Opening of Halifax Regional Municipality Trail Celebrated
—————————————————————A paved, multi-use trail in south end Halifax was officially opened today, May 26. The Halifax Urban Greenway closely follows the Canadian National Railway alignment and will eventually connect to the Halifax waterfront as part of the Trans Canada Trail. Halifax Citadel-Sable Island MLA Leonard Preyra, on behalf of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell, Senator Stephen Greene, on behalf of Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Halifax Municipal Councillor Sue Uteck and Mark Poirier, president of the Halifax Urban Greenway Association, celebrated completion of the first phase of the trail. The one kilometre trail follows Beaufort Avenue between South Street and Marlborough Woods-Roxton Road. It will eventually extend to Franklyn Street, Pinehill Drive and Point Pleasant Park. “We are pleased to work with our federal and municipal partners to support the development of this trail in the urban core of HRM,” said Mr. Preyra. “Through the dedication of this volunteer association, we now have a multi-use trail that will link with the municipality’s network of trails and protect this recreational space for future generations.” “The federal government is delivering on its promise to make communities vibrant and productive places to live, work and raise families,” said Senator Greene. “This trail will add to the attractions Halifax already created not only for its residents but also for our visitors.” “Creating these partnerships and developing these projects are essential when it comes to promoting healthy living and alternative, sustainable modes of transportation,” said Mayor Peter Kelly. “HRM is committed to achieving the goals set out in its active transportation plan and will continue to work to create accessible options that respond to the commuting and active lifestyle needs of our citizens.” The provincial, federal and municipal governments each contributed one-third of the cost through the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund. The total cost for this phase of the trail is $670,844. “Thanks to support from all three levels of government, a multi-use trail has been created through Halifax’s south end,” said Mr. Poirier. “Families and individuals have been enjoying it on foot, bikes, and skateboards. With continued support from government, the Halifax Urban Greenway will be extended to serve residents along the entire length of the peninsula, and those who are off-peninsula will have a safe alternative to the automobile for accessing the universities, the hospitals and downtown.” The Halifax Urban Greenway Association is a community organization that has been set up to plan and develop the trail for public access. SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS–Opening of Halifax Regional Municipality Trail Celebrated
Starkey Hearing Foundation wrapped up its hearing mission in Penang, Malaysia last month with the help of Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, who assisted in fitting more than 2,600 children and adults with hearing aids throughout the course of the mission.This marks Fitzgerald’s 10th mission with the Foundation.Over five days, Starkey Hearing Foundation delivered the gift of hearing to patients with the help of the Foundation’s team of audiologists and staff, fitting each of the recipients with their own custom-made, hearing device.“Starkey Hearing Foundation has promoted hearing care awareness through its support of research, education and the distribution of hearings aids to those in need all over the world, and it’s been our good fortune to have the loyal support of committed, Hearing Angels like Larry Fitzgerald, who helped us change lives in Malaysia by reconnecting people to their families and communities through the gift of hearing.” stated Bill Austin, Founder, Starkey Hearing Foundation.Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Malaysia hearing mission is one of dozens of missions conducted each year by the Foundation both domestically and internationally. Hearing missions are the primary way Starkey Hearing Foundation realizes its goal – So the World May Hear. In turn, the Foundation fit more than 110,000 hearing aids to individuals in need in 2011 alone, and as a member of President Clinton’s Global Initiative, it has pledge to fit 1 million by the end of this decade.According to Starkey Hearing Foundation, hearing loss is pervasive, affecting 34 million Americans – or one in 10. Yet, with the help of a hearing device, hearing loss can often be corrected in a majority cases, giving an individual the opportunity to better connect with their family, the community, and the world around them.
BOSTON — The nation’s deadly opioid crisis is bringing new and unwanted attention to the wealthy Sackler family and complicating its philanthropic legacy.The Sacklers own Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin, and the family name is on the walls at some of the world’s great museums and universities, including the Smithsonian, the Guggenheim and Harvard.Members of the family have been accused in a lawsuit brought by the state of Massachusetts of deceiving patients and doctors about the risks of OxyContin.In light of the allegations, activists have called on institutions to cut ties with the family.Many of the donations, however, were made by Arthur Sackler, who died nearly a decade before OxyContin even went on the market. His widow says it’s unfair to connect him to the opioid crisis.Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram After a request for release from prison was denied by the Board of Appeals of Piraeus, Savvas Ksiros will remain in jail.The Board found that his case was in accordance of 110A of the criminal code, however in order to be eligible for release, he must first serve 25 years of his sentence.Additionally, the Deputy Prosecutor Odysseas Tzormbatzoglou also requested that Ksiros remain imprisoned, with the justification that his request isn’t valid for those that have multiple convictions on their sentence.It is reminded that the former 17 November terrorist is carrying a five-time sentence for life with an additional 25 years. He was captured in 2002, when the bomb that he was about to plant accidentally exploded in his hands, leaving him severely injured. He has been facing serious health issues ever since. His arrest led to the dismantling of the organisation that had been active in Greece since 1975.During the hearing for Ksiros’ request, the Prosecutor argued that if he were to be released, with his previous actions in mind and the fact that he doesn’t seem to show any remorse for them, considering his previous attempts of apology have proved unconvincing, he could turn out to be a “centre of attraction, leader, or even an ideological recruiter.”
Stay on target The Most Addictive Mobile Clicker GamesSimple Geek’s Guide to…Streaming Services Many Star Wars games have come and gone in the app store over the years. Though withstanding the tests of time is something Star Wars has always been fairly good at. Even the “not so great games” have somewhat of a following. From companion app games, to full on ports of our all time favorites. Randomly remembering you have a fun Star Wars experience loaded up on your fully charged phone in say; a waiting room or boring Uber ride is very exciting and can instantly create an all new obsession.It’s time to give social media a break for a while and remind yourself that The Last Jedi is only seven months away! Let’s take a look at some the best mobile games you can get on your phone today!Star Wars Battlefront CompanionThis is a companion app for the popular Battlefront title from EA that released last fall available now on Xbox One and Playstation 4. From your mobile device you can track your Battlefront stats, customize your character, but most of all you can earn credits for your Battlefront career by playing the card based battle game called Command Base. It’s up to you to defend your base from imperial onslaughts. It’s a basic card strategy game that becomes increasingly difficult as the player learns more cards. The app can also be used to create a specific loadout that can be used in the full Battlefront game. I’d imagine with Battlefront II on the horizon that this game will get an update fairly soon.iTunes – Google PlayStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic (I & II)When this game hit the app store in 2013; my mind was blown. I was used to simple puzzle games or maybe side scrolling adventures coming to my phone, but never a full on ports of my favorite role playing games with large cities, voice acting, changeable gear & weapons. It was a “the future is now” moment for me. Needless to say, the first KotOR was a delight to replay again on my iPad. I will say that getting around with a touch screen is a tad cumbersome compared to a controller. The interface used in both the original and sequel, however, are executed very well. The font is a tad difficult to read on smaller screens and moving your character around by holding your finger down on the screen blocks a lot of your visuals. Combat is still solid as ever and the main reason to play these games, along with fun twists and turns around every seedy corner. Note: Sadly the second game has not been released for Android devices.KotOR: iTunes – Google Play KotOR: II iTunesStar Wars Card TraderNot so much a game as it is a collecting obsession! Card Trader pulled me in strong when it first released. I loved nothing more than opening packs of cards when I was a kid, but boy did it get pricey. The beauty of card trader is that you don’t have to spend a dime if you prefer not to. You’ll still gain packs daily along with bonus packs on event days. The cards are as detailed as ever and display well in your virtual collection. You’ll see everything from uncommon, rare, and extremely rare cards. One cool concept is Topps hires fantastic artists to put their own spin on classic characters and environments that you can only see in card trader. The community even had a meet up at this year’s Star Wars Celebration where Topps was on hand handing out codes to unlock packs within the app. Again not much of a full fledged game. But you may find yourself playing around in the app for hours on end with how much fun it is.iTunes – Google PlayStar Wars Galaxy of HeroesIf you find yourself asking, “All these games are well and good.” But what if I just want to play with the main characters from the franchise.” Then Star Wars Heroes is your game of choice. Within Heroes, you will collect characters and ships from across the galaxy. Battling and upgrading them is half the fun! Animations are quick and rewarding with every slash of a lightsaber and fire from a blaster. You earn crystals that can then be taken to the store to buy more characters with every battle complected. The daily challenges are pretty simple and will keep you active for a bit. The action is very fast paced and is great for quick breaks, as opposed to full-fledged games like KotOR that need a bit more of your time. This is another one that you don’t have to spend any money on to play, but if you do it helps speed things up.iTunes – Google PlayStar Wars Force ArenaThe more advanced version of Heroes is Force Arena. It is a tower defense game of sorts. You have an open map that has areas that need defending. Waves of enemies are thrown at you, and it’s your job to use all the cards at your disposal to stop them at all costs. Sending out X-Wings to bomb Stormtroopers is a lot of fun and feels pretty damn rewarding. There a few different ways to win rounds. Even If you don’t destroy the opponent’s shield generator within the time limit, you can still win by having more objective points. By completing every match, you will unlock a pack of 16 disposable cards that will help you on the battlefield. There are lots of throwback characters in this game as well. For instance, I unlocked Rick Baker’s Devaronian who was briefly seen at the cantina in A New Hope within my first pack. Orson Krennic was my legendary character as well. Also included in the game are characters from the Star Wars Marvel comics. As stated before, this is one is highly recommended for tower defense junkies.iTunes – Google PlayStar Wars UprisingUprising is a favorite with a lot of my fellow Star Wars junkies currently. Not only is it a fun experience, but is also canon within the Star Wars universe. New characters, planets, ships; if you want to be a part of the entire Star Wars tale, you should play Uprising. Sadly the game for me feels like a half-assed KotOR that wants you playing just as long. Following the events of Return of the Jedi, an Imperial governor blockades your character’s star system to prevent news of the rebels’ victory from reaching the people. It is up to your custom character to trudge through countless missions to break through the imperials. There, of course, are daily missions that keep you playing, but the game quickly becomes repetitive. One cool aspect is that you can join in battles with your friends to help take on the empire. Good luck finding someone who wants to play, as I tried accessing the game today and found the serves to be down.iTunes – Google PlayStar Wars CommanderHot on the heels of last winters hit film Rogue One, Star Wars Commander is an RTS (real time strategy) for mobile devices that may scratch the wanting itch of Galactic Battlegrounds. You’ll go on distant planets and lead troops to victory in all out galactic war. There is a loot system for daily players that allows you to collect resources and squads. Commander is okay for on the go, but great on a tablet for when you have a bit of time to play. It’s all about building your resources out and using your fire power when the time is right. Unlike Uprising, Commander has been getting updates often and is fairly popular with the mobile fan base. You can play with friends or strangers online to earn more and grow your in-game collection. Download it now to see if you base can withstand some of the best out there.iTunes – Google PlayLet us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey.
The city of Vancouver approved a $175,000 settlement with William Bright as a result of a crash involving Bright and a Vancouver Fire Department battalion chief.In December 2015, Bright’s vehicle was struck by that of a battalion chief, according to a city staff report. The unnamed chief was responding to an emergency call and entered the intersection at Evergreen Boulevard and Broadway. His emergency lights and Opticom system were on, but Bright’s vehicle also entered the intersection during a green light and was struck by the emergency vehicle. Bright’s vehicle rolled over as a result of the impact.Bright fractured two ribs and has had ongoing pain stemming from the collision, according to a city staff report. His medical bills amounted to nearly $90,000.Bright filed a tort claim with the city on Jan. 7, 2016, seeking $400,000. Rather than move forward with a lawsuit and trial, Bright and the city agreed to settle after a mediation session held last month. Both parties acknowledged that the liable party in the incident was unclear, according to a city staff report.The $175,000 settlement extinguishes the city’s liability and avoids a lawsuit. The settlement will be paid out of the city’s risk fund. The Vancouver City Council approved the agreement Monday evening.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Jury selection is scheduled to begin today at the retrial of a former Navy helicopter squadron commander accused of trying to rape a junior officer in her San Diego home.In December, jurors voted 11-1 to convict John Michael Neuhart II of assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary and attempted forcible rape, prompting a judge to declare a mistrial.Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Tag told a jury that Neuhart went with the alleged victim to her Valencia Park home in the early morning hours of Sept. 12, 2016, after a night of drinking downtown, entered her house and “ripped her clothes off and tried to rape her.”The prosecutor said the woman — who had worked under Neuhart’s command in a helicopter squadron in Guam — respected the defendant but told him that night that she wasn’t interested in having sex with him.“This is about a man taking what he wants,” Tag told the jury. “To the defendant, no didn’t mean no. This was a game to him.”When Neuhart broke into the woman’s home and attacked her, she screamed like she was being “murdered,” prompting a neighbor to call 911, the prosecutor said.Neuhart, 41, knew the woman was intoxicated and was not going to leave her home “until he gets what he wants,” the prosecutor said.In a video recorded by the defendant on his cell phone about 3 a.m., the woman is heard saying “no, stop,” or “get off” at least 90 times in a 15-minute period.Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong told the jury that the alleged victim was not telling the truth when she said she wasn’t attracted to Neuhart.The woman gave the defendant mixed signals by kissing and hugging him during a limousine ride to her residence, Armstrong said.Neuhart testified that he set up his cell phone outside the alleged victim’s door so he would have evidence in case she claimed rape.The defendant, a married Iraq War veteran and father of six, was relieved as commander of the helicopter squadron after his arrest. Neuhart, a Navy commander, was commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 based at Anderson Air Force Base on Guam.Neuhart — who is still in the Navy — faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge of assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary. KUSI Newsroom, Updated: 9:31 AM Retrial set for ex-Navy commander accused of attempted rape Posted: March 27, 2018
Categories: Local San Diego News FacebookTwitter March 27, 2018 KUSI Newsroom 
WILMINGTON, MA — Here are highlights from the Wilmington Police Log for Tuesday, August 21, 2018:A Larson Road caller reported his front license plate was missing. Caller was advised to come to the station to fill out the paperwork to enter into NCIC. (9:58am)A loose white and black bulldog was seen on Town Beach. Owner was notified and picked up dog. (10:31am)A caller reported two males using Class D in the Burger King drive-thru. Vehicle in question was gone by the time police arrived. (3:44pm)Police received complaint over two ATVs driving up and down Border Avenue. (4:53pm)A Grand Street caller reported a vehicle shut off its lights and backed down the road and is now facing his house. There are a few male parties inside. Police responded. Vehicle occupants were looking for a place to smoke. They were moved along. (10:30pm)(DISCLAIMER: This information is public information. An arrest does not constitute a conviction. Any arrested person is innocent until proven guilty.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedPOLICE LOG for August 18: 2 Vehicles With Same License Plate; Statue Missing From Wildwood CemeteryIn “Police Log”POLICE LOG for August 11: Incidents Not What They Seem; Marijuana Confiscated From Vehicle; Missing Woman FoundIn “Police Log”POLICE LOG for August 10: Car Stolen; License Plate Stolen; Road Rage Incident At Cumberland FarmsIn “Police Log”
AOC blocking Twitter users? Not A-OK, say lawsuits. Alex Wong/Getty Images After a federal court ruled that it’s unconstitutional for President Donald Trump to block users on Twitter, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been hit with two lawsuits by a pair of politicians she’d blocked. New York congressional candidate Joseph Saladino and former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind filed separate suits against Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday. “I have officially filed my lawsuit against AOC for blocking me on twitter. Trump is not allowed to block people, will the standards apply equally?” Saladino tweeted Tuesday. He also posted a video of him filling out the lawsuit paperwork, a link to donate to his campaign and a screenshot showing that he was blocked. 1:04 Mobile Mobile Apps Politics Now playing: Watch this: Tags Comments Share your voice
I have officially filed my lawsuit against AOC for blocking me on twitter.Trump is not allowed to block people, will the standards apply equally?Stay tuned to find out! pic.twitter.com/0RmHI7x9Qc— Saladino for Congress (@JoeySalads) July 9, 2019 6 Twitter to start hiding tweets that violate policies,… Twitter Adam Korzeniewsi, the congressional candidate’s general consul, said Ocasio-Cortez blocked Saladino on about May 9. “Mr. Saladino does encourage others to use the court systems as they were intended to settle disputes over the proper exercise of their rights,” Korzeniewsi said in an email. Korzeniewsi said politicians blocking people they disagree with on Twitter is a problem because it limits the ability to view, share and challenge ideas in a public space. “This lawsuit is about equally applying standards to elected officials regardless of status, position or political affiliation,” Korzeniewsi said.Hikind also tweeted about Ocasio-Cortez blocking him. In a Twitter message, Hikind said he was blocked on Monday.”I think anyone who feels that they’re being denied access to a public elected official has the right to seek redress. I’m not saying thousands of lawsuits should be initiated. Quite the contrary. This is a perfect test case to see if the precedent set against President Trump will be applied to those across the political aisle,” he wrote.Ocasio-Cortez’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.On Monday, federal courts ruled unanimously that Trump could no longer block users on Twitter because it’s a public forum. The decision comes a year after Trump was sued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York for blocking users. Originally published July 10, 9:39 a.m. PT.Update, 1:26 p.m.: Adds responses from Saladino’s counsel and Hidkin.
ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector lender by assets, reported 2.38 percent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 3,102 crore for the quarter ended September 2016 (Q2) though provisioning for bad loans rose multi-fold to Rs 7,082 crore. Net profit was Rs 3,030 crore in the year-ago period.The share price of the bank closed 3.36 percent higher at Rs 278.75; the results were declared after market hours.On a sequential basis, net profit grew 38.9 percent from Rs 2,232 crore, according to a statement issued by the bank.The sharp rise in provisioning for bad loans was due to additional provisioning of Rs 3,588 crore, the bank said.”The bank further strengthened its balance sheet by making additional provisions of ₹ 3,588 crore ($539 million) which comprise the following: provisions of Rs 1,678 crore ($252 million) for standard loans; entire loss of Rs 395 crore ($59 million) on sale of NPA during the six months ended September 30, 2016 (H1-2017), which is permitted to be amortised as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, recognized upfront, and of floating provision of Rs 1,515 crore ($227 million),” the bank said in a statement.The net interest income grew marginally to Rs 5,253 crore in Q2 from Rs 5,257 crore in the corresponding period last year.Other income rose three-fold to Rs 9,119 crore in Q2 from Rs 3,007 crore, YoY on account of its partial stake sale in its life insurance business.”During Q2-2017, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company (ICICI Life) completed an initial public offer (IPO) of equity shares. The Bank sold approximately 12.63 percent shareholding in the IPO. Other income for the quarter includes gains of Rs 5,682 crore relating to this sale of shares. Excluding gains relating to sale of shares of ICICI Life, the non-interest income grew by 14 percent year-on-year in Q2-2017,” the bank said in a statement.On the non-performing asset (NPA) front, the bank reported a sharp rise in gross NPAs and net NPAs at 6.82 percent and 3.57 percent, respectively, from 3.77 percent and 1.65 percent respectively, as of September 30, 2015.The results are fairly positive, according to an analyst at Angel Broking.”Slippages of Rs 8,000 crore was in line with what we were expecting. Though in absolute terms, slippages looks still high, the good news is that ~80 percent of the slippages has come from the watch list and restructured book. While next quarters the slippages and credit cost will remain high, going by the current quarter it seems the bank will largely be able to clean up the book and start looking at regular growth from 2HFY18,” Siddharth Purohit, Sr. Equity Research Analyst- Banking, Angel Broking, said in a note.The return on assets declined to 1.70 percent for Q2 from 1.89 percent in the year-ago period, though up from the June quarter figure of 1.27 percent.Domestic advances grew 16 percent and total deposits rose 17 percent, YoY. Shares of its subsidiary ICICI Prudential Life Insurance closed almost flat at Rs 303.50 on the BSE.
OYO Rooms founder Ritesh AgarwalRitesh Agarwal, CEO of Oyo Hotels and Homes, has set up a firm in the Cayman Islands to steer funding flow to his hospitality chain as well as spearhead the share buyback plan that’s in the works. The Cayman-based company, RA Hospitality, will drive investments into the Oyo Hotels even as Agarwal is in talks with Japanese funds for potential investment. As per a filing to the Competition Commission of India, RA Hospitality was named as the acquirer while Oravel Stays, the parent company of Oyo, was the target, the Economic Times reported. Agarwal has been looking to get a fresh funding of about $1.5 billion from Japanese financial services firm Nomura. The funds would help him buy back shares from Sequoia and Lightspeed Venture Partners and theeby increase his stake in the company he founded in 2013. He has also been in talks with other global investors and NBFCs for the large funding. Oyo RoomsPhoto credits: ReutersAccording to the ET, the successful transaction and the buybacks will help Agarwal raise his stake to 32 percent from about 10 percent currently.In addition to the $1.5 billion funds, there might be a transaction of about $500 million for the exchange of stake, the report said. .
Illustration of the trimetallic sandwich-like structure. Redox reactions take place on M1, while M2 tunes the electronic structure of M1, and M3 serves as the substrate and contributes to performance by straining M2. Image credit: Stolbov and Alcántara Ortigoza. ©2012 American Chemical Society Brookhaven Lab chemists receive patents for fuel-cell catalysts This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Explore further The researchers, Sergey Stolbov and Marisol Alcántara Ortigoza from the University of Central Florida, have published their study on the new efficient electrocatalysts in a recent issue of The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. Currently, most hydrogen fuel cells use catalysts made of platinum, a rare and expensive material. Finding an alternative to platinum is challenging because few materials can withstand exposure to the fuel cells’ highly acidic solvents, which dissolve most transition metals. Only four elements – platinum, iridium, gold, and palladium – can resist corrosion, but none is ideal. Platinum and iridium are rare and expensive, while gold and palladium do not perform well due to low redox reactivity.In this study, Stolbov and Alcántara Ortigoza focused on improving the redox reactivity of gold and palladium through the use of in-depth modeling.“We have proposed a new concept for rational design of stable and highly active electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells,” Stolbov told PhysOrg.com. “We believe that our approach is much more efficient than the widely used combinatorial screening of dozens of materials. Our first attempt to apply this approach has resulted in the prediction of two cost-effective and highly active catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, a clean and renewable energy source.”The researchers explained that previous attempts at searching for better catalyst designs have used trial and error, although some studies have used computational searches. By using a rational design approach, the researchers could predict the performance of different tri-metallic catalyst designs using previous knowledge, such as the relationship between the composition/morphology and electronic structure of the catalyst surface, its stability, the thermodynamics that the reaction intermediates, and the reaction kinetics.This method led the researchers to a new design consisting of a three-layered sandwich-like structure. In this design, redox reactions take place on the first layer, while the second layer can tune the electronic structure of the first layer, and the third layer serves as the substrate. As an example, the researchers used gold as the first layer, then chose ruthenium as the second layer due to its ability to tune the gold layer to increase its redox reactivity. When using palladium as the first layer, their method predicted iron as a good tuning material. The ruthenium and iron do not have to come in contact with the acidic solvent, yet still contribute to the catalyst’s efficiency. In both cases, the researchers used tungsten as the substrate, which also contributed to performance in a twice-removed way by straining the middle layer.The researchers’ calculations showed that both the gold-based and palladium-based sandwich-like catalysts were more highly reactive and therefore more efficient than today’s best platinum-based catalysts. How much more efficient can only be accurately determined by experiments, which the researchers hope will be performed soon.“We are looking forward to experimental confirmation of our findings,” Stolbov said. “We are contacting experimentalists who are interested in these materials. Using our approach, we have already selected a number of sandwich-like structures as promising electrocatalysts in an attempt to find even better catalysts. In order to test this rational selection, we will perform computational studies of the electronic structure and stability of the chosen systems and the thermodynamic properties of the reaction intermediates on the catalyst surfaces. Then again, we will ask experimentalists for testing the most promising systems. Since our approach can be extended to design the stable structures tuned for reactions in heterogeneous catalysts, we will focus on this subject next.” (PhysOrg.com) — Hydrogen fuel cells, in which the chemical energy of hydrogen is converted into electricity, offer the potential for a wide variety of applications, especially in transportation and power generation. Although hydrogen fuel cells are currently used on a small scale, making them commercially available for large-scale use requires improvements in two key areas: efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In a new study, scientists have designed tri-metallic electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells that theoretically improve in both areas, outperforming the best platinum-based catalysts to date. Copyright 2012 PhysOrg.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of PhysOrg.com. Citation: Rational design can improve hydrogen fuel cell efficiency (2012, February 29) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2012-02-rational-hydrogen-fuel-cell-efficiency.html More information: Sergey Stolbov and Marisol Alcántara Ortigoza. “Rational Design of Competitive Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Fuel Cells.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2012, 3, 463-467. DOI: 10.1021/jz201551e
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Citation: Study shows divorces rates rise when people have more potential mates to choose from (2018, September 26) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-09-divorces-people-potential.html Wives with more education than their husbands no longer at increased risk of divorce More information: Caroline Uggla et al. Higher divorce risk when mates are plentiful? Evidence from Denmark, Biology Letters (2018). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0475 There are, of course, a lot of factors that contribute to the success of a marriage. In this new effort, the researchers suggest one might be the degree of availability of other options. They carried out a study to learn more about factors that might contribute to the success or failure of marriages. It involved gaining access to and analyzing data on people living in Denmark over the years 1981 to 2002. They narrowed their focus to married heterosexual males and females who held jobs during that time span. They compared divorce rates between people in different occupations.The researchers found a trend—people who worked with a high ratio of co-workers of the opposite gender had higher divorce rates than those who did not. They noted the increase was most pronounced with men, and in particular, men with more education. Interestingly, for women with more education, there was no increase. The research did not uncover reasons for these trends, but the researchers offer some possibilities—such as men being more attracted to people with similar education and job interests. They note also that simply being around more women likely gave them more opportunities to meet a more suitable mate. The researchers also found that age at marriage appeared to play a role in the likelihood of divorce as well—those getting married younger were more likely to divorce than those waiting till after age 40. Also, living in the city had an apparent impact—those who lived outside of Copenhagen were less likely to get divorced than those who lived in the city. Also, more education in general tended to result in lower divorce rates. © 2018 Phys.org
Journal information: Biology Letters A pair of researchers at Stockholm University has found that people who have a lot of co-workers of the opposite gender might have a higher risk of divorce. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Caroline Uggla and Gunnar Andersson describe their study of heterosexual men and women living in Denmark over a 20-year period, and what they found. Explore further This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Oaxaca — Aftershocks from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred February 16 in Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca will continue in the coming days says the National Seismological Service.Head of the National Seismological Service, Víctor Hugo Espíndola Castro, reported that to date, more than 2,100 aftershocks have been recorded from the Friday quake, adding that it will take several months for seismic activity in the area to return to normal.“Within the occurrence of strong earthquakes that have been observed around the world, it is normal that we continue to record a large number of aftershocks for a few more months,” he said.The specialist explained that as the weeks go by, the number of earthquakes will decrease, although telluric movements of magnitudes between 4 and 5 will still be recorded.He commented that the 7.2 magnitude earthquake caused a fault between 40 and 50 kilometers and about 30 kilometers wide, an area smaller than the one originated in the Gulf of Tehuantepec by the 8.2 earthquake last September, which was 250 kilometers by 70 kilometers.“A characteristic of the earthquakes that occur in this area is that many weeks, many months can pass and a number of aftershocks can continue,” he explained.Espíndola Castro noted that before the earthquake in Pinotepa Nacional, the Seismological Service was recording about 90 tremors a day in the Mexican Republic, however, that has now increased to approximately 270, many of them as aftershocks.The SSN expert indicated that so far this year, there have been five tremors of considerable magnitude such as the January 19 magnitude 6.3 about 76 kilometers from Loreto, Baja California, the quake of 5.9 on the coast of Cihuatlán, Jalisco and that of Pinotepa Nacional 7.2, as well as its two replicas (magnitudes 5.9 and 6).“In this year, there have been five earthquakes that have had some impact including the two replicas at Pinotepa Nacional. It is very normal. We are just starting the year and surely earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 6 will continue to occur. It would not be out of norm,” he said.Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
Boomerang Tours launches 2018/2019 Downunder brochure with AATKings Travelweek Group Monday, August 28, 2017 Tags: Boomerang Tours TORONTO — Boomerang Tours, in partnership with AATKings, has launched its new 2018/2019 brochure featuring trips to Australia and New Zealand.“This brochure marks a milestone in our partnership with AATKings,” says Margaret Meers, Product Manager for Boomerang Tours, part of the TravelBrands group. “It features over 80 itineraries across multiple trip styles and provides travel agents with one-stop shopping for exciting, escorted Downunder itineraries.”Inside its pages, clients will find a wide range of Inspiring Journeys, Guided Holidays, Short Breaks and Day Tours. Referred to by the company as “one of the most comprehensive brochures in the marketplace,” is provides travel partners with the necessary tools to sell an extensive product line and grow their lucrative international Australian and New Zealand bookings.“Our dedicated and highly experienced Australia vacation planners will guide travel agents and their clients towards the most comprehensive travel arrangements to fulfill their needs. Whether it is an overnight in LAX, a stopover in one of the idyllic South Pacific islands or a unique and customized pre- or post-tour experience, we have it all and so much more,” adds Meers.More news: ‘Turn around year’ for TPI brings double-digit growthThe new brochure can be ordered through Envoy or by emailing brochureordering@travelbrands.com.
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May 21, 2012 438 Views in Data, Government, Origination, Secondary Market, Servicing In its latest monthly report released Monday, “”Capital Economics””:http://www.capitaleconomics.com/ painted a positive picture of the housing market, insisting the market “”has moved from bottoming-out to recovering.”” [IMAGE]To those wondering whether Capital Economics’ positive prophesies are merely a mirage soon to be dispersed much like the short-lived positive movement the market experienced in 2009 and 2010, the analytics firm pointed out a substantial difference between what occurred in 2009-2010 and what is occurring today: Today’s recovery is not the result of government stimulus or tax credits. What occurred in 2009 and 2010 was a direct result of $19.2 billion in tax credits distributed to 2.7 million home buyers. Still, Capital Economics admitted “”it may seem strange that we have been talking about a housing market recovery since towards the end of last year even though house prices have fallen over most of this period.”” In fact, the most recent “”S&P Case-Shiller Indices””:http://www.standardandpoors.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MDTType&blobcol=urldocumentfile&blobtable=SPComSecureDocument&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3Ddownload.pdf&blobheadername2=ContentDisposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobheadername1=contenttype&blobwhere=1245332471437&blobheadervalue3=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF8&blobnocache=true revealed annual price declines for both the 10- and 20-city composites. However, Capital Economics insisted in its report that “”because prices lag changes in housing market activity by as much as six months, they are not the most timely indicator of when the market has turned.”” If not house prices, what indicators suggest the market is in recovery mode? Economists at Capital Economics said in their report that home sales and housing starts are on the rise and visible inventory has declined to sustainable levels.While a large proportion of today’s home sales are going to investors and cash-buyers, Capital[COLUMN_BREAK]Economics has detected a rise in average mortgage loan size among new loans, which suggests “”the appetite for mortgage credit is also beginning to improve.””Furthermore, with homes continuing to be undervalued and the broader economy starting to pick up slightly, Capital Economics said the current recovery will continue without help from policymakers, though it does face a few threats. First, with the national “”robo-signing settlement””:http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com/ now a few months behind us, it is possible that the backlog of foreclosures built up over the 18 months of settlement talks will flood the market ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô reversing the recent decline in inventory, putting downward pressure on prices, and negatively impacting new construction. While this remains a possibility, “”so far at least, there have been few signs that banks are processing foreclosures at a quicker rate,”” Capital Economics stated.Another threat, top of mind for many following the G8 Summit, is the impact of the euro-zone debt crisis. However, Capital Economics suggested a limited euro-zone break-up would have a minimal impact on lending in the U.S., pointing out that U.S. banks’ claims on Greece are only about 0.3 percent of Tier 1 capital ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô a major indicator of financial strength measured by a bank’s regulator. For now though, Greece remains part of the European Union following a unanimous statement from the participants in the G8 Summit stating that they intend to ensure Greece remains part of the union, according to a Monday article in the “”_Huffington Post._””:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/20/g8-summit-2012-obama-growth-over-austerity_n_1531486.htmlRegardless of its positive outlook, Capital Economics insisted the recovery will be slow and gradual with little to no improvement in prices through 2013 and only modest improvement to follow. Abating anxious policymakers’ tendency to attempt to “”fix”” the market, Capital Economics said in its Monday report, “”At this point, frustrating as it may seem, time is probably going to be the best healer.”” Capital Economics reminded policymakers that following the Great Depression, the government poured funds amounting to 8.5 percent of the nation’s GDP into the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation. In comparison, the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program and the Home Affordable Refinance Program amount to about 0.5 percent of the current GDP. Without intervening on a drastically larger scale, policymakers will have miniscule effect on recovery. Agents & Brokers Bank Failure Capital Economics Confidence Debt Crisis Euro European Union GDP HARP Home Prices Housing Affordability Investors Lenders & Servicers Processing Regulation Service Providers Sustainability 2012-05-21 Krista Franks Brock
Share Group: Housing Finds Sustainable Recovery Amid Threats