When 'clean' is not clean enough

Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
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Contact: John Verrico
john.verrico@dhs.gov
202-254-2385
US Department of Homeland Security - Science and Technology

Some solutions are just no-brainers. Take medical backboards, for example, those hard plastic boards used to stabilize patients during emergencies before the patient is lifted onto the gurney and hurried into the ambulance. After each call, technicians scrub down their equipment to avoid exposing the next patient to diseases, microbes or bodily fluids, but despite these efforts, a study conducted in partnership with the University of Miami examined 55 "cleaned" active-duty backboards and found that every backboard was contaminated with at least 11 different strains of bacteria and microorganisms.

To solve this problem and eliminate cross-contamination, Scott Neusch, a retired firefighter and paramedic from Orlando, FL submitted an idea for a backboard cover to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). S&T's program for first responders, TechSolutions, works to provide solutions to technology gaps identified by first responders, such as Neusch. S&T's TechSolutions team researched the market to determine the novelty and value to EMS responders for a backboard cover, and conducted a focus group of EMS responders who validated and improved upon the idea.

The result is Board Armor a synthetic material disposable backboard cover that reduces infection rates in patients and saves valuable emergency response time. It is made of a non-porous medical-grade material that prevents bodily fluids from contaminating the backboard itself and eliminates the need to clean the backboard between each use. Board Armor provides a clean surface for a patient to lie on and reduces turnaround time for Emergency Medical Service providers.

DHS S&T has developed a number of tools to support the first responder community through the TechSolutions program, including Multi-Band Radio Technology, which enables emergency responders to communicate with partner agencies regardless of the radio band on which they operate, as well as the Next Generation Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus that incorporates new pressure vessel technology allowing emergency responders to experience less stress, be able to move more easily in confined spaces and avoid entanglement, and to operate more safely in hazardous response environments.

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To learn more about the TechSolutions program, visit www.FirstResponder.gov.

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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.

Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Verrico
john.verrico@dhs.gov
202-254-2385
US Department of Homeland Security - Science and Technology

Some solutions are just no-brainers. Take medical backboards, for example, those hard plastic boards used to stabilize patients during emergencies before the patient is lifted onto the gurney and hurried into the ambulance. After each call, technicians scrub down their equipment to avoid exposing the next patient to diseases, microbes or bodily fluids, but despite these efforts, a study conducted in partnership with the University of Miami examined 55 "cleaned" active-duty backboards and found that every backboard was contaminated with at least 11 different strains of bacteria and microorganisms.

To solve this problem and eliminate cross-contamination, Scott Neusch, a retired firefighter and paramedic from Orlando, FL submitted an idea for a backboard cover to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). S&T's program for first responders, TechSolutions, works to provide solutions to technology gaps identified by first responders, such as Neusch. S&T's TechSolutions team researched the market to determine the novelty and value to EMS responders for a backboard cover, and conducted a focus group of EMS responders who validated and improved upon the idea.

The result is Board Armor a synthetic material disposable backboard cover that reduces infection rates in patients and saves valuable emergency response time. It is made of a non-porous medical-grade material that prevents bodily fluids from contaminating the backboard itself and eliminates the need to clean the backboard between each use. Board Armor provides a clean surface for a patient to lie on and reduces turnaround time for Emergency Medical Service providers.

DHS S&T has developed a number of tools to support the first responder community through the TechSolutions program, including Multi-Band Radio Technology, which enables emergency responders to communicate with partner agencies regardless of the radio band on which they operate, as well as the Next Generation Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus that incorporates new pressure vessel technology allowing emergency responders to experience less stress, be able to move more easily in confined spaces and avoid entanglement, and to operate more safely in hazardous response environments.

###

To learn more about the TechSolutions program, visit www.FirstResponder.gov.

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/udoh-wi122211.php

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How to Create Synthetic Symphonies on Your Android [Video]

The number of noteworthy music apps in Google's Android ecosystem is on the rise, but it's still weak in certain sub-categories ? in particular, music-making apps. Until recently, Android showed a real dearth of high-powered music-making apps. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nPuAY1rNRZI/how-to-create-synthetic-symphonies-on-an-android

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House GOP to reject stopgap payroll tax cut (AP)

WASHINGTON ? With the Senate adjourned for the holidays, House Republicans are moving to shelve a bipartisan two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut that cleared the Senate over the weekend and are demanding instead that their fellow lawmakers return to the Capitol for negotiations.

After a spate of bipartisanship last week, the combatants are back in full-throated warfare over President Barack Obama's payroll tax initiative and other expiring measures, including jobless benefits for almost 1.8 million people who will lose them next month if Congress doesn't act.

Instead of accepting a two-month stopgap Senate measure that would ensure fighting continues into February, Republicans said they would move Tuesday to set up an official House-Senate negotiating panel known as a conference committee. The Senate's top Democrat said he would refuse to negotiate until the House passes the short-term version.

Both sides insist they want to extend the provisions before a Dec. 31 deadline, but that will prove difficult. After overwhelmingly passing a two-month extension Saturday, senators raced for the exits in the belief that the House would see no alternative but to go along. The Senate isn't scheduled to resume legislative work until Jan. 23.

The Senate's short-term, lowest-common-denominator approach would renew a 2 percentage point cut in the Social Security payroll tax, plus jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, and would prevent a huge cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

But House Republicans quickly erupted in frustration at the Senate measure, which drops changes to the unemployment insurance system pressed by conservatives, along with cuts to Obama's health care law. Also driving their frustration was that the Senate, as it so often does, appeared intent on leaving the House holding the bag ? leaving it no choice but to go along.

"With millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, it would be unconscionable for Speaker (John) Boehner to block a bipartisan agreement that would protect middle-class families from the thousand-dollar tax increase looming on January 1st," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who negotiated the two-month extension with Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The 2 percentage point tax cut provides about a $1,000 annual tax cut for a typical earner making about $50,000 a year.

Both sides were eager to position themselves as the strongest advocates of the payroll tax cut, with House Republicans accusing the Senate of lollygagging on vacation and Senate Democrats countering that the House was seeking a partisan battle rather than taking the obvious route of approving the stopgap bill to buy more time for negotiations.

Just a couple of weeks after many Republicans made it plain they thought that the payroll tax cut ? the centerpiece of Obama's autumn jobs agenda ? hadn't worked and that renewing it was a waste of money, Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting touting their support for the president.

"Do you want to do something for 60 days that kicks the can down the road?" said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas. "Or do you want to do what the president asked us to do? And we're people who don't agree with the president all that often."

"I've never seen us so unified," Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said as he left a two-hour, closed-door meeting Monday night where Republicans firmed up their plans. He said the payroll tax cut that has been in effect this year failed to create any jobs, but he favored extending it for another 12 months because "it's tough to raise taxes when you're in a down economy."

Congress' approval ratings are in the cellar, in part because of repeated partisan confrontations that brought the Treasury to the brink of a first-ever default last summer, and more than once pushed the vast federal establishment to the edge of a partial shutdown.

This time, unlike the others, Republican divisions were prominently on display.

The two-month measure that cleared the Senate, 89-10, on Saturday had the full support of McConnell, the Republican leader, who also told reporters he was optimistic the House would sign on. Senate negotiators had tried to agree on a compromise to cover a full year, but were unable to come up with enough savings to offset the cost and prevent deficits from rising.

The two-month extension was a fallback, and officials say that when McConnell personally informed Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of the deal at a private meeting, they said they would check with their rank and file.

But on Saturday, restive House conservatives made clear during a telephone conference call that they were unhappy with the measure.

Ironically, until the House rank and file revolted, it appeared that Republicans had outmaneuvered Democrats and Obama on one point.

The two-month measure that cleared the Senate required the president to decide within 60 days to allow construction on a proposed oil pipeline that promises thousands of construction jobs. Obama had threatened to veto legislation that included the requirement, then did an about-face.

The president recently announced he was delaying a decision on the pipeline until after the 2012 elections, meaning that while seeking a new term, he would not have to choose between disappointing environmentalists who oppose the project and blue-collar unions that support it.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111220/ap_on_re_us/us_congress_payroll_tax

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Can Paul Allen launch rockets into space from a plane?

The company aims to build a massive aircraft that will act as an airborne launch system, releasing a booster mid-flight that ignites to send cargo, satellites and, eventually, people into orbit. When complete, it would be the biggest aircraft in history.

After conquering the technology world, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is setting his sights on the next frontier: space.

Skip to next paragraph

The billionaire entrepreneur announced a new private spaceflight venture on Tuesday (Dec. 13), called Stratolaunch Systems. The company aims to build a massive aircraft that will act as an?airborne launch system, releasing a booster mid-flight that ignites to send cargo, satellites and, eventually, people into orbit. When complete, it would be the biggest aircraft in history.

Sounds pretty cool, right? But can it really be built?

Absolutely, company officials say.

The giant twin-bodied aircraft will be constructed by Scaled Composites, a Mojave, Calif.-based aerospace design company founded by industry pioneer Burt Rutan. The carrier craft will incorporate new aircraft components as well as existing parts from two 747 jetliners.

"This is not a sketch," Rutan said. "It exists in hundreds of detailed drawings, and it's relatively close to [being built] as soon as we can get a building big enough." [Images: Paul Allen's Giant Plane for Private Launches]

The?Stratolaunch Systems aircraft?is expected to be the largest ever built. The craft's wings will span a staggering 385 feet (117 meters), which will make it longer than a football field.

Tipping the scales at 1.2 million pounds (more than 544,000 kilograms), the mammoth aircraft will need to take off and land on a runway that is at least 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) long, company officials said. But, launching rockets from in the air comes with advantages.

"It's an approach that has a long history," said former NASA administrator Mike Griffin. "We've been air-dropping manned rockets since Chuck Yeager. It's an approach that offers some very substantial operational flexibility, much reduced range requirements ? ability to deal with weather scenarios."

Griffin is a member of the Stratolaunch Systems board, and he joined Allen and Rutan in a news conference Tuesday in Seattle to announce the project.

Commercial and government payloads will ride into orbit on a booster that will be made by the California-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).

The two-stage rocket will be based on?SpaceX's existing fleet of rockets, and it will be designed to first carry cargo and satellites, and then humans, SpaceX officials said. The booster will be released at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet (9,100 m) before igniting and journeying into space.

This type of airborne launch system will help make commercial launches safer, more flexible, efficient and affordable, Allen said.

"By the end of this decade, Stratolaunch will be putting spacecraft into orbit," Allen said.

Allen partnered with Rutan on the design and construction of?SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded vehicle to reach the edge of space. Allen bankrolled the project, which reportedly cost more than $20 million.

Allen declined to share the cost of this newly announced airborne launch system, but did say that it was a considerable amount. The importance of fostering the future of commercial spaceflight, however, is a worthwhile investment, he said.

The mammoth aircraft will be built in a special hangar that will be constructed at the Mojave Air and Space Port, company officials said. Other than early specifications, Rutan is tight-lipped about details of the project.

"Because we are announcing it very early, I don't think it's wise to give the competitors our technical numbers," Rutan said. "We have to share it after it's flying, but we don't have to now."

You can follow SPACE.com staff writer Denise Chow on Twitter?@denisechow. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcom?and on?Facebook.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/gK_wr4kYu8Q/Can-Paul-Allen-launch-rockets-into-space-from-a-plane

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The Research and Analysis of Personal Finance of Commercial ...

home > Finance > The Research and Analysis of Personal Finance of Commercial Bank of China

URL:http://www.economics-papers.com/?p=78119

?Abstract? Personal finance is a emgerging industry for the commercial bank of China.The emergence of personal finance in China is due to the continous and quick development of national economy,the increase of the national income and the rising awareness on personal finance.Also,it is the result of the rapid development of the finance industry . Based on the ananlysis of the personal finance of the commercial bank of China, this thesis tries to find out the problem and shortcoming of the personal finance industry of the commercial bank in China by the research and analysis of the background ,strategy ,current situation of the personal finance of the commercial bank of China.Meanwhile, the thesis wants to predict the trend of the domestic personal finance of the commercial bank,and give some corresponding suggestiones.There are six parts in this thesis:Part 1:With the general introduction of the developing processes,definition,scope and theory basis of the personal finance,the thesis will preliminarily outline the personal finance industry.Part 2:In this part,the thesis focuses on the background of the development of the personal finance,and represents the relationship between the domestic macroeconomy situation,the direction of the commercial bank reformation,the development of the other financial institute,and the personal finance of domestic commercial bank.Part 3:By the analysis and research of the strategic goal as well as strategic method of the personal finance of the commercial bank of China,the thesis gerenalizes about the strategic bet of the personal finance of of domestic commercial bank.Part 4: On the basis of the deep analysis of the product,marketing strategy,service and channel,and the comparison with the personal finance of foreign commercial bank,the thesis represent the general situation of the personal finance of of domestic commercial bank. Furthermore, the thesis puts forward the shortcoming and the problem during the developing processes of the personal finance.Part 5:This part,which is based on the research of the personal finance development trend ,reprents the point of view on the perspective of the personal finance of of domestic commercial bank through the analysis of the future market development,the influence of mixed operation on finance industry and the future competitive landscape.Part 6:Based on the above-mentioned five parts,this part give some corresponding suggestiones on the development of the personal finance of commercial bank of China.

Title: The Research and Analysis of Personal Finance of Commercial Bank of China
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Source: http://www.economics-papers.com/?p=78119

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Grinch Steals Cancer Patient's Donation Jar ? CBS Chicago

Surveillance video shows a man walking off with a collection jar for a cancer patient in Crestwood. (CBS)

CRESTWOOD, Ill. (CBS) ? It?s a theft that has one Crestwood family asking: Why?

Surveillance video at a Crestwood convenience store shows a male customer paying for items before swiping a collection jar and casually walking out the door.

The collection jar was supposed to raise money for 28-year-old Kelly Stawicki, who is battling stage-3 colon cancer. The unemployed patient is uninsured and has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, her stepfather tells CBS 2.

Stawicki?s family is shocked at the theft.

?I?d tell him it?s like the lowest thing you could do. If your child was sick like that, how would you like it if somebody stole it?? Kelly?s aunt, Claudette Bernatowicz, says.

People with information about the suspect should call Crestwood police at (708) 385 5131.

?I?m sure somebody?s going to recognize him. It?s a very clear video. I?m sure he?s from the area. He seems familiar with the store,? Crestwood Police Detective Chris Soderlund says.

The incident happened Dec. 5. Police on Saturday reached out to media outlets in hopes that releasing the surveillance video will crack the case.

Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/17/grinch-steals-cancer-patients-donation-jar/

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No. 1 Baylor women set to host second-ranked UConn (AP)

Brittney Griner has been looking forward to another shot against Connecticut. She'll get her chance on Sunday when top-ranked Baylor faces the No. 2 Huskies.

The two teams met early last season with the rankings reversed and UConn escaped with a one-point victory in Hartford, rallying from a late eight-point deficit. The 6-foot-8 phenom felt the loss was her fault.

"That last game with UConn has been on my mind for a long time," Griner said. "The one thing I think about the most is my free throws. It was just horrible that game. After that game, I hit almost every free throw I attempted."

Griner missed eight of 13 from the free throw line, including some key misses down the stretch that allowed UConn to rally for the 65-64 win.

She hasn't been missing much of anything this season, leading Baylor to victory after victory. Griner is averaging 22.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.9 blocks in just 30 minutes a game this season for the Lady Bears (10-0). She's also shooting 73 percent from the foul line.

So far Baylor and Connecticut's games this season have been anything but competitive. The Lady Bears have won by an average of 34.5 points. Throw out wins over ranked Notre Dame and Tennessee and the margin jumps to nearly 40 a game.

"I know I'm definitely ready for a game like this. Our team is ready for a game like this," Griner said. "These are the kind of games basketball players live for, 1 vs. 2, big games. Nobody wants to blow out a team, that's not fun. You want hard competitive games when everybody puts it on the line. Those games I love playing."

There has been a definite buzz around Waco leading up to the game, which sold out weeks in advance for the first time in school history.

"It's great for women's basketball, great for Baylor," Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey said. "The thing I will take away from it win or lose, now we've played Notre Dame, we've played Connecticut, we've got Big 12 coming up. ... Win or lose, where do we need to improve? It's a gauge, nothing more than a gauge right now. That is the way I will approach it after the game is over."

Connecticut (9-0) has run through its opposition this season winning by nearly 41.5 points a game, including a 30-point demolition of defending national champion Texas A&M in the Jimmy V Classic. Yet they are in a little different role, playing only their second road game of the season and for once may not be expected to win.

"It's weird," UConn center Stefanie Dolson said. "Everyone always says you don't focus on the ranking and the hype that everyone's talking about. Who's going to win? Who's the underdog? So for us we don't really focus on that. We're just going to kind of go out and play as hard as we can, compete as hard as we can. And whoever wins is the better team that night."

There haven't been many nights over the last few years that the Huskies haven't been the better team. It's the first time in four seasons that UConn will be playing a higher ranked opponent. UConn has only lost twice in the last three seasons ? falling at Stanford last December that ended their record 90-game winning streak. The Huskies then lost in the Final Four to Notre Dame.

"I don't think there has been a better team in the country of going on the road and playing against Top 5 teams in the country and done a better job than us in the last 10 years or so," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "That is the beauty of it. I am like a fan going down there Sunday night. I really want to see how we handle this."

Auriemma always expects greatness out of his players. He got to know Griner while she played for the U.S. national women's basketball team on a European tour this past Fall and came away impressed.

"There's nobody else in the world like her," Auriemma said. "I don't care who Australia has. I don't care who Russia has or anybody else has. Nobody has anybody like Brittney Griner ... There's things that she can do that no one else can do on any other team in the world."

Griner has a mutual respect for the Hall of Fame coach. She even spent a little time on the trip going to the town in Italy where he was born and meeting his family.

"I always viewed him as a great coach, he's done a lot for the UConn program and women's basketball," she said. "I view him as an opponent this game, but this past summer, he was my coach. You've got to turn it on. Like when you're playing in AAU, your best friend would be on another team, you're best friends, but both are trying to win, doing everything to win and at the end of the day you're still best friends. It's the competitive nature."

Sadly this might be the last time these two meet as opponents unless it's in the NCAA tournament. The budding rivalry will come to an end Sunday as the two teams aren't schedule to play against next season. UConn first beat Griner and Baylor when she was a freshman in the Final Four.

ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, who will be broadcasting the game, was disappointed to hear that they won't be playing anymore in the regular season.

""They should do a mini playoff series, three straight games," he said." Once you get past the top 10 or 15 teams, who's challenging these teams? The preseason is almost a joke, beating teams by 30 or 40. It's not good for the sport."

___

AP Basketball Writer Stephen Hawkins contributed from Waco, Texas.

___

Follow Doug Feinberg at http://twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_sp_co_ne/bkw_t25_connecticut_baylor_showdown

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