chi The Secret Life of Orchids – Part III: Conservation By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 15 Jun 2015 18:47:11 +0000 Orchids account for 10 percent of the world’s plant species, making them the largest plant family. They act as indicators of the health of ecosystems […] The post The Secret Life of Orchids – Part III: Conservation appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Plants Research News Science & Nature Video climate change conservation biology orchids Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
chi Blood-thirsty jungle horse-flies catch big chill from Smithsonian entomologist By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:17:10 +0000 With net in hand and eyes peeled, Mauren Turcatel spent two-weeks last October chasing blood-thirsty predators through the Amazon jungle of Brazil. One-by-one they appeared […] The post Blood-thirsty jungle horse-flies catch big chill from Smithsonian entomologist appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Plants Research News Science & Nature biodiversity carbon dioxide conservation biology insects National Museum of Natural History
chi Dormant Orchids Need Fungi to Rise Again By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 06 Jan 2017 17:11:59 +0000 If you are a plant, when life aboveground turns harsh, you have few options. Some orchids respond by going dormant, spending years to decades underground […] The post Dormant Orchids Need Fungi to Rise Again appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Earth Science Plants Research News Science & Nature biodiversity conservation biology endangered species fungi orchids Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
chi Of mice and macchiato: Bird Friendly coffee gives a paw-up to small mammals as well By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:47:09 +0000 Finding a mouse in your morning coffee might give you an unwelcome jolt, but there’s a strong connection between small mammals, birds and the plantations […] The post Of mice and macchiato: Bird Friendly coffee gives a paw-up to small mammals as well appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Plants Research News Science & Nature birds endangered species mammals Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian's National Zoo
chi Smithsonian Digitization: Orchid Collection By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 31 May 2018 12:22:16 +0000 Mass Digitization of the living orchid collection maintained by Smithsonian Gardens. The post Smithsonian Digitization: Orchid Collection appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Plants Science & Nature Video Smithsonian Gardens
chi See thousands of orchids in incredible detail in the Smithsonian’s newly digitized collection By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 02 Aug 2018 20:16:08 +0000 No green thumb? You don’t need to water these dazzling orchids to enjoy them. More than 8,000 living specimens in the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection […] The post See thousands of orchids in incredible detail in the Smithsonian’s newly digitized collection appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Plants Research News Science & Nature Smithsonian Gardens
chi Absolute structure of the chiral pyrrolidine derivative (2S)-methyl (Z)-5-(2-tert-butoxy-1-cyano-2-oxoethylidene)pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate, a compound with low resonant scattering By scripts.iucr.org Published On :: 2019-10-04 The enantiopure monopyrrolidine derivative (2S)-methyl (Z)-5-(2-tert-butoxy-1-cyano-2-oxoethylidene)pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate, C13H18N2O4, (1), represents a potential ligand and an attractive intermediate for the synthesis of chiral metal complexes. At the molecular level, the compound features an intramolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond; neighbouring molecules interact via N—H⋯N contacts to form chains along [100]. Due to its elemental composition, resonant scattering of the target compound is entirely insignificant for diffraction experiments with Mo Kα and small even for Cu Kα radiation. A preliminary study with the harder radiation type confirmed the chiral space group and the suitability of the single crystal chosen; as expected, the results concerning the absolute structure remained completely inconclusive. A second data collection with the longer wavelength gave satisfactory quality indicators for the correct handedness of the molecule, albeit with high standard uncertainties. The absolute configuration has been assessed independently: CD spectra for both enantiomers of the target molecule were calculated and the spectrum for the S-configured stereoisomer was in agreement with the experiment. The Cotton effect of (1) may be ascribed to π–π* transitions from HOMO to LUMO and from HOMO to LUMO+1. As both independent techniques agree with respect to the handedness of the target molecule, the absolute structure may be assigned with a high degree of confidence. Full Article text
chi Facebook's Libra unveils HSBC legal head as its first chief executive By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 07:11:00 +0200 Facebook’s digital currency project Libra has unveiled HSBC legal chief... Full Article
chi Child care advocates hold hopes high for new bill to unionize providers By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 18 Feb 2015 05:30:08 -0800 Child care provider Antonia Rivas leads children in yoga at her Reseda home on Feb. 13. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon is introducing a bill to fund child care and provider training, and set up a structure to facilitate collective bargaining for family child care workers.; Credit: File Photo: Maya Sugarman/KPCC Deepa FernandesSenate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon is introducing a new bill on Wednesday that aims to address the state's critical child care shortage and give providers the right to unionize. The lack of sufficient child care has been statewide. In Los Angeles County, a recent study found only 2 percent of infants and toddlers have access to a licensed child care facility; for preschoolers, it's about 40 percent. The shortage is most acute in low-income areas, and the bill aims to inject more child care vouchers into the system so poor families can have free child care. A more controversial provision, however, would allow collective bargaining for those who provide child care in their homes whose earnings can fall near or below the minimum wage. Child advocates cite poor pay as a major reason why providers often leave the field. “The turnover in the child care field is approaching 30 percent. So the lack of continuity and quality care is a major obstacle,” said El Cerrito Mayor Mark Friedman. Friedman co-chairs a coalition of early childhood groups called Raising California Together. Preschool advocacy groups, anti-poverty and immigrant groups, NAACP, and the Santa Monica school district count among its members. “I think one thing everybody agrees on as a high priority is getting more resources in the system, and if there is a strong union presence in the field that then there will be a stronger voice for those additional resources,” said Friedman. Under the bill, a network of 32,000 home childcare providers statewide could unionize. Currently, providers operate as independent business owners and typically lack the right to organize and collectively bargain for wages. Finding child care For many families, having a quality child care option is their most pressing need. Vicky Montoya, a Reseda mother of three, is desperate for a child care alternative to family members. Montoya’s 18-month-old son, Esteban, is a bright-eyed toddler who loves balls. He can fling one clear across a room, even a field. But all too often, when both his parents are at work, he’s not doing much. “Sometimes he’s with an aunt, sometimes with my eldest daughter,” Montoya said in Spanish. “But he doesn’t really do anything, all he does is watch cartoons on TV. And he’s alone, there’s no other children around.” Montoya works five hours a day at a solar company, where she makes $10 an hour. Her family depends on her income to supplement her husband’s low-wage, full-time job. Montoya applied for a child care voucher so Esteban could go to a properly licensed day care. She submitted two applications to a local agency over the last two months. When she called the agency to find out the status of her applications, she said she wasn't given much information. “'You are on the waiting list,'” she said they told her, “'and there are people ahead of you.'” Seeking unions as a solution In Maryland, unionized providers reduced the wait list for poor families by 80 percent by securing state dollars to fund more free child care slots. According to a 2010 report by the National Women's Law Center, 14 states guarantee home-based child care workers the right to unionize. SEIU Local 99 spokesperson Terry Carter said what local providers tell her is that they want a seat at the table where child care decisions are made. “What collective bargaining would do for providers is it would let them sit down with the top decision makers in the state and say these are things that are simple to fix, they would vastly improve our ability to operate our businesses and they would give us the time to direct more of our attention and energies into raising California’s kids,” Carter said. Some of those issues include delayed government payments for subsidized child child and the low reimbursement rate from the state for serving low-income kids. Antonia Rivas, a Reseda child care provider, knows well the struggle of providing care in her home. She infuses yoga and meditation into daily lessons, and buys organic food, her major expense. But she also has to pay her assistants, buy toys, books, and supplies. After her costs, she said there is not much left. “I just got my 2014 W-2 and it's $24,000,” Rivas said. Her W-2 comes from the agency that pays her for the low-income kids she serves. Add to that the $15,000 from her private paying families and Rivas pulled in about $40,000 last year. After expenses, she estimates she netted less than the minimum wage for her time. Rivas said with her low wages and delays in receiving payments from government agencies for subsidized child care, she is constantly relying on credit to keep her business running. “We need to get a contract [and] better pay,” Rivas said. Even if the child care legislation passes, a contract with the state would be a long way down the road. All child care providers would need to vote on whether they want union representation. And, if all that is successful, child care providers could then negotiate a labor contract. Similar bills granting child care providers the right to unionize have made it out of the legislature, but both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gov. Jerry Brown have vetoed them. Opponents have called the effort to organize providers a move to empower labor unions, not fix a broken child care system. Recent legal rulings are also presenting challenges to unions seeking to organize both child care workers and health care workers. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in an Illinois case that home health workers could opt out of paying union dues, even though they are paid with state subsidies. While Vicky Montoya waits for a better solution for her son's care, she pays Esteban’s aunt or a neighbor $10 a day to watch him while she works. “I know lots of families who have to leave their children with a babysitter, usually just a woman who watches the child. But they are not trained and even their homes are not suitable for childcare,” she said. Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously described a U.S. Supreme Court case as originating in Minnesota. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
chi New online training aims to ferret out child abuse cases in California schools By www.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 05:30:23 -0800 File: California school employees can now take their required training to spot child abuse and neglect by going online.; Credit: Cayoup/Flickr Adolfo Guzman-LopezPublic school employees can take their required annual training to spot child abuse or neglect online, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced Monday. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our students,” Torlakson said in a written statement. “The new online training lessons will help school employees carry out their responsibilities to protect children and take action if they suspect abuse or neglect.” A new California law requires school employees, including teachers, teacher aides, and substitute teachers, to show proof to their employers that they’ve taken the training. “We were hearing anecdotally that there may have been suspicions of abuse and neglect that was not always reported and we wanted to do something about that issue,” said Stephanie Papas, a California Department of Education consultant. Recent high-profile cases, such as that of former Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt, revealed that school employees failed to report allegations of abuse. Los Angeles Unified agreed to pay a record $140 million to settle claims filed by one group of students in the case and $30 million to a second group. Berndt is serving a 25-year sentence after pleading no contest to the charges of committing lewd acts on children. Papas, who helped create the new two-hour online training, said the course will help employees tell if a child has been hurt from abuse or from an accident, for example. “We have photos that are examples of, say, a welt that is in the shape of a belt buckle or a slap on a child’s cheek that’s left a hand imprint,” she said. In-person trainings are more effective, she said, but they’re more expensive than online trainings. That pushed the Department of Education to provide the free online training for school districts still under budget constraints. She said current employees have until this fall to show their school districts proof that they’ve taken the training. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
chi Meeting report - Nuclear and cytoplasmic molecular machines at work By jcs.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-04-06 Simon L. BullockApr 6, 2020; 133:jcs245134-jcs245134Meeting Report Full Article
chi When human expertise improves the work of machines By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-08-28T07:00:00Z Full Text:Machine learning algorithms can sometimes do a great job with a little help from human expertise, at least in the field of materials science. In many specialized areas of science, engineering and medicine, researchers are turning to machine learning algorithms to analyze data sets that have grown too large for humans to understand. In materials science, success with this effort could accelerate the design of next-generation advanced functional materials, where development now usually depends on old-fashioned trial and error. By themselves, however, data analytics techniques borrowed from other research areas often fail to provide the insights needed to help materials scientists and engineers choose which of many variables to adjust -- and the techniques can't account for dramatic changes such as the introduction of a new chemical compound into the process. In a new study, researchers explain a technique known as dimensional stacking, which shows that human experience still has a role to play in the age of machine intelligence. The machines gain an edge at solving a challenge when the data to be analyzed are intelligently organized based on human knowledge of what factors are likely to be important and related. "When your machine accepts strings of data, it really does matter how you are putting those strings together," said Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb, the paper's corresponding author and a scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "We must be mindful that the organization of data before it goes to the algorithm makes a difference. If you don't plug the information in correctly, you will get a result that isn't necessarily correlated with the reality of the physics and chemistry that govern the materials."Image credit: Rob Felt/Georgia Tech Full Article
chi Virtual 'UniverseMachine' sheds light on galaxy evolution By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-09-04T07:00:00Z Full Text:How do galaxies such as our Milky Way come into existence? How do they grow and change over time? The science behind galaxy formation has long been a puzzle, but a University of Arizona-led team of scientists is one step closer to finding answers, thanks to supercomputer simulations. Observing real galaxies in space can only provide snapshots in time, so researchers who study how galaxies evolve over billions of years need to use computer simulations. Traditionally, astronomers have used simulations to invent theories of galaxy formation and test them, but they have had to proceed one galaxy at a time. Peter Behroozi of the university's Steward Observatory and colleagues overcame this hurdle by generating millions of different universes on a supercomputer, each according to different physical theories for how galaxies form. The findings challenge fundamental ideas about the role dark matter plays in galaxy formation, the evolution of galaxies over time and the birth of stars. The study is the first to create self-consistent universes that are exact replicas of the real ones -- computer simulations that each represent a sizeable chunk of the actual cosmos, containing 12 million galaxies and spanning the time from 400 million years after the Big Bang to the present day. The results from the "UniverseMachine," as the authors call their approach, have helped resolve the long-standing paradox of why galaxies cease to form new stars even when they retain plenty of hydrogen gas, the raw material from which stars are forged. The research is partially funded by NSF's Division of Physics through grants to UC Santa Barbara's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Aspen Center for Physics.Image credit: NASA/ESA/J. Lotz and the HFF Team/STScI Full Article
chi Texas Oil & Gas Firm Achieves EBITDA, EPS Beats in Q1/20 By www.streetwisereports.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 PST Source: Streetwise Reports 05/07/2020 A recap of Parsley Energy's Q1/20 performance and projections for this year and next are given in a Raymond James report.In a May 5 research note, analyst John Freeman reported that Raymond James increased its target price on Parsley Energy, Inc. (PE:NYSE) after it posted its Q1/20 numbers. Raymond James' new target price on Parsley is $12 per share, up from $11. The Texas-based energy company's stock is trading now at about $9.38 per share. Freeman reviewed and commented on Parsley's Q1/20 results. The company "delivered modest EBITDA and earnings per share beats relative to the Street" due to oil pricing," Freeman pointed out. Production was relatively in line at 126,600,000 barrels of oil per day (126.6 MMbbl/d), which was 1% higher than consensus' forecast but 1% below Raymond James' estimate. Total production was 1% above the Street's projection but 3% below Raymond James' forecast. "The performance on the quarter was encouraging, however, the highlight from earnings was the significant reduction in 2020 capex (down from about $1 billion to less than $700 million)," Freeman commented. Capex, "a welcome surprise," Freeman wrote, came in 5% and 7% lower than the investment bank and the Street's estimates, respectively. Opex was 3% under Raymond James' projection Moreover, Parsley's related maintenance capital needs were greatly below expectations as well, indicating that Parsley made capital efficiency gains during the period. "We were pleasantly surprised that Parsley is able to maintain in line Q4/20 oil volumes (about 115 MMbbl/d) on a capital program that's about $300 million/30% below the Street," added Freeman. Looking forward, Raymond James modeled a base case, or stable scenario for Parsley, that implies a West Texas Intermediate oil price of about $30 a barrel and Parsley having four to five rigs and one to two crews operating. In that scenario, Parsley would produce about 117 MMbbl/d in 2020 and 115 MMbbl/d in 2021. Capex would amount to about $678 million in 2020, dropping to $598 million in 2021. Free cash flow would be about $300 million in 2020, which coincides with Parsley's guidance of $300M plus, and increasing to $370 million in 2021. Raymond James has an Outperform rating on Parsley Energy. Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news Disclosure: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Disclosures from Raymond James, Parsley Energy Inc, May 5, 2020 ANALYST INFORMATION Analysts Holdings and Compensation: Equity analysts and their staffs at Raymond James are compensated based on a salary and bonus system. Several factors enter into the bonus determination, including quality and performance of research product, the analyst's success in rating stocks versus an industry index, and support effectiveness to trading and the retail and institutional sales forces. Other factors may include but are not limited to: overall ratings from internal (other than investment banking) or external parties and the general productivity and revenue generated in covered stocks. The analyst John Freeman, primarily responsible for the preparation of this research report, attests to the following: (1) that the views and opinions rendered in this research report reflect his or her personal views about the subject companies or issuers and (2) that no part of the research analyst's compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views in this research report. In addition, said analyst(s) has not received compensation from any subject company in the last 12 months. RAYMOND JAMES RELATIONSHIP DISCLOSURES Certain affiliates of the RJ Group expect to receive or intend to seek compensation for investment banking services from all companies under research coverage within the next three months. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. makes a market in the shares of Parsley Energy, Inc. Additional Risk and Disclosure information, as well as more information on the Raymond James rating system and suitability categories, is available here. ( Companies Mentioned: PE:NYSE, ) Full Article
chi Harbin - China International Ice Festival By www.bleepingcomputer.com Published On :: 2019-01-05T13:34:57-05:00 Full Article
chi RISE ZOMBIE CHICKEN, RISE!!! By www.bleepingcomputer.com Published On :: 2019-07-25T22:01:41-05:00 Full Article
chi Video: Wintergatan - Marble Machine By www.bleepingcomputer.com Published On :: 2019-09-19T19:20:16-05:00 Full Article
chi Reforms Needed to Improve Childrens Reading Skills By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 06:00:00 GMT Widespread reforms are needed to ensure that all children are equipped with the skills and instruction they need to learn to read, according to a new report from a committee of the National Research Council. Full Article
chi New Research Needed to Improve Detection, Identification Techniques for Finding Pipe Bombs, Catching Bomb Makers By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 05:00:00 GMT Increased research is the key to developing more widely applicable detection systems to find pipe bombs before they explode and to help catch the perpetrators when a bomb has gone off, says a new report from a committee of the National Research Council. Full Article
chi Adding It Up - Helping Children Learn Mathematics By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 06:00:00 GMT American students progress toward proficiency in mathematics requires major changes in instruction, curricula, and assessment in the nations schools, says a new report from the National Research Council of the National Academies. Full Article
chi Early Intervention Is Key To Educating Children With Autism By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 05:00:00 GMT The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education should promote routine early screenings of children for autistic spectrum disorders, much like they are promoted for vision and hearing problems, says a new report from the National Research Council of the National Academies. Full Article
chi SIDS Not Linked to Number and Variety of Childhood Vaccines By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 06:00:00 GMT The evidence does not support a causal link between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and either the diphtheria, tetanus, and whole-cell pertussis (DTwP) vaccine or exposure to multiple childhood vaccines, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Full Article
chi National Academies Name Biology Teaching Fellows and Mentors By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT The National Academies have bestowed the title of Education Fellow in the Life Sciences to 42 educators around the country who successfully completed a summer institute aimed at fostering innovative approaches to teaching undergraduate biology. Full Article
chi Report Updates Guidelines On How Much Weight Women Should Gain During Pregnancy - Calls On Health Care Providers To Help Women Achieve A Healthy Weight Before And During Pregnancy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 28 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. Full Article
chi Current Test-Based Incentive Programs Have Not Consistently Raised Student Achievement in U.S. - Improved Approaches Should Be Developed and Evaluated By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 26 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT Despite being used for several decades, test-based incentives have not consistently generated positive effects on student achievement, says a new report from the National Research Council. Full Article
chi IOM Report Details Strategy for Monitoring Safety of Childhood Immunization Schedule By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 16 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT A review of the available evidence underscores the safety of the federal childhood immunization schedule, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Full Article
chi Rates of Physical and Sexual Child Abuse Appear to Have Declined Over the Last 20 Years - Rates of Child Neglect Show No Decline, Constitute 75 Percent of Reported Cases, Says New IOM Report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT Rates of physical and sexual abuse of children have declined over the last 20 years, but for reasons not fully understood, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Yet, reports of psychological and emotional child abuse have risen in the same period, and data vary significantly as to whether child neglect is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant. Full Article
chi Increase in the Number of Children Who Receive Federal Disability Benefits for Speech and Language Disorders Similar to Trends in the General Population, Says New Report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 06:00:00 GMT The increase in the number of children from low-income families who are receiving federal disability benefits for speech and language disorders over the past decade parallels the rise in the prevalence of these disorders among all U.S. children, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for U.S. to Improve Real-Time Monitoring of Spent Fuel Pools By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 20 May 2016 05:00:00 GMT The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident should serve as a wake-up call to nuclear plant operators and regulators on the critical importance of measuring, maintaining, and restoring cooling in spent fuel pools during severe accidents and terrorist attacks, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English - New Report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 06:00:00 GMT Despite their potential, many English learners (ELs) -- who account for more than 9 percent of K-12 enrollment in the U.S. -- lag behind their English-speaking monolingual peers in educational achievement, in part because schools do not provide adequate instruction and social-emotional support to acquire English proficiency or access to academic subjects at the appropriate grade level, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi New Report Recommends Priority Actions to Achieve Global Health Security, Protect U.S. Position as Global Health Leader By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 15 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies global health priorities in light of current and emerging challenges and makes 14 recommendations for the U.S. government and other stakeholders to address these challenges, while maintaining U.S. status as a world leader in global health. Full Article
chi ARPA-E Making Progress Toward Achieving Mission, Says New Assessment By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 05:00:00 GMT The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is making progress toward achieving its statutory mission and goals, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi Statement Regarding National Academies Study on Potential Health Risks of Living in Proximity to Surface Coal Mining Sites in Central Appalachia By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 21 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT In an August 18 letter, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement informed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that it should cease all work on a study of the potential health risks for people living near surface coal mine sites in Central Appalachia. Full Article
chi Financial Structure of Early Childhood Education Requires Overhaul to Make It Accessible and Affordable for All Families and to Strengthen the Workforce in This Field By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 06:00:00 GMT High-quality early care and education (ECE) is critical to positive child development and has the potential to generate economic returns, but the current financing structure of ECE leaves many children without access to high-quality services and does little to strengthen the ECE workforce, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi Improvements Needed to Achieve More Efficiency, Quality of Census Bureau’s Annual Economic Surveys By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 03 May 2018 05:00:00 GMT The U.S. Census Bureau should develop a detailed concept and implementation plan for an Annual Business Survey System (ABSS) to replace the current suite of largely separate annual economic surveys, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi New Report Says Programs and Services for Children With Disabilities Should Coordinate Care Across Service Sectors, Focus on Long-Term Goals By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 11 May 2018 05:00:00 GMT While a variety of services and programs exist to support the needs of children with disabilities and their families, a focus on achieving specific near- and long-term goals that help prepare for adulthood and coordination of care within and across service sectors are integral to encouraging healthy growth and development, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi Report Urges Improvements to Graduate Education in STEM Fields - Incentive System in Academia Must Shift to Strengthen Emphasis on Teaching and Mentoring By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 29 May 2018 05:00:00 GMT A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends substantial changes to U.S. graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in order to meet the evolving needs of students, the scientific enterprise, and the nation. Full Article
chi Kenneth Wells Receives National Academy of Medicine’s Sarnat Award for Outstanding Achievements in Improving Mental Health By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 25 Sep 2018 05:00:00 GMT The National Academy of Medicine today announced Kenneth Wells is the recipient of the 2018 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health, for his work developing quality and outcomes approaches to psychiatry and mental health, fostering a generation of clinical investigators and mental health system leaders, and championing partnered, participatory research to advance equity for under-resourced populations. Full Article
chi National Academies Launching New Study on Sunlight-Reflection Research By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Oct 2018 05:00:00 GMT The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is forming a new committee to develop a research agenda and research governance approaches for climate-intervention strategies that reflect sunlight to cool Earth. Full Article
chi Entomologist May R. Berenbaum of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Named PNAS Editor-in-Chief By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 26 Oct 2018 05:00:00 GMT The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announces the appointment of May R. Berenbaum as Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the official journal of the Academy. Berenbaum will begin the editorship on January 1, 2019. Full Article
chi Child Poverty Rate Could Be Cut in Half in Next Decade Following Proposals in New Expert Report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 06:00:00 GMT In light of the many costs generated by child poverty for the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides evidence-based policy and program packages that could cut the child poverty rate by as much as 50 percent while at the same time increasing employment and earnings among adults living in low-income families. Full Article
chi Paid Parental Leave, Increased Support for Caregivers, Improved Food and Economic Security Among Recommendations in New Report on Achieving Health Equity for All Children By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 04:00:00 GMT The lack of supportive policies for families in the United States, such as paid parental leave, has serious implications for health equity, as it affects families’ overall health and financial stability, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi U.S. Should Create National Agenda to Improve Child and Youth Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health, Says Report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMT A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for a comprehensive national agenda to improve mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) health in children and youth. Despite advances in research, rates of depression, suicide and self-harm among young people have been increasing. Full Article
chi Daniel Weinberger Receives National Academy of Medicines Sarnat Award for His Pioneering Research on Developmental Origins of Schizophrenia By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMT The National Academy of Medicine today announced Daniel Weinberger is the recipient of the 2019 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health, for his fundamental role in elucidating the biological origins and genetic expressions of schizophrenia, and for transforming how clinicians, researchers, and the public understand mental illness. Full Article
chi Summer Offers Opportunities for Social and Academic Growth, But Can Also Put Disadvantaged Children at Risk By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMT Summer is a chance for children and youth to continue developing, but for those living in disadvantaged communities, summertime experiences can lead to worse health, social, emotional, academic, and safety outcomes, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
chi One Year After Release, National Academies Report Guides Lawmakers and Communities Looking to Cut Child Poverty By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 04:00:00 GMT More than 9.6 million children — or 13 percent of all children in the U.S. — live in families with annual incomes below the poverty line, according to data from 2015. As closures and restrictions related to COVID-19 begin to impact the U.S. economy, it’s clear many more families will be receiving fewer paychecks and less income in the coming months, putting more children at risk of falling below the poverty line. Full Article
chi UATP partners CITCON to offer preferred mobile payment options for Chinese consumers By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:55:00 +0200 UATP has partnered the payment technology company Full Article
chi How to Rename a Hyper-V Virtual Machine using PowerShell & Hyper-V Manager By www.bleepingcomputer.com Published On :: 2017-12-04T08:57:22-05:00 Full Article
chi When Climate Change Confronts Chinese Restaurants In the San Gabriel Valley By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Sat, 21 Sep 2019 00:15:21 -0700 Chef Chun Lei (l.) and restaurant owner Charles Lu (r.) in the kitchen of Shanghailander Palace in Arcadia.; Credit: Josie Huang/KPCC Josie HuangCalifornia has set a goal of going carbon-neutral by 2045. State officials want to phase out natural gas, in favor of renewable electricity. The gas industry is fighting for its future, and has found some passionate allies: cooks who love their gas stoves, including San Gabriel Valley, famed for its Asian cuisine. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
chi Why China's Air Has Been Cleaner During The Coronavirus Outbreak By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:20:10 -0800 February satellite readings in the troposphere (the lower atmosphere) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a pollutant primarily from burning fossil fuels, show a dramatic decline compared to early January when power plants were operating at normal levels.; Credit: /NASA Earth Observatory Lauren Sommer | NPRAs China seeks to control the spread of COVID-19, fewer cars are driving, fewer factories are running and — in some places — skies are clearer. Air pollution levels have dropped by roughly a quarter over the last month as coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities have ramped down so employees in high-risk areas can stay home. Levels of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant primarily from burning fossil fuels, were down as much as 30%, according to NASA. "It is an unprecedentedly dramatic drop in emissions," says Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, who tallied the reductions. "I've definitely spoken to people in Shanghai who said that it's been some of the most pristine blue skies that they remember over the winter." Myllyvirta estimates that China's carbon emissions have dropped by a quarter over the same period. While that's a tiny fraction of its overall annual emissions, it's substantial in a worldwide context, since China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. There's potentially a health benefit — although any gains due to a drop in pollution are set against the toll taken by the coronavirus outbreak. Air pollution is estimated to contribute to more than 1 million premature deaths in China each year. Fine particle pollution, also known as PM 2.5, can enter the bloodstream through the lungs and has been linked to asthma attacks, heart attacks and respiratory problems. Even a short-term reduction in air pollution can make a difference. "There is no question about it: When air quality improves, that will be associated with a reduction in health-related problems," says Jim Zhang, professor of global and environmental health at Duke University. Zhang says that was evident during the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. To help improve the air, government officials shut factories and dramatically limited car travel before and during the games. Levels of some air pollutants dropped by half. He and colleagues studied a group of young men and women in Beijing and found that during that time period, their lung and cardiovascular health improved. He also followed pregnant women. "What we found is that the kids whose mothers had a third trimester pregnancy during the Olympics when the air quality was better, their birth weight was substantially higher than the kids who were born a year before and a year later," he says. But health specialists sound a cautionary note. "It would be a mischaracterization to say that the coronavirus was beneficial to health because of these air pollution reductions," says Jill Baumgartner, associate professor and epidemiologist at McGill University. "The health impacts from the virus itself, the stress on the health-care system, the stress on people's lives — those health impacts are likely to be much greater than the short-term benefits of air pollution on health," she says. Baumgartner says people with health issues other than COVID-19 may have avoided seeing doctors during the outbreak or potentially couldn't receive treatment they needed in areas with overtaxed health systems. Those isolated at home and avoiding crowds may also have been exposed to more indoor air pollution. "People spent a lot more time indoors and it's possible that they were exposed to higher levels of indoor tobacco smoke," Baumgartner says. "Or in the suburban areas, it's possible that they were using their traditional wood or coal stoves for heating." Not all cities have experienced the recent improvements. In mid-February, Beijing saw a spike in pollution due to local weather patterns trapping air in the region. The drop in air pollution and carbon emissions is also likely to disappear as Chinese industry ramps up again in an attempt to offset its economic losses. "If you think back to the global financial crisis, the immediate impact was for China's emissions to fall," says Myllyvirta. "But then the government response was to roll out the biggest stimulus package in the history of mankind that then drove China's emissions and global emissions up for years." Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article