EurekAlert! - Business and Economics

SFU cell biologist Lynne Quarmby will address top-flight American high school science students at AAAS conference in Vancouver

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Simon Fraser University) Lynne Quarmby, a Simon Fraser University cell biologist with a passion for promoting science, will deliver a talk to 30-top flight American high school science students and their teachers about the importance of basic science. Quarmby will be the keynote speaker at the Feb. 16 AJAS meeting at SFU Burnaby. It strategically brings together the crème de la crème of young American science students during the AAAS meeting in Vancouver.

New book about fuzzy hierarchical decision modeling from NJIT professor

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(New Jersey Institute of Technology) 'Fuzzy Hierarchical Decision Modeling' by NJIT Associate Professor Michael Khader has been re-issued by Lambert Publishing Company in a soft-bound text. The book, originally published in 2009 by Walden University, focuses on applying decision modeling rooted in fuzzy theory and hierarchical analysis to complex problems in networks' design and acquisition.

Employers feel no love for unscrupulous practice of 'service sweethearting'

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Florida State University) A new study led by two Florida State University marketing professors finds that some frontline service employees who are rewarded for hikes in customer loyalty and satisfaction also may engage in "service sweethearting," a clandestine practice that costs their employers billions of dollars annually in lost revenue.

SFU health scientist joins governor general's roundtable at AAAS

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Simon Fraser University) Kate Tairyan, an SFU health scientist and director of public health at Next Generation University, will use a meeting with Canada's governor general at the AAAS conference to promote the world's first free university.

Molecular profiling reveals differences between primary and recurrent ovarian cancers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(The Clearity Foundation) There is a need to analyze tumor specimens at the time of ovarian cancer recurrence, according to a new study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Researchers used a diagnostic technology called molecular profiling to examine the differences in the molecular characteristics of primary and recurrent ovarian tumors and found significant changes for some biomarkers.

Women & Infants named Center of Excellence for Neonatal Care for sixth year

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Women & Infants Hospital) For the sixth consecutive year, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island has been named a Center of Excellence for Neonatal Care by the Clinical Sciences Institute of OptumHealth, an independent audit company.

Orthopaedic surgery report provides transparency on patient safety, quality initiatives

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine) Patients and health care professionals can learn about this commitment to world-class care and operational transparency in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's recently published "2012 Quality and Outcomes Report," which is now available online as well as in hard copy at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting taking place this week in San Francisco.

Tailor-made search tools for the Web

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) For companies, customer feedback is a matter of strategic importance. Smart apps for the semantic analysis of user opinions from the Web help businesses keep an eye on feedback. Users benefit as well: with the "Eat and Drink" app, the user can quickly learn all about the special features of restaurants, cafes and bars.

From virginity to Viagra

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Sociologists for Women in Society) Americans will spend more than $17 billion on Valentine's Day, but far less on programs like sex education for adolescents. The editors of the new book, "Sex for Life, From Virginity to Viagra, How Sexuality Changes Throughout Our Lives," argue that not only do our public policies on sex education need to be reevaluated, our entire concept of human sexuality needs to be broadened.

High school students test best with 7 hours' rest

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Brigham Young University) New research finds that 16- to 18-year-olds perform better academically when they shave about two hours off what current guidelines prescribe.

Anyone can learn to be more inventive, says UMass Amherst cognitive researcher

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Massachusetts at Amherst) After studying common roadblocks to problem-solving, Anthony McCaffrey has developed a toolkit for enhancing anyone's creativity and inventiveness.

'Dark plasmons' transmit energy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Rice University) Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers at Rice University.

ONR Global taking off for Singapore Air Show 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) The Office of Naval Research Global will be showcasing unmanned systems Feb. 14-19 at the 2012 Singapore Air Show, the largest air show in Asia and one of the top three aerospace and defense events on the global industry calendar. Through its offices in Washington, London, Prague, Tokyo, Singapore and Santiago, ONR Global pursues international partnerships with organizations conducting basic and early applied research to drive execution of long-term strategic efforts.

Navy to build 2 new oceanographic research vessels

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) The Navy awarded $70 million to Dakota Creek Industries Inc. to begin building the second of two modern oceanographic research vessels, the Office of Naval Research announced Feb. 9. The company will begin detail design and construction on Ocean-class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research vessel 28. Naval Sea Systems Command previously awarded a contract for the first of the two ships. The recent award brings the Navy's combined shipbuilding investments in the program to $145 million.

From the University of Houston's Texas Obesity Research Center

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Houston) TORC and the CDC: Recently awarded more than $4 million dollars over four years from the Center for Disease Control, the Texas Obesity Research Center has developed a research group to create a comprehensive evaluation system to examine three childhood obesity programs.

Aid missions get cutting-edge assistance from ONR

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) A Web-based tool suite that helps first responders rapidly coordinate resources during disasters, co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, is being introduced at a University of Connecticut panel Feb. 8-11 as part of a month-long rollout. The Resiliency Assessment and Coordination System tool takes data from United Nations sites and displays it on a map-based diagram showing the locations of various resources, such as food, shelter, sanitation and health supplies and provides a checklist.

US workers are 'giving away the store,' costing firms billions

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Michigan State University) Nearly 70 percent of the nation's service employees give away free goods and services - from hamburgers to cable TV - costing companies billions of dollars a year, according to a groundbreaking study.

Storm warning: Financial tsunami heading this way

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) Dror Kenett and professor Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University recently devised a financial market "seismograph" that can measure the interconnections between stock markets across the globe. Their research has the potential to serve as an early warning system and provide measures to manage and mitigate the spread of financial crisis.

Maryland Commission recommends 'common sense' immigration policy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Maryland) Immigrants to Maryland contribute significantly to the state's economy, and were vital to its workforce expansion in both technical and less-skilled occupations from 2000 to 2010, concludes a new report by a Maryland state commission. During this period, immigrants mostly complemented rather than competed with US-born state residents for jobs, it adds. The Commission, a state panel coordinated by the University of Maryland, evaluated immigrants' economic contributions and the cost of government services for them.

Racial disparities exist in access to kidney transplantation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Wiley-Blackwell) A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that racial disparities exist in both the early and late steps in access to kidney transplantation. This study is part of the February special themed issue of the journal on racial disparity.

'Flipped classroom' teaching model gains an online community

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Harvard University) Researchers at Harvard University have launched the Peer Instruction Network, a new global social network for users of interactive teaching methods. PI, developed by Eric Mazur, Area Dean for Applied Physics and Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is an innovative evidence-based pedagogy designed to improve student engagement and success.

Fresh city tomatoes, any time

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) Why not produce lettuce, beans and tomatoes where most of the consumers are to be found: in the city? The flat roofs of many buildings are well-suited for growing vegetables. Rooftop greenhouses can also make use of a building's waste heat and cleaned waste water.

NFC aid for the visually and hearing impaired

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) As the proportion of senior citizens grows, their special needs are gaining momentum. Human eyesight, for example, weakens with age. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has been developing new NFC-based applications that make life easier for the visually impaired. A group of affected persons recently tested an innovative, speech-based item identification system and new "talking" packaging for medicine and food.

Further support for a role of synaptic proteins in autism spectrum disorders

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Public Library of Science) A new study combines genetic and neurobiological approaches to confirm that synaptic mutations increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It also highlights a role for modifier genes in these disorders.

University of East Anglia research reveals why fishermen keep fishing despite dwindling catches

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of East Anglia) Half of fishermen would not give up their livelihood in the face of drastically declining catches, according to research led by the University of East Anglia.A new report, published by PLoS ONE, challenges previously held notions about poverty and adaptation by investigating why fishermen in developing countries stick with their trade.