August 27, 2008, 6:19 PM CT

Teens making poor choices when it comes to riding in vehicles

Injury prevention experts have long known that teens are less likely than other motorists to wear seat belts while driving. Now, scientists from the Meharry-State Farm Alliance at Meharry Medical College have discovered lack of seat belt use by teen passengers may be an even bigger problem.

In the first ever direct comparison of the differences between driver and passenger seat belt use for a nationally representative teen population, the Meharry scientists observed that 59% of teens always buckled up in the driver seat but only 42% always wore seat belts as passengers. Even more sobering, only 38% of all teens reported always buckling up as both drivers and passengers.

The study population comprised over 12,000 African American, white, and Hispanic public and private high school students ages 16 or older who participated in the 2001 and 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The surveys are conducted every two years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track the leading causes of death and disability among U.S. teens.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for nearly 5,000 fatalities each year. About 40% of all teen motor vehicle occupant deaths involve passengers.

"Because seat belts can reduce the risk of injury and death in crashes by more than 50%, there is a critical need for interventions to increase seat belt use by teens as both drivers and passengers," said Nathaniel Briggs, MD, MSc, lead researcher on the study, reported in the September 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

August 21, 2008, 8:51 PM CT

Americans need to save paycheck-to-paycheck

Americans are better at saving money when they set goals in the near future -- such as next month -- rather than the more distant future, as per a new study by scientists at Rice University and Old Dominion University. The study was presented this month at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

"While a number of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, to effectively protect ourselves for the future we need to start saving paycheck-to-paycheck," said Paul Dholakia, associate professor at Rice's Jones Graduate School of Management. He co-authored the study with Leona Tam, assistant professor of marketing at Old Dominion.

"Our study shows that Americans are better at saving money when they are thinking about it month-to-month, on an ongoing basis rather than a long-term goal." Dholakia said.

The study asked participants to make savings estimates for next month, for a specific month in the future or for next year. Participants who planned their savings month-to-month and those who planned for the coming year each estimated they would save about the same amount, but the month-to-month planners actually wound up saving much more. For example, in one study, those saving for next month estimated they would save $287 but actually saved $440. Conversely, participants who were asked to estimate how much they would save in a specific month in the future indicated a much higher value -- $946 -- but ended up saving far less -- only $123......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:35:19 GMT

Danger in the cedars

I mentioned in an earlier post that when we were last at Roundrock, #1 Son and I finally took the chance to attack the two cedars that had fallen into the lake.

My worry about them was that because this stretch of the lake is comparatively shallow even at full pool - only a foot or two deep from a gently sloping shore - the trees in the water would allow the quick accumulation of leaves and other floating debris, effectively moving the dry land farther into the water.

Trees in the water near the shore as these were are considered ideal fish habitat, especially for the fry who need a protected place to grow and learn all the things a young fish ought to know. Generally, though, I''ve seen this practice recommended for slightly deeper water. In any case, I wanted the cedars out of that particular part of the lake.

Clearing these trees has not been easy for us. When Seth and I had first tried to cut them, most of their bulk was still in water, so we could only trim at them a bit and save the big work for later. During that adventure, the chainsaw appeared to have overheated. It had suddenly stopped running and refused to start again. That was all the nudging we needed to give up the work on that very hot day.

When we returned this second time, the saw ran fine, at first. Seth was able to cut the two cedars into what we thought were easily managed chunks, as you see above. These chunks proved more difficult to manage than we expected. First, they were deceptively heavy. I don''t know if cedar is considered a dense wood, but it sure seems to be a heavy one. Second, those short bits of trunk were still attached to long branches, branches that had sat in the water and mud for months and so still managed to drop foul-smelling, prickly cedar needles down the backs of our shirts as we worked.

We began by dragging/throwing the cedar waste up the hill in the forest. This grew tiresome fast, so we decided to build a sort of brush pile just up from the shoreline (of a full lake, that is) in a dense clump of aromatic sumac growing there. That might prove to be a good idea. Or it might turn out to be an eyesore along the shoreline. I''ll let you know next year.

As I noted in my earlier post, we spent more time clearing than cutting the two cedars, but in perhaps a half hour the work was done. That left one blasted hickory tree to deal with. It had been blasted in the same ice storm that had defeated the cedars. As long as those two trees were resting in the lake, looking ugly, the hickory was overlooked. But once the cedars were gone, the snapped and half-fallen hickory stood out, calling for our aesthetic attentions.

I asked Seth to cut the hickory a few feet above the ground. The trunk is only six or seven inches in diameter there. He could cut it standing up, which was safer on the slope since if he needed to dart out of the way when the tree fell, he''d already be upright. Later he could cut the stump at ground level.

I stood in the muddy lake bed as he began cutting into the trunk, but I saw a bad problem as soon as the roar of the saw began. The chain was dangerously loose from the bar. This needs to be kept relatively snug against the bar, and I think our quick work with the dense cedars had wiggled it loose. That work had been so quick, though, that I didn''t think we needed to check the chain before taking on another small and quick task.

Before I could shout for him to stop, the chain was thrown from the bar and wrapped itself in the works. This has happened to me a few times, and it''s a shameful thing to admit. This is a dangerous situation and the potential for serious injury is great. We should have checked the chain before we started again. In the time it took for us to drag the cedar chunks into the forest, the chain would have cooled sufficiently for us to check it. A few turns of a screw would have been all that was needed to make the saw safe to use. Fortunately, Seth was not hurt.

There was more though. We couldn''t shut off the chainsaw engine. The on/off switch is right by the grip, handy for a quick flip of your thumb to shut it off. But despite doing that several times, the engine continued to run. The saw had a nearly full tank of gas, and this meant that we had to pour the fuel back into the storage can we had brought along. This is a clumsy job under the best circumstances, but out in the field, with the engine roaring in your ear and the chair and bar still too hot to touch, the menace notches up a bit. I managed to pour off the fuel, spilling only a little on the lake bed, and then we set the saw in an open area and let it run itself dry. I still need to work on the saw, setting the chain back on the bar and seeing if the on/off switch is faulty. I hope to get to it this weekend.

The blasted hickory still stands. I''m not sure how far Seth cut into it before the chain jumped, but I will probably try to finish the job with a bow saw next time.

Missouri calendar:

• Late summer molt produces drab plumage in robins and other birds.

Today in Missouri history:

• The Bank of St. Louis is chartered with capital of $163,000 in 1816.
• William Clarke Quantrill and his band of pro-Confederate guerillas raided the pro-Union town of Lawrence, Kansas, on this day in 1863, killing nearly 150 men and boys. This attack served to avenge the imprisonment of their wives, mothers, and sisters in Kansas City.
• Five cold-blooded killers stalked the governors mansion in Jefferson City on this date in 1967 with murder on their minds. They''d come to kill the thousands of starlings that were infesting the mansion grounds. Instead they killed purple martins by mistake and caused a furor that made international newspapers.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:15:43 GMT

Right Whale Listening Network

Right Whales are an endangered species, characterized by a large head, whalebone plates in the mouth, and absence of a dorsal fin. They were so named by whalers, who for centuries considered them ''the right whales'' to hunt, because they float when killed and because they yield enormous quantities of oil and of baleen.

Now, endangered North Atlantic right whales are safer along the coast of Massachusetts thanks to a new system of smart buoys. The buoys recognize the distinctive call of the whales and route the information to a public website and a marine warning system, giving ships the chance to avoid deadly collisions. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

July 15, 2008, 10:32 PM CT

Corporations Can Profit From Being Environmentally Friendly

Though a number of policymakers have argued that environmental regulations can negatively impact an organization's bottom line, a new study by George Mason University researcher Nicole Darnall shows that companies that develop green production processes can not only offset the costs of regulations, but can also reap further benefits.

The study, which looked at more than 2,600 manufacturing facilities operating in seven different countries, showed that more stringent environmental policies are correlation to diminished company profits. However, organizations that improve their environmental performance by enhancing their internal efficiencies and developing new green products and technologies can offset the cost of regulation or even accrue a net gain.

"The primary reason why the United States and a number of other countries do not have national climate change policy and do not implement more stringent environmental legislation is due to the costs the regulations would impose on firms," says Darnall, assistant professor of environmental science and policy. "The results of this study are important because realizing that these costs can be offset-or eliminated entirely-is further evidence that policymakers could support the advancement of more ambitious environmental policy goals without putting undue financial burdens on corporations"......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

July 14, 2008, 5:06 PM CT

Gear up before revving up ATVs

Fourteen-year old Cristian Avina knows all too well the devastating injuries all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can cause. Four months ago, Cristian and his sister, Rociel, hopped on an ATV for a little innocent fun in the desert near their home. Cristian was riding tandem with his sister when a bird flew into them causing him to lose control. The ATV crashed, sending Cristian and Rociel flyingneither was wearing a helmet. Cristian suffered serious head injuries, including an amputated ear.

This has been a nightmare, said Martha Avina, Cristian and Rociels mother. Rociel was not badly hurt and went for help. Upon her return, she saw that her brother had been pecked at and his severed ear had been partially eaten by vultures. Cristians ear could not be reattachedreconstructive plastic surgery to rebuild it started this summer.

Whether on vacation or out for recreation, a number of adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys. They can go more than 60 miles per hour, weigh more than 700 pounds and tip over easily. In fact, more than 135,000 Americans are injured in ATV-related accidents each year, 30 percent of them children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports.

The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) are urging ATV riders, particularly parents and children, to be more cautious and follow safety tips to help reduce the occurence rate of ATV-related injuries......... Posted by: Gina      Read more         Source

July 14, 2008, 4:28 PM CT

Tiger and Nicklaus might not have best advice

Golfers who heed the advice of instructors to keep their heads perfectly still while putting may be hampering their game, as per a research studythat examined coordination patterns.

The research appears in the recent issue of the Journal of Motor Behavior

Tim Lee, professor of kinesiology at McMaster University and a golfer himselfsays the findings run contrary to conventional wisdom, or at least conventional golf wisdom.

"Jack Nicklaus says the premier technical cause of missed putts is head movement; Tiger Woods believes that even a fraction of head movement can throw a putting path off course," says Lee. "Therefore, it would seem that based on what the experts say good putters keep their heads absolutely still from start to finish".

The putting stroke is used more frequently than any other during a round of golf, regardless of skill. In 2007, putts represented 41.3 per cent of total strokes taken by members of the PGA tour, and 40 percent for members of the LPGA.

Lee and his team assembled two groups of golfers: one group comprised 11 volunteers, aged 21 to 56, and with a handicap range of 12 and 40; and another group of professional and low-handicap golfers, aged 24-52.

Using an infrared tracking system, scientists recorded the putter head and the golfer's head during sixty putts......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

July 10, 2008, 9:17 PM CT

Good News about $4 Gas? Fewer Traffic Deaths

As unwelcome as they are, higher gasoline prices do come with a plus side - fewer deaths from car accidents, says a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

An analysis of yearly vehicle deaths in comparison to gas prices found death rates drop significantly as people slow down and drive less. If gas remains at $4 a gallon or higher for a year or more, traffic deaths could drop by more than 1,000 per month nationwide, said Michael Morrisey, Ph.D., director of UAB's Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a co-author on the new findings.

"It is remarkable to believe that a percent change in gas prices can equal lives saved, which is what our data show," Morrisey said. "For every 10 percent rise in gas prices, fatalities are reduced by 2.3 percent. The effects are even more dramatic for teen drivers".

The early results were presented in June at a health economist meeting in North Carolina. A coauthor on report is David Grabowski, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School.

The research included death rates and gas-price changes from 1985 through 2006, and the calculated percent reduction in fatalities can be extrapolated to 2008 and beyond, Morrisey said.

The results come after earlier research by the coauthors found lower gas prices have the opposite effect by wiping away a number of of lifesaving outcomes from the enactment of required seatbelt laws, lower blood alcohol limits and graduated drivers licenses for youth......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

July 8, 2008, 8:39 PM CT

Stepping up to the challenge: A tall order

Researchers have recently become interested in the biomechanics of a very unusual activity: skyscraper run-ups. Competitors in this extreme sport ascend the steps inside the world's tallest buildings, the winners often scaling thousands of steps in just a few minutes. Impressive, yes, but why should these people be of interest to physiologists and biomechanists? Professor Alberto Minetti, from the University of Milan, pioneered the study after prior work on walking and running at different gradients. His research has gone on to shed light on the metabolic profile of athletes, as well as having a potential impact on studies of ageing. He will be presenting his results on Wednesday 9th July at the Society for Experimental Biology's Annual Meeting in Marseille [Session A2].

"The wide age range of participants, from teenagers to those approaching their centenary, has improved our knowledge of the decline in body performance as we get older," Professor Minetti explains. "Industries involved in cardio-fitness could also include the algorithms that we have developed in heart rate monitors, to help athletes maintain their best possible performance throughout races." Another very useful medical implication comes from prior work looking at differing gradients, which suggests that heart failure patients should rehabilitate by walking on a treadmill at a 10% downhill incline and at a slow, self-selected, speed......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:06:48 GMT

Forgotten Medical Cures

A home remedy is a treatment to cure a disease or ailment that employs certain spices, vegetables, or other common items from the kitchen. Home remedies may or may not have actual medicinal properties that serve to treat or cure the disease or ailment in question, as they are typically passed along by laypersons.

A significant number, however, have been demonstrated to effectively treat ailments such as sprains, minor lacerations, headaches, fevers, and even the common cold.

Here''s a compilation of home remedies and cures. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

July 7, 2008, 5:22 PM CT

Perception of hole size influenced by performance

Golfers who play well are more likely to see the hole as larger than their poor-playing counterparts, as per a Purdue University researcher.

"Golfers have said that when they play well the hole looks as big as a bucket or basketball hoop, and when they do not play well they've been quoted as saying the hole looks like a dime or the inside of a donut," said Jessica K. Witt, an assistant professor of psychological sciences who studies perception in athletes. "What athletes say about how they see the hole and how well they play is true. We found golfers who play better judge the hole to be bigger than golfers who did not play as well.

"We know a relationship exists between performance and perception, but we are uncertain how they affect each other. For example, do golfers see the hole as bigger so they putt better? Or if they putt better, does that mean they see the hole as bigger? I believe it is a cyclical relationship, but more research is needed to clarify if one affects the other".

Witt's findings appear in the June Psychonomic Bulletin and Review journal. She co-authored the paper with Sally A. Linkenauger and Jonathan Z. Bakdash, both graduate students at the University of Virginia, and Dennis R. Proffitt, the Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

July 7, 2008, 5:14 PM CT

Baseball diamonds: the lefthander's best friend

Baseball diamonds are a left-hander's best friend. That's because the game was designed to make a lefty the "Natural," as per David A. Peters, Ph.D., the McDonnell Douglas Professor of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis and über baseball fan. Peters is a mechanical engineer who specializes in aircraft and helicopter engineering and has a different approach to viewing America's Favorite Pastime.

First of all, some numbers.

"Ninety percent of the human population is right-handed, but in baseball 25 percent of the players, both pitchers, and hitters, are left-handed," said Peters, a devoted St. Louis Cardinal fan who attended "Stan the Man's" last ball game at Sportsman's Park in 1963. "There is a premium on lefthanders for many reasons. For starters, take seeing the ball.

"A right-handed batter facing a right-handed pitcher actually has to pick up the ball visually as it comes from behind his (the batter's) left shoulder. The left-handed batter facing the right-handed pitcher has the ball coming to him, so he has a much clearer view of pitches."

Then, Peters says, consider the batter's box. After a right-hander connects with a ball, his momentum spins him toward the third-base side and he must regroup to take even his first step toward first base. In contrast, the left-hander's momentum carries him directly toward first......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:32:21 GMT

VC's in a bootstrapper's world

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Jan Rysavy


A recent post by blogger and venture journalist Donna Bogatin raises the question again about the need for big venture capital in a Web 2.0 startup world.

The implications are similar to those raised in a recent post by Taylor Davidson on his blog though Taylor takes the other side of the argument to some extent. (View our extended discussion of the topic here.)

The question? How much big outside investment is really needed in a world where technology is pushing the cost of especially Internet startups but also to some extent service and even retail startups lower and lower?

Take my own admittedly lean startup, for example. With added outside investment, I could:

Add additional bloggers and additional bandwidth/capacity if necessary to instantly expand the existing PostRanger.com by creating sub-blogs in each of the existing categories already linked to from the main site

Hire an advertising firm or firms to help monetize the site immediately instead of experimenting with Google AdSense, BidVertiser, BidVertiser et al to see what kind of revenue can be generated without additional staff first. (One idea I have is to sell premium links to blogs from posts within each existing category. Any takers?)

Hire a software developer to create a specialized platform for the network adding more of the social media features I had originally envisioned that are so-far not really possible with the off-the-shelf BidVertiser platform I'm currently using.

Am I making a mistake to bootstrap? Would it be better to seek VC funding for a concept that has yet to generate any real revenue? Let's keep this discussion going. Add your two cents below.

Posted by: Shawn Hessinger      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:09:22 GMT

Can You Be Arrested For Using Your Digital Camera?

With terrorist related news being broadcast almost non-stop on TV it's easy to understand why there's an increased alertness towards suspicious activity of any kind.

But what is "suspicious activity", and who decides what should, and shouldn't be allowed.

There have always been locations where photography is prohibited, such as art museums, because electronic flashes can, over a long period of time, harm the paintings, or so I'm told.

Other reasons include copyright infringement, privacy and religious reasons, but now we have situations where threats to security are the reason given.

Since 9/11 I've been hassled twice, once while taking pictures of a particularly attractive courtyard outside a small bank building, and again while on the roof of the New York New York Casino parking garage here in Las Vegas.

The first incident brought out the bank manager, who was extremely nervous and not very eager to get close to me. He showed visible signs of relief when I explained why I was taking the pictures and gave him my business card.

After a few minutes he looked around and agreed that the courtyard was nice and that he had no eye for art. I assured him that when I hit the Lottery I would make a large deposit in his institution.

As for the Casino incident, which yielded the above photo, I was told, by a bicycle riding security guard, that taking pictures of the "towers" was forbidden, due to security reasons. I was then figuratively thrown off the roof.

I'm not a lawyer but my rule of thumb is that if I'm on private property, such as the bank or casino, the owners make the rules. If they say go, I go, because they have the rights to allow or disallow any type of activity on their property, I don't.

Here's a rundown of what's going on in America, England, and a few other places with regards to photography and suspicious activity.

This link takes you to a website that has a listing of photographer's rights in America.

A simple search on Google will bring up photographer's rights in other countries.

Source:www.jimippolito.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:43:07 GMT

Who's Younger?

You see two pictures.
Try to guess who''s the younger one.
My longest run was 40.

(via b3ta) Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:55:47 GMT

Dubai Fashion Star: Designer Rabia Z

I do try to escape my little fashion bubble and explore fashion on a global level and the latest international designer spark my curiosity is, Rabia Z. Winner of the “Emerging Talent” award and the winner of the British Council’s “Young Entrepreneur of the Gulf” award at Dubai Fashion Week, Rabia is revolutionising fashion for the modern Muslim woman. Check out the video for more on this hot designer! Posted by: Michele Obi      Read more     Source

June 23, 2008, 7:53 PM CT

Higher interstate speed limit proves safe

Scientists at Purdue University have determined that raising the speed limit from 65 to 70 on Interstate 65 in Indiana has not increased the probability of fatalities or severe injuries.

"These findings are important because the influence of speed limits on roadway safety has been a subject of continuous debate in the state of Indiana and nationwide," said Fred Mannering, a professor of civil engineering. "Indiana highway-related accidents result in about 900 fatalities and 40,000 injuries annually and place an incredible social and economic burden on the state".

The findings add new fuel to an ongoing debate, with some studies indicating that the benefits of raising the speed limit outweigh potential safety hazards while others suggest just the opposite.

"The safety of raising the speed limit has been a matter of considerable concern in Indiana since the state raised its speed limits on rural interstates and selected multilane highways on July 1, 2005," Mannering said. "Everybody expects that when you increase the speed limit, injuries and the severity of injuries are going to increase, but that hasn't happened on the interstate highway system in Indiana".

Findings are detailed in a research paper presented earlier this year at a meeting of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of science and engineering. The paper, appearing in an upcoming issue of the Transportation Research Record, was written by Mannering and research assistant Nataliya V. Malyshkina......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:05:32 GMT

R Kelly Found Not Guilty

The trial that was 6 years in the making is over, and rapper R. Kelly, has been found not guilty on all 14 charges.

In the end it all came down to whether or not it was in fact R. Kelly and the female in question in the video that was sent, anonymously, to authorities.

Both R. Kelly and the girl in question claimed it was not them in the video and prosecutors were unable to disprove them.

Here's the story on the R. Kelly acquittal.

Source:www.urbanobservation.com Posted by: jim      Read more     Source

June 19, 2008, 9:35 PM CT

system helping police to match tattoos to suspects

A Michigan State University researcher has created an automatic image retrieval system, whereby law enforcement agencies will be able to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims.

In a world filled with homeland security concerns, identity fraud and natural disasters, the need to establish the identity of an individual based on something other than a driver's license or demographic and personal data is vital, as per Anil Jain, MSU University Distinguished Professor of computer science and engineering. "Identity is commonly established using passports, licenses or personal identification numbers, but these are easily forged, lost or stolen."

"There is a very real concern that these types of credentials for identity determination are neither sufficiently reliable nor secure," Jain said. "There is a need to recognize people based on physical characteristics like fingerprints, iris or face. This is the field of biometric recognition where we have been working for the past 15 years".

Biometrics refers to the automatic identification of an individual based on that individual's anatomical or behavioral characteristics. Jain is taking biometric recognition to the next step by adding scar, mark and tattoo recognition capability to the identification tools available to law enforcement, government and military agencies......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

June 19, 2008, 9:00 PM CT

Conventional wisdom wrong about Arab journalists

Since September 11, U.S. politicians have repeatedly reminded us that the journalists in the Arab world are biased against America and the West. Ground-breaking research reported in the July 2008 issue of International Journal of Press/Politics published by SAGE shatters the myths, finding that much of the conventional wisdom about Arab journalists that has shaped U.S. public diplomacy toward the region lacks substance.

To provide a snapshot of journalists' attitudes and to create a benchmark for future studies, the scientists surveyed 601 mainstream professional Arab journalists with the goal of understanding how they view both their profession and the events they cover. The survey comes at a time when Arab media are deep in the throes of change. While still subject to censorship, Arab journalists have growing aspirations for independence fed by their access to more than 300 free-to-air Arab satellite channels and the rise of blogging on the internet.

The study, which was made possible by a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, along with the Howard R. March Foundation and the Center for Middle East and North African Studies at the University of Michigan, profiles Arab and Muslim journalists, exploring their beliefs, values, politics and religious world view. The data suggest there is a sizable bloc of Arab journalists who share the same values often espoused by the United States: political freedom, human rights, and at least some separation of church/mosque and state......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source