologists have found that children and adolescents with major depression or subthreshold forms of bipolar disorder - and who had at least one first-degree relative with bipolar disorder - responded better to a 12-session family-focused treatment than to a briefer educational treatment.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084154.htmHelp in reading foreign languageshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htm Recent research into how we learn is set to help people in their efforts to read a second or foreign language (SFL) more effectively. This will be good news for those struggling to develop linguistic skills in preparation for a move abroad, or to help in understanding foreign language forms, reports, contracts and instructions.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306083935.htmPotential target to better treat, cure anxiety disordershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htm Researchers have, for the first time, identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement sleep is critical for the regulation of emotional memory processing.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174627.htmMental picture of others can be seen using fMRI, finds new studyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htm It is possible to tell who a person is thinking about by analyzing images of his or her brain. Our mental models of people produce unique patterns of brain activation, which can be detected using advanced imaging techniques according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305091000.htmChildren of divorced parents more likely to switch, pull away from religionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htm Adults whose parents were divorced are more likely to switch religions or disassociate themselves from institutional religions altogether -- but growing up in a single-parent family does not have any effect on private religious life, including praying, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htmStress hormone foreshadows postpartum depression in new mothershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htm Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to develop postpartum depression, according to a new study.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304161623.htmMom's placenta reflects her exposure to stress and impacts offsprings' brainshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htm The mammalian placenta is more than just a filter through which nutrition and oxygen are passed from a mother to her unborn child. According to a new study, if a mother is exposed to stress during pregnancy, her placenta translates that experience to her fetus by altering levels of a protein that affects the developing brains of male and female offspring differently.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151811.htmIs baby still breathing? Is mom's obsession normal?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htm A new mother may constantly worry and check to see if her baby is breathing. Or she may obsess about germs. A new study found postpartum moms have a much higher rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than the general population. This is the first large-scale study of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in new moms. The symptoms could result from hormonal changes or be adaptive, but may indicate a psychological disorder if they interfere with a mother's functioning.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htmSpeech emerges in children on the autism spectrum with severe language delay at greater rate than previously thoughthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htm Study could reveals key predictors of speech gains. New findings reveal that 70 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who have a history of severe language delay, achieved phrase or fluent speech by age eight.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:49:49 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104912.htmADHD takes a toll well into adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htm The first large, population-based study to follow children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into adulthood shows that ADHD often doesn?t go away and that children with ADHD are more likely to have other psychiatric disorders as adults. They also appear more likely to commit suicide and to be incarcerated as adults.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:47:47 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304104758.htmInfection during pregnancy and stress in puberty play key role in development of schizophreniahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htm The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviorists demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122512.htmBritish children more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults, experts warnhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htm Children in Britain are more exposed to alcohol promotion than adults and need much stronger protection, warn experts.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194651.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmCloser personal relationships could help teens overcome learning disabilitieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htm A new study from Israel says that children with learning disabilities develop less secure attachments with mothers and teachers, and that closer and more secure relationships with parents and adults may help them overcome these disabilities.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113449.htmEating junk food while pregnant may make your child a junk food addicthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htm A healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children. New research suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food cause developmental changes of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children. Consequently, these children are less sensitive to opioids released upon consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, and need to eat more to achieve a "feel good" response.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htmChildren with autism show increased positive social behaviors when animals are presenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htm The presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183504.htmHomeric epics were written in 762 BCE, give or take, new study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htm One of literature's oldest mysteries is a step closer to being solved. A new study dates Homer's The Iliad to 762 BCE and adds a quantitative means of testing ideas about history by analyzing the evolution of language.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183320.htmPraising children for their personal qualities may backfirehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htm Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htmFirst grade math skills set foundation for later math abilityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htm Children who failed to acquire a basic math skill in first grade scored far behind their peers by seventh grade on a test of the mathematical abilities needed to function in adult life, according to researchers.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151302.htmResearch explores factors that impact adolescent mental healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htm Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htmAuthors: Develop digital games to improve brain function and well-beinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htm Neuroscientists should help to develop compelling digital games that boost brain function and improve well-being, say two professors specializing in the field.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134338.htmStudy connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthoodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htm New research examines how childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and maternal depression increase the risk of major depression and chronic pain when they become adults.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121910.htmNew studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmHigher levels of several toxic metals found in children with autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htmGiving a voice to kids with Down syndromehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htm A new case study shows children with Down syndrome can benefit from conventional stuttering treatment.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122039.htmUltrasound reveals autism risk at birth, study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htm Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htmParents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimentalhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htm Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222083127.htmScientists make older adults less forgetful in memory testshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htm Scientists have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests. The cognitive boost comes from a surprising source -- a distraction learning strategy.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143946.htmHow human language could have evolved from birdsong: Researchers propose new theory on deep roots of human speechhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htm The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which "might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions." Linguistics and biology now researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141608.htmEarly life stress may take early toll on heart functionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htm Early life stress like that experienced by ill newborns appears to take an early toll of the heart, affecting its ability to relax and refill with oxygen-rich blood, researchers report.Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221104330.htmSignaling pathway linked to fetal alcohol risk: Molecular switch promises new targets for diagnosis and therapyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htm Scientists have identified a molecular signaling pathway that plays an important role in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170736.htmBullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adultshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htm Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:36:36 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220163629.htmChildren with brain lesions able to use gestures important to language learninghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220123413.htm Children with brain lesions suffered before or around the time of birth are able to use gestures -- an important aspect of the language learning process -- to convey simple sentences.Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220123413.htmAdding movement to 'dry run' mental imagery enhances performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219201523.htm Adding movement to mental rehearsal can improve performance finds a new study. For high jumpers the study shows that dynamic imagery improves the number of successful attempts and the technical performance of jumps The technique of mental rehearsal is used to consolidate performance in many disciplines including music and sport. Motor imagery and physical practice use overlapping neural networks in the brain and the two together can improve performance as well as promoting recovery from injury.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219201523.htmBiological marker of dyslexia discovered: Ability to consistently encode sound undergirds the reading processhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172159.htm Researchers believe they have discovered a biological marker of dyslexia, a disorder affecting up to one out of 10 children that makes learning to read difficult. The researchers found a systematic relationship between reading ability and the consistency with which the brain encodes sounds. The good news: Response consistency can be improved with auditory training.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172159.htmLanguage protein differs in males, femaleshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172153.htm Male rat pups have more of a specific brain protein associated with language development than females, according to a new study. The study also found sex differences in the brain protein in a small group of children. The findings may shed light on sex differences in communication in animals and language acquisition in people.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219172153.htmInfants in poverty show different physiological vulnerabilities to the care-giving environmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219141016.htm Some infants raised in poverty exhibit physical traits that make them more vulnerable to poor care-giving, according to new research. The combination of physiological vulnerability and poor care-giving may lead these children to show increased problem behaviors later in childhood.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219141016.htmMusic therapy improves behavior in children with autism, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219140100.htm Weekly music therapy sessions can have a positive effect on behavior in children with autism, reports a new article. In a study of 41 children, improvements were seen particularly in inattentive behaviors over a ten month period.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:01:01 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219140100.htmReduced risk of preterm birth for pregnant women vaccinated during pandemic fluhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121351.htm Pregnant women who received the H1N1 influenza vaccine during the 2009 pandemic were less likely to have premature babies, and their babies weighed more on average.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121351.htmSports, shared activities are 'game changers' for dad/daughter relationshipshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121212.htm The most frequent turning point in father-daughter relationships is shared activity -- especially sports -- ahead of such pivotal events as when a daughter marries or leaves home, according to a new study.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121212.htmIs there a link between childhood obesity and ADHD, learning disabilities?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121021.htm A new study has established a possible link between high-fat diets and such childhood brain-based conditions as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory-dependent learning disabilities.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219121021.htmChildren with auditory processing disorder may now have more treatment optionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219120936.htm Researchers are helping children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment. They have developed a program that uses evidence-based practices and incorporates speech-language pathologists into therapy.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219120936.htm'Simplified' brain lets the iCub robot learn languagehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102649.htm The iCub humanoid robot will now be able to understand what is being said to it and even anticipate the end of a sentence.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:26:26 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102649.htmIt may be educational, but what is that TV show really teaching your preschooler?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102118.htm Most parents carefully select what television programs and movies their children can watch. But a psychologist says educational shows could come with an added lesson that influences a child?s behavior. Children exposed to educational programs were more aggressive in their interactions than those who weren't exposed.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219102118.htmFear, anger or pain: Why do babies cry?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219090649.htm Researchers have studied adults' accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition. It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:06:06 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219090649.htmShedding new light on infant brain developmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218164126.htm A new study finds that the infant brain does not control its blood flow the same way as the adult brain, that the control of brain blood flow develops with age. These findings could change the way researchers study brain development in infants and children.Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218164126.htmExcessive TV in childhood linked to long-term antisocial behavior, New Zealand study showshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218092711.htm Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more likely to manifest antisocial and criminal behavior when they become adults, according to a new study.Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:27:27 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130218092711.htmPoor stress responses may lead to obesity in childrenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130217085346.htm Children who overreact to stressors may be at risk of becoming overweight or obese, according to researchers.Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:53:53 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130217085346.htmAre billboards driving us to distraction?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214134024.htm There's a billboard up ahead, a roadside sign full of language and imagery. Next stop: the emotionally distracted zone.Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214134024.htmBehavioral therapy for children with autism can impact brain functionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214120618.htm Using functional magnetic resonance imaging for before-and-after analysis, a team of researchers discovered positive changes in brain activity in children with autism who received a particular type of behavioral therapy.Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:06:06 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214120618.htm
It is not a coincidence that happy couples share many of the same behavioral patterns. Often, we think that being happy means we have fun sharing the same hobbies or doing everything as a couple. While sharing activities enhances relationships, the most important components to successful relationships are found in how individuals within a relationship treat each other. In large part it relies on communication and behavior.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Mar-2013
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