Consider workplace safety in legalized marijuana rules groups urge
VANCOUVER – New rules for legalized marijuana need to consider the impact on workplaces and clarify the rights of both employers and employees, say some business groups.Ottawa has set July 1 as the deadline for regulations to be in place and many provinces and territories are still working to craft legislation, including British Columbia, where a public consultation on legal pot wrapped up this week.Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, said large and small companies need guidance from the provincial and federal governments on how they should balance employee privacy with safety in the workplace.“For any employer, what are their rights and responsibilities in the face of an employee who is under the influence of cannabis?” she said.“How is an employer supposed to be able to deal with that type of situation without compromising their business and their workplace?”Huberman said the board of trade wants to see the provincial Employment Standards Act amended to specifically address marijuana usage.The law does not include any provisions on marijuana, although WorkSafeBC regulations prohibit workers with any physical or mental impairments from doing work that could pose harm to themselves or anyone else.The rules also say employers cannot allow anyone at a workplace to stay if their ability to work is impaired by alcohol, a drug or any other substance that could put anyone in danger.Those rules apply to workplaces in B.C., but regulations for legalized marijuana should be standardized across the country, Huberman said.“In every province, in every territory, we want to make sure this is done right,” she said, adding that creating the right rules may take more time than the federal government’s timeline allows.As business groups express their concerns about looming legalization, unions have been quiet on the issue.Paul Finch, treasurer for the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, said the group has submitted recommendations to the province on how and where recreational marijuana should be sold, but the union does not take a position on legalized marijuana in the workplace.Several other unions declined comment or did not respond to requests for comment.The BC Trucking Association, meanwhile, is asking for a “legalized framework” for random drug and alcohol testing.“We recognize that there is an increased safety risk due to the possibility of impairment and in order for the public safety risk to be reduced, we think it’s imperative that employers be allowed to randomly drug test workers that are in safety-sensitive positions,” said Louise Yako, the association’s president and CEO.The issue of workplace drug and alcohol testing has already gone before Canadian courts, including Alberta’s Court of Appeal, which ruled in September that the energy company Suncor could continue testing workers at its sites in the oilsands.While testing is allowed under some specific circumstances, the rules around random testing are not as clear as they should be, Yako said.“Given the change in the regulation affecting marijuana, we think that employers should have every tool available to them,” she said.
NEW YORK — How do you measure a chicken’s happiness? Is it in the way it runs for food? How much time it spends preening?To size up what might make chickens happy in their brief lives, researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, are putting 16 breeds through physical fitness and behavioural tests. They’re watching how well birds scramble over a barrier for food, how skittish they seem and whether they play with a fake worm.Chickens can’t say how they feel, but playing with a fake worm may be a sign of happiness.“We have to infer when an animal is happy or content or experiencing pleasure based on their behaviour,” said Stephanie Torrey, one of the researchers.In recent years, the animal welfare world has moved beyond looking at how to minimize suffering to exploring whether animals can also enjoy their lives, Torrey said.Such measures may be considered irrelevant by companies but underscore a broader lack of consensus around the welfare of chickens, which are sometimes slaughtered as soon as five weeks after hatching.Animal welfare advocates say cruelty begins with birds that have been bred to have breasts so big they can barely walk. They say today’s chickens are genetic monstrosities crippled by pain and that the industry needs to switch breeds.Many in the industry say there’s no problem and that chickens may not move around a lot because they’re sedentary. Even if they were to agree to change breeds, it’s not clear what the alternatives should look like.The two sides disagree about the cause and frequency of health issues among broilers chickens. Tyson and Sanderson Farms, for example, acknowledge that chicken breasts have ballooned over the years, but they say they’re not seeing widespread problems as a result.“If they can’t move and get to the feed trough, they’re not going to survive,” said Mike Cockrell, chief financial officer for Sanderson Farms.John Glisson of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association says broiler chickens are “couch potatoes” and that some people may mistake the birds’ laziness for a medical issue. He said trying to assess welfare is tricky beyond established industry measures, like whether a chicken dies from disease before it’s slaughtered.The industry says changing breeds is unnecessary, and that switching to broiler chickens that don’t grow as big or as fast would mean using up more water and other resources. Chicken prices at the supermarket would be higher too.Still, animal welfare is becoming a bigger public relations concern, and companies say they’re always looking for ways to take better care of their chickens.Tyson recently ran a trial that let chickens pick from pens with varying levels of light to determine which they prefer. Perdue is testing giving its conventional birds as much light and space as its organic birds, which are the same breed.The Humane Society of the United States says stepping up living conditions helps, but it believes the bigger problem is breeding that has resulted in disfigured chickens. It says chickens have been genetically manipulated to have massive breasts their legs cannot support.“It is crazy for anyone to have to remind the industry that birds naturally walk,” said Josh Balk, the Humane Society’s vice-president of farm animal protection.Balk said the study in Canada will provide important information on what type of chickens might suffer less.University of Guelph researchers are also tracking chicken traits like weight, growth rate and meat quality they hope will be useful to the industry. Aviagen and Tyson-owned Cobb, which supply breeds to chicken producers, are providing birds for the study, including breeds that are widely used.The companies say they already track health and welfare, but that they’re interested in the research.The Guelph study is being funded by the Global Animal Partnership, which certifies corporate animal welfare standards. In 2016, it launched a campaign to get companies to switch to “slower growing” breeds. Since then, it has acknowledged that chicken welfare is more complicated than just growth rate.It’s now pushing for a “better” chicken, and hopes the study will help define what that entails.Only a small percentage of chickens in the U.S. are GAP-certified, and spelling out new requirements for breeds risks making certification even rarer.Anne Malleau, the group’s executive director, notes some of the researchers’ tests may seem far out. But she said providing “enrichments” — such as places where chickens can rest or perch — was also seen as a fringe idea before becoming more accepted.GAP was founded a decade ago with funding from Whole Foods, which still pays Malleau’s and another staffer’s salaries.Back in Guelph, researchers note that chicken traits can make for marketable imagery. That includes behaviours like their willingness to engage with a fake worm — which they note may be misinterpreted as “playing” and happiness.“The jury’s still out whether domestic chickens, with their comparatively smaller brains, have the capacity to play,” Torrey said.____Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi___The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Candice Choi, The Associated Press
A consortium of iron ore explorers within an iron ore province west of Broken Hill and stretching across the border area of South Australia and New South Wales has formed an alliance to promote common infrastructure development for mining and to advance their common interests. Announcing the creation of the Braemar Iron Alliance, spokesman, Andrew Woskett, identified strong alignment between a number of listed and privately owned mineral exploration companies with tenements along the extensive Braemar Iron Formation. The Formation stretches for approximately 250 km from Peterborough in SA to Broken Hill in NSW. It is rapidly emerging as potentially Australia’s next major iron ore province.The Alliance comprises ASX-listed companies Carpentaria Exploration, Havilah Resources, Minotaur Exploration, Royal Resources and U3O8 and private companies, Sinosteel PepinNini Curnamona Management, Bonython Metals Group and Wentworth Metal Group. All are actively exploring to define iron ore deposits within the Braemar Iron Formation.Woskett said Alliance members see the potential for 20 to 40 billion tonnes of mineable deposits throughout the Braemar Iron Formation, containing magnetite, a primary form of iron ore. “The presence of iron mineralisation has been recognised since the 1960s but only in the past few years, with the impetus of higher iron ore prices, have explorers actively sought to define the province’s resources to the Australian JORC standard.” he said.Thus far, Carpentaria and Royal have successfully reported iron-based JORC resource estimates. Minotaur and Havilah are currently working towards initial JORC resource reports across their magnetite prospects. “Alliance members are confident in the iron potential for the area, based on extensive drill programs and recent definition of JORC resources,” Woskett said. “The excellent regional potential has encouraged the Alliance members to look towards their future infrastructure needs, both individually and as a group. The Alliance has a common interest in the need for a major deep water port facility on South Australia’s Spencer Gulf, approximately 150 km immediately west of the Alliance area, plus power, water and transport infrastructure throughout the entire Braemar iron province.”The Braemar Iron Alliance will provide a focus for representation to the South Australian, New South Wales and Federal Governments as well as private infrastructure providers, so that a coordinated and cohesive approach to development planning can commence. Further, the Alliance will work with the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) to ensure a consistent message is delivered to government. In the short term, the Alliance will work under the SACOME umbrella, until its own corporate structure is formalised. Alliance members acknowledge the practical support of SACOME in bringing the parties together in a short space of time.Announcing the formation of the Braemar Iron Alliance today at the Broken Hill Mining and Energy Symposium, Woskett said it provides a focal point for industry participants to work in close consultation with local government throughout the Braemar iron province, on the northern Yorke Peninsula and Upper Spencer Gulf and with prospective infrastructure developers and providers. He indicated that if all of the anticipated projects proceed to development, an investment mix of A$6 billion or more could be foreseen over the forthcoming decade, bringing significant jobs and downstream opportunities to the regions involved.
NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a roundup of today’s news…CAB officers leave the Ballsbridge home of developer Tom McFeely. McFeely was declared bankrupt last year, but €200,000 in cash is reported to have been found in the house since last week. (Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)IRELAND Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau searched the home of Priory Hall developer Tom McFeely.A Peruvian prosecutor rejected the guilty pleas of Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid.Gardaí posted CCTV footage of missing Dublin woman Margaret “Peggy” Mangan on Facebook.Computer giant Dell announced 300 jobs would be created as they planned to open a bank.Interpol issued an arrest notice for Co Down woman Samantha Lewthwaithe, who was suspected of having involvement in the Westgate Mall attack.The Standards in Public Office Commission said it was dropping an investigation into Michael Lowry’s business dealings in England.House price increases in Dublin reached a 10.6 per cent year on year rise, nearly 8 per cent more than the rest of the country.A European court ruled that an Irish mother whose baby was born through a surrogate was not entitled to paid maternity leave.The chief executive of NAMA said that the agency expects to hire 220 staff to deal with loans from IBRC’s liquidation.The Government announced it, and all State agencies, will stop using cheques from next September.INTERNATIONALThe coffin of April Jones inside St Peter’s Church, Machynlleth, during her funeral service. (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)#FUNERAL The funeral of murdered Welsh five-year-old April Jones took place today, over a year after she was killed. The ceremony took place in April’s home town of Macynlleth, with hundreds of locals decked out in pink in her honour.#WAR CRIMES The 50-year jail term imposed against Liberian warlord Charles Taylor was upheld by a UN-backed special court. Survivors and victims of his regime celebrated the decision.#TALKS The Iranian foreign minister prepared to meet the five permanent members of the UN Security Council for talks on his country’s nuclear plans. Hasan Rouhani will meet delegates from America, the UK, China, France and Russia tomorrow.#EUTHANASIA A Canadian microbiologist has sparked a debate about assisted suicide, a week after his death. Dr Donald Low, who reassured Canada during the 2003 SARS outbreak, recorded the video in the weeks leading up to his 18 September death, calling for assisted suicide to be legalised.INNOVATIONResearchers at the University of Adelaide have found a way to vaporise old plastic bags, turning them into plastic nanotubes. [Geek.com]A glitch in GMail sent the contents of private chats and hangouts to the wrong people today, probably causing embarrasment and anger. [Guardian]PARTING SHOTLike it or loathe it, today saw thousands of people across the country raise a glass of the black stuff for Arthur’s Day. Acts such as The Script, Manic Street Preachers and Janelle Monae played venues across the country, with hundreds of people pouring into Dame Lane in Dublin for the 17.59pm salute, above. (Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)Here’s what happened yesterday
Température en baisse : prudence face au monoxyde de carboneComme beaucoup d’entre vous l’ont d’ores et déjà constaté, les températures ont fortement baissé cette semaine, poussant de plus en plus de Français à allumer leur chauffage. Ce geste doit être fait avec précaution afin d’éviter les intoxications au monoxyde de carbone.Si l’on en croit Météo France, les températures devraient désormais continuer à baisser, et cela notamment à l’approche de l’hiver. Une situation qui amène beaucoup de personnes à pousser un peu plus le chauffage afin d’augmenter la température de nos intérieurs. Pour autant, l’Institut national de prévention et d’éducation pour la santé (Inpes) ainsi que le ministère de la Santé, expliquent les dangers du chauffage, afin de prévenir les intoxications au monoxyde de carbone.Le Parisien rappelle les règles de bonne conduite en matière de chauffage. La première est de faire vérifier son installation à l’approche de l’hiver. De son côté, l’Inpes recommande à chacun, et cela même en période de grand froid, d’aérer son logement durant dix minutes chaque jour et d’entretenir les systèmes de ventilation. Très important également, il est rappelé que les chauffages d’appoint ne doivent pas être utilisés en continu, seulement lors de courtes périodes. Le monoxyde de carbone tue encore chaque année des personnes qui n’ont su faire ces gestes. Ce gaz est invisible, non irritant et inodore.Le 13 novembre 2010 à 11:42 • Emmanuel Perrin
Happy birthday, Pearl Mackie!A triple threat—actor, dancer, singer—Brixton-born Mackie is in good company among former Doctor Who companions Billie Piper, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill, none of whom boasted much experience before traveling with the Doctor.With small roles in film (musical comedy Svengali, 2013), television (one episode of British soap Doctors, 2014), and theater (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2015-16), Mackie was all but unknown when her name was called to join Peter Capaldi on the long-running BBC show.“I’m incredibly excited,” the young star said last year. “It’s such an extraordinary British institution, I couldn’t be prouder to call the TARDIS my home.”via BBCAnd it’s good thing, too.Since Mackie’s debut last month as Bill Potts, the unlucky-in-life lunch lady-cum-ultimate student of space and time has brought a refreshing boost of energy to what had become a stale show.Funny, relatable, and openly gay (a first for Doctor Who), Bill just wants to get on with her life, while occasionally helping to save the world.On-screen chemistry and witty one-liners aside, though, Mackie admittedly is not a Whovian like so many of the people watching her each week.“I was part of the Doctor Who-less years when it sort of was off the air just before I was born, and then came back when I was about 16, when I was mostly interested in hanging out in parks and stuff like that,” she told Vanity Fair in April.via BBCDespite watching the occasional Christmas special, the actor did little research into the role, actively avoiding previous seasons of the show—as executive producer Brian Minchin instructed.Her lack of familiarity, however, is precisely what landed her in hot water among fans: While promoting the new series on The One Show, Mackie suggested the Doctor’s famous time machine runs on “space engine oil” (it is actually powered by Artron energy).Mackie recovered from the gaffe, but her future with Doctor Who remains unclear: In response to rumors that she will leave the series after one season, the BBC simply said viewers will have to “tune in to find out.”Either way, I’m glad for the opportunity to get to know Bill—and Mackie, who celebrates the big 3-0 today.
This week’s rainy and cold start to the winter season will transition to the possibility of low-elevation snow showers by early next week.For some people, this may be a bit of a drag.Not for Nick Bond.“Maybe it’s a sign of a character flaw or something,” he said.Bond, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, happens to be the Washington state climatologist. Bond knows that the cold November rain and abundant early-season mountain snowpack will help irrigators, hydroelectric operators and salmon many months from now.Strong La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean make it likely that Bond will have lots of cool and wet weather to enjoy this winter.“The rain is just kind of a magical thing,” he said. “It’s certainly an important part of the landscape around here. I’ve always loved rain, just on a visceral level.”Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Portland issued an advisory on Thursday raising the possibility of snow showers at the lowest elevations early next week.
FOLIOmag.com recently posted its annual round up of magazine and media predictions for the coming year, collected from a wide cross section of industry professionals. All in all, we came up with roughly 115 predictions from more than 20 people.Until we posted it, that is.Since Thursday morning, I’ve received e-mails and phone calls from another small army of wanna-be fortune tellers—all wanting to add their illuminations about 2010. And, of course, I couldn’t resist. Below are the additional predictions I’ve collected so far. Do you have a prediction(s) about what’s in store for 2010? Will print advertising evaporate completely? Will mobile applications take over? Will Jan Wenner ever tend bar at his Rolling Stone-themed restaurant?Let me know. Send your predictions to jfell(at)red7media(dot)com, or leave them in the comments section below.NAME: Kirk CheyfitzTITLE: CEO, Story WorldwidePREDICTION(S): Late in the year, one major magazine—probably one of Meredith’s, since Meredith actually owns a digital marketing agency—will wake from the publishing industry’s self-induced coma and re-invent itself as a content marketing agency specializing in reaching the niche audience that reads the magazine. From then on, that lone magazine will make tons of money creating content for brand marketers—the kind of valuable entertaining, informative content that is taking the place of advertising.NAME: Rob HaggartTITLE: photo editor, formerly of Men’s Journal, OutsidePREDICTION(S): We will see fire sale buyouts (à la BusinessWeek) of a few big titles rather than shuttering (à la Gourmet).More photographers will get into the workshop, book writing and teaching side of the photography business. This is proving by all appearances to be super lucrative, but will get very crowded and competitive as people with an impressive oeuvre enter the market.Photographers who market with ideas and innovation will be snapped up by marketers who need fresh ideas and innovation.Product photography will heat up as companies realize products online need great photography to convert online shoppers into buyers.Local markets will go red hot as local online markets get competitive and companies that normally needed no photos for a yellowpage ad now need lots of photography for a nice looking Web site.Video goes nuclear, because nothing is commissioned anymore without video and hey, “doesn’t that camera shoot video too.”NAME: Gordon T. HughesTITLE: president and CEO, American Business MediaPREDICTION(S): We’re calling print flat to down 3 percent in 2010 after a year (2009) that it was down 30 percent.Digital, which was down probably 3 percent in 2009, we’re calling up between 3 and 6 percent next year.Custom, which was up probably in the 6 percent range, we’re saying will be about the same, up another 3 to 6 percent off of that in 2010.We believe that rich data has excellent potent for member to take their intellectual properties, their content and be able to monetize it without talking about ad revenues. We see that as a continuing growing sector for our members.Finally, one area we believe will be disappointing will be face-to-face. 2010 will probably worse than 2009, so we’re saying it’ll be down about 20 percent.NAME: Paul ConleyTITLE: owner, Paul Conley ConsultingPREDICTION(S): This will be the year of the tier—in which poor rates for online advertising will split the b-to-b publishing game into three distinct levels. (And since there’s very, very little room for ad-supported, mid to high quality models in this three-tier system, I expect more bankruptcies and closures in 2010.)1. Content mills like Associated Content and Demand Media already dominate the lower tier in b-to-c—dumbing down the market and pushing costs so low that professional writers are fleeing and professional publishers are abandoning “evergreen” stories, how-to articles and similar search-driven, long-tail tactics.In b-to-b, watch for a rise in such crappy-but-cheap competitors (an e-mail newsletter company approached me a few weeks ago looking for help finding b-to-b journalists who would write for $15 per 600-word story!)2. The middle tier will be most notable for its absence of middle men! No aspect of publishing is better positioned for growth in 2010 than content marketing—as marketers continue to learn they can get better results if they produce their own content.In b-to-b, look for content marketing to produce extraordinary levels of sophistication and quality (like IBM’s avian flu site or Boeing and GM’s early forays in this space a few years ago.) Watch also for a shift in staffing as the best journalists find they can make more money (and face fewer ethical pressures from unscrupulous bosses) by moving into content marketing.3. The top tier, as always, will be reserved for high-end, paid-subscription products. And, as always, the top tier will be dominated by data, pricing, trading and credit products in b-to-b.But in 2010, increasingly desperate publishers will talk loudly and often about forcing users to pay for additional forms of online content. Delusions will grow commonplace, as companies insist that the poor quality stuff they’ve always given away is actually high quality material that can now be sold. NAME: Gordon PlutskyTITLE: director of marketing, King Fish MediaPREDICTION(S): Here are four.1. More and more pure play online companies will discover multi-channel media and marketing paired with content drives customer engagement. Look for more online retailers to create “magalogs” pairing content and offers in an appealing environment using both print and digital formats.2. Broadcasters (network and cable) will create more integrated online custom and advertising programs for the so called “second screen.” According to Reuters, Nielsen’s research shows that “57 percent of TV viewers in the U.S. who have Internet access use both mediums at the same time at least once a month. That translates to more than 128 million U.S. consumers.”This opens the door to endless ties in for deeper content, social media connections and games/contests to extend a marketing campaign.3. Consumers will slowly begin to accept that they will have to pay for some premium content online. The decline of print advertising means that online content can no longer be subsidized. It will only be successful with unique, relevant content such as hyper local news or brands such as the New York Times or Variety. Garden variety news and opinion found in places such as Newsweek and BusinessWeek stand little chance of collecting a fee for content because there are so many other sources for that information.4. Twitter is already leveling off as many people quit or abandon it after a short time. I see that trend continuing, though the idea if micro blogging is here to stay. It’s too effective a communications tools not to have a purpose. It makes more sense integrated into something else rather than a standalone since it is still a mystery how Twitter will make a profit. The whole “social media” frenzy will slow down considerably as it becomes just another marketing tactic and media channel for marketers. The cottage industry of social media experts, consultants and dedicated agencies will wane. It’s like when “e” was finally dropped from e-commerce and it just became another commerce channel. We can now drop the “Social” and recognize it’s just another media channel.NAME: Colin CrawfordTITLE: founder and CEO, Media7PREDICTION(S): In 2010, successful publishers will:Adapt to the world of “mobility”—the consumption and creation of content on smart mobile devices – smartphones, smartbooks, smartpads and smart e-readers.Focus on the user experience each medium offers—online is not a print replica and mobile is not an online replica.Show users that their brand delivers real value across media—they will appreciate mobile has the potential to reset the brand/audience relationship that has been put under pressure by the internet.Develop a series of revenue streams rather than just expecting the CPM advertising model to work in the digital world.Engage audiences—as defensible competitive barrier to entry—nurturing and developing audiences will be key to success.Think of themselves as database/ data services and integrated marketing solutions companies and not just content creation companies.Link together their three critical databases—content, audience and marketers.NAME: Bob SacksTITLE: president/publisher, Precision Media Group2009 PREDICTION(S): 2010 is the year of the great publishing realignment where our industry retrenches, rebuilds and looks forward to a bright and prosperous future.2010 is the year that our senior management intellectually turns the corner and follows the money instead of waiting for its errant return.This is the year that some print magazines realize that they can make plenty of money being just what they are—focused, idea driven, information cult clubs. This is also the year that some other print magazines realize that they can’t/don’t/won’t deliver the focused information narrow enough to pay for the product and move onwards. 2010 is the year that flat economics seems pretty damn good. This will be the year when the surviving franchises reach out past the traditional and seek the screenagers at their home base. From a historical perspective, next year will be noted as the launching date of magazines designed for the new substrates, which translates into anything that connects to the Web. We will realize that size doesn’t matter, while performance and functionality does.And finally, this is the year that Samir Husni calls BoSacks to say that he finally understands that publishing is not confined to just paper and that electronic communication is not such a bad thing. He does this from his Blackberry.
A lot of Americans would welcome a forecast for a mild winter, but in Alaska a lack of snow and ice can mean hardship for those in rural communities who depend on cold for traveling and hunting. What happens when the land of ice and snow isn’t so frosty?HOST: Lori TownsendGUESTS:Carolina Behe, ICCJim Dau, caribou biologistCyrus Harris, Maniilaq Traditional food programParticipate:Post your comment before, during or after the live broadcast (comments may be read on air).Send email to talk [at] alaskapublic [dot] org (comments may be read on air)Call 550-8422 in Anchorage or 1-800-478-8255 if you’re outside Anchorage during the live broadcastLIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.SUBSCRIBE: Get Talk of Alaska updates automatically by email, RSS or podcast.TALK OF ALASKA ARCHIVE
NASA/ Lynette CookConspiracy theorists all across the world strongly believe that an invisible ninth planet is lurking in the edge of the solar system, and they claim that this rogue planet popularly known as Nibiru or Planet X will one day hit the earth causing massive a doomsday-like scenario. Even though conspiracy theorists are adamant about this event in the near future, several space scientists have rubbished these claims, and they have classified it as a hoax. However, a section of top researchers believes that there could be Planet Nine in the edges of our solar system.These scientists suggest that the weird behaviour of objects in the Kuiper belt could be the result of the gravitational force exerted by this large planet. Even though the concept of Planet Nine was initially proposed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2016, no direct observations have been made so far.Now, Michael Brown, a Caltech professor who put forward this theory has sensationally revealed that scientists are not too far away from discovering this space entity. Brown made this revelation while talking with Linda Moulton Howe of Coast to Coast AM live radio. During the talk, the professor also revealed that is pretty optimistic about knowing Planet Nine’s orbit of the Sun.”If we knew exactly where it was, we wouldn’t have to be inferring, we would just go look at it and say: ‘Look there it is.’ So, we don’t know exactly where it is because all we know is its long-term gravitational effect on these other bodies” said Brown, Express.co.uk reports.During the talk, Brown also suggested that Planet Nine will not be that massive as previously speculated, and he made it clear that it will not affect the solar system. “If it’s too massive, it destroys the outer solar system. If it’s not tilted the way we think it’s tilted, it doesn’t tilt the objects the way they’re tilted. So, all these details we can infer from the detailed computer simulations we’ve been doing,” added Brown.As per Brown, Planet Nine sometimes comes very closer to the earth, but in these approaches, it will be staying almost seven times the distance from the Sun to Neptune. Due to this incredible distance, Planet Nine’s gravity will not create any effects on the stability of the earth.A few months back, Fred Adams, a scientist at the University of Michigan had also claimed that Planet Nine will be discovered in the next 10 to 15 years. The scientist made this conclusion after analyzing computer model simulations of the solar system. Adams also suggested the planetary position of Planet Nine could be much closer than previous estimations.
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Ending months of speculation, Uber picks Expedias Khosrowshahi as its prospective new CEO.If he takes the job, he would have a steep task ahead of him that includes not just repairing Uber and amp;#39;s corporate image but also creating a profitable business after years of losses.
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. An international team of researchers has found evidence that suggests evolutionary changes in anatomy would have made walking more economical without reducing utility of muscles for climbing in early hominins. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes studying bones and fossils from human ancestors and how they fit together to determine their walking and climbing abilities. More information: Elaine E. Kozma et al. Hip extensor mechanics and the evolution of walking and climbing capabilities in humans, apes, and fossil hominins, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715120115AbstractThe evolutionary emergence of humans’ remarkably economical walking gait remains a focus of research and debate, but experimentally validated approaches linking locomotor capability to postcranial anatomy are limited. In this study, we integrated 3D morphometrics of hominoid pelvic shape with experimental measurements of hip kinematics and kinetics during walking and climbing, hamstring activity, and passive range of hip extension in humans, apes, and other primates to assess arboreal–terrestrial trade-offs in ischium morphology among living taxa. We show that hamstring-powered hip extension during habitual walking and climbing in living apes and humans is strongly predicted, and likely constrained, by the relative length and orientation of the ischium. Ape pelves permit greater extensor moments at the hip, enhancing climbing capability, but limit their range of hip extension, resulting in a crouched gait. Human pelves reduce hip extensor moments but permit a greater degree of hip extension, which greatly improves walking economy (i.e., distance traveled/energy consumed). Applying these results to fossil pelves suggests that early hominins differed from both humans and extant apes in having an economical walking gait without sacrificing climbing capability. Ardipithecus was capable of nearly human-like hip extension during bipedal walking, but retained the capacity for powerful, ape-like hip extension during vertical climbing. Hip extension capability was essentially human-like in Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus, suggesting an economical walking gait but reduced mechanical advantage for powered hip extension during climbing. Explore further Why aren’t humans ‘knuckle-walkers?’ Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
How and when early human ancestors first began walking upright remains a topic of debate among scientists, and research continues to find the answer. In this new effort, the researchers took another look at conventional ideas suggesting that the first hominins to walk upright likely did so extremely awkwardly, as they retained physical features that would allow them to escape enemies by climbing trees. The researchers suggested that if that were the case, those early hominins would not have survived.To prove their theory, they began by taking a closer look at human gait and comparing the data with how apes and monkeys walk. They noted that the angle at which the leg and hip bones meet are different between the species, which means that walking upright for apes and monkeys places a lot of stress on thigh muscles, hamstrings and the knees. A shorter ischium (curved bone at the base of the pelvis) in humans allows for full extension without undue pressure on other leg parts. The net result, the researchers noted, is an ability to walk not only upright, but more efficiently.The researchers then looked at the anatomy of ancient hominins—going all the way back to Lucy. All of the members of Australopithecus, they noted, had a full range of motion, allowing them to walk upright—even as they conserved traits that allowed them to climb much better than today’s humans. The researchers also found that an older hominin known as Ardi, who lived approximately 4.4 million years ago, had pelvic anatomy that allowed for walking upright almost as easily as modern humans, yet still had a long ischium. This, the team claims, shows that early hominins were able to walk upright and climb trees in relatively easy fashion—not clumsily, as others have suggested. © 2018 Phys.org Evolved changes in pelvis shape allow the hamstrings muscles (red) to hyper-extend the hip in humans, but not in apes. Credit: PNAS Citation: Study shows changes in anatomy would have made walking easier without reducing muscles for climbing in early hominins (2018, April 3) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-04-anatomy-easier-muscles-climbing-early.html
News | Contrast Media | November 14, 2018 Voyageur Minerals to Begin Manufacturing Barium Contrast Products With Chief Medical Supply Joint venture will bring new barium sulfate contrast products to the high-value Canadian market Technology | Contrast Media | August 05, 2019 Bracco Receives FDA Approval for Varibar Thin Liquid for Oral Suspension Bracco Diagnostics Inc. announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Varibar Thin Liquid (barium… read more Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 5:46Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -5:46 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. News | Radiology Business | April 24, 2019 ITN Wins Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Technical Content April 24, 2019 — Imaging Technology News (ITN) was recently named the 2019 Jesse H. read more News | Cardiovascular Ultrasound | August 07, 2019 Contrast Use in First Transthoracic Echocardiogram for Heart Failure Reduces Repeat Testing Heart failure is the fourth most common cause for all admission to U.S. hospitals, and it is the most common reason for… read more Related Content Sponsored Content | Videos | Contrast Media | January 22, 2019 itnTV “Conversations”: Guerbet Unveils Portfolio of Advanced Digital Solutions ITN Contributing Editor Greg Freiherr speaks with Guerb read more Technology | Contrast Media | July 15, 2019 FDA Approves Bayer’s Gadavist Contrast for Cardiac MRI in Adult Coronary Artery Disease Patients The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Gadavist injection for use in cardiac magnetic resonance… read more Feature | Contrast Media Injectors | April 11, 2019 | By Jeff Zagoudis Using Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Gadolinium Contrast One of the most controversial issues in radiology in recent years has been the use of… read more 
Example of full-dose, 10 percent low-dose and algorithm-enhanced low-dose. Image courtesy of Enhao Gong, Ph.D. Two brain metastases from primary lung cancer are contrast enhanced in the brain of a 61-year-old male. Speakers at AHRA 2019 will state that ProHance and other macrocyclic MR agents present a very low risk to patients. Images courtesy of Bracco News | Neuro Imaging | March 18, 2019 Non-Contrast MRI Effective in Monitoring MS Patients Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without contrast agent is just as effective as the contrast-enhanced approach… read more Feature | Contrast Media | July 18, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr How To Manage Risk in the MR Suite Macrocyclic contrast agents have the best safety profile of all the magnetic resonance (MR) contrast media that are n read more Sponsored Content | Case Study | Contrast Media | January 30, 2019 Captisol-enabled Contrast Media with Reduced Renal Toxicity in Development The medical imaging market relies heavily on contrast media, injected into patients to increase the contrast of bodil read more News | Ultrasound Imaging | March 07, 2019 Ultrasound Societies Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Contrast Agents National and international ultrasound societies are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to remove the “black… read more November 14, 2018 — Voyageur Minerals Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement with Chief Medical Supply Ltd (CM) of Calgary, Alberta to engage in the development, marketing and commercialization of human and animal radiographic contrast agents and related pharmaceutical products. The agreement will focus on development of barium sulfate contrast products.The joint venture will provide Voyageur with the opportunity to penetrate the highest value barium sulfate market in the world. Management anticipates that cash flow from this line of business will begin in 2019.In the terms of the agreement:Voyageur will provide up to 2,000 metric tons annually of USP grade barium sulfate API, to the joint venture at no cost to the Joint Venture;CM will provide the Canadian regulatory approval, the formulation, manufacturing, testing and packaging of the barite suspension products, using its own facilities and equipment, at no cost to the joint venture; andAll other activities in respect to regulatory approvals, marketing and sales of the products will be for the account of the joint venture, and the costs of such will be a direct charge against the revenues of the joint venture.The joint venture will begin formulation of its product lines and move forward with applications for Health Canada drug identification number registration. The target for initial sales is the second quarter of 2019. Initial sales of the product will focus on Canada utilizing the Health Canada bidding process. After sales into the Canadian market have commenced, the joint venture will apply for certification and begin sales into Europe and the rest of the world, excluding the United States. Approval for sale in the United States requires approval through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This process will take a year or more before sales can begin in the United States.The joint venture plans on targeting markets with government-run healthcare systems and private clinics. For more information: www.voyageurminerals.ca FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享