Friday, August 31, 2012

'Weird chemistry' by microbe is prime source of ocean methane

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2012) ? Up to 4 percent of the methane on Earth comes from the ocean's oxygen-rich waters, but scientists have been unable to identify the source of this potent greenhouse gas. Now researchers report that they have found the culprit: a bit of "weird chemistry" practiced by the most abundant microbes on the planet.

The findings appear in the journal Science.

The researchers who made the discovery did not set out to explain ocean geochemistry. They were searching for new antibiotics. Their research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, explores an unusual class of potential antibiotic agents, called phosphonates, already in use in agriculture and medicine.

Many microbes produce phosphonates to thwart their competitors. Phosphonates mimic molecules the microbes use, but tend to be more resistant to enzymatic breakdown. The secret of their success is the durability of their carbon-phosphorus bond.

"We're looking at all kinds of antibiotics that have this carbon-phosphorus bond," said University of Illinois microbiology and Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) professor William Metcalf, who led the study with chemistry and IGB professor Wilfred van der Donk. "So we found genes in a microbe that we thought would make an antibiotic. They didn't. They made something different altogether."

The microbe was Nitrosopumilus maritimus, one of the most abundant organisms on the planet and a resident of the oxygen-rich regions of the open ocean. When scanning microbial genomes for promising leads, Benjamin Griffin, a postdoctoral researcher in Metcalf's lab, noticed that N. maritimus had a gene for an enzyme that resembled other enzymes involved in phosphonate biosynthesis. He saw that the microbe also contained genes to make a molecule, called HEP, which is an intermediate in phosphonate biosynthesis.

To determine whether N. maritimus was actually producing a desirable phosphonate antibiotic, chemistry postdoctoral researcher Robert Cicchillo cloned the gene for the mysterious enzyme, expressed it in a bacterium (E. coli), and ramped up production of the enzyme. When the researchers added HEP to the enzyme, the chemical reaction that ensued produced a long sought-after compound, one that could explain the origin of methane in the aerobic ocean.

Scientists had been searching for this compound, methylphosphonic acid, since 2008, when David Karl at the University of Hawaii, Edward DeLong at MIT and their colleagues published an elegant -- yet unproven -- hypothesis to explain how methane was arising in the aerobic ocean. The only microbes known to produce methane are anaerobes, unable to tolerate oxygen. And yet the aerobic ocean is saturated with methane.

To explain this "methane paradox," Karl and DeLong noted that many aerobic marine microbes host an enzyme that can cleave the carbon-phosphorus bond. If that bond were embedded in a molecule with a single carbon atom, methylphosphonic acid, one of the byproducts of this cleavage would be methane. Karl and DeLong even showed that incubation of seawater microbes with methylphosphonic acid led to methane production.

"There was just one problem with this theory," van der Donk said. "Methylphosphonic acid has never been detected in marine ecosystems. And based on known chemical pathways, it was difficult to see how this compound could be made without invoking unusual biochemistry."

Van der Donk's lab conducted further experiments that demonstrated that the N. maritimus was actually synthesizing phosphonic acids.

"The chemical analysis was a Herculean effort," Metcalf said. The microbe is "one-tenth the size of the standard lab rat microbe, E. coli, and grows at much lower cell densities," he said. The team relied on N. maritimus discoverer David Stahl, of the University of Washington, to grow the microbe in culture for their analysis.

"So we grew 100 liters of culture to get a few, maybe 50 or 100 milligrams of cells, of which maybe 1 percent is phosphorus, of which maybe 5 percent is methylphosphonate," Metcalf said.

The experiments indicated that the methylphosphonate was bound to another molecule, likely a sugar attached to the microbe's surface, van der Donk said. When N. maritimus dies, other marine microbes break the carbon-phosphorus bond of the methylphosphonate to gobble up the phosphorus, an element that is rare in the oceans but essential to life. This encounter generates methane.

The biochemistry that allows N. maritimus to produce methylphosphonate is "unprecedented," Metcalf said.

"Organisms that make phosphonates tend to use weird chemistry for all kinds of things," van der Donk said. "But this is very unusual. One of the carbon atoms of the HEP is oxidized by four electrons and the other is turned into a methyl group. I'm not aware of any other cases where that happens."

The new findings will help those modeling the geochemistry of the ocean to understand climate change, Metcalf said.

"We know that about 20 percent of the greenhouse effect comes from methane and 4 percent of that comes from this previously unexplained source," he said. "You have to know where the methane comes from and where it goes to understand what will happen when the system changes."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. W. W. Metcalf, B. M. Griffin, R. M. Cicchillo, J. Gao, S. C. Janga, H. A. Cooke, B. T. Circello, B. S. Evans, W. Martens-Habbena, D. A. Stahl, W. A. van der Donk. Synthesis of Methylphosphonic Acid by Marine Microbes: A Source for Methane in the Aerobic Ocean. Science, 2012; 337 (6098): 1104 DOI: 10.1126/science.1219875

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/AzrDwSPTtO4/120830141341.htm

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Relationship Advice: How To Develop A Realistic ... - Huffington Post

Lyla Cicero | Role/Reboot

1) Act How You Feel (Within Reason): We?ve all been around those couples bickering violently in public or making nasty passive aggressive jabs all the time. When we air our dirty laundry too readily, we make other folks so uncomfortable they may stop hanging out with us. On the other hand, pretending your relationship is flawless is lame too. We all do it at times. We act like everything?s fine when it?s not. We fight in the car and then get out and hold hands all through dinner until we get back in the car and go another round. So how do we strike the right balance?

I find there are ways to be real with people without turning your social gatherings into group couples' therapy. I will often take my husband?s hand and, with a loving glance his way, report that ?We?ve actually been fighting today.? This gives people a heads up that while we are not filing divorce papers tomorrow, our relationship isn?t always smooth. If you are talking to a friend and feeling upset by your partner, tell them that. It?s OK to have weeks, or even months where you are questioning whether you are with the right person, feeling trapped or tempted to cheat, or embroiled in what can feel like never-ending conflict. What a relief it would be to admit to each other what we are feeling, and know that others will understand, and not assume our relationships or ourselves are fatally flawed.

2) Demand Realistic Portrayals of Relationships: When you see relationships presented in an unrealistic light, say so. Wonder aloud why a certain couple feels the need to act like they are madly in love every moment, when after 10 years, we all know that?s unlikely. Comment about how much you?d like to see a film that seems to reflect the ups and downs of your relationship experience, or that covers anything other than the beginning stages. Joke about how amazing it is that on television men and women always seem to orgasm easily and at the exact same time.

3) Normalize Outside Attractions: I have a lot of folks come to see me either feeling horribly guilty that they fantasize about people other than their partner, or horribly offended that their partner looks at other people with sexual interest. The part of our brains that finds other humans sexually and romantically appealing doesn?t die off when we commit to someone. If our goal is monogamy, we need to realize that that is a goal for our behavior, not for our thoughts. It?s not reasonable to ask people to control their thoughts, and I would argue it is actually a bad idea.

Fantasy is natural, and can even be exciting for couples. Hearing your partner?s fantasies can help you see them as a separate and sexual person again, rather than that lame guy who can?t go to bed unless the sink is empty of dishes. Try being open with your partner about your fantasies, celebrity crushes, and even your real-life temptations. This way you can bring them out in the open, joke about them, bring them into the bedroom and role play them, or in some cases possibly decide to open up your relationship. Whatever the boundaries of our relationships, our minds are going to transgress them. This does not mean we don?t love our partners or are dissatisfied in any way. It means that we are human.

4) Talk to People About Sex: I?m currently training to be a sex therapist, and I can?t believe the number of people who talk to me about sex once they find that out. I realize I?m training to help people who have problems, but I have yet to have anyone come to me and report that they are having amazing sex and are totally satisfied. A great many of them tell me about problems and frustrations that they?ve never talked to anyone about, often not even their partners.

We need to stop perpetuating the myth that we all know exactly how to have great sex with a long-term partner year after year, and that we don?t need anyone else?s input. One of the things I love about sex therapy is how easy many sexual problems are to fix. Often they simply stem from lack of information, feeling ashamed about things that are perfectly normal, and/or failing to communicate with our partners. If we all talked about sex, we would not only see that most of us have some room for improvement, but be able to share what?s worked and what hasn?t, saving others and ourselves unnecessary bad sex.

5) Stop Convincing Yourself It Can?t Happen to You: Most relationships end. Almost half of marriages end in divorce. Going into marriage believing that won?t happen to me perpetuates the idea that we are somehow different and that it?s going to be easy for us to do what?s clearly extremely difficult for most of the human population. There is nothing special about you and your partner. You are no more immune to breaking up than anyone else. We all need to start seeing ourselves as vulnerable, rather than exceptional. Some may say this is pessimistic or unromantic, but going into a long-term partnership believing in the fantasy that we are special and it?s not going to be difficult may be setting us up for defeat. I believe most couples come to points where they consider separating, whether they do or not. If we are expecting this, we will be more able to weather that storm.

6) Expect to Work Hard: The fantasy that if we are with the perfect person, our relationship will be easy, and that everything in our lives will fall into place is actually damaging to our chances of sticking out a long-term partnership. If we expect to feel known and understood, attractive and attracted, to never be lonely, to never look at anyone else, to never have doubts, and for our partners to magically make our lives emotionally full and logistically easy, we are in for a rude awakening. Personally, I?d rather be a partner to someone with slightly lower expectations than that. I believe that in relationships, we are doomed to fail each other in some ways no matter what. That is the nature of human relationships, because it is the nature of human beings. We are imperfect. But if we expect a flawed partner and flawed partnership, it?s a lot easier to manage the disappointment when those flaws become apparent than if we have been expecting ?happily ever after? to be literal.

This article was originally published on Role/Reboot.

More from Role/Reboot:

The Friday Five

My Breakup Ritual

Being A Pro-Choice Advocate Does Not Make Me A Proponent Of Death

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/relationship-advice-love_n_1844189.html

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Hip-hop mogul's death in NYC ruled a suicide

FILE - This Feb. 28, 2007 file photo shows hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty in his office in New York. Lightly died of an apparent gunshot wound on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 at his home in the Bronx borough of New York. He was 44. Lighty was the man behind rap?s leading figures, helping them not only attain hit records, but lucrative careers outside of music. He had been a part of the rap scene for decades, working with pioneers like LL Cool J, KRS-One before starting his own management company, Violator. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper, file)

FILE - This Feb. 28, 2007 file photo shows hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty in his office in New York. Lightly died of an apparent gunshot wound on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 at his home in the Bronx borough of New York. He was 44. Lighty was the man behind rap?s leading figures, helping them not only attain hit records, but lucrative careers outside of music. He had been a part of the rap scene for decades, working with pioneers like LL Cool J, KRS-One before starting his own management company, Violator. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper, file)

(AP) ? The New York City medical examiner's office has ruled the death of hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty a suicide.

The 44-year-old manager of Mariah Carey, Sean "Diddy" Combs and 50 Cent was found dead in his Bronx apartment Thursday with a gunshot wound to the head. A 9 mm handgun was found in the apartment.

The medical examiner's office said Friday that Lighty died from a self-inflicted wound.

Lighty had been a major player in the industry for decades, working with pioneers like LL Cool J before starting his own management company, Violator.

Lighty and his wife, Veronica, had been in the process of divorcing and he was also having financial trouble, according to court records.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-08-31-Hip-Hop%20Mogul%20Dead/id-5ec9f40c2e0745ce97da19387f16ebcf

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Domestic MOMents: Pet Shop Outing

I am always trying to think of activities to keep the craziness and boredom?to a minimum.? We go to the park, take a walk, visit the zoo or other indoor play areas, and the library.? There is plenty to do here to keep us busy, but sometimes I look for new things to do, as well.

I got the idea from a toy fish aquarium that Jack has at Grandma's house.? He loved to just stare at it, so I thought I would take him to see some real fish - at the pet store!? Since we were on vacation, Daddy was home to stay with Nolan, which was nice not to have to keep an eye on two crazies.

We went to see the fish, but we were in for a treat!? It was like a domestic petting zoo.? We saw some kitties that were hoping to be adopted, watched ferrets and guinea pigs, held a rat, watched mice tumble with each other, watched an iguana get rescued after he had escaped from his cage, and of course, looked at the fish. There were so many different kinds, sizes, and colors.? Petco even takes in fish if their owners can no longer take care of them!??There is?a special room just for the birds. Jack like to go in alone, so independent.? There was so much to see!

I had never thought to take an outing to the pet store, as we don't have pets.? (Maybe this isn't such a strange outing for most people, but we went here with no intention other than to see what we could see.)? I wouldn't mind getting a fish tank for the boys, but?I have no interest in other pets.? I already have two animals at home!? This was such a fun trip - like the zoo, only contained, and no hot sun beating down on you.

What off the beaten path outings do you think would be fun?

Source: http://domesticmom-ents.blogspot.com/2012/08/pet-shop-outing.html

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TechKnowledgeIt: 50GB free Dropbox service confirmed for Samsung Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera http://t.co/VDhdbI2B #tki

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Source: http://twitter.com/TechKnowledgeIt/statuses/241380917942317057

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Norway: World's First LNG Powered Cargo Ship ... - LNG World News

World's First LNG Powered Cargo Ship Launched

The ship was called ?a world sensation? when it entered into service recently. Why? It is the world?s first natural gas-powered cargo ship!

The ship naming ceremony of MS ?H?ydal? took place at the BioMar quay at in Vester?len in Nordland county, Northern Norway.

?You have today received a worldwide sensation to your village,? said the godmother Erna Solberg, who is leader of the conservative party in Norway. ?MS ?H?ydal? manifests the desire to do something new and to be in front. Local capital and local forces behind have dared to take new steps.?

Reduces emissions dramatically

MS ?H?ydal? runs on liquefied natural gas, known as LNG, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides and CO2 significantly. The freighter will carry commercial fish feedstock from the BioMar factory at Myre in Vester?len to fish farms along the Norwegian coast.

MS ?H?ydal? has already been operating along the coast for a month. The newbuilding cost was about NOK 200 million.

About the ship

The ship is owned by the company NSK Shipping AS, who is a key transport partner of BioMar. BioMar started a cooperation with ship designer NSK Design Ltd three years ago. The goal was to develop a new and environmentally friendly ship design for transportation of fish feedstock. Apparently they have succeeded.

The approximately 70 meters long and 16 meters wide ship was built by the Turkish shipyard Tersan in Istanbul. It is classified by the Norwegian Veritas, DNV.

MS ?H?ydal has a capacity of 2,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. On board there is a crane with 50 ton lifting capacity.

The LNG fuel tank is approximately 90 cubic meters ? sufficient for one week?s operation. Rolls Royce has provided LNG engines and the ship propulsion system. The ship?s speed is 14 knots.

The new ship represents 90 percent reduction in NOx emissions and 25 percent reduction in CO2 compared to conventional diesel.

?The Norwegian coast is vulnerable. Natural gas powered cargo ships reduce emissions of greenhouse gases significantly and show the way forward for both transport and aquaculture. In addition it eliminates the risk of contamination from heavy fuel oil by accident. The whole concept of larger vessels, better maneuverability and gas fuel is an important contribution from BioMar to the develop aquaculture in the right direction with a prime focus on sustainability,? says sales director Per Kristian Nordoy, BioMar.


LNG World News Staff, August 30, 2012; Image: NSK Shipping AS

?

Source: http://www.lngworldnews.com/norway-worlds-first-lng-powered-cargo-ship-launched/

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Boy discovers a bonanza in whale vomit

Daily Echo via BNPS.co.uk

Eight-year-old Charlie Naysmith shows off the piece of ambergris he found on the beach at Hengistbury Head on the coast of southern England.

By Alan Boyle

An 8-year-old boy in England could be up to $63,000 richer, thanks to a piece of solidified whale vomit he picked up on the beach. The chunk may look like a yellow-brownish rock, but it's actually a primo piece of ambergris, an expensive perfume ingredient that is, um, spewed out by whales.

Charlie Naysmith stumbled upon the loaf-sized lump at Hengistbury Head, on the southern coast of England, the Bournemouth Echo reported over the weekend.

As far as Charlie was concerned, it was just a seaside curiosity.?But after doing some research, he and his family determined that the curious lump could be worth somewhere between??10,000 and ?40,000 ($15,850 to $63,350).


"We have discovered it is quite rare and are waiting for some more information from marine biology experts," the boy's father, Alex, told the Echo.

Charlie is reportedly thinking about using the money to build a house for animals. But first, he and his parents might want to get that expert opinion. It turns out that the ambergris trade can get pretty sticky.

'Floating Gold'
Ambergris is a waxy, bile-like substance that builds up in the intestines of sperm whales, apparently to ease the passage of hard material such as squid beaks through a whale's digestive tract. It's often characterized as whale vomit, and although that's fine as a family-friendly description, the stuff is more widely thought to come out of the whale's back end rather than its front end.

Fresh ambergris smells like fresh whale poop, but after a long period of seasoning and hardening in the ocean, it takes on a more delicate odor. It's been variously compared to the aroma of tobacco, the scent of an old wooden church, the fragrance of seaweed, or the smell of rubbing alcohol without the pungency.

"The problem with trying to describe the smell of ambergris is that it really only smells like ambergris," Christopher Kemp, a biologist and neuroscientist who's written a book about the substance, told Bloomberg Businessweek's Eric Spitznagel.

The title of Kemp's book? "Floating Gold."

The scent of ambergris is what makes it so valuable. The substance has been used as an incense, fragrance, flavoring, remedy or aphrodisiac in many cultures, going back to ancient Egypt and China. Herman Melville devoted a whole chapter of "Moby Dick" (Chapter 92) to a discussion of ambergris and how highly prized it was in 19th-century society. "Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale!" Melville wrote.

More recently, ambergris?? or ambrein, a compound extracted from ambergris?? has been used as a fixative or fragrance amplifier rather than the main ingredient in perfumes. Ambergris' selling price has been quoted at $10 to $50 per gram, depending on the quality of the specimen. (The Echo estimates that the lump found at Hengistbury Head weighs about 600 grams, which suggests that Charlie shouldn't count on building a $63,000 house for his animals.)

Underground trade
The bad news is that the trade in ambergris isn't what it used to be, in large part due to the endangered status of sperm whales. By some accounts, it's illegal to sell the stuff in many jurisdictions, including the United States. There are some traders who dispute that interpretation of anti-whaling laws, but the stigma has driven perfume companies to look for plant-based substitutes such as labdanum,?or synthetic scents such as?Ambrox. (University of British Columbia researchers reported earlier this year that a balsam-fir gene may provide a path to cheaper ambergris-like compounds.)

Maybe it's the whiff of illegality, or maybe it's just that the stuff is so expensive ? but for whatever reason, there's a clandestine character to the modern-day ambergris market. One of the subjects Kemp interviewed for his book is a full-time dealer on New Zealand's North Island, named Adrienne Beuse. Last year, she was involved in a huge ambergris deal that probably saw hundreds of thousands of dollars change hands. "It was a lot of money ? that's all I can say," one of the sellers said.

The way Beuse tells it, New Zealand's choicest hunting grounds for ambergris are ruled by a gang of aggressive collectors and traders ? a gang that doesn't shy away from violence to defend their turf.?"They're called the Beach Mafia up here," Kemp quotes Beuse as saying. "They claim a proprietary interest in the beach. They are defending, I guess in their minds, their territory. And it's worth a lot of money. If a piece worth $50,000 washes up, they don't want anyone else to find it."

It sounds as if Charlie is lucky to live in southern England rather than northern New Zealand. But he better watch his back.

More about whales:


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.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/29/13552161-boy-finds-a-bonanza-in-whale-vomit?lite

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Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budget-minded 4G

Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budgetminded 4G

Canadians have had fairly limited options for LTE-based 4G if they didn't want to turn to the three main carrier brands: they could go to a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile, and that's it. While there isn't a truly independent LTE carrier yet, Rogers' lower-cost Fido label has just taken its promised LTE access live to at least offer some competition among the smaller names in the field. Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John's, Toronto and Vancouver can immediately hop on the network at speeds of up to 100Mbps. Bring-your-own-device users don't have to pay a premium to get the faster speeds, although there's currently little choice in hardware if you want to buy straight from the source: the lone LTE device on offer is Sierra Wireless' AirCard 763S hotspot, which costs $50 on a two-year contract. The flexible rate data-only plan also isn't the greatest deal, starting at $22 for a gone-in-five-minutes 100MB per month to $92 for 9GB. All the same, light data users in the True North will be glad to know they don't have to be relegated to 3G to save a few dollars.

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Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budget-minded 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/fido-switches-on-lte-for-canadians/

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eBay Bans Sale of "Metaphysical Goods" [EBay]

Starting today, warlocks and witches the world over will have to find a more hospitable hosting platform for their black magic business: eBay has had enough. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/iBXFok_Vs7o/sell-your-black-magic-elsewhere-says-ebay

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How to Find Air Conditioning Companies in Houston TX











Want to locate air conditioning specialists in Houston? There are things you have to seek to assist ensure a great experience. It isn't really solely about rate. Plenty times the cheapest one from the start ends up costing you most at the end of the day. You need to consider the quality of their work and the air conditioning products that they are installing (or repairing), to ensure their are no unknown fees, and to obtain an ensured and fixed price for the job prior to starting.

Quality of Service - attempt and find a business that is possessed and operated by a family members, much like yours. There and numerous, locate one you can rely on. Plenty have actually been in the business for 10 - 15 years and are carried out to offering their clients satisfaction. Try to find companies with experience, Ask forreferencesand make sure there are specialists in what you need, whether it is a domestic air conditioning installment or a commercial air condition installment. If you are installing a heating unit, the same questions would apply. In regards to replacements, make certain they thoroughly explain the medical diagnosis prior to they make any installments or repairs. Quality HVAC specialists need their specialists to attend training courses each week to discover brand-new abilities and in fact pay them to learn ways to serve you better; this way, everybody wins. Lots of top a/cprofessionals make their workers where expert uniforms and medication test their technicians as a safety precaution. Quality of Products - Be certain thatthe company you choose installs quality Air conditioning and heating products. The fact is, there are business who will price the job aggressively to get the job, and then complete the job with the absolute most competitive material and labor expense so they can delight in the greatest return possible. This will certainly cost you so much more in the long run. Make sure they use only high quality, long enduring parts, and that they are set up in the most professional manner. Quality HVAC companies want your repeat business legitimately. They look for beneficial referrals as it accounts for a wonderful part of their business. No Hidden Fees - Avoid business that charge extra for overtime. Although they might need to work some odd and late hours to ensure that our customers' systems are repaired in a prompt manner, they did no account for this in advance. You shouldn't need to drop comfort for quality. Professional air conditioning and heating business will even work around your timetable. Ensured Price - After diagnosing your system, make sure the air conditioning or heating specialist supplies you a fixed, guaranteed rate for the replacement or installment. Do not permit any sort of "shocks" or "hidden costs". Reputation - make sure they belong to companies and seek reviews. Do they actively participate in conferences, trade programs, and additional educational events? Do they give back to the community? This could be important to you, it shows that their track record and morals matter. Do they support regional charities? Offer senior citizens a markdown on their services? Just how about discounts for those that have bravely served in the armed forces?

Now sure it isn't really possible to learn every thing about the business, but a little research pays a lot in the long run.

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Genetic test to identify wildcats

With claims big cats are stalking the countryside, researchers are developing a DNA test to identify Scotland's pure-bred wildcats.

There have been questions whether sightings of "big cats" might be wildcats or feral domestic cats.

But researchers at the University of Chester want to find a gene test to distinguish wildcats from hybrids cross-bred with domestic cats.

The study wants to protect the pure-bred wildcats from extinction.

Geneticists at the university want to find a DNA test to define whether a cat is a pure-bred wildcat, which can be up to 4ft (1.22m) long.

'The last stand'

Senior lecturer in biology, Paul O'Donoghue, believes there might be fewer than 100 Scottish wildcats surviving in the wild - with their future threatened by inter-breeding with runaway domestic cats.

"This is the last stand of a bit of wilderness," said Dr O'Donoghue.

The Scottish wildcat was now much rarer than the black rhino, he said.

Sightings of these animals, much bigger and stockier than domestic cats, were becoming less frequent - and a breeding programme was urgently needed to prevent them from completely disappearing, Dr O'Donoghue added.

Dr O'Donoghue has been working with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to try to establish how many pure wildcats still exist, either in captivity or the wild.

The DNA samples used to identify a "true" wildcat include a Victorian specimen kept in the British Museum - providing a sample with 63,000 genetic markers.

Dr O'Donoghue says that these 19th Century wildcats show the size and power of this species - saying that they were as different from a domestic cat as a wolf from a dog.

There have been repeated claims of sightings of "big cats" in the UK - with summer headlines made this week by claims a lion had been spotted in Essex.

Stephen Harris, professor of environmental sciences at Bristol University, suggested that rather than escaped big cats or wildcats, the creatures being spotted might be domestic cats that have gone feral.

Prof Harris told BBC Radio 4's Today programme feral cats could grow to be "surprisingly large".

"There are some quite big feral cats out there," he said.

In Australia, Prof Harris said, there had been feral cats shot weighing 40lbs (18kgs) and 5ft 9in (1.7m) long.

Dr O'Donoghue said the "Essex lion", which had been described as tawny, could not be a wildcat, which had grey and black stripes.

The precarious rarity of wildcats might also count against the likelihood of such a sighting - and Dr O'Donoghue says "time is rapidly running out for them".

He says he wants the research to help prevent "one of Britain's most incredible, iconic animals from disappearing from the face of the earth".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19411647#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Buying A Property Before School Is In Session? | Downtown Boulder ...

by westfall on August 29, 2012

It is that time of year again. ? According to the WSJ article, ?Biggest back to school purchase a new home?? homebuyers are active and hoping to close before the new school year. ? This is definitely true is the local Boulder Real Estate market, not to mention the investor activity in neighborhoods adjacent to the University Of Colorado-Boulder.

Read more

Patrick Westfall

At Downtown Boulder Real Estate, I have created a flexible, innovative, and independent boutique real estate firm. It is understood that you possess the technological resources to explore the Boulder real estate market from anywhere on the planet. As your real estate advisor, I am highly motivated to assist you with this exploration. I possess the knowledge and tools to execute our plan from a laptop computer, iPhone, or your kitchen table. Using this approach, I have devised an exciting and successful strategy to navigate the real estate landscape and achieve my clients? investment goals.

Source: http://downtownboulderrealestate.com/uncategorized/buying-a-property-before-school-is-in-session/

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

HarrisonColl: Great piece on Harrison College in the #Dayton OH area. http://t.co/p7LcBXJC

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://twitter.com/HarrisonColl/statuses/241228866503467008

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Finding the right home improvement resources | Home improvement ...

Renovating your home is commonly regarded as one of life?s most stressful experiences. It?s ranked right up there with death and moving. But unlike death, renovating provides no opportunity for rest.

Whether you?re embarking on a full-blown home renovation, or simply making a few minor improvements here and there, finding the right home improvement resources is half the battle. Such resource companies like Bookmarc can help.

Recently, I had an epiphany. It came in the middle of my morning ablutions- washing my face, drying my hair, getting myself in a presentable state for the day of professional commitments that lay ahead. I was struck by the incongruity of my situation- scrubbing myself to polished perfection in a bathroom lousy with mould and mildew, lit with a soviet area fluorescent bulb. ?This is not right? I said to myself.

I decided at that moment that I was going to make some improvements to my bathroom. new tiles, new light fittings, new tub. But, ye gads, where to start? Where was I to go to find the right home improvement resources?

One of the most valuable things you can do before you start knocking out walls and getting your hands dirty is taking the time to research your products. If you plan on tackling a few different areas- kitchen and lounge, for instance- you may find yourself on a merry go round of not so merry frustration- driving here, there and everywhere to chase different suppliers, leaving messages with 50 different people from 50 different companies- the tap people, the floor people, the lighting people.

There are online resources that feature comprehensive lists of all the best suppliers in any given category- be it structural elements, facades, or sun control systems. I found this an invaluable tool to get all the information I needed to take my bathroom from a dank, uninviting space to a room I looked forward to being in.

To fond out more about how you can locate all the right home improvement resources, visit www.bookmarc.com.au

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Tags: Home Improvement, renovation

Source: http://thentodust.com/finding-home-improvement-resources/

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DP World profits rise 1.5 percent in first half

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? Dubai-based port operator DP World said Wednesday that profit rose 1.5 percent in the first half of the year as the slumping world economy slowed cargo traffic.

The results are far more modest than in previous years that have seen double-digit profit, but company officials said they were able to show growth by concentrating on fast-growing markets in Asia, Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.

DP World's chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem called it a "challenging period" in which economic troubles in the West have been somewhat offset by expanding cargo and port operations in Asia and other markets.

"DP World continues to focus on building or enhancing leading positions in markets which are faster growing or where infrastructure is insufficient to meet the needs of its customers," he said.

The world's third-biggest seaport operator said pre-tax profit rose to $310 million for the six-month period ending June 30, compared with $306 million for the same period last year. Revenue rose 1.8 percent to $1.529 billion for the period, compared with $1.502 billion for the first half of 2011.

Earlier this month, it reported a 7.5 percent rise in gross container volumes for the first half of 2012, led by traffic in the Asia-Pacific region. DP World officials have declined to comment on reports from Yemen that authorities canceled its contract at Aden port.

DP World is part of Dubai's troubled Dubai World conglomerate, but it was excluded from its parent's massive debt restructuring.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dp-world-profits-rise-1-5-percent-first-053015556--finance.html

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Rubio: Both parties need to improve with Hispanics - KansasCity.com

The Associated Press

Updated: 2012-08-29T12:11:51Z

Sen. Marco Rubio says both political parties need to do more to address the needs of Hispanic Americans.

The Florida Republican was reacting to comments from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who said the array of Hispanic speakers at the GOP convention isn't enough for Mitt Romney to woo Latino voters.Rubio, who will formally introduce Romney before he accepts the GOP presidential nomination, says Republicans can't just be the anti-illegal immigration party, they have to be the "pro legal immigration party."He tells ABC's "Good Morning America" there are problems with Obama's decision to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Romney has promised to change that strategy but has not specified how.Polls have shown Romney struggling to gain traction with Latino voters.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/29/3784674/rubio-both-parties-need-to-improve.html

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Cueto wins ML-best 17th, Reds top Diamondbacks 5-2

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Cincinnati Reds' Ryan Hanigan hits a two-run single in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen makes the throw to second for the out on Arizona Diamondbacks' Ryan WHeeler in the fifth of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ryan Wheeler, left, tags out Cincinnati Reds' Johnny Cueto trying to bunt for a hit in the eighth inning during a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Matt Lindstrom throws in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP) ? Johnny Cueto leads the majors in wins and has his sights set even higher.

Cueto scattered four hits over seven innings for his 17th victory and the Cincinnati Reds beat the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Tuesday night.

"All I can promise is to try and keep going because I want to win 20 games," Cueto said through a translator. "I felt better as the game went on. I was able to gather more strength and continue."

Cueto (17-4) gave up two runs, struck out one and walked five for his eighth victory in nine decisions. The right-hander lowered his NL-leading ERA to 2.48.

"He's feeling it every time he goes out there," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Ryan Hanigan hit a two-run single and Todd Frazier added a two-run triple for the Reds, who won for the third time in four games and stretched their lead in the NL Central to seven games over St. Louis.

Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth and Aroldis Chapman closed it out for his 33rd save and 25th straight, tied with Texas reliever Joe Nathan for the longest active streak in the majors.

Wade Miley (14-9) allowed three runs and seven hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out five for the Diamondbacks, who have lost five straight and seven of nine.

"The first couple of innings everything was up," Miley said. "I was able to make the adjustment, but it didn't work out."

Arizona opened a 1-0 lead in the first when Gerardo Parra doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jason Kubel.

But the Reds rallied in the second and flipped the momentum with a long at-bat.

Frazier led off the inning with a single and Miley got ahead of Scott Rolen 1-2. Rolen then fouled off two pitches, took a ball, fouled off two more, took a third ball and fouled off five pitches in a row before drawing a 15-pitch walk.

"I'd have rather singled on the first pitch," Rolen said.

Baker thought the battle affected Arizona's rookie left-hander.

"That took a whole inning out of him," Baker said. "Foul off a pitch, foul off a pitch ? he was trying everything. That takes a lot out of a pitcher."

Chris Heisey singled to load the bases and Frazier scored on a wild pitch before Hanigan lined a two-run single to center for a 3-1 lead.

John McDonald reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a double to left by Parra in the fifth to pull the Diamondbacks to 3-2.

Frazier tripled home Brandon Phillips and Ryan Ludwick in the eighth against Matt Lindstrom, who was making his Arizona debut after being traded from Baltimore for Joe Saunders on Sunday.

"We were just up the one run so that little cushion was helpful," Frazier said.

NOTES: Phillips stole second in the eighth, his 11th stolen base in 12 attempts. ... Miley needed 54 pitches to get through the first two innings but threw only 53 over his final five. ... Reds RHP Mat Latos (10-4) will look to bounce back from a rough outing when he pitches Wednesday against LHP Patrick Corbin (5-5). Latos allowed seven runs and nine hits Friday against St. Louis for his first loss since July 18. Corbin will be the third straight rookie the Diamondbacks send to the mound.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-29-Reds-Diamondbacks/id-8f575ae332da41a0b34780227223ab94

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Samsung unveils voice-controlled camera

BERLIN (AP) ? Samsung has unveiled a voice-controlled camera as part of a fall lineup of consumer gadgets aimed at setting itself apart from rival Apple.

The South Korean electronics giant presented the 16-megapixel Galaxy Camera at the IFA tech show in Berlin on Wednesday.

It comes days after Samsung suffered a costly defeat in a patent dispute with Apple in the United States.

Samsung's Galaxy Camera runs Google's popular Android operating system, giving it features previously restricted to smartphones or tablet computers such as photo organizing, photo sharing and voice-control.

The company also announced two new phones, the Galaxy Note II and the ATIV S running Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

Samsung says the devices will be available in many countries from the end of October.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-unveils-voice-controlled-camera-194309047--finance.html

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Using Fertilizer Wisely Could Help Feed 9 Billion People

News | Energy & Sustainability

Farmers in the U.S. and China should use less fertilizer, freeing it up for application where such nutrients can do the most good

Can the world's existing farmlands provide enough crops to satisfy the hunger of the nine billion people?up from seven billion currently?that demographers predict will be living on the planet by the mid-21st century? Or will more and more forests and other ecosystems have to be cleared to feed all the extra mouths? A new study, published in Nature on August 30, suggests that increasing deforestation could be avoided provided farmers made better use of water and nutrients on land currently under cultivation around the globe. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.)

The central premise of the new analysis is that intensifying agriculture where it already exists is the key to preserving a balance between farming and forests. To do that, the researchers from McGill University in Montreal and the University of Minnesota (U.M.) analyzed the so-called yield gap. That's the difference between what the highest yielding farm or area within a given region can produce?for example, corn?compared with what the average yield is. The difference between this best-practice farm and the average farm is the yield gap.

The researchers then employed national and regional agricultural data from outfits such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fertilizer Industry Association to determine the root causes of these yield gaps. Simply by improving fertilizer application and irrigation, the researchers find that global yields of corn, wheat and rice?the three main staple crops?could be increased by 64 percent, 71 percent and 47 percent, respectively.

"We are not claiming to diagnose the exact management practices needed on any particular plot of land," explains research fellow Nathan Mueller, who led the study from the U.M.'s Institute on the Environment, because local factors such as soils and weather can play an important role. Instead, the goal is to identify what practices might help close yield gaps at the regional or even global level and highlight those areas most in need of intervention.

That list includes the U.S. Great Plains and China, where more fertilizer is used than is strictly necessary. For example, American farmers apply so much fertilizer on Midwestern corn fields that much of it ends up running off, ending up in the Mississippi River and, ultimately, reaching the Gulf of Mexico. There the copious fertilizer fuels a bloom of algae and other microscopic plants that then die. Microbes that consume the dead plants also use all the oxygen available in surrounding waters, creating a vast "dead zone" that is devoid of sea life?an unfortunate side effect of the demand for more maize.

Lessening fertilizer use in the U.S. and China would free up nutrients to be applied to fields in eastern Europe and western Africa with no detriment to American or Chinese people. As it stands, the researchers estimate that some 11 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizer and five million metric tons of phosphate could be saved annually at present without diminishing current yields. Those savings then could be applied to underachieving areas.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d5b4a8d2323add2ebeeeeff6646060e5

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Types Of Online Advertising You Should Know | Online Business ...

?

If you wish to exhaust your chance for success in the internet business, it is important that you get into online advertising. With the competition as stiff as it is, there?s a call for extra measures to level the playing field. As everyone else runs ads, why don?t you do your own? Here, let?s enumerate six of the most popular types of online advertising and how they are done. Hopefully, you?ll have a clearer idea of what would work best for you after reading the article.

Businesses online also have directories. Some of them offer free listing while others are for a fee. Getting listed on either can help promote your business. Just make sure you got the right location and information so people who go to you are only those who truly need your product or service.

Banner ads are ads which look like banners on online business websites. They are long and catchy. Some of them even blink. They are one of the first kinds of online advertisement and they continue to be used till now. When you click on a banner ad, you will be directed to the site of the business which placed the ad. There you will learn more about the product or service. If the landing page is convincing enough, then a purchase might soon take place.

Display ads is one of the most popular types of online advertising utilized today. They are somewhat similar with banner ads in the sense that they are placed on different sites, but display ads come in various shapes and sizes. They can also be in the form of static images or flash videos.

Floating Ads. Ever wondered why at times, when you visit a site, a sort of announcement pops out and obscures the webpage you are trying to check? It continues to ?float? unless you wait some 30 seconds or click on the ?x? icon. Once you do this, you can then view the page clearly. When you hit ?refresh? though, the ad will appear again. This is called a floating ad. Floating ads are very catchy that?s why some entrepreneurs think that they are one of the best online advertising techniques that every business must utilize.

Takeover ads are what they say they are?they take the site over. Usually, a huge ad is displayed at the landing page of the site. Then, the same message of the ad can be seen throughout in the forms of buttons, side bars, or banners. They can be quite effective in branding because visitors will have no choice but read the message repeatedly. Click-through rates are usually high when you have takeover ads.

Unicast ads are ads which have audio and video elements in them. They are said to be effective because they run very much like TV commercials. They only differ because unicast ads are run on browser windows and can be clicked on for further information.

These are the most popular types of online advertising. If you have an internet marketing business or you intend to start one, these ideas can help you market it effectively. Give them a thought and weigh which ones would deliver the results you want.

Source: http://online-biz-articles.com/types-of-online-advertising-you-should-know/

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Source: http://griffeexyluke.typepad.com/blog/2012/08/types-of-online-advertising-you-should-know-online-business.html

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5 big banks have given $10.6B in homeowner relief

(AP) ? Five of the biggest U.S. lenders have provided $10.6 billion in relief under a landmark settlement over foreclosure abuses, including reducing struggling homeowners' mortgage balances by $1.3 billion.

The monitor overseeing the $25 billion settlement says the banks provided the relief in the first four months of the three-year program. In his first progress report, Joseph Smith Jr. disclosed Wednesday that $8.7 billion of the $10.6 billion in relief was in the form of short sales, in which lenders agree to accept less than what the seller owes on the mortgage.

Lenders are increasingly favoring short sales rather than waiting for troubled loans to go through the foreclosure process.

Bank of America Corp., which is required by the settlement to provide the largest portion of the relief, $8.6 billion, hadn't completed any modifications of first-lien mortgages or refinancings as of June 30, according to the report.

Smith's report covers the period from March 1 through June 30.

Bank of America said, however, that from July 1 through Aug. 21, it completed $596.2 million in modifications of first-lien mortgages and $227.2 million in refinancings. It also noted it has taken on $5.8 billion in short sales and completed $1.7 billion of second-lien modifications.

"We believe we will reach or exceed all program targets" within the first year, said Dan Frahm spokesman for Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America. "We continue working to reach eligible borrowers with these programs to prevent foreclosure, help our customers save money and support the recovery of the housing market."

The other four banks, and the amount of relief they are obligated to provide, are Wells Fargo & Co., $4.3 billion; JPMorgan Chase & Co., $4.2 billion; Citigroup Inc., $1.8 billion; and Ally Financial Inc., $200 million. They also will pay about $5.5 billion to the U.S. and state governments.

The settlement between the banks and the federal government and 49 states was struck in February, ending a painful chapter of the financial crisis when home values sank and millions edged toward foreclosure. Many companies had processed foreclosures without verifying documents.

The agreement will reduce mortgage loans for only a fraction of those Americans who owe more than their homes are worth. About 11 million households are underwater, and the settlement is expected to help about a million of them.

Of the $1.3 billion in reduced mortgage principal, according to Smith's report, Bank of America had provided $54.2 million as of June 30; JPMorgan, $428.2 million; Citigroup, $429.5 million; Ally, $168.8 million; and Wells Fargo, $249.3 million.

"More hard work remains as the banks work to meet their obligations," Smith said in a statement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-08-29-Mortgage%20Settlement-Relief/id-202c5a757bb74acfa2d67471e5422832

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The construction industry is in crisis

Before becoming an MP, I spent 30 years in construction, working for some big players in the industry before setting up my own business in Fife in 1986. At the time, the industry had its challenges, but the succession of grim news over the course of the recession really has given me pause for thought and made me wonder if I would have succeeded in similar circumstances today.

Over recent months, poor performance in construction has been obvious in almost every major statistical release from the ONS. Last week?s GDP figures confirmed of contraction of close to 5% in the construction industry and no or anaemic growth going back to every quarter since mid-2010.

And in Scotland, the numbers are even more eye-watering. While some sectors have performed modestly over the past year, construction has seen a 7.3% reduction. For an industry that employs around 6% of all people in work in Scotland, this decline has a devastating effect.

And the signs are that there is little chance of an improvement any time soon. While there have been sparks of life in the industry, with announcements of a few major construction projects in Scotland over the past few weeks, the signs all point to a continued slowdown. Yesterday, the quarterly report from the Scottish Building Federation reported a further drop in industry confidence and only 5% of businesses saying that they are more confident about the prospects for the next year than the previous one.

Much of the continued crisis in the construction industry has its roots in the slowdown in large scale, privately funded projects. However, there is much that Governments at both Holyrood and Westminster could be doing.

At Holyrood, the glacial pace of the Scottish Government?s reform agenda for procurement is holding up one valuable source of business for building companies. While Alex Salmond has repeatedly pointed to ?shovel ready projects? and complained about lack of support from the UK Government for capital spending, it seems that his own administration at Holyrood are doing little to ease the way for firms to bid for public contracts.

63% of construction firms surveyed by the Scottish Building Federation with a turnover of less than ?2m said they had submitted no pre-qualification questionnaires for public procurement in the past three years. Many also said they were put off from applying for public projects due to the high costs associated with application. It?s little wonder that firms choose not to apply for this work when the average success rate for application is only 3%. The Scottish Government also needs to make sure it?s doing everything it can to attract SMEs ? including ensure that there are contract appropriate for every size of business.

The UK Government has also stymied the sector with the continued difficulty for developers to access finance for new construction projects. As Ed Balls and others have pointed out, banks need to start lending to small and medium sized enterprises again in order to get the economy moving.

Finally, political decisions in Scotland have very directly impacted on the construction sector. When around 40% of the industry?s business comes from housing, the Scottish government?s decision to take ?100m out of the housing budget couldn?t have helped the sector at this time.

What?s needed from both Governments ? at Holyrood and Westminster ? is recognition that the fortunes of our economy are tied to the fortunes of our construction industry. The woeful GDP figures from recent months could have been remedied with stronger performance in construction. After all, not only is construction a massive industry in its own right. It?s also the industry that keeps other sectors in business through new offices, warehouses, roads and rail.

But at its roots, this economic crisis continues to be a crisis of demand. If the Government can?t provide us all ? consumers and builders alike ? with the reassurance we need about future economic performance, then further slumps in our construction sector are inevitable.

Gordon Banks MP is a Shadow Minister for Scotland

Source: http://labourlist.org/2012/08/the-construction-industry-is-in-crisis/

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How to disable Notification Center banners, popups, badges, and sounds on your iPhone and iPad

How to customize Notification Center alerts on your iPhone and iPad

Notification Center alerts you to everything that's happening on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using a combination of banners, popups, badges, and sounds/vibrations. That's great if it's something really important like an alarm, appointment, or message. But when every app and game on your iPhone starts blinking, beeping, and buzzing at you, and lighting up your Lock screen, notification quickly turns into interruption. When everything is urgent, nothing is. Luckily, Notification Center also lets you turn off those banners, popups, badges, and sounds on an app-by-app basis, so you get to decide what's important enough to get your attention. That's right, serenity -- and sanity! -- can be yours again in just a few simple steps.

Note: iOS 6, coming this September, will feature a new Do Not Disturb mode, allowing you to turn off all notifications for specified periods, like overnight. Until then, however, it's an all-or-nothing switch.

How to disable Lock screen alerts Notification Center

If your iPhone or iPad is sitting the table and an alert comes in, having the Lock screen light up and show it to you can be a great way to make sure you don't miss that important appointment or message. Having your Lock screen light up for every app or game you've installed, however, can be more than annoying. Even if you're not paranoid about battery life, having to look over and visually sort important alerts from unimportant one can be a constant source of interruption. Here's how to turn off the Lock screen alerts you don't need or want.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to View in Lock Screen and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off icon badges

That's it. Even if the app gets an alert, it will no longer light up your Lock screen to tell you. Repeat this process with any other apps you want to disable Lock screen alerts for.

How to disable banners and pop-up alerts in Notification Center

Banners roll down from the top of your Home screen to alert you to an incoming notification, and then roll back up again. They're mostly non-interuptive (and would be totally non-interuptive if Apple would stop them covering buttons at the top of the screen!), and fairly unobtrusive. They're great for email, social network messages, game challenges, etc. because if you choose to, you can ignore them and keep on doing what you're doing. Popups are in your face. They're great for alarms and appointments, when you want something to burst onto the screen and stop you from doing anything else until you choose to either act on them, or dismiss them. But what about when you don't want to be bothered by notifications of either type, at all?

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on Notifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down and tap on the app you want to change or disable.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Alert Style and tap on None.
  7. iPhone NC turn off banners and alerts

That's it. You'll no longer see banners or class pop-up alerts for that app. Repeat this process with any other apps you want to disable banners or popups for.

How to disable app icon badges in Notification Center

App icon badges are the little red circles that show up next to any app icon that has notifications waiting for you to view. They're handy for message apps so you can keep track of how many emails, tweets, IMs, etc. you have waiting for you, or todo apps so you can see how many tasks you have left to accomplish. But for apps you don't check regularly, they can add up, and then just sit there, staring at you. And since you can't "mark all as read", if you're the least bit obsessive about keeping your Home screen clean, they can be maddening. In those cases, it's best to just turn badges off completely.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Badge App Icon and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off icon badges

How to disable sounds and vibrations in Notification Center

Nothing is more embarrassing than trying to have a conversation while your iPhone or iPad is beeping, buzzing, or otherwise attracting all the wrong kinds of attention. (Looking at you, Game Center!) Likewise, trying to sleep while your device constantly going off within each shot is not conducive to a good night's rest. For most of us, noise is an incredibly good way to get our attention, but that means we want to be really selective about which apps are allowed to make that noise and get our attention. Regardless the reason, or the app, you do have the option to disable them completely.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Sounds and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off sounds

That specific app will no longer play notification sounds but you'll still receive any alerts or banners as well as badge app icons as long as you have those options enabled.

Note: Some built-in apps like Mail and Messages, and built-in services like Twitter won't have a disable sounds option in Notification Center, but rather put them under Sounds. (It would be nice if Apple put them all in one place, or even duplicated them in Notification Center for consistency.)



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/W4-fhM1Wxlc/story01.htm

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