So you've got a shiny new iPhone 5, but you're already sick of the default "water ripple" wallpaper, and those old iPhone 4 wallpapers are too small. The web may not be teeming with iPhone 5-sized wallpapers yet, but here's where you can find one that suits your tastes?and how to crop one for yourself.
A lot of folks have already put together wallpapers for the iPhone 5, there just aren't as many as there are for other phones yet. A few searches brought up the following galleries, which already have quite a few iPhone 5-centric wallpapers:
Remember that some of these sites may contain NSFW images buried in the galleries, so be careful of that as you browse.
Of course, if none of those wallpapers suit you, you can always just make your own by cropping a desktop wallpaper down to iPhone size. Find a wallpaper you like and follow these steps:
Open your wallpaper in an image editor like the GIMP, Paint.NET, or even Preview on the Mac.
Crop the image to 1136x640.
Save the wallpaper and transfer it to your phone via Dropbox or email.
Set your new wallpaper in Settings > Wallpaper.
That's it! For more iPhone goodness, check out our guide to customizing your iPhone inside and out.
Well what do you know, it?s National Dog Week. I know August 26th is National Dog Day, that little factoid is emblazoned in my memory, but I didn?t realize that the fourth week of September is Dog Week and has been for 84 years. In a funny little coincidence, the mother is born on Dog Day and the daughter is born during Dog Week. Clearly this is in our blood.
I am so pleased that I will be spending the next two days in the company of animal lovers from around the world at the ACES International Conference in San Diego. I hope I bring back some fantastic stories. And in honor of the occasion, here?s 5 awesome ways you can celebrate this most auspicious of weeks.
1. Teach Your Dog a New Trick
No, it doesn?t have to be THIS fancy. Brody still doesn?t know ?shake?.
2. Take some toys/blankets/food to your local shelter
They always need them! Happy pups are more adoptable, and giving them appropriate stimulation is a big part of that.
3. Foster a pup in need
This is a great way to help a pet without making the lifelong commitment to taking them into the fold (although many people do!) Many dogs that do poorly in a shelter environment blossom under the one on one advantages of living in a home, and foster parents can proudly know they have helped make a special pet that much more adoptable. Petfinder has a great article about fostering pets.
4. Make your dog a special treat
I made EIGHT special treats yesterday, not because I suddenly felt the need to spend seven hours in the kitchen but because I was filming a series of Pawcurious favorites for Pet World Insider. Brody and Koa reaped the benefits and will for the rest of the week. Bronuts and cupcakes and jerky and turbacons and oh, how they were happy.
Dr. V and Robert Semrow from Pet World Insider whip up a Dog Week Celebration Buffet.
5. Take your dog for a walk.
Isn?t it great that this one simple act is enough for your dog to be happy? But if you want to go extra fancy, you can celebrate National Dog Week and National Rollerskating Week (it?s that too!) at the same time and go rollerjoring. Oh, yeah. Seriously, you need to watch this person fly:
On second thought, helmetless = closed head injury waiting to happen. Maybe canicross would be a better choice.
Virginia Schools Set Example for Concussion Education and Monitoring
When Ellie Wallace got hit in the head playing lacrosse, she did not tell anyone.
Wallace displayed typical symptoms of concussion after that first blow, according to her mother, who thought her daughter just had a bad case of spring allergies. Wallace was extremely groggy and experienced headaches and mood changes.
Two days passed before she approached her trainer, during which she received a second accidental blow to the head off the field. The trainer was particularly worried about her upon hearing that she had been hit not once, but twice. After a cognition test, she was referred to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) clinic.
Virginia Law Targets High School Head Injuries
A Virginia State Law that went into effect on July 1, 2011 seeks to change the way school coaches and athletes treat head injuries. The law requires both coaches and students to go through training on how to identify a concussion. The law has limitations, though, as it only regulates school-sponsored activities and does not require any statewide reporting.
Virginia County Goes Above and Beyond
The limitations of the law, however, have not kept Chesterfield schools from launching their own surveillance system. They reported not only the number of concussions that occurred during the 2011-2012 school year, but also broke them down into season:
Fall: 124 concussions (109 of which were football related)
Winter: 22 concussions
Spring: 34 concussions
Numbers like these can help to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and also identify areas that need improved monitoring and additional education.
Chesterfield has taken the emphasis on concussion prevention and treatment very seriously and has placed certified athletic trainers in every one of the high schools in the county.
The initiative shown by these measures truly gives hope to the idea that the culture of sports can change, this upcoming generation of athletes and coaches will take concussion seriously and that they will recognize it as a traumatic brain injury.
Taking the Time to Heal
Wallace had to give her brain time to rest. For four days she could not read, write, watch TV, text, play electronic games or exercise. She could not go to school. This cognitive rest was followed by weeks of physical therapy to gradually incorporate exercise, TV, computer work, texting and sports back into her life. She initially could only handle half-days at school, but after a few weeks she was able to return full time and was eventually cleared to play school sports.
Wallace was fortunate that her head injury healed. Each TBI is unique and people?s reactions to them can vary greatly. Still, her life had to revolve around the healing process for months, taking her energies away from schoolwork and her life as a normal teenager.
The Virginia law and the efforts by school systems such as Chesterfield aim at catching concussions early so that they can be treated. The earlier they are caught, the better the prognosis for recovery.
Contact Us
Traumatic brain injury can be life altering and expensive. If you or someone you love has had a TBI, please contact us immediately as you may be eligible for compensation. We provide a free consultation during which we will discuss your legal options.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 at 5:25 pm and is filed under Brain and Spinal Injuries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The drought of 2012, which continues to spread westward, is making its mark on the national consciousness in many ways. Rising food prices. Interrupted livelihoods. Fields of stunted, desiccated crops.
All of this dryness has resonance in our video culture. Just go to YouTube and look at the proliferation of public service announcements on water conservation. Making one of these seems to be the school project du jour lately. But in this array there are some standouts, like Oklahoma City?s recent offering, above, or this one from students at Kennesaw State University.
Often, contributions to the art form show someone cavalierly overusing water in the sink or shower and are supplemented by statistics about the amount of water wasted every year. One variant features water wardens ? like ?Saturday Night Live? comedians Horatio Sanz and Rachel Dratch ? dropping in on the bathrooms and kitchens of unsuspecting water spendthrifts.
Cute toddlers are enlisted for a French offering and another from Malaysia. Others incorporate music ? pitting Pachelbel?s Canon (a tragic tone, evoking water waste) against ?I Don?t Want to Lose Your Love Tonight? (an upbeat tone, for greener water habits).
The water skits on ?Sesame Street? include a video in which an animated fish?s pond is drained as a little boy runs the tap while brushing his teeth. Then there?s the sadistic approach, in which profligate users face retaliation from a garden hose and a miniature poodle.
School competitions to develop these public service announcements are common in the United States and in places like Singapore, where water scarcity has led to a national program for recycling water. Competitors tend to cast toothbrushes and faucets in leading roles. Toilets can be harder to work with tastefully, but it?s not impossible (see here and here).
Some entries have the cadence of biblical commandments (?I should not take more than five minutes to shower?). But given that they were produced by primary schools, they might be excused for being a bit didactic. A few Australian offerings are a little more free-form.
Then there?s this production from the guys at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, who seized on an instantly recognizable cultural meme and ran with it. They should enter this in some contest.
Every EV needs juice, but GE likes to dispense it in style, and it's sticking to that mantra with its new, wall-mounted version of the WattStation. The weather-resistant charging point has been launched in Europe, and is available for your home or business in a buffet of custom colors. The WattStation Wall plays nicely with type 1 / 2 plugs and type 2 / 3 sockets under the supervision of GE's smartphone app for monitoring usage and remote charging. A networked version is also due in early 2013 for businesses that want greater control and billing options through the WattStation Connect platform. The PR mentions it supports connections common to Europe, USA and Japan, so we assume it'll also be sticking to walls outside the Continent before too long. If you're not sold on the design, maybe the saving on garage floor space will persuade you -- unless you're set on a Hiriko, of course.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2012) ? The frozen cap of the Arctic Ocean appears to have reached its annual summertime minimum extent and broken a new record low on Sept. 16, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has reported. Analysis of satellite data by NASA and the NASA-supported NSIDC at the University of Colorado in Boulder showed that the sea ice extent shrunk to 1.32 million square miles (3.41 million square kilometers).
The new record minimum measures almost 300,000 square miles less than the previous lowest extent in the satellite record, set in mid-September 2007, of 1.61 million square miles (4.17 million square kilometers). For comparison, the state of Texas measures around 268,600 square miles.
NSIDC cautioned that, although Sept. 16 seems to be the annual minimum, there's still time for winds to change and compact the ice floes, potentially reducing the sea ice extent further. NASA and NSIDC will release a complete analysis of the 2012 melt season next month, once all data for September are available.
Arctic sea ice cover naturally grows during the dark Arctic winters and retreats when the sun re-appears in the spring. But the sea ice minimum summertime extent, which is normally reached in September, has been decreasing over the last three decades as Arctic ocean and air temperatures have increased. This year's minimum extent is approximately half the size of the average extent from 1979 to 2000. This year's minimum extent also marks the first time Arctic sea ice has dipped below 4 million square kilometers.
"Climate models have predicted a retreat of the Arctic sea ice; but the actual retreat has proven to be much more rapid than the predictions," said Claire Parkinson, a climate scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "There continues to be considerable inter-annual variability in the sea ice cover, but the long-term retreat is quite apparent."
The thickness of the ice cover is also in decline.
"The core of the ice cap is the perennial ice, which normally survived the summer because it was so thick," said Joey Comiso, senior scientist with NASA Goddard. "But because it's been thinning year after year, it has now become vulnerable to melt."
The disappearing older ice gets replaced in winter with thinner seasonal ice that usually melts completely in the summer.
This year, a powerful cyclone formed off the coast of Alaska and moved on Aug. 5 to the center of the Arctic Ocean, where it churned the weakened ice cover for several days. The storm cut off a large section of sea ice north of the Chukchi Sea and pushed it south to warmer waters that made it melt entirely. It also broke vast extensions of ice into smaller pieces more likely to melt.
"The storm definitely seems to have played a role in this year's unusually large retreat of the ice," Parkinson said. "But that exact same storm, had it occurred decades ago when the ice was thicker and more extensive, likely wouldn't have had as prominent an impact, because the ice wasn't as vulnerable then as it is now."
NASA scientists derive 2012 sea ice concentration data from microwave instruments aboard Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites. The wind data in the visualization is from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.
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CU mathematicians show how shallow water may help explain tsunami powerPublic release date: 18-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mark Ablowitz mark.ablowitz@colorado.edu 303-492-5502 University of Colorado at Boulder
While wave watching is a favorite pastime of beachgoers, few notice what is happening in the shallowest water. A closer look by two University of Colorado Boulder applied mathematicians has led to the discovery of interacting X- and Y-shaped ocean waves that may help explain why some tsunamis are able to wreak so much havoc.
Professor Mark Ablowitz and doctoral student Douglas Baldwin repeatedly observed such wave interactions in ankle-deep water at both Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, and Venice Beach, Calif., in the Pacific Ocean -- interactions that were thought to be very rare but which actually happen every day near low tide. There they saw single, straight waves interacting with each other to form X- and Y-shaped waves as well as more complex wave structures, all predicted by mathematical equations, said Ablowitz.
When most ocean waves collide, the "interaction height" is the sum of the incoming wave heights, said Baldwin. "But the wave heights that we saw from such interactions were much taller, indicating that they are what we call nonlinear," he said.
Satellite observations of the 2011 tsunami generated by the devastating earthquake that struck Japan indicate there was an X-shaped wave created by the merger of two large waves. "This significantly increased the destructive power of the event," said Ablowitz. "If the interaction had happened at a much greater distance from shore, the devastation could have been even worse as the amplitude could have been even larger. Not every tsunami is strengthened by interacting waves, but when they do intersect there can be a powerful multiplier because of the nonlinearity."
Ablowitz first observed the nonlinear wave action in 2009 while visiting Nuevo Vallarta just north of Puerto Vallarta with his family. He took hundreds of photographs and videos of the peculiar waves over the next several years.
"Unlike most new physics, you can see these interactions without expensive equipment or years of training," said Ablowitz. "A person just needs to go to a flat beach, preferably near a jetty, within a few hours of low tide and know what to look for."
A paper on the subject by Ablowitz and Baldwin was published this month in the journal Physical Review E.
Baldwin, who is studying under Ablowitz, wanted to go the extra mile to verify that the wave interactions observed by his professor were not unique to one beach. In this case he drove more than 1,000 miles to the Los Angeles area "on a whim" to search for the types of waves Ablowitz had observed in Mexico. He hit the jackpot at Venice Beach.
"I don't think there is anything more enjoyable in science than discovering something by chance, predicting something you haven't seen, and then actually seeing what you predicted," said Baldwin.
###
To see photos and videos of the wave interactions visit http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/nl-waves.html and http://www.markablowitz.com/line-solitons.
Contact:
Mark Ablowitz, 303-492-5502
Mark.Ablowitz@colorado.edu
Douglas Baldwin
Douglas.Baldwin@colorado.edu
Douglas256@gmail.com
Jim Scott, CU media relations, 303-492-3114
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CU mathematicians show how shallow water may help explain tsunami powerPublic release date: 18-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mark Ablowitz mark.ablowitz@colorado.edu 303-492-5502 University of Colorado at Boulder
While wave watching is a favorite pastime of beachgoers, few notice what is happening in the shallowest water. A closer look by two University of Colorado Boulder applied mathematicians has led to the discovery of interacting X- and Y-shaped ocean waves that may help explain why some tsunamis are able to wreak so much havoc.
Professor Mark Ablowitz and doctoral student Douglas Baldwin repeatedly observed such wave interactions in ankle-deep water at both Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, and Venice Beach, Calif., in the Pacific Ocean -- interactions that were thought to be very rare but which actually happen every day near low tide. There they saw single, straight waves interacting with each other to form X- and Y-shaped waves as well as more complex wave structures, all predicted by mathematical equations, said Ablowitz.
When most ocean waves collide, the "interaction height" is the sum of the incoming wave heights, said Baldwin. "But the wave heights that we saw from such interactions were much taller, indicating that they are what we call nonlinear," he said.
Satellite observations of the 2011 tsunami generated by the devastating earthquake that struck Japan indicate there was an X-shaped wave created by the merger of two large waves. "This significantly increased the destructive power of the event," said Ablowitz. "If the interaction had happened at a much greater distance from shore, the devastation could have been even worse as the amplitude could have been even larger. Not every tsunami is strengthened by interacting waves, but when they do intersect there can be a powerful multiplier because of the nonlinearity."
Ablowitz first observed the nonlinear wave action in 2009 while visiting Nuevo Vallarta just north of Puerto Vallarta with his family. He took hundreds of photographs and videos of the peculiar waves over the next several years.
"Unlike most new physics, you can see these interactions without expensive equipment or years of training," said Ablowitz. "A person just needs to go to a flat beach, preferably near a jetty, within a few hours of low tide and know what to look for."
A paper on the subject by Ablowitz and Baldwin was published this month in the journal Physical Review E.
Baldwin, who is studying under Ablowitz, wanted to go the extra mile to verify that the wave interactions observed by his professor were not unique to one beach. In this case he drove more than 1,000 miles to the Los Angeles area "on a whim" to search for the types of waves Ablowitz had observed in Mexico. He hit the jackpot at Venice Beach.
"I don't think there is anything more enjoyable in science than discovering something by chance, predicting something you haven't seen, and then actually seeing what you predicted," said Baldwin.
###
To see photos and videos of the wave interactions visit http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/nl-waves.html and http://www.markablowitz.com/line-solitons.
Contact:
Mark Ablowitz, 303-492-5502
Mark.Ablowitz@colorado.edu
Douglas Baldwin
Douglas.Baldwin@colorado.edu
Douglas256@gmail.com
Jim Scott, CU media relations, 303-492-3114
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The September 19 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Seidio ACTIVE Case for Samsung Galaxy Note. The Seidio ACTIVE Case provides great shock and impact absorption while adding minimal bulk to your Samsung Galaxy Note. This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. Comes in black, blue, red, purple and white.
The Seidio ACTIVE Case is available for just $16.00, 47% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has enacted a law aimed at protecting a unique species of dolphins that live in the country's Amazon rivers.
The new legislation bans fishing freshwater pink dolphins and declares the species a national treasure.
At a ceremony along the shores of the Ibare river, President Morales called on the armed forces to protect the habitats of the pink dolphins
The species is threatened by erosion, pollution and logging in the Amazon.
The Bolivian pink dolphin, whose scientific name is Inia boliviensis, is similar to mammals found in neighbouring Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.
Male Bolivian freshwater pink dolphins can weigh up to 200kg (440 pounds).
An appendix to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (Cites) says the species is vulnerable because of overfishing in the Amazon basin.
But it says the main threat is the contamination of rivers in the region by mercury, used in illegal gold mining operations.
Contact: Tracey Peake tracey_peake@ncsu.edu 919-515-6142 North Carolina State University
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free (ABF) and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers.
Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, assistant professor of population health and pathobiology, had previously found that antibiotic-resistant C. coli, a leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., was present in both ABF-certified and conventionally raised pigs. The pathogen was present in both groups in all facilities from breeding to processing. Thakur wanted to determine whether the C. coli that he found in each group was genetically the same, in order to see if the presence or absence of antimicrobial usage had an effect on the pathogen's genetic makeup.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens like C. coli is a concern for the food animal industry. Some pig farms have switched to raising ABF pigs in an attempt to get away from the conditions that facilitated antibiotic resistance in the first place. The hope is that once the selection pressure in the form of antimicrobial use on C. coli to retain antibiotic resistance decreases, the pathogen will lose its resistance.
Over several years, Thakur and Ph.D. student Macarena Quintana-Hayashi collected thousands of samples from pigs and their surrounding environments, and performed a genetic analysis on 200 representative isolates of C. coli, to see if these strains were similar. They found that the Campylobacter populations in the two swine production systems (conventional and ABF) were in fact the same. Since the different pig populations never came into contact, the researchers concluded that the environment must be playing a large role in the continuing survival of antibiotic-resistant C. coli.
Thakur's findings appear online in PLoS One.
"In the case of ABF pigs, the environment plays an important role in their exposure to these resistant strains," Thakur says. "If the environment itself, and not the pig, is serving as a reservoir for C. coli, then we will most probably continue to find resistant bacterial populations, regardless of a producer's antimicrobial use."
###
Note to editors: Abstract follows.
"Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals Common Antimicrobial Resistant Campylobacter coli Population in Antimicrobial-Free (ABF) and Commercial Swine Systems"
Authors: Macarena P. Quintana-Hayashi, Siddhartha Thakur, North Carolina State University
Published: PLOS One
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare the population biology of antimicrobial resistant (AR) Campylobacter coli isolated from swine reared in the conventional and antimicrobial-free (ABF) swine production systems at farm, slaughter and environment. A total of 200 C. coli isolates selected from fecal, environmental, and carcass samples of ABF (n = 100) and conventional (n = 100) swine production systems were typed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Sequence data from seven housekeeping genes was analyzed for the identification of allelic profiles, sequence types (STs) and clonal complex determination. Phylogenetic trees were generated to establish the relationships between the genotyped isolates. A total of 51 STs were detected including two novel alleles (glnA 424 and glyA 464) and 14 novel STs reported for the first time. The majority of the C. coli isolates belonged to ST-854 (ABF: 31, conventional: 17), and were grouped in clonal complex ST-828 (ABF: 68%, conventional: 66%). The mean genetic diversity (H) for the ABF (0.3963+/20.0806) and conventional (0.4655+/20.0714) systems were similar. The index of association (IsA) for the ABF (IsA= 0.1513) and conventional (IsA= 0.0991) C. coli populations were close to linkage equilibrium, indicative of a freely recombining population. Identical STs were detected between the pigs and their environment both at farm and slaughter. A minimum spanning tree revealed the close clustering of C. coli STs that originated from swine and carcass with those from the environment. In conclusion, our study reveals a genotypic diverse C. coli population that shares a common ancestry in the conventional and ABF swine production systems. This could potentially explain the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistant C. coli in the ABF system in the absence of antimicrobial selection pressure.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Tracey Peake tracey_peake@ncsu.edu 919-515-6142 North Carolina State University
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free (ABF) and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers.
Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, assistant professor of population health and pathobiology, had previously found that antibiotic-resistant C. coli, a leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., was present in both ABF-certified and conventionally raised pigs. The pathogen was present in both groups in all facilities from breeding to processing. Thakur wanted to determine whether the C. coli that he found in each group was genetically the same, in order to see if the presence or absence of antimicrobial usage had an effect on the pathogen's genetic makeup.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens like C. coli is a concern for the food animal industry. Some pig farms have switched to raising ABF pigs in an attempt to get away from the conditions that facilitated antibiotic resistance in the first place. The hope is that once the selection pressure in the form of antimicrobial use on C. coli to retain antibiotic resistance decreases, the pathogen will lose its resistance.
Over several years, Thakur and Ph.D. student Macarena Quintana-Hayashi collected thousands of samples from pigs and their surrounding environments, and performed a genetic analysis on 200 representative isolates of C. coli, to see if these strains were similar. They found that the Campylobacter populations in the two swine production systems (conventional and ABF) were in fact the same. Since the different pig populations never came into contact, the researchers concluded that the environment must be playing a large role in the continuing survival of antibiotic-resistant C. coli.
Thakur's findings appear online in PLoS One.
"In the case of ABF pigs, the environment plays an important role in their exposure to these resistant strains," Thakur says. "If the environment itself, and not the pig, is serving as a reservoir for C. coli, then we will most probably continue to find resistant bacterial populations, regardless of a producer's antimicrobial use."
###
Note to editors: Abstract follows.
"Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals Common Antimicrobial Resistant Campylobacter coli Population in Antimicrobial-Free (ABF) and Commercial Swine Systems"
Authors: Macarena P. Quintana-Hayashi, Siddhartha Thakur, North Carolina State University
Published: PLOS One
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare the population biology of antimicrobial resistant (AR) Campylobacter coli isolated from swine reared in the conventional and antimicrobial-free (ABF) swine production systems at farm, slaughter and environment. A total of 200 C. coli isolates selected from fecal, environmental, and carcass samples of ABF (n = 100) and conventional (n = 100) swine production systems were typed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Sequence data from seven housekeeping genes was analyzed for the identification of allelic profiles, sequence types (STs) and clonal complex determination. Phylogenetic trees were generated to establish the relationships between the genotyped isolates. A total of 51 STs were detected including two novel alleles (glnA 424 and glyA 464) and 14 novel STs reported for the first time. The majority of the C. coli isolates belonged to ST-854 (ABF: 31, conventional: 17), and were grouped in clonal complex ST-828 (ABF: 68%, conventional: 66%). The mean genetic diversity (H) for the ABF (0.3963+/20.0806) and conventional (0.4655+/20.0714) systems were similar. The index of association (IsA) for the ABF (IsA= 0.1513) and conventional (IsA= 0.0991) C. coli populations were close to linkage equilibrium, indicative of a freely recombining population. Identical STs were detected between the pigs and their environment both at farm and slaughter. A minimum spanning tree revealed the close clustering of C. coli STs that originated from swine and carcass with those from the environment. In conclusion, our study reveals a genotypic diverse C. coli population that shares a common ancestry in the conventional and ABF swine production systems. This could potentially explain the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistant C. coli in the ABF system in the absence of antimicrobial selection pressure.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Why home cities matter, refueling willpower, decision speed and moral character, and morePublic release date: 17-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa M.P. Munoz spsp.publicaffairs@gmail.com 703-951-3195 Society for Personality and Social Psychology
New in our journals:
Your city matters: San Francisco v. Boston
Your home city matters for both who you are and how you feel, according to a new suite of studies. In seven studies, researchers examined the history and culture of San Francisco and Boston, as well as surveyed residents (including commuters, college students, and middle-aged residents) of each city. They found that San Francisco showed more emphasis on egalitarianism, innovation, and looser social norms, while Boston emphasizes tradition, community, and tighter social norms. As a result, for Bostonians, feeling good is more contingent on social factors such as education, finances and community. "The Cultural Construction of Self and Well-being: A Tale of Two Cities," Victoria C. Plaut et al.,Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online September 17, 2012 forthcoming in print, December 2012.
Linking spirituality to meaning of life
A new study used daily diaries with more than 1200 entries each to record feelings of spirituality. The researchers found that daily spirituality led to higher self-esteem and more meaning in life. They also found that present-day spirituality positively affected meaning of life the next day. "Whether, When, and How is Spirituality Related to Well-Being? Moving Beyond Single Occasion Questionnaires to a Daily Process," Todd B. Kashdan and John B. Nezlek,Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 1, 2012 forthcoming in print, November 2012.
Information preferences of East Asians v. North Americans
A new paper shows that East Asians prefer more information-rich products than North Americans. Three studies looked at how members of each group processed information in conference posters, on government and university webpages, and on mock websites containing large amounts of information. Among other findings, they observed that East Asians were faster than North Americans at identifying target objects on the mock pages. "How Much Information? East Asian and North American Cultural Products and Information Search Performance ," Huaitang Wang, Takahiko Masuda et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 9, 2012 forthcoming in print, December 2012.
Glucose mouth rinse refuels willpower
A wealth of research in social psychology has shown that willpower is a finite resource that depletes after a period of exertion, and many researchers have found that the metabolism of glucose can refuels a persons's diminished self-control. A new set of studies suggest, however, that the mere presence of glucose in the mouth can counteract willpower depletion. Researchers had participants rinse their mouths with glucose or an artificially-sweetened placebo and compared results in self-control tasks."The Sweet Taste of Success: The Presence of Glucose in the Oral Cavity Moderates the Depletion of Self-Control Resources," Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L.D. Chatzisarantis, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming January 2013.
How attachment affects marital satisfaction among new parents
A person's "attachment insecurities" can predict marital satisfaction as couples become parents, according to a new study. Researchers studied new parents 6 weeks before the birth of their first child, and then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum. They found that among people who were more anxious, marital satisfaction was lower when they perceived their partners as less supportive."Changes in marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood: The role of adult attachment orientations," Jamie L. Kohn et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 9, 2012 forthcoming in print, November 2012.
Decision speed speaks to morality
The speed by which you make a decision is a telling indicator of moral character, according to a recent study. In two experiments, researchers found that people who made an immoral decision quickly versus slowly were perceived more negatively, while those who arrived at a moral decision more quickly were perceived more positively. The authors discuss implications for legal cases. "How Quick Decisions Illuminate Moral Character," Clayton R. Critcher et al., Social Psychological and Personality Science, online August 28, 2012 forthcoming in print.
When cognition leads to impulsiveness
Visceral states such as hunger and nicotine cravings can promote impulsive behavior by changing the way people process information, according to a new set of studies. For example, hungry dieters who were given the opportunity to make deliberate choices opted for more unhealthy snacks compared to hungry dieters who were forced to make an immediate choice. "A Devil On Each Shoulder: When (and Why) Greater Cognitive Capacity Impairs Self-Control?" Loran F. Nordgren and Eileen Y. Chou, Social Psychological and Personality Science, online August 15, 2012 forthcoming in print.
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SPSP promotes scientific research that explores how people think, behave, feel, and interact. With more than 7,000 members, the Society is the largest organization of social and personality psychologists in the world. Follow us on Twitter: @SPSPnews
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Why home cities matter, refueling willpower, decision speed and moral character, and morePublic release date: 17-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa M.P. Munoz spsp.publicaffairs@gmail.com 703-951-3195 Society for Personality and Social Psychology
New in our journals:
Your city matters: San Francisco v. Boston
Your home city matters for both who you are and how you feel, according to a new suite of studies. In seven studies, researchers examined the history and culture of San Francisco and Boston, as well as surveyed residents (including commuters, college students, and middle-aged residents) of each city. They found that San Francisco showed more emphasis on egalitarianism, innovation, and looser social norms, while Boston emphasizes tradition, community, and tighter social norms. As a result, for Bostonians, feeling good is more contingent on social factors such as education, finances and community. "The Cultural Construction of Self and Well-being: A Tale of Two Cities," Victoria C. Plaut et al.,Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online September 17, 2012 forthcoming in print, December 2012.
Linking spirituality to meaning of life
A new study used daily diaries with more than 1200 entries each to record feelings of spirituality. The researchers found that daily spirituality led to higher self-esteem and more meaning in life. They also found that present-day spirituality positively affected meaning of life the next day. "Whether, When, and How is Spirituality Related to Well-Being? Moving Beyond Single Occasion Questionnaires to a Daily Process," Todd B. Kashdan and John B. Nezlek,Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 1, 2012 forthcoming in print, November 2012.
Information preferences of East Asians v. North Americans
A new paper shows that East Asians prefer more information-rich products than North Americans. Three studies looked at how members of each group processed information in conference posters, on government and university webpages, and on mock websites containing large amounts of information. Among other findings, they observed that East Asians were faster than North Americans at identifying target objects on the mock pages. "How Much Information? East Asian and North American Cultural Products and Information Search Performance ," Huaitang Wang, Takahiko Masuda et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 9, 2012 forthcoming in print, December 2012.
Glucose mouth rinse refuels willpower
A wealth of research in social psychology has shown that willpower is a finite resource that depletes after a period of exertion, and many researchers have found that the metabolism of glucose can refuels a persons's diminished self-control. A new set of studies suggest, however, that the mere presence of glucose in the mouth can counteract willpower depletion. Researchers had participants rinse their mouths with glucose or an artificially-sweetened placebo and compared results in self-control tasks."The Sweet Taste of Success: The Presence of Glucose in the Oral Cavity Moderates the Depletion of Self-Control Resources," Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L.D. Chatzisarantis, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming January 2013.
How attachment affects marital satisfaction among new parents
A person's "attachment insecurities" can predict marital satisfaction as couples become parents, according to a new study. Researchers studied new parents 6 weeks before the birth of their first child, and then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum. They found that among people who were more anxious, marital satisfaction was lower when they perceived their partners as less supportive."Changes in marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood: The role of adult attachment orientations," Jamie L. Kohn et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, online August 9, 2012 forthcoming in print, November 2012.
Decision speed speaks to morality
The speed by which you make a decision is a telling indicator of moral character, according to a recent study. In two experiments, researchers found that people who made an immoral decision quickly versus slowly were perceived more negatively, while those who arrived at a moral decision more quickly were perceived more positively. The authors discuss implications for legal cases. "How Quick Decisions Illuminate Moral Character," Clayton R. Critcher et al., Social Psychological and Personality Science, online August 28, 2012 forthcoming in print.
When cognition leads to impulsiveness
Visceral states such as hunger and nicotine cravings can promote impulsive behavior by changing the way people process information, according to a new set of studies. For example, hungry dieters who were given the opportunity to make deliberate choices opted for more unhealthy snacks compared to hungry dieters who were forced to make an immediate choice. "A Devil On Each Shoulder: When (and Why) Greater Cognitive Capacity Impairs Self-Control?" Loran F. Nordgren and Eileen Y. Chou, Social Psychological and Personality Science, online August 15, 2012 forthcoming in print.
###
SPSP promotes scientific research that explores how people think, behave, feel, and interact. With more than 7,000 members, the Society is the largest organization of social and personality psychologists in the world. Follow us on Twitter: @SPSPnews
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The U.S. Embassy in Cairo wants the Muslim Brotherhood to know its staffers can read Arabic, too.
In a very public Twitter confrontation this week, the embassy asked the Egyptian group why it seemed to be supporting the U.S. on its English Twitter feed but encouraging anti-American protesters on its Arabic one.
In English, the Brotherhood expressed concerns about the potential harm caused by protests against a controversial YouTube video.
?We r relieved none of @USEmbassyCairo staff were harmed & hope US-Eg relations will sustain turbulence of Tuesday's events,? the Brotherhood tweeted to the embassy Wednesday night.
?Thanks,? the Americans responded several hours later. ?By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too.?
Those Arabic feeds were actually supportive of protesters, and read, ?Egyptians revolt for the Prophet?s victory in front of U.S. embassy,? according to a Businessweek translation.
Conceding nothing, the Brotherhood then tweeted back at the embassy, ?We understand you're under a lot of stress, but it will be more helpful if you point out exactly the Arabic feed of concern.? The group later stated that they condemned violent protests in both English and Arabic.
Anti-American revolts have taken place this week in several predominately Islamic countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and Libya, where four Americans ? including American Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens ? were killed.
The YouTube video that demonstrators oppose mocks Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam.
And the U.S. Embassy?s Twitter feed has gained a reputation for its direct engagement ? positive or negative ? with users. The embassy has made references to ?The West Wing,? linked to images of tweeting plants, and once even asked the blanket question, ?How is everyone out there on Twitter today??
This sets it apart from many other diplomatic feeds, which use a more official tone in online social media communications.
Larry Schwartz, a senior public affairs officer in Cairo, runs the feed, according to Foreign Policy.
Schwartz was involved in a diplomatic tangle Tuesday when a statement he wrote and tweeted apologizing for the situation in Egypt was attacked by Mitt Romney
Here is your daily car news brought to you by OSV.
Today we are discussing Nissan, BMW and Speeding.
Firstly, It?s bad news for drivers and speeders, the death of the speed camera has been greatly exaggerated. According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, they?re set to make a comeback ? and, thanks to digital technology, they?ll be more efficient than ever before.
Apparently, 21 of the 33 safety partnerships who responded to the newspaper?s questions are now installing new digital speed cameras.
Unlike current film GATSOs and other brands, they can effectively take pictures indefinitely as they can?t run out of film. Because images of speeding motorists are sent straight to a control centre, they are also much cheaper to run.
The Telegraph is predicting the number of speed cameras will increase by almost half in the next 12 months alone, and reveals that four safety partnerships (Cheshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, Northants and Nottinghamshire) have already admitted they expect the number of prosecutions to increase. Even worse, the minimum fine is set to rise from ?60 to ?90. What does everyone think of the change in speeding regulations? Do you think they will work? Or will it just result in people doing even more to avoid cameras and fines?
Following is potentially more bad news if you are a Nissan Qashqui driver.
Nissan are to recall 51,000 cars for ?precautionary? checks on their steering wheels.
The Sunderland-based car manufacturer is recalling 48,000 Model Year 2012 Nissan Qashqai and Qashqai+2 and 3,000 Model Year 2012 NV200 cars.
The company said about 600 steering wheels would need to be replaced.
About 7,000 were bought in the UK while others were shipped to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and Oceania.
Nissan said the vehicles affected were all built at the Sunderland plant between February and May.
A spokesperson said: ?Nissan retailers will inspect the casting date of the steering wheel armature and where necessary replace the steering wheel at no cost to the customer.?
The company also said it was ?working with its dealers to promptly address this issue?.
The recall follows a complaint of a loose steering wheel from a customer in Finland in August.
In more surprising news BMW have released a concept car in front wheel drive! The BMW Concept Active Tourer, might just be a concept set for the Paris Motor Show in a couple of weeks time, but make no mistake, this is the future for Munich.
Yes, they?ve been knocking out front-drive hatches for donkeys? years in the shape of the Mini, but this is the first time a proper modern BMW?s front wheels have got themselves a full time job. It?s meant to account for a massive sales chunk of BMW?s future, so it?s quite important.
And as such, it?s taking both barrels and aiming squarely at the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. It?s dimensions, barring a little extra width, are nigh on identical, and that front, transversely mounted engine, says BMW, allows for more generous interior space.
The engine is a brand-new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder unit, derived from Bee-Em?s magnificent 3.0-litre straight-six, that will see service in all future BMW ?Efficient Dynamics? models, and powers only the front wheels. It?s coupled to an electric motor that fires on the rear axle capable of powering the car on its own. All in, the Tourer produces 190bhp, is capable of 0-62mph in less than eight seconds and maxes out at 120mph. All this, and it emits less than 60g/km and returns around 113mpg.
Inside there?s ?open-pore? laminated wood, lots of soft and smooth leather, an eight-inch display for sat nav and hybrid information, a head-up display for the driver, a panoramic sunroof, a rear setup able to split 40:20:40, and some neat touches like mobile ?Tablet? clips for the rear passengers.
After all this, one thing is clear, BMW is getting quite serious about practicality.
Finally, as this blog has somewhat been a bit doom and gloom today, is another Friday treat. Last week was a brilliant James Bond montage and this week it?s a funny prank some man in America has managed to produce.
A man in America decided to pay his by folding 137 single dollar bills in to origami pigs and delivered them to his local police station in doughnut boxes. Not a bad idea, if you have 6 hours spare.
And the paper pigs actually look quite good!
That?s all for this week. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!
So you've got a shiny new iPhone 5, but you're already sick of the default "water ripple" wallpaper, and those old iPhone 4 wallpapers are too small. The web may not be teeming with iPhone 5-sized wallpapers yet, but here's where you can find one that suits your tastes?and how to crop one for yourself. 
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Public release date: 18-Sep-2012
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