Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Building a better team -- on Mars

Building a better team -- on Mars [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 21-May-2013
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Contact: Andy Henion
henion@msu.edu
517-355-3294
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. Sometime in the next quarter-century, NASA plans to send the first humans to Mars, a mission that will push the boundaries of teamwork for a handful of astronauts who will spend as long as three years together in a tiny capsule.

A Michigan State University project, now wrapping up its third year, aims to arm the crew with innovative devices to monitor interactions and provide instant feedback when conflict or other issues with team cohesion arise.

NASA recently awarded the project $1.2 million for another three years, bringing the total funding from the space agency to $2.5 million.

"We're developing a measurement system that captures the dynamics of team effectiveness in real time and then supplies that information back to the team members so they can use it to maintain their effectiveness," said Steve Kozlowski, lead investigator on the project and professor of psychology.

Each astronaut would get a device, or badge, which could end up being the size of a smart phone. The badge measures a number of activities including heart rate, motion, vocalization and face time between crew members. It could tell, for example, if a team member gets loud or turns away from a conversation abruptly actions that, when done repeatedly, could signal a problem.

The badges are in development. A rudimentary version has proved effective in a lab setting and will now be measured in the field.

Kozlowski said the research team is collecting daily, "diary-type" information from scientific teams serving in isolated and extreme conditions similar to what astronauts encounter, including Antarctica. That information will help researchers develop a coherent picture of team functioning as they develop the badges.

Ideally, Kozlowski said, the badge would be capable of identifying an issue and relaying that information immediately to the NASA crew member, the crew leader or the entire team.

"It's really about giving the team tools that it can use to monitor its own psychosocial health in other words, 'how are we doing'? and if there any threats to that psychosocial health, offer early warnings so it can be dealt with it before it becomes a big problem," Kozlowski said.

###

Kozlowski's co-investigators include Subir Biswas, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Chu-Hsiang Chang, assistant professor of psychology.


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Building a better team -- on Mars [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 21-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Andy Henion
henion@msu.edu
517-355-3294
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. Sometime in the next quarter-century, NASA plans to send the first humans to Mars, a mission that will push the boundaries of teamwork for a handful of astronauts who will spend as long as three years together in a tiny capsule.

A Michigan State University project, now wrapping up its third year, aims to arm the crew with innovative devices to monitor interactions and provide instant feedback when conflict or other issues with team cohesion arise.

NASA recently awarded the project $1.2 million for another three years, bringing the total funding from the space agency to $2.5 million.

"We're developing a measurement system that captures the dynamics of team effectiveness in real time and then supplies that information back to the team members so they can use it to maintain their effectiveness," said Steve Kozlowski, lead investigator on the project and professor of psychology.

Each astronaut would get a device, or badge, which could end up being the size of a smart phone. The badge measures a number of activities including heart rate, motion, vocalization and face time between crew members. It could tell, for example, if a team member gets loud or turns away from a conversation abruptly actions that, when done repeatedly, could signal a problem.

The badges are in development. A rudimentary version has proved effective in a lab setting and will now be measured in the field.

Kozlowski said the research team is collecting daily, "diary-type" information from scientific teams serving in isolated and extreme conditions similar to what astronauts encounter, including Antarctica. That information will help researchers develop a coherent picture of team functioning as they develop the badges.

Ideally, Kozlowski said, the badge would be capable of identifying an issue and relaying that information immediately to the NASA crew member, the crew leader or the entire team.

"It's really about giving the team tools that it can use to monitor its own psychosocial health in other words, 'how are we doing'? and if there any threats to that psychosocial health, offer early warnings so it can be dealt with it before it becomes a big problem," Kozlowski said.

###

Kozlowski's co-investigators include Subir Biswas, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Chu-Hsiang Chang, assistant professor of psychology.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/msu-bab052113.php

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Boolean Types In If Else Statements - Java | Dream.In.Code


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    5 Replies - 64 Views - Last Post: Today, 10:07 PM Rate Topic: -----

    #1 streek405 ?Icon User is offline

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    • Posts: 17
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    Posted Today, 12:15 PM

    
 // NOTE: for some reason I am getting the 'cannot find symbol error'  // for line 17...also, am I doing the if else correctly for boolean types?  // This program will ask the user his/her gender and age // and will print out results using a nested if else  import java.util.Scanner;  class NestedIfElse2 { // not finished yet...for nest  	public static void main(String[] args){ 	 		//create variables 		boolean boy = true; 		boolean girl = false; // if the user enters girl, then it will be false, cuz girls dont play Pokemon LOL! 		System.out.println("Hello, my name is Professor Oak. Are you a boy or girl: ?"); 		String gender = input.next(); 		System.out.println("Right! Now, how old are you: ?"); 		int age = input.nextInt(); 		int old = 100; 		int adult = 20; 		int baby = 10; 	 		//create nest 		if(gender.equals(true)){ 		System.out.println("So you're telling me that you are a boy? Got it!"); 		} 		else if(gender.equals(false)){ 		System.out.println("Girls play video games...?"); 		} 		else{ // if they do not input boy or girl 		System.out.println("You must be a pokemon!"); 		} 	}    } 


    Is This A Good Question/Topic? 0

    Replies To: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    #2 jon.kiparsky ?Icon User is offline

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    Re: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    Posted Today, 12:20 PM

    
 String gender = input.next();

    What's an input? You don't seem to have declared this.


    #3 streek405 ?Icon User is offline

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    Re: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    Posted Today, 07:08 PM

    View Postjon.kiparsky, on 20 May 2013 - 12:20 PM, said:

    
 String gender = input.next();

    What's an input? You don't seem to have declared this.

    Thank you, you're right! But, now when I run it (if I enter boy or girl for the the gender) it prints out the ELSE statement...why is this? I have never used the boolean true/false statements before and I want to know how to do it :/ .


    #4 PudgeCo ?Icon User is offline

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    Re: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    Posted Today, 07:28 PM

    The problem lies in this line:
    
if(gender.equals(true))

    You're trying to use a method that compares String values.

    What you will want to do is change the lines like that to one of the following:
    Option 1:

    
if(gender == true)

    This will check if your boolean value in gender is true.

    Or, Option 2:

    
if(gender)

    This does the same thing as option one, and evaluates whether or not the value is true as well.
    Was This Post Helpful? -1

    #5 pbl ?Icon User is offline

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    Re: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    Posted Today, 07:38 PM

    View PostPudgeCo, on 20 May 2013 - 10:28 PM, said:

    What you will want to do is change the lines like that to one of the following:
    Option 1:
    
if(gender == true)

    This will check if your boolean value in gender is true.

    Or, Option 2:

    
if(gender)

    This does the same thing as option one, and evaluates whether or not the value is true as well.
    Completly false.
    gender is a String it can'be be == true of if(gender)

    maybe if(gender.equals("true"))


    #6 jon.kiparsky ?Icon User is offline

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    Re: Boolean types in If Else Statements

    Posted Today, 10:07 PM

    View Postpbl, on 20 May 2013 - 09:38 PM, said:

    gender is a String it can'be be == true of if(gender)

    And therefore .equals returns false when you compare a String to a boolean, so it fails.

    You might do something like

    
 if (gender.equals("boy") {    //   ... }

    but there will be some complications. Play with it.


    Page 1 of 1


    Source: http://www.dreamincode.net/forums/topic/321458-boolean-types-in-if-else-statements/

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    Top 10 Reasons to Check Your Travel Insurance Carefully | Travel ...

    May 20, 2013

    ?


    Lisa Bachelor, The Guardian, May 20, 2013

    You've booked the flights, bought the sun cream and thumbed the glossy brochure to death. But have you bought any travel insurance and, if so, how much attention have you really paid to the details of the policy?

    Insurance is notorious for being riddled with exclusions ? and travel policies are no exception. If the worst happens, a rejected travel insurance claim can leave holidaymakers stranded abroad with little or no access to funds.

    Here we reveal 10 of the hidden nasties lurking in the small print that could turn your holiday heaven into hell on earth.

    1. Watch your excess

    The excess is the amount you have to pay towards any cost you make a claim for ? so if you claim for ?250 and your excess is ?50, the insurer will pay out ?200. Straightforward, right? Not according to Graeme Trudgill, a director at the British Insurance Brokers' Association. "Be careful with this," he says. "Is it an excess per claim or per section of the policy? The difference on a stolen handbag, for example, could be one excess or three ? for bag, money and passport." Some policies charge just one excess per claim, which can work out much cheaper.

    2. Your own health

    This is one of the most frequently used reasons for drawing on a travel insurance policy ? and also one of the most common reasons for having a claim turned down. Often, a rejected claim relates to the issue of a pre-existing medical condition that has not been disclosed. The area is a complicated one because, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an insurer can reasonably reject a claim that has nothing to do with a pre-existing condition if they can show that they would not have allowed the policy to be taken out in the first place had the condition been disclosed.

    Also, a pre-existing condition is not limited to medical conditions that have already been diagnosed. It may also apply to symptoms for which the customer has seen a doctor before buying the insurance ? but where the cause of the problem has not yet been diagnosed.

    3. Someone else's health

    Be warned that the exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions may be more onerous when the person who is ill is not the policyholder, but a family member or someone who was going to travel with the policyholder. Most people don't have full details of other people's medical history.

    Trudgill says: "If you have a relative or close business colleague whose state of health could lead to a decision by you to cancel or curtail your policy, you need to tell your insurer. If you do not disclose a serious condition you know about, and subsequently cancel your claim, it is unlikely to be paid ? even if they are not travelling with you."

    4. Suicide

    You might not reasonably expect your own to be covered ? but what about that of someone else close to you? The FOS says it recently dealt with a case where a holidaymaker cancelled his trip after his father-in-law committed suicide. The insurer refused to pay as the policy had a general exclusion for claims relating to suicide or attempted suicide.

    The ombudsman ruled in favour of the holidaymaker, as his father-in-law was not a named party to the policy and his suicide had been an unforeseen event outside of the policyholder's control.

    5. Make sure you start it in time

    Be very careful about when you start your policy. Most people take out insurance to begin on the first day of their holiday, rather than the day they booked. This can become a problem when the policyholder has to cancel the holiday in advance. In these circumstances, the insurer may refuse to pay any cancellation costs because the policy cover hasn't actually started.

    If your claim is turned down you will need to prove (usually via a recording of the phone conversation your insurer should supply) that the insurer hadn't made you aware that you would not be covered for events before the start date of your policy. Even if no conversation has taken place and you have bought your policy online, the insurer should make it clear that the cover only commences from the start of your holiday.

    6. Watch your mileage

    Holidaying within the UK? Don't assume you are covered by an annual travel insurance policy ? you may not be travelling far enough. Most policies contain definitions of what constitutes a journey or trip for the purposes of cover. So, for example, you may only be covered if you are holidaying somewhere more than 25 miles from your home and staying for more than two nights.

    7. Hazardous sports

    Travel insurance policies routinely exclude a number of sporting activities and you should check these carefully, as your idea of hazardous may be different from that of an insurer. An obvious example is skiing ? even if you are only a beginner on the green slopes this is usually excluded unless you ask to have it added on.

    "Flying or any other airborne activity (except as a fare-paying passenger)" is also a routine exclusion, as is scuba diving below 30 metres. Slightly less dangerous sounding ? and therefore not so obvious ? sports such as rugby and ice hockey are also unlikely to be covered.

    8. Don't be laid back about theft or loss

    Failing to obtain a police report after a robbery or failing to notify your insurer within a certain time frame is another reason why a claim may be turned down. "Follow your insurer's instructions on what to do if you think you've had something stolen," says Jeremy Cryer, head of travel at Gocompare.com. "For example, your insurer may want you to report a theft within 24 hours of becoming aware of it, so leaving it until you get home before you contact your insurer's helpline may be too late."

    Your insurer can also turn down your claim if they have grounds to believe you failed to take reasonable care of your belongings. "If you leave your wallet on your beach towel and go for a dip, this is not taking reasonable care and you could be left out of pocket," Trudgill says.

    9. Beware the booze

    Alcohol is a surprisingly common reason for disputes over claims, as most insurers have an exclusion that relates to it. Biba research last year into the wording of 20 different policies revealed the disparity between different insurers' attitudes. Some refused to cover any claims arising directly or indirectly from excessive alcohol intake, while one refused only where blood alcohol content level exceeded "0.19%, or eight units of alcohol in a single session".

    The Financial Ombudsman Service recently came across a case where an insurer refused to pay the repatriation costs when the policyholder was taken seriously ill on holiday. The holidaymaker disputed that his condition was down to excessive alcohol intake and put it down to "a dodgy prawn curry". The ombudsman sided with the insurer ? medical evidence showed the policyholder had a history of alcoholism and that he had been bingeing on whiskey for five days while on holiday.

    However, the FOS says it has recently seen a number of inquiries about travel policies that seem to exclude any drinking of alcohol while on holiday. "Needless to say, while it's reasonable to be aware of the repercussions of drinking heavily, we'd take a dim view of insurers penalising consumers for having some drinks (and enjoying themselves) while away," says the FOS spokesperson.

    10. Danger zones

    The simple rule is: if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says don't go there, then don't expect your policy to cover a trip. "If you're in any doubt, talk to your insurer or look at the fco.gov.uk website for guidance," says Cryer.

    However, some policies do not provide cover for any trip to or through four nations: Cuba, Afghanistan, Liberia and Sudan. Policies excluding Cuba include those underwritten by AIG Europe, which are sold by companies such as Direct Travel Insurance and Yorkshire Bank.

    This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk


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    Source: http://www.travelagentcentral.com/travel-insurance/top-10-reasons-check-your-travel-insurance-carefully-40756

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    Germany's uncomfortable role as Europe's 'economic police'

    Since World War II, Germany has preferred to stay out of international leadership roles. But the eurocrisis has put the country at Europe's head ? with all the criticism that entails.

    By Sara Miller Llana,?Staff writer / May 16, 2013

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a discussion panel on 'making Europe strong' during the Europe forum conference in Berlin Thursday. Germany has consciously avoided a leadership role in Europe since the end of World War II, but the eurocrisis has put it in the limelight ? with all the criticism that brings.

    Gero Breloer/AP

    Enlarge

    Americans took a leading role in the world in the post-World War II era. And today they are used to being unpopular, yet called upon when needed.

    Skip to next paragraph Sara Miller Llana

    Europe Bureau Chief

    Sara Miller Llana?moved to Paris in April 2013 to become the Monitor's Europe Bureau?Chief. Previously she was the?paper's?Latin America Bureau Chief, based in Mexico City, from 2006 to 2013.

    Recent posts

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    Germans in the postwar era, on the other hand, have preferred to blend into the background.

    But amid Europe's sovereign debt crisis, as Germany's healthy economy has put it at the head of the 27-member European Union, that's been proving impossible. And now Germans are dealing with the criticism that accompanies being a regional ? if unwilling ? hegemon.

    While a recent Pew poll shows Germany to be considered by many countries to be the most trustworthy nation in Europe, it has also accrued new enemies far and wide, with Greeks burning German flags or picketing with signs of German Chancellor Angela Merkel dressed in Nazi uniform. There have even been?claims from France that Germans are out to rule the Continent.

    ?We have made a lot of commitment to help those people,? says Markus, a musical theater stage producer, in Berlin?s Alexanderplatz, a public square and major transportation hub in Germany?s capital Berlin. ?It?s really unfair.?

    It?s also untrue ? at least the part about Germany wanting continental dominion, say German and European observers. Instead, the avoidance of tough positions in foreign policy, so Germany is not led into a moral dilemma, is ingrained in the postwar mentality, they say.

    ?There is no appetite for domination. Germany has been pushed into this position by default,? says Jan Techau, director of Carnegie Europe in Brussels for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ?There is no ambition to shape the continent in the image of Germany.?

    ?Germans want to be liked by the rest of the world,? says Michael Wohlgemuth, director of Open Europe Berlin. ?Germany feels uneasy in its new powerful role. We don?t want to be leaders of Europe.?

    Outside the US embassy in Berlin, Erkan Arikan says that Germany is being unfairly maligned in Europe. But he says he can also laugh it off, as a German of Turkish descent in a multicultural Germany that has nothing to do with the 1930s.

    He says that he can see some parallels between the hegemonic positions of Germany and the US today, but there is a limit. ?The US is still the world police for everyone; Germany doesn?t want to be the focus,? he says. ?But maybe it?s becoming the economic police of Europe.?

    It?s a role that many Germans might feel uncomfortable playing, especially with the bad will that can breed.

    If Americans don?t like the term ?ugly American,? Germans like it even less.

    Ulrike Gu?rot of the European Council of Foreign Relations says when she travels around the country and talks to everyday Germans, they are starting to ask, ?Are we responsible for this youth unemployment in Spain? There is an uneasiness they they are just starting to feel,? she says. ?They don?t want to be the ?ugly German.??

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/bQa_gfaDmsk/Germany-s-uncomfortable-role-as-Europe-s-economic-police

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    Monday, May 20, 2013

    The Newest 3D-Printed Gun Is Far More Dangerous For Much Cheaper

    After the stir several weeks ago, buzz surrounding Defense Distributed's 3D-printed gun has begun to (somewhat) die down. This is probably due in part to Kim Dotcom's removal of the gun's blueprint from Mega and the fact that, frankly, the gun itself isn't much of an immediate threat. But as one potential threat dissipates, just like clockwork, a new one has appeared on the horizon. And any fear creeping up on you with this newest incarnation of the 3D-printed gun might actually be warranted.

    Read more...

        


    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/C87olkiq4Lw/the-newest-3d-printed-gun-is-far-more-dangerous-for-muc-508921619

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    Chinese premier visits India to boost ties

    NEW DELHI (AP) ? Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties.

    Premier Li Keqiang met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the two leaders emphasized that efforts should be made to resolve the border dispute between the two countries which led to a bloody war in 1962, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

    The two leaders also underscored the need for maintaining peace and tranquility along the de facto border pending resolution of the boundary issue, Akbaruddin said.

    In a written statement on his arrival in the Indian capital, Li said China regarded India as an important partner and friend and expressed the hope that his visit would inject new vigor into their cooperative partnership, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

    Li said both China and India were speeding up their development and making steady efforts to boost their economy and improve people's lives.

    The statement said the major markets of India and China could complement each other and fulfill the need for common development with win-win results, PTI reported.

    China says Li's choice of India for his first trip abroad since taking office in March shows the importance Beijing attaches to improving relations with New Delhi.

    "We think very highly of this gesture because it is our view that high-level political exchanges between our two countries are an important aspect and vehicle for our expanded cooperation," said Akbaruddin.

    Jasjit Singh, a defense analyst and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in New Delhi, said last month's border standoff was unlikely to overshadow Li's three-day visit, the first stop of a foreign tour that also includes Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.

    Singh said Indian and Chinese leaders are likely to review border talks that have failed to produce a breakthrough despite 15 rounds of discussions over the past 10 years. The two sides also will probably discuss working together in Afghanistan after next year's U.S. pullout and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, he said.

    But tensions run high between the two nations. China already sees itself as Asia's great power, while India hopes its increasing economic and military might ? though still far below its neighbor's ? will eventually put it in the same league.

    While China has worked to shore up relationships with Nepal and Sri Lanka in India's traditional South Asian sphere of influence, India has been venturing into partnerships with Southeast Asian nations.

    Other irritants remain in the bilateral relationship. China is a longtime ally and weapons supplier to Pakistan, India's bitter rival. Also, the presence in India of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile are a source of tension. China accuses the Dalai Lama of wanting to split Tibet off from the rest of China, but he says he seeks more autonomy for Tibetans, not independence.

    Unresolved border issues between the two nations have flared as well.

    In last month's incident, India said Chinese troops crossed the countries' de facto border on April 15 and pitched camp in the Depsang valley in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir. New Delhi responded with diplomatic protests and then moved its soldiers just 300 meters (yards) from the Chinese position.

    The two sides negotiated a peaceful end to the standoff by withdrawing troops to their original positions in the Ladakh area.

    Gautam Bambawale, a senior external affairs ministry official, said Saturday that India and China are negotiating a Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, but declined to give details. Indian media reports said the agreement proposes a freezing of troop levels in the disputed border region as the two countries make efforts to settle the issue.

    Bambawale also said Indian and Chinese officials recently held talks in Beijing on the future of Afghanistan. China, India and Russia have discussed the matter trilaterally with the idea of giving full support to Afghanistan's government as it makes the transition following the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2014.

    Later Sunday, Li was to attend a dinner hosted by Singh.

    Delegation-level talks between the two sides are scheduled for Monday. Li is to attend a business summit in Mumbai, India's financial capital, among other activities.

    The border spat last month prompted the Indian opposition and media to pressure the government to take on China and call off Li's visit. The government, however, chose to go ahead with the trip, highlighting its policy of trying to widen areas of cooperation with China while attempting to resolve key differences.

    China has become India's biggest trading partner, with two-way trade jumping from $5 billion in 2002 to nearly $75 billion in 2011, although that figure declined to $61.5 billion last year because of the global economic downturn. Trade remains heavily skewed in China's favor, another source of concern for India.

    India and China have had chilly relations since they fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962.

    India says China is occupying 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas, while China claims around 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

    Dorjee Tseten, director of Students for a Free Tibet, said Sunday that New Delhi police had declined permission for Tibetans to hold a demonstration against Li's visit.

    "Tibetan activists are currently on the run evading imminent police arrest," he said in a statement, complaining of a heavy police presence in a New Delhi area where a large number of Tibetans-in-exile live.

    Police overpowered and detained a Tibetan man as he tried to burn the Chinese flag near China's embassy in the Indian capital.

    Police, however, allowed about two dozen members of Shiv Sena, a Hindu right-wing political party, to demonstrate near India's Parliament, where they burned an effigy of the Chinese premier.

    "Go back, go back," chanted the protesters, who also carried placards urging the Indian government to respond toughly to China's alleged border incursion. The powerful regional party held power in Mumbai from 1995 to 2000.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-premier-visits-india-boost-ties-101859231.html

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    Soccer-Indonesia hit with $15,000 fine for crowd trouble

    May 20 (Reuters) - The Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) have been fined $15,000 for repeated crowd infringements at international matches, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Monday.

    The PSSI were fined $10,000 after fans ignited firecrackers and threw water bottles during Indonesia's March 23 Asian Cup home qualifier against Saudi Arabia, with the additional $5,000 a result of similar incidents during four matches last year.

    Indonesia will also have to play a match behind closed doors if the problem reoccurs in the next two years, the AFC said.

    Saudi Arabia beat Indonesia 2-1 to lead Group C, which also features Iraq and China, with two wins from two matches. The southeast Asians are bottom after two defeats.

    The top two teams from each of the five qualifying groups and the best third-placed team will join defending champions Japan, hosts Australia, South Korea and North Korea at the next edition of the tournament in 2015.

    The AFC also handed a $5,000 fine to Brunei, who pulled out of the AFC Challenge Cup at the last moment citing "unavoidable circumstances."

    The AFC also reminded Brunei to plan better in future. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Patrick Johnston)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-indonesia-hit-15-000-fine-crowd-trouble-100015903.html

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    Food laboratory accuracy remains a concern

    Food laboratory accuracy remains a concern [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-May-2013
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Jim Sliwa
    jsliwa@asmusa.org
    202-942-9297
    American Society for Microbiology

    Food microbiology laboratories continue to submit false negative results and false positive results on a routine basis. A retrospective study of nearly 40,000 proficiency test results over the past 14 years, presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, examined the ability of food laboratories to detect or rule out the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

    "There is concern when laboratories report that pathogens are not found in a food sample, when in fact they are there," explained Christopher Snabes, lead author on the study. "This is known as a 'false negative'. Similar concerns arise when a laboratory reports a 'false positive' suggesting that pathogens are in the food sample, when indeed they are not."

    The study found that, on average, food laboratories report false negatives of 9.1% for Campylobacter, a bacterial foodborne illness that may cause bloody diarrhea, cramping and fever, and 4.9% for Salmonella, a bacteria that may cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps sometimes leading to hospitalization or death. The false positive rate, on average, is 3.9% for Salmonella, and 2.5% for both E. coli and L. monocytogenes.

    This study was conducted by the American Proficiency Institute (API) located in Traverse City, Michigan. API is a private institute that supplies proficiency testing programs for food laboratories and clinical laboratories.

    API offers proficiency testing (PT) as an objective method for measuring the accuracy of a laboratory. Participants use API PT up to three times a year to examine the accuracy of their laboratory personnel and their testing methods. The purpose of PT is to determine if the laboratory professional can properly respond to API with correct answers as to what API places in a food sample. PT may test for presence or absence of a substance in a qualitative test, and sometimes PT may require an enumeration response, or quantitative test.

    Currently, food laboratories are not required to assess the accuracy or quality of their tests. Laboratories that utilize API PT are doing so voluntarily. Some laboratories use API services to obtain and maintain accreditation. API food microbiology PT programs are used by over 700 food laboratories in 43 countries.

    Proficiency testing is an objective means for measuring laboratory accuracy. "Improved accuracy in our nation's food laboratories will lead to a safer food supply," noted Snabes.

    The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in 2011, included sweeping changes to the country's food safety requirements. Model laboratory standards and laboratory accreditation are addressed as important components of the law. Once rules are promulgated, it is anticipated that all food laboratories will need to ensure that their personnel, and the test methods they use, are in compliance with the law. Yet, food laboratories may start using proficiency testing now to help ensure a safer food product.

    ###

    This research was presented as part of the 2013 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 18-21, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. A full press kit for the meeting, including tipsheets and additional press releases, can be found online at http://bit.ly/asm2013pk.

    The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


    Food laboratory accuracy remains a concern [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-May-2013
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Jim Sliwa
    jsliwa@asmusa.org
    202-942-9297
    American Society for Microbiology

    Food microbiology laboratories continue to submit false negative results and false positive results on a routine basis. A retrospective study of nearly 40,000 proficiency test results over the past 14 years, presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, examined the ability of food laboratories to detect or rule out the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

    "There is concern when laboratories report that pathogens are not found in a food sample, when in fact they are there," explained Christopher Snabes, lead author on the study. "This is known as a 'false negative'. Similar concerns arise when a laboratory reports a 'false positive' suggesting that pathogens are in the food sample, when indeed they are not."

    The study found that, on average, food laboratories report false negatives of 9.1% for Campylobacter, a bacterial foodborne illness that may cause bloody diarrhea, cramping and fever, and 4.9% for Salmonella, a bacteria that may cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps sometimes leading to hospitalization or death. The false positive rate, on average, is 3.9% for Salmonella, and 2.5% for both E. coli and L. monocytogenes.

    This study was conducted by the American Proficiency Institute (API) located in Traverse City, Michigan. API is a private institute that supplies proficiency testing programs for food laboratories and clinical laboratories.

    API offers proficiency testing (PT) as an objective method for measuring the accuracy of a laboratory. Participants use API PT up to three times a year to examine the accuracy of their laboratory personnel and their testing methods. The purpose of PT is to determine if the laboratory professional can properly respond to API with correct answers as to what API places in a food sample. PT may test for presence or absence of a substance in a qualitative test, and sometimes PT may require an enumeration response, or quantitative test.

    Currently, food laboratories are not required to assess the accuracy or quality of their tests. Laboratories that utilize API PT are doing so voluntarily. Some laboratories use API services to obtain and maintain accreditation. API food microbiology PT programs are used by over 700 food laboratories in 43 countries.

    Proficiency testing is an objective means for measuring laboratory accuracy. "Improved accuracy in our nation's food laboratories will lead to a safer food supply," noted Snabes.

    The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in 2011, included sweeping changes to the country's food safety requirements. Model laboratory standards and laboratory accreditation are addressed as important components of the law. Once rules are promulgated, it is anticipated that all food laboratories will need to ensure that their personnel, and the test methods they use, are in compliance with the law. Yet, food laboratories may start using proficiency testing now to help ensure a safer food product.

    ###

    This research was presented as part of the 2013 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held May 18-21, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. A full press kit for the meeting, including tipsheets and additional press releases, can be found online at http://bit.ly/asm2013pk.

    The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-05/asfm-fla051613.php

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