The most widely adopted measure for assessing the state of the world's oceans and fisheries led to inaccurate conclusions in nearly half the ecosystems where it was applied. The new analysis was performed by an international team of fisheries scientists, and is reported in this week's issue of the journal Nature. "Applied to individual ecosystems it's like flipping a coin; half the time you get the right answer and half the time you get the wrong answer," said Trevor Branch, a University of Washington (UW) aquatic and fisheries scientist. "Monitoring all the fish ...

Approximately 13 million metric tons of rare earth elements (REE) exist within known deposits in the United States, according to the first-ever nationwide estimate of these elements by the U.S. Geological Survey. This estimate of domestic rare earth deposits is part of a larger report that includes a review of global sources for REE, information on known deposits that might provide domestic sources of REE in the future, and geologic information crucial for studies of the availability of REE to U.S. industry. The report describes significant deposits of REE in 14 states, ...

By tracking the fate of a group of immature cells that persist in the adult brain and spinal cord, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered in mice that these cells undergo dramatic changes in ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A study reported November 17 online in Neuron shows that these cells, called NG2+, grow and expand rapidly during early life, eventually morphing into mature nervous system cells called oligodendrocytes. These "oligos" help speed the transmission of electrical impulses by providing insulation around nerve cells. This insulation, known as myelin, ...

A better understanding of how we use acoustic cues to stress new information and put old information in the background may help computer programmers produce more realistic-sounding speech. Dr. Michael Wagner, a researcher in McGill's Department of Linguistics, has compared the way French- and English-speakers evaluate poetry, as a way of finding evidence for a systematic difference in how the two languages use these cues. "Voice synthesis has become quite impressive in terms of the pronunciation of individual words," Wagner explained. "But when a computer 'speaks,' whole ...

New York, NY, November 18, 2010—A new 11-country survey from The Commonwealth Fund finds that adults in the United States are far more likely than those in 10 other industrialized nations to go without health care because of costs, have trouble paying medical bills, encounter high medical bills even when insured, and have disputes with their insurers or discover insurance wouldn't pay as they expected. According to the report, the findings highlight the need for Affordable Care Act reforms that will ensure access to health care, protect people from medical debt, and simplify ...

Villeroy & Boch now offers its innovative SupraFix fastening system throughout the U.S. marketplace. SupraFix, a patent-pending system, sets new standards for wall-mounted WC installation by simplifying the process of attaching both the Water Closet (WC) and the WC seat. "SupraFix changes everything. Conventional fastening holes are no longer required so unsightly plastic covers are a thing of the past," said Constantin von Boch, national sales manager for the Villeroy & Boch brand. "In addition, a valuable feature of SupraFix is an uninterrupted design which makes ...

The growth of the green building market will drive adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, according to a new Market Report, Building Information Modeling is Contributing to Green Design and Construction, released by MCIPE Constructors & Professional Engineers. The report provides new insights on the convergence of two important construction industry trends: green building and BIM, known simply as "Green BIM." "Green building is already transforming design and construction in the United States, and BIM has the potential to increase innovation---and ...

SunPods will return to participate as alumni in the CleantTech National Awards Gala on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - an event recognized as the "Academy Awards of Cleantech". A fully assembled, factory-built SunPods solar array will be featured outside of the event venue to showcase the technology that reduces installation of ground mount solar installations by up to 90 percent. The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund, and foster the big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. Following a valued placement in ...

Kick off your holiday season at Salon Oasis, while you and your friends enjoy glamorous fun with delicious appetizers from Blue Martini, drinks from Hpnotiq and music by Cat Shell. Come check out the latest in holiday fashion by Intrigue Couture, hair and make-up trend by Salon Oasis and enjoy the sounds of Cat Shell, singer/songwriter (catshellmusic.com). Prizes galore to be given away at the end of the evening, and the first 200 guests receive a free swag bag filled with glam goodies! At 8 pm head over to Blue Martini at Town Center Mall for the continuation of ...

Around 250 lots of fine clocks, estate jewelry and other small items that would make excellent holiday presents will be sold in an online-only auction slated to end Friday, Dec. 10, by Gordon S. Converse & Co. The auction is already online and all lots may be viewed at the website AuctionsatConverse.com, with a hyperlink to LiveAuctioneers.com. "If payment is received promptly there will be no trouble shipping in time for the holidays," said Gordon Converse of Gordon S. Converse & Co. "The jewelry includes many affordable precious and semi-precious mounted pins, pendants, ...

BrightStar Franchising, LLC, a full-service healthcare staffing agency that provides medical and non-medical homecare to private clients within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staff to corporate clients, announces the appointment of JD Sun as Executive Vice President of Franchise Development. Sun, who co-founded BrightStar with his wife, Shelly, and most recently played an integral role building sales in company-owned markets, launching franchise sales efforts and leading the company's rebranding efforts to drive franchisee performance, will now lead ...

Brooklyn Stone Boutique is turning Black Friday PINK, Hot Pink to be exact! Then we are going to celebrate NYC's first "Small Business Saturday", which is a nationwide initiative to motivate shoppers to patronize locally owned, independent businesses during Thanksgiving weekend. Brooklyn Stone Boutique's PINK Friday will consist of store wide sales, coupons, and free gifts! The Small Business Saturday celebration will offer customers door prizes, promotions, coupons and free gifts! Shop and celebrate with us in style. Support local businesses, enhance your wardrobe, ...

Boulder-based Metzger Associates and SCBG Advertising in Las Vegas have partnered to develop a national digital marketing program for AIMIS, the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery. AIMIS, the nation's preeminent educator of minimally invasive surgical techniques, has tapped the two firms to implement a comprehensive national communications initiative that will include traditional PR, social media management (including podcasts, social media engagement, and other social media strategies), member website development, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, ...

Resort Maps, creator of more than 100 customized travel maps across the United States, England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, recently announced Craig Caldwell as the new owner of the Dennis-Harwich-Brewster Resort Maps franchise. The Harwich, Mass. resident took over the Dennis-Harwich-Brewster, MA Resort Map from Gerry Pelissier last month. Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of towns and cities, distributed free to area visitors at travel information and rest areas as well at advertiser locations. The Dennis-Harwich-Brewster map highlights local attractions and ...

CCRA Travel Solutions - a leading provider of business-related solutions for the travel professional - is pleased to report a 48% yr/yr increase in hotel room nights booked through the CCRATravel.com agent portal through August 2010. During the same period, GDS hotel reservations went up just over 26%, according to the August 2010 issue of The Pegasus View. CCRA attributes the increase in portal hotel bookings to the introduction of two new, travel agent programs that were made available to registered agents at the end of 2009: CCRA Cash Rewards and the popular 15% COMMISSION/ ...

Inlet Technologies, the leader in innovative solutions for digital media preparation, today announced it has been selected as company of the year in the category of small technology companies in the 2010 North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) 21 Awards. Winners were recognized at the annual awards gala on Wednesday, November 10th. The NCTA 21 Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in North Carolina. This annual showcase honors companies and individuals in 21 categories who represent the best and brightest in technology and business. Wednesday's award adds to ...

Think-a-lot Toys is proud to be a part of the Hyatt Resort's Toy Box, powered by TOY TIPS program, where guests of all ages can enjoy TOY TIPS tested toys from an extensive lending library. Think-a-lot Toys' StoryPlay Cards is one of the games included in this exclusive program. Each toy in the program undergoes stringent testing by Toy Tips Research Institute, an organization who provides independent reviews to ensure that each toy meets specific criteria including; level of activity, skill development and age appropriateness. StoryPlay Cards is a versatile deck ...

Wisconsinmade.com, an e-commerce gift store, is pleased to announce that Germanson Arts, LLC, of Waunakee, Wisconsin, has joined our artisan group. Wisconsinmade.com carefully selects only the finest-quality products made in Wisconsin and offers them for sale on the Internet. "We are delighted to present University of Wisconsin themed artwork from Germanson Arts to our shoppers this holiday season. Badger fans nation-wide will enjoy displaying Tom Germanson's household items," said Linda Remeschatis, owner of Wisconsinmade.com. About Germanson Arts, LLC: Customer ...

Topnotch industry veterans rarely extend anything for free. But Technical Operations, Inc (Tech-Ops) is setting a new trend. An Emmy winner for Engineering Management, Tech Ops is a full-service broadcast engineering company that specializes in audio and video maintenance, broadcast operations, and multimedia services. Located in Midtown Manhattan, Tech Ops has been in business for 16 years, serving a wide-range of clientele such as financial corporations, media companies, law firms, houses of worship and educational institutions. As a year-end special, Tech Ops is offering ...

Winnipeg, Manitoba website builder, Paul Douglas is hard at work designing websites and a new website has been launched to help Winnipeg business owners dominate their marketplace. The website, http://winnipegwebsitebuilders.com, shares information and resources to help local Winnipeg business owners develop their online presence and promote their business online. "Our goal with this website is to give website visitors access to a variety of information and resources related to finding and choosing the best way to promote their website in Winnipeg, Manitoba" said the ...

Room It Up has appointed Larry Lucas as the first recipient of it's annual Sales Rep of the year award. Atlanta based Larry Lucas has been representing the Room It Up line since 2006. "We appreciate Larry's hard work and the level of service both he, and his sales reps, provide to our customers. We are excited to give him this award to show our appreciation," says Room It Up Sales Director, Fred Schmidt. Larry Lucas is a longtime veteran in the gift and apparel industries with a career spanning over 40 years. He has been the president of the sales rep group ...

Just in time for the holidays, KEF, the renowned manufacturer of innovative, reference-quality loudspeakers, is now shipping its complete range of new T Series flat panel speakers. The KEF T Series is designed to complement today's stylish flat panel televisions and offer serious audiophile quality sound from exceptionally thin speakers. Recently recognized as an International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree, the KEF T Series is one of the world's thinnest high performance home theater and flat panel audio systems. The T Series combines two landmark ...

Canonical, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, announced today the signing of several significant partnerships following the release last month of Ubuntu 10.10. Boxed Ice, Opsview, Riptano, Unoware, Vladster, Wavemaker and Zend all joined as Canonical Software Partners, their applications delivering solutions for business and personal use, and supported by commercial companies providing the highest level of service. Canonical Software Partners work closely with the development teams who deliver Ubuntu, and thus ensure that installation and operation are of the highest ...

Since its launch in 2005 Outsource magazine has been a market-leading independent publication dedicated to the outsourcing industry, giving buyers, vendors and advisors the very best information at the right time. Outsource magazine provides the news, analysis and insight that keeps outsourcing professionals informed about the key events and developing trends from around the globe and across the outsourcing space. Outsource Magazine is proud to be the official partner magazine of the UK's National Outsourcing Association (NOA) and partners with organizations including the ...

Celerant Technology, a leader in the retail software industry, completed integration with GunBroker.com, the world's largest online auction of firearms and accessories. The seamless integration with this highly reputable auction shopping site allows dealers to more efficiently submit their firearms and accessories in a streamlined process, directly from their inventory within their Command Retail software. "In addition to the many functions we have incorporated into our system for the firearm industry, including electronic A&D Books and serialized reporting within the ...