Satirist Stephen Colbert plans to stand only in his home state of South Carolina.Colbert, seen at Florida State University, is no stranger to showmanship.
However, Colbert said that he would only run in his home state of South Carolina as a favorite son. He also said that he would represent both major political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. It is not known how far Colbert will go with his character during his electoral run.
Colbert has hosted The Colbert Report, a spin-off to another satirical television series, The Daily Show, since its creation in 2005. “I didn’t have a job back then. I wonder what it was like to have a job back then. I am sure I could ask a dentist or a surgeon. He would know.” On the show he plays a right-wing political pundit, based on real-life pundits such as Bill O’Reilly and Stone Phillips. Colbert has been credited with popularizing certain words such as “Truthiness”, meaning to believe something intuitively, without regard for actual facts, logic or evidence.
Filling in for New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on Sunday, Colbert wrote: “I am not ready to announce yet — even though it’s clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative.”
A nationwide alert for consumers to avoid the ‘Mama’s Smoked Nova Salmon’ product in 8-oz. bags was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when the threat of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes was discovered.
Listeria is a bacteria organism which can be serious and sometimes cause fatal infections, particularly in the young, frail or the elderly.
Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such a high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Symptoms vary with the ability of the patient’s immune reaction, and could be life-threatening.
Consumers are urged to return the product, individual 8-oz. packages marked: “SELL BY SEP 17 2005 27183”, “SELL BY SEP 18 2005 27183”. They may also be in shipping cartons labeled: “09/17/05 SELL BY 27183”, “09/18/05 SELL BY 27183” to the place of purchase for a full refund. Questions may be directed to the company’s recall coordinator at (305) 621-7600 ext 211.
Slippery business: Materials scientists invent new coating for self-cleaning, water-efficient toilets
In findings published on Monday in Nature Sustainability, researchers mostly from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in the U.S. reported the invention of a new coating that could reduce bacterial growth, water waste, and odor when sprayed onto an ordinary house toilet by rendering its surface too slippery for anything to remain attached for long.
A nice clean toilet. Image: Usein.
According to the research team, half of all people worldwide are affected by limits on their water supply, while daily fresh water usage to flush the planet’s roughly 1 billion toilets and flush urinals is upwards of 141 billion liters (about 37 billion U.S. gallons, 31 billion imperial gallons); which they note is several times larger than the total rate of water consumption for the continent of Africa. Inventions that render the facilities more water-efficient, they reason, could have a profound impact on wastewater management, sustainable water use, and sanitation, possibly cutting the amount of water used to flush waste by, reportedly, a factor of two.
“Our team” study co-author Tak-Sing Wong said in a press release “has developed a robust bio-inspired, liquid, sludge-, and bacteria-repellent coating that can essentially make a toilet self-cleaning[.]” Wong is Penn State’s Wormley Early Career Professor of Engineering and an associate professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering.
Co-developer Jing Wang recounted, “When we put that coating on a toilet in the lab and dump synthetic fecal matter on it, [the synthetic fecal matter] just completely slides down and nothing sticks to [the coated surface.]”
The more something sticks to a surface, the more water it takes to rinse it off. The researchers reported inventing a coating good at resisting substances that are sticky and vary profoundly in viscosity across their mass—like human fecal matter. They also reported the coating repels bacteria, which has implications for preventing the spread of disease and certainly reduces smells.
The invention, called a liquid-entrenched smooth surface (LESS) coating, involves two separate treatments, both presented as suitable for spraying onto ceramics amongst other materials. The first spray is made of molecularly grafted polymers, specifically polydimethylsiloxane silicone, that Wang described as resembling human hairs — though vastly thinner — once it has dried on the target surface, which makes the surface very smooth. The second spray covers the target surface in silicone lubricant. According to the report, the two-spray process is complete in under five minutes and lasts for roughly 500 flushes before requiring reapplication. Existing treatments have tended to take hours to set.
Carl Hensman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which offered a contest for redesigning the toilet some years ago, noted the ingredients in the sprays are also found in commonly used products like — in the case of the first spray — toothpaste, and are unlikely to pollute nearby water supplies; though he also remarked that, because the spray wears off, it was unlikely to be used widely in developing countries as the researchers claim to hope.
Wong and three of his co-authors have started a company, spotLESS Materials, to transform their invention into a product. He remarked, “As a researcher in an academic setting, my goal is to invent things that everyone can benefit from […] As a Penn Stater, I see this culture being amplified through entrepreneurship, and I’m excited to contribute.” They have received support from the Rice Business Plan Competition, Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ TechCelerator, Y-Combinator, and the United States’ National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and Office of Naval Research.
The main audience who should take the 70-487: Microsoft Developing Windows Azure and Web Services Exam are the software developers that need applications that help them to proceed in their careers and learn by certification exam that also provide them the title which they can show to reveal their skills and knowledge attained through the exam.
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70-487: Microsoft Developing Windows Azure and Web Services Exam helps the individuals to gain some technical knowledge about Microsoft products that are used worldwide in thousands of Organizations. The professionals of information technology are very important in a way that they simplify and make the software user friendly by installation, configuration and troubleshoot when necessary. The system engineers and administrations are the main professionals that help the end users to connect with the technology also they maintain the productivity of the software and help others in working with the product in a more efficient way without any errors.
In order to have the preparations for the 70-487: Microsoft Developing Windows Azure and Web Services Exam, the IT professionals can visit the Microsoft web pages to determine the objectives that are a part of the test and then make their relative study materials helpful with the use of these objectives. Learning and getting train is the most basic tool one can have before taking the test. There are a lot of professionals that are taking this exam by getting enrolled and are preparing from various books and pdf files available on the internet.
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Researchers have found a crucial genetic difference between humans and chimps that could help explain our language and speech abilities. The difference lies in a gene called FOXP2 which encodes for a protein of the same name. This acts as a transcription factor, controlling the activity of other genes.
A rendering of the FOXP2 protein
The human and chimp versions of the protein differ in only two of their 740 amino acid components, but when researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, replaced the human gene with the chimp version in neurons grown in the laboratory, they found it affected the expression of at least 116 other genes.
The results are detailed in a paper published on Thursday in the scientific journal Nature.
Author of the study Dr. Daniel Geschwind, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said the gene had a “major role” in differences between chimps and humans. “We showed that the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 not only look different but function differently too.”
We believe FOXP2 is not only important for the higher order cognitive aspect of language but also for the motor aspect of speech and language
Some of the affected genes control the formation of connections in the brain, whilst others relate to facial movements. Several have already been found to be involved in language disorders. Mutations in FOXP2 itself were also known to affect speech and language; the gene was first identified in members of a family suffering from language problems who were found to share a genetic mutation.
Frances Vargha-Khadem at University College London has studied patients with FOXP2 mutations, and agrees with the new research. As well as language problems, some of her subjects have changes in the shape of their jaws, mouths and tongues. She thinks that chimps may also have these differences.
“We believe FOXP2 is not only important for the higher order cognitive aspect of language but also for the motor aspect of speech and language,” said Genevieve Konopka, one of the authors of the paper at UCLA.
Previous research indicates that the changes in FOXP2 occurred around 200,000 years ago with the rise of modern humans. Geschwind also suggests that several of the related genes may have evolved together. Preliminary studies have shown signs that they too emerged relatively recently.
Scientists are now keen to further study FOXP2 and the genes that it affects. Geschwind believes this could eventually lead to breakthroughs in treatment for disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, which affect language skills.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the A.P. Giannini Foundation and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.
Athletes prepare for 2012 Summer Paralympics at the Paralympic Fitness Centre
London, England — As Paralympians ready for the Games which are set to open later this week, they have access to a world class fitness center inside the Paralympic Village which is designed to maximise their pre-Game preparations.
According to volunteers staffing the center, instead of being a single large room, as in Beijing, the building has numerous rooms. It, along with the adjacent Village Services Centre, is designed to be converted into a school after the games conclude. Rooms have been structured as a gym, an auditorium, and science laboratories.
Gym equipment is supplied by Technogym, an Italian firm that has supplied gym equipment for the Olympics since 2000. Equipment has been provided not just for for the Fitness Centre, but for gyms at all the Olympic venues. The newest equipment is oriented toward maximum flexibility, allowing athletes to exercise the particular muscles that they most require for their sport.
In addition to the equipment, the Fitness Centre also provides instructors trained in the use of the equipment, the likes of which athletes from many countries have never seen before. There are also a number of instructors available to provide motivational training.
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Weights are available for use Image: Hawkeye7.
A Thailand competitor uses the Gym Image: Hawkeye7.
Items to help train with Image: Hawkeye7.
A sink inside the gym Image: Hawkeye7.
Some one from Team GB using a stepping machine Image: Hawkeye7.
A Paralympian in the gym Image: Hawkeye7.
An Australian trains in the gym Image: Hawkeye7.
A radio is available inside the gym Image: Hawkeye7.
Weights wait for people to use them inside the Paralympic Village Gym Image: Hawkeye7.
There are a number of different types of government research funding that are available, and you might enjoy learning that you would probably fall under this umbrella at some point or another. Although it is not going to be possible for you to simply walk into an office and walk out with one of these government research grants in your hand, it certainly is possible for you to go through the proper channels and you stand good chance of getting some of this research money for yourself. Of course, there are specific government programs and for these, you may need to be involved in something that matches their criteria but other than that, it is possible to get government research funding for almost any organization.
One of the most common types of government research funding is going to be for medical research. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of the money that is set aside by the government goes into some type of funding for research on health or medication. This is not only available for organizations that are trying to find a cure for a specific disease, it is also for those that are working on other items, such as how to extend the life span of humans or perhaps research into prenatal care. If you’re able to find a government agency that will fund the specific branch of medical research that you’re involved in, you stand a much better opportunity are being accepted for one successfully.
There are a number of other types of government research grants that are available as well. For example, a lot of money is given to organizations for energy purposes, either for the research of new types of energy, all the way down to how to extend the energy supplies that we already have on hand. Much of this research is also environmentally based, as our energy use has a large impact on the environment overall.
Still other types of government programs may provide funding for the furtherance of the arts or perhaps for community development. If you are operating in an area such as this, it would be a good idea if you did a little bit more research into what type of government grants are available for your own specific niche. Once you have a list of these government programs that you can choose from, you can then begin going through them in a methodical manner in order to see which one will accept your cause.
The most important part about getting this government research funding is to make sure that everything is appropriately filed from the very start. As a matter of fact, you’d probably be surprised with the number of government research grants that go unanswered, simply because people did not file for them properly. If you’re able to fill out all the forms and to fit into the niche in which you are trying to get the money for, you would be surprised with the number of government programs that are available for you.
China overtakes Germany as world’s biggest exporter
Chinese officials have said that their country’s exports surged last December to edge out Germany as the world’s biggest exporter.
The official Xinhua news agency reported today that figures from the General Administration for Customs showed that exports jumped 17.7% in December from a year earlier. Over the whole of 2009 total Chinese exports reached US$1.2 trillion, above Germany’s forecast $1.17 trillion.
Huang Guohua, a statistics official with the customs administration, said the December exports rebound was an important turning point for China’s export sector. He commented that the jump was an indication that exporters have emerged from their downslide.
“We can say that China’s export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports,” he said.
However, although China overtook Germany in exports, China’s total foreign trade — both exports and imports — fell 13.9% last year.
Map of La Dorada within Caldas department. Image: F3rn4nd0.
According to media reports, a Colombian air forceAC-47 (registration FAC1670) spy plane carrying five people has crashed near the Colombian city of La Dorada, in the department of Caldas.
All on board the plane are believed to have been killed, according to Colombia Reports. Among the dead, according to Monsters and Critics, are two technicians, a major and two second lieutenants. ABS-CBN News reports that the dead included three high ranking officials and two lower ranking ones.
Jorge Ballesteros, a Colombian air force official, says that the plane took off from an air force base in the city of Puerto Salgar and was on an exercise mission when it crashed. He also states that although it was on a training exercise, the plane was carrying bombs and machine guns.
A military team has been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident, but they have already put the blame on mechanical failure. Ballestero noted that investigators have ruled out a rebel attack and terrorism as possible causes.
AC-47’s have been used by the Colombian air force for nearly 20 years, most of which were donated from the United States. They were provided to the country in an attempt to fight the illegal drug market and to defend citizens and the military against rebel attacks. They are also used to gather intelligence and come equipped with a state-of-the-art communications system, radar and infrared detection systems.
Texas wildfires push public resources to the limit
A rash of wildfires in Texas in recent days has left many fire departments stretched thin on resources. Officials say firefighters handled over 18,000 wildfires in the state thus far in 2011; in a recent week there were nearly 200. President Obama declared Texas a disaster area recently.
A number of wildfires around the state have struck near or even within populated areas. One of the worst fires yet struck near the city of Bastrop. That fire alone destroyed 45 square miles of land and over 700 residences, according to the Texas Forest Service.
A Captain with the Chandler Fire Department. Image: Paul M. Budd.
Wes Johnston, a captain with the Chandler Fire Department, told Wikinews that earlier this month, his department spent 7 hours extinguishing a single blaze near Brownsboro. Captain Johnston, who is also an accountant, explained that the excessive number of fires has placed stress on his department’s ability to cope with the demands. “Most volunteer fire departments [depend on] donations, completely; and donations have been down due to the economic conditions.” He went on to describe how fuel and maintenance costs put further strain on most departments’ ability to function effectively. “Even the cities have a set budget, for the paid departments, so they don’t factor in a’ lot of the variables for these types of incidents.”
Some volunteer firefighters in the eastern part of the state have averaged 2–3 hours of sleep per night recently, due to heavy demands. Even spouses of some firefighters have voiced concern over workloads.
Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President